Ms Kath Feely1,2,3,4,5, Mrs Meaghan Maher2, Ms Amy Bowman1, Ms Jen Corda3, Dr Heather Gilbertson3, A/Prof Alicia Martin1
1Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Parkville, Australia, 2The Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Australia, 3The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Australia, 4The Royal Women’s Hospital, Parkville, Australia, 5The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
Biography:
Kath Feely has worked in public health for more than 20 years. In 2014 she started transitioning from physiotherapy into clinical informatics. As the Chief Allied Health Information Officer at Parkville in Melbourne she supports more than 1000 allied health staff. She prioritises upskilling clinicians in digital health and use of standardised data to evaluate and improve clinical service delivery and patient outcomes. Kath is also passionate about sharing health information with patients to improve their health care journey.
Abstract:
Purpose:
To provide a practical approach to developing, implementing and evaluating a digital health upskilling program for allied health professionals (AHP).
Problem:
Upskilling the healthcare workforce in technology, data and informatics is a national priority. To fully benefit from health data and technology our AHP workforce must be confident and proficient in utilising these tools to inform clinical practice and improvement projects.
Outcome:
We were informed by two 2023 AHP surveys; one assessing self-reported digital capability and another the electronic medical record (EMR) system satisfaction at Parkville, Victoria. Survey results were presented to AHP clinical informatics staff and education representatives, leading to the co-design of our 2025 Digital Health Upskilling Plan. The plan aims to enhance AHPs knowledge in data and informatics while improving efficiency and expertise with our EMR system.
Key changes include updating EMR onboarding which now has three components: a self-directed interactive workbook, local specialty training and a "Setting up for EMR Success" session after six weeks. Data and informatics concepts are integrated into the training.
All staff lacking basic EMR personalisation will be identified and attend a version of the onboarding session. “EMR Efficiency Extras” sessions will also be scheduled for all AHPs to further personalise the system. Managers will select staff for additional reporting training. The program will be evaluated based on informatics capability, system efficiency, and user proficiency.
Conclusion:
We expect over 90% of our AHP workforce to become more efficient, satisfied EMR users with a deeper understanding of data and informatics concepts.