Best Practices for Change Management in Healthcare IT

Effective change management in healthcare IT is key to implementing new technologies and systems that improve service, improve patient outcomes, and reduce staff workloads. But with the potential for change fatigue and resistance to change, how can you introduce new change successfully?

As change management experts, we know the ins and outs of change and how to apply it successfully. Keep reading to learn about the importance of change management in healthcare IT, its challenges, and the best practices for successful change initiatives. 

What Is Change Management in Healthcare IT?

Change management in healthcare IT is used to transition from current systems and processes to new ones. Identifying which processes will be impacted early allows the organization to prepare for the upcoming technological shifts.

Common examples of change management in healthcare IT include electronic health records (EHR) systems, telehealth services, and other IT software upgrades.

Successful technology change requires a holistic approach that considers process changes, business objectives, risk assessment, and effective change management practices. By aligning these elements and involving key stakeholders from the outset, businesses can increase the likelihood of successful IT adoption in healthcare.

Before implementing any software upgrade or installation, it’s critical to assess the impact on existing workflows and processes. Identifying potential disruptions and planning mitigation strategies will reduce the impact on day-to-day operations.

When implementing EHR in healthcare, providing effective communications, training and coaching also prepares people to adopt the change while making the process smoother.

Similarly, introducing telehealth services requires educating patients and healthcare providers about the benefits and proper use of the technology. This could involve creating educational materials, hosting webinars or offering one-on-one training.

The Challenges of Change Management in Healthcare IT  

Several challenges arise when trying to manage change in Healthcare IT. These include: 

Resistance to change

Resistance to change in healthcare IT can stem from the comfort of current systems. There is also a fear of the unknown and skepticism about previous failed change initiatives. This contributes to a change-resistant organizational culture, making it difficult to carry out change initiatives effectively in healthcare teams.

Lack of executive support

A common challenge in healthcare IT change management is the lack of executive support. Executives often need to understand their crucial role in these efforts fully. This lack of understanding leads to inconsistent communication and engagement, which weakens the overall change effort and reduces support once the change is implemented.

Executives, as sponsors, play a vital role in championing the change. They allocate necessary resources, remove obstacles, and encourage employee commitment, which is essential for enabling people to adopt new technologies.

Without strong executive support, it becomes much harder for the organization to navigate these changes and drive success.

Lack of communication

When there isn't enough communication about why change is needed and important, it becomes much harder to carry out change initiatives successfully.

To avoid confusion and misalignment, communication must be transparent, clear and consistent. Every healthcare organization has its own cultural nuances, and considering these when communicating will help the entire organization better understand and accept the changes.

Lack of knowledge

According to research, change success increases by 24% when employees own implementation planning. Without sufficient knowledge, employees are unable to participate fully in applying the changes. In our Prosci ADKAR® Model, the “Knowledge” stage (referenced below) involves giving individuals the information they need to understand the change and educating them about the reasons behind it, the desired outcomes, and how their roles and responsibilities may be affected.

IT healthcare teams need a solid understanding of change management principles so stakeholders can drive the change. 

5 Strategies for Change Management in Healthcare IT

Change management strategies are important for navigating the complexities of implementing technological advancements in healthcare. By addressing the people side of change, change management strategies ensure that healthcare workers embrace and use IT solutions to their fullest potential. 

Healthcare IT implementations can disrupt existing workflows and processes, and potentially impact patient care as a result. 

For example, healthcare professionals often exhibit resistance behaviors when faced with changes to their daily work. Successful change management strategies address this risk by preparing healthcare staff for the changes, providing support and coaching, and addressing the root causes of resistance, as well as other issues that arise. 

Because the healthcare industry is highly regulated, change management also ensures that IT implementations meet requirements to avoid penalties for noncompliance.

Effective change management strategies for healthcare IT vary with each institution and change. Here are five strategies commonly deployed in healthcare settings: 

1. Use sponsorship 

Sponsors should provide active and visible sponsorship, build coalitions of sponsors, and communicate directly with employees about the importance of the change. It's essential to regularly assess sponsor commitment and engagement levels throughout the change process.

Visible commitment from sponsors reinforces the importance of the change, boosts stakeholder confidence, and helps navigate organizational changes, driving the change towards its desired outcome.

The primary sponsor also provides credibility to the change, authorizes necessary resources, and engages in employee-facing activities. Securing support from healthcare leaders by aligning the IT change with organizational goals and patient care objectives ensures that healthcare professionals are supported and understand the change.

Active and visible sponsorship is consistently cited in Prosci research as a top contributor to successful change initiatives. Conversely, a lack of executive support and sponsorship is often a major obstacle.

Clarifying the sponsor’s role and providing them with the necessary support and resources makes the change management process much smoother. Facilitating activities such as resource allocation and stakeholder engagement also makes implementation easier in the healthcare field.

2. Communicate

Poor communication causes a lack of direction for healthcare workers and makes it difficult for the organization to be open to change. 

Employees prefer to hear business-related messages from senior leaders and personalized messages from their immediate supervisors about how the changes will impact them. Effective communications plans ensure that the appropriate sender delivers messages to maximize their impact. 

When impacted people don’t see much or any personal benefit from a change, they can experience barriers to adopting change. 

Communication plans should reflect an understanding of how individuals experience change. Project teams need to be aware of the Prosci ADKAR Model, which describes the building blocks of successful change. Using ADKAR helps you to identify barrier points in their transition and help people move through them.

Our Prosci ADKAR Model

Communications plans should address current and future states, so employees understand the change’s rationale and direction. For change communication to be effective, it should target a specific audience and address their questions and concerns.

A clear communication plan equips you to share consistent messaging around the change initiative. This consistency contributes to employee engagement because affected people will have clarity around the change, what it means for them, and what they can do to work with the change.

3. Engage stakeholders

Change initiatives made solely based on high-level knowledge won’t take into account the nuances of the day-to-day job experience of healthcare staff. This lack of knowledge will become a barrier to change implementation and reduce the likelihood of change management success.

Involve stakeholders early in the change process to clarify expectations, roles, and the benefits. Stakeholders can include healthcare professionals, IT staff, administrators, and people on the front lines of healthcare who are affected by the change.

According to research, 27% of employees find that their employer rarely or never asked for feedback on changes implemented during the Covid-19 pandemic. This lack of engagement with employees makes it much harder for change initiatives to be managed successfully.

Building a change agent network is an effective way to connect stakeholders with the change team and facilitate two-way communications.

It’s also important to assess current clinical workflows to see where the process can be improved to suit the new change. Front-line staff are well-placed to provide input on this area. Collaborating and cocreating solutions with stakeholders is important to meet their needs and drive engagement.

4. Provide training

Successfully implementing change in healthcare IT and getting employees on board includes comprehensive training and ongoing support.

• Tailored training – Offer sessions specifically designed for the different roles affected by the IT change. Functional training builds knowledge that prepares healthcare professionals to use the technology in their jobs.
• Continuous support – Equip help desks, people managers and super-users to build the skills they need to help people adopt new systems and smooth the transition.
• Hands-on practice – Create opportunities for healthcare professionals to use the new IT systems in a simulated environment. These interactive sessions help identify potential challenges before the system goes live and build confidence in using the technology.
• Peer-to-peer learning – Encourage experienced staff to mentor their colleagues during the transition. This creates a supportive space for sharing tips, best practices and experiences.
• Measure and adjust – Continuously measure the effectiveness of the training and adjust the program based on feedback and performance metrics. This ensures continuous improvement and relevance.

By offering tailored training, continuous support, hands-on practice, and peer mentoring, organizations can ensure healthcare professionals are well-prepared for the new IT changes.

5. Monitor and measure change

Monitoring and measuring progress is essential to any healthcare IT change. Throughout the change lifecycle, including sustainment, we recommend tracking adoption, utilization and proficiency levels.

You can use feedback mechanisms, such as surveys and focus groups, to gather insights and identify areas for improvement. Use this feedback to make data-driven decisions about changes to the IT systems, support resources or training programs.

Establish KPIs related to the healthcare IT change, such as increased patient satisfaction scores, reduced documentation errors, or improved workflow efficiency. Monitor these KPIs closely to understand the change’s impact on processes and pinpoint areas needing more optimization.

Track change-adoption levels and usage patterns of the new IT change. Identify any areas where the change isn’t working or outliers so you can proactively address barriers.

Celebrate short-term wins and milestones to maintain momentum and demonstrate the change's benefits. Share success stories and case studies highlighting the change's positive impact on patient outcomes, efficiency or staff satisfaction.

How Change Management Improves Healthcare IT

Effective change management in healthcare IT enables the adoption of innovative solutions, leading to enhanced patient care, increased staff efficiency, and compliance with evolving regulations. Our refined strategies promote a proactive change culture by addressing challenges like resistance to change and communication gaps.

At Prosci, we empower sponsors to champion initiatives while equipping teams with skills to succeed through ongoing changes. Whether you need training, coaching or implementation support, we 're here to help. Our flexible, scalable approach enables success with healthcare IT advancements while helping you grow stronger from change.