In 2019, leveraging the momentum of their patient digital experience transformation, NYU Langone established an organization-wide strategy to transform the clinician's digital experience.

The vision is to create the best digital experience for clinicians, one that is a joy to use, exceeds their expectations, elevates their practice, and enables world-class patient care.

Dr. Paul Testa, chief medical information officer at NYU Langone Health, said the digital transformation has been successful due in large part to the fact that all of their decisions are grounded in metrics and measurements.

"This was an integral part of our digital strategy and is what has allowed us to see the impact our products have had on our clinicians and patients," he said.

"We metricize all of the technology across our organization and without a commitment to measurement as part of our strategy, we wouldn't have a baseline to compare our success to. If we measure it, we can meaningfully improve the work of our clinicians and the care of our patients."

Testa, who will address the topic of IT transformation best practices this week at HIMSS22, added one of the main differentiators of getting IT to adopt a product-oriented culture is the commitment to continual improvement.

"The work doesn't just end when a project is complete. This mindset is fostered by creating forums for feedback from stakeholders and knowledge sharing between peers," he said. "Hearing, observing and measuring how users are experiencing the products first-hand, and any struggles they may be having, allows us to continue to make things better for our users."

He said NYU Langone Health's IT team and clinical informaticists collaborate closely with operational partners throughout the institution to gain new knowledge and perspective.

"This allows us to see things in various lights and to collectively solve issues we otherwise may not have been aware of," he said. "We also encourage curiosity and participation in training courses on design thinking and digital development techniques. User stories and useability are key to this mindset to engage our clinicians."

Testa pointed out change starts at the top, saying it is important to have a leadership team that understands the role of IT as a strategic asset.

"We also have a governance model that encourages partnership across our organization so that clinical and operational departments can appreciate the role that technology plays in helping us meet shared goals and the highest quality care," he said. "This support is an encouraging sign to the rest of our IT team that the work they are doing is important and valued."

He said leadership has also made mastery, training and mentorship a priority, allowing the organization to retain and grow their workforce throughout the pandemic.

"We've seen how impactful our IT mentorship program has been in fostering not only career growth for the participants, but also their connection to our mission," Testa said.

Testa will address strategies for a successful IT transformation in a session titled "Driving Clinician Digital Experience with IT Transformation" scheduled for this Tuesday, March 15, from 4:15-5:15 pm in room W208C.

Nathan Eddy is a healthcare and technology freelancer based in Berlin.
Email the writer: nathaneddy@gmail.com
Twitter: @dropdeaded209