Subject: Project Management for Health Information Management Department Title of Assignment: Organizing Healthcare Using Project Management Perspectives A defined but non-routine function of a health

Project Management Concepts

Project management is essentially bringing together resources for the success of a project. Resources include the skills of team members; time; communications with the client; and adequate planning and training for putting the new system into operation. Both technical staff who can understand the "nuts and bolts" of implementing information systems and persons with management skills on the "soft" side, are needed to determine what organizational changes will be made to support the new initiative.

What is a project? A project tends to have:

• a designated beginning and end;

• a reason for devoting special resources to a main objective;

• a non-regularly recurring, or one-time only, effort.

An entire discipline has evolved as a result of the need to devote effort efficiently and effectively toward completing an objective. Often, but not always, a "project" results in a tangible outcome, such as a report, or a design, or an implementation of a system.

One key concept is the development of tasks and milestones that can be broken down so that the entire effort may be tracked and evaluated for progress. Just as each week in your coursework, you have tasks or assignments to complete toward the degree; and those assignments accumulate to form a course; then those courses accumulate to form a degree; we can view a Project in much the same way.

The key difference is that most projects generally involve the efforts of multiple individuals. A project manager is needed when the effort becomes large or complex.

Some projects need to be broken down into phases. Just as we have learned that the Systems Development Life cycle includes phases such as the design and implementation phases, so also will many projects have phases.

The Project Scope first defines what will be the limits and bounds of the project. If a project is initiated to design a new meal distribution process in the hospital, for instance, we expect that the project scope will not be expanded to include collecting unit laundry! The expansion of a project beyond its original envisioning is sometimes called “Scope Creep”. As the project becomes larger and larger, it thus becomes more difficult to conclude. Changes in scope are to be avoided unless absolutely necessary and agreed to by the contractor.

Planning and budgeting occur once the scope has been defined. This phase provides structure and form needed to determine what types of staff and how many of their hours are needed. When planning, the timelines need to have some flexibility built in to deal with “risk”. For instance, one phase may be expected to take 10 days, but due to interdependencies it may be better to allow 12 days for completion.

Monitoring and controlling occur as the project begins and progresses. Just as a general contractor contributes to oversight and coordination in the building of a house, so do project managers monitor the progress of staff and try to troubleshoot as obstacles arise.

Management of finances as well as the quality and risk of the project comprise other areas that project managers attend to.

The Project Management Institute, formed in 1969, has developed a certification process to coalesce the body of knowledge of project management into a set of competencies. Those passing comprehensive examinations can become a PMP - Project Management Professional - or other credential as appropriate to their roles.

(http://www.pmi.org/Certification.aspx. Retrieved January 17, 2011).

Developing a List of Project Tasks

Project Task Definition

After defining and agreeing on scope, the process of defining project tasks begins. Development of tasks is an art as well as a science. Each task should be assignable to a certain individual or individuals.

A room-building project

A project of applications building can be likened to building a house. For example, if we were designing and building a room, we might break down tasks as follows:

1. Develop architectural style and measurements for room

2. Prepare detailed construction drawings

3. Construct foundation for room

4. Frame walls

5. Install electrical wiring

6. Install plumbing

7. Attach drywall and taping

8. Finish ceiling

9. Prepare subfloor, install flooring

10. Paint room

11. Hang interior light fixtures

12. Install baseboards, trim, cabinets

If you have ever observed a room being built or remodeled, the sequence of events may appear important and familiar. The electrical wiring is easier to be installed before the drywall; otherwise, drywall may need to be removed to run wires and place receptacles! If you can paint before installing finished cabinetry and interior lights, then these areas do not need to have masking tape applied as protection. Each of these tasks has a specialist assigned to complete the task (unless you have hired a very handy person, indeed!)

A physician order entry project

For a health care information system implementation, a list of tasks would include:

1. Review existing health care record and ordering system

2. Develop detailed specifications for computerized physician order entry

3. Determine hardware needs for new system

4. Determine database framework for system

5. Define entities and attributes

6. Write code, develop database tables

7. Determine the interface for users

8. Train system users

9. Implement and install system in physician practices and hospital

Sub-tasks

Sub-tasks are developed once the main tasks are defined and identified. For example, have you ever watched a sink being installed?

Main task: Install kitchen sink.

Sub-tasks:

• Remove old sink from counter

• Clean old caulk and grout off counter edges, for smooth adherence

• Put sink in place

• Install faucets

• Connect to drain pipe

• Connect faucets to water supply

• Caulk around edges of sink

• Clean up

In much the same way, systems developers break out the analysis tasks, and requirements into sub-tasks to lead to final systems construction.

Project Scheduling Using GANTT Charting

Assigning Timeframes and Schedule

Now, expected completion times will be assigned to tasks and subtasks as previously defined. It is important to identify “dependencies” and interdependencies of task completion. When a dependency is present that means one task must be completed before a following task can begin.

When an admissions department director needs to be interviewed first to determine features of the hospital admissions system, obviously the programmer may not begin work on that crucial phase until interviews have been concluded and features decided upon. These sorts of dependencies, especially involving staff over whom the contractor does not have full control, ideally will be reflected in a project schedule.

Sample Task List for Hospital Admissions Information System

• Interview Admissions Director

• Interview Director of Nursing

• Interview Health Information Manager

• Determine current functionalities and areas for enhancements

• Determine interfaces needed with other systems, such as billing

• Investigate current use of standards such as HL7

• Decide on modules for system

• Develop Module 1

• Develop Module 2

• Develop Module 3

• Refine and test user interface

• Combine all modules and interface to “front end”

• Train users in system main features

• Test and install

The first four to five areas of this plan include many dependencies on staff and others providing needed knowledge.

A Gantt chart can show how project tasks will proceed in sequence or even, simultaneously. The Gantt chart shows how to use horizontal bars to denote task duration, beginning and end.

The image below shows a GANTT schedule for a very simple project. The project is to develop and deliver a training module and has been broken down into six tasks. This visually demonstrates how project beginning and ending dates, overall and for each task, have been assigned.

Click the image to see the full GANTT Schedule or Copy & paste link below:

https://content.learntoday.info/Learn/HI305_Fall_13_Update/site/Media/gantt_schedule01_full.pdf

Defining Tasks and Assigning Staff Responsibilities

Assigning Responsibilities

After identifying tasks the next step in the plan is to identify staff to carry out the plan. It is typical to assign staff to tasks. Project managers and directors will have considered staff time and capabilities before assigning them to tasks.

The image below shows the GANTT schedule with staff resources assigned to each task. Janelle is writing the project description. Martina has been assigned as project manager and Joseph is designing the training module. Joseph needs to be available from January 28 to February 3 to carry out his part of the project. If he cannot be made available, the project schedule will need to be changed or another individual who does have that time available would need to be assigned.

Click the image to see the full GANTT Schedule or Copy & paste link below:

https://content.learntoday.info/Learn/HI305_Fall_13_Update/site/Media/gantt_schedule02_full.pdf

Rubrics

Welcome to Week 7!

This week we are focusing on Project Management. Some of you are already taking or have taken the Project Management course so you are already familiar with the concept. Some of you may not have taken it, but when you do, you will be a little prepared for it.

Project management is simply bringing together resources for the success of a project. These resources include time, people, money, equipment, etc. In your lesson, you will learn the basics of the project scope, planning and budgeting, monitoring and controlling, and the management of finances. You will use what you have learned and apply it to this week's assignments, "Organizing Healthcare Using Project Management Perspectives" and "PM Assignment Phase 1" (you will utilize Excel for that last one). Please note that it will be helpful for you to do more research on project management in healthcare and Gantt charts before completing the assignments.

Your rubrics for this week are below"

Module 07 Written Assignment - Organizing Healthcare using Project Management Perspectives

Scoring Rubric:

Module 07 HMIS Assignment - PM Assignment Phase 1

Scoring Rubric: