With the IAHSS Conference coming up, I thought it would be fitting to sit down with our Director of Implementation Services, Dale Yushchyshyn, for a chat about how users in the Healthcare industry benefit from our incident management application. Dale has vast experience with over 20 years in the Healthcare industry and is an awarded Certified Protection Professional and former Director of Security. He was a power user of PPM’s software at Caritas Health Group (currently known as Covenant Health) prior to taking a senior position 6 years ago with PPM 2000 to run our Professional Services department.
Frank: Dale, you were a long-time user of our Incident Reporting application. Can you tell us what you used prior, and some of the reasons that led you to PPM 2000?
Dale: The system we had before moving to PPM 2000′s software was pen and paper. We had progressed from a physical typewriter to a word processor, but at the time, even getting that one computer into our office (that wasn’t dedicated to our access control system) was difficult. Though I wasn’t directly involved in the decision to migrate from paper-based incident tracking to a computerized system, it only made sense. The ability to see people’s histories and track statistics without having to depend on staff to manually count the number of records in a filing cabinet; all were helpful features and obvious reasons for the switch.
Frank: In your opinion, what is unique about the Healthcare industry and why is there so much demand for incident management software in this space? We have hundreds of Healthcare organizations using PPM 2000′s software solutions and there continues to be significant interest.
Dale: The simple answer is accreditation. Whether it is Accreditation Canada or the Joint Commission in the United States, both have incident reporting requirements. While they don’t necessarily state that incident reporting be electronic, a computerized system makes meeting their mandatory requirements significantly easier.
Frank: Many of our Healthcare customers like to know the ROI (Return on Investment) for the application. What were some of the benefits and changes that occurred after you started using our application?
Dale: A measurable ROI came from two main areas. First would be time savings. Whether it was savings in statistical collection, coordination of statistics from 5 different facilities (now using a single consolidated system), or even the organization of a ‘persons’ binder to track anyone we’d dealt with, all of these were significant time expenses to us. Having one common, networked system changed everything for the better. Second would be a reduction in risk, thanks to more actionable knowledge and faster risk identification. Before, without someone manually collecting data regarding dates, times, locations, and the types of incidents occurring, we had nothing beyond anecdotal evidence, of what or where our issues were. Once we had a database to turn to, we could analyze, trend and implement countermeasures where we saw significant risk.
Frank: How long did it take to deploy PPM 2000′s system and did you use onsite training? If yes, was there a benefit compared to doing it on your own?
Dale: If I knew then what I know now, my answer would be completely different. But back then, we thought we understood what we needed. We had people in our organization that knew what to track and how to track it, but they didn’t understand how to truly transfer that knowledge into the system. Once I became the administrator for IRIMS (the PPM 2000 flagship product prior to Perspective), we adjusted our database at least once a year because we learned we were missing things we never even considered. That led to us archiving our database on four separate occasions and starting over to “do it right this time.” Not until we merged our system with other facilities in our city where we started sharing information did we utilize PPM 2000’s services for training and consulting. And without question, the service those sessions provided to us were a big reason why I even considered a move from Healthcare security to PPM 2000’s Implementation and Deployment team.
Frank: Did you look at other applications and why did you end up selecting PPM 2000’s solution?
Dale: Initially, I don’t know what other solutions my management team looked at. But I can say, later in my career, when we were considering the merging of systems with other facilities in our city, we did look at a number of incident reporting solutions. We looked at PPM 2000 again, as well as two of their competitors at the time, and without question, PPM was the solution that stood out as the industry leader, both in the products and services they provided. We tried doing it all on our own many times before and decided we wanted assistance; PPM 2000 was willing to provide us not just with help but with experts in the field.
Frank: Do you think your experience in the Healthcare industry has translated over to training PPM 2000′s Healthcare clients?
Dale: Without question, my experience has helped with the majority of clients I have worked with. We had a couple of clients who requested that either I or Clint St. Jean, who also has a background in Healthcare security, be assigned to their deployment specifically because they were Healthcare clients. We were able to speak to issues we had at our facilities, which as it turns out, tend to be continuing issues in the Healthcare industry, both in Canada and the United States. But in saying that, my frontline security experience, as well as my management experience in the hospital environment, has helped with non-Healthcare customers as well. Because I experienced the ‘security life’ from frontline Officer up the ranks through Supervisor and eventually Department Manager, I was able to gather much and varied knowledge that has helped me assist all of the clients I’ve worked with.
Frank: Who were some of the core users? Did doctors and nurses also file incident reports?
Dale: While I was at the hospital, the security members were the only core users, but the information we tracked in the system was utilized by many other individuals; our OH&S department, our Human Resources department, and our Patient Care Advocates, just to name a few.
Frank: How did you deal with privacy compliance concerns for the collection of patient data?
Dale: The policies around this were dictated by our Legal team and their interpretation of both statutory and case law. Our policy identified that while patient data was considered privileged, the collection of privileged information was permitted within the organization throughout, provided the appropriate protection of that data was in place. Because Security was an internal department and because we had a security-enforced system (username and password protected), collection of patient data within that system was permissible.
Frank: How did you deal with privacy compliance concerns for releasing patient data from the system?
Dale: This has the same preface as above based on our Legal team’s interpretation. Our policy identified that we could share patient information within the organization without limit with a caveat around that information release. The requesting department had to have a clearly stated identified need for the information. Without that, the request had to go through a Senior Executive request process to justify the need. But if the request came from outside the organization, any information for a current patient, or any information relating to a former patient, would be vetted out of the request reply.
The Healthcare industry continues to be a mainstay for PPM 2000 and the solutions we provide. Dale, along with other personnel on his CPP Certified Training and Consulting Team, add a level of subject matter expertise that is unparalleled. The best practices they know and the knowledge they bring to the table are reflected in implementations where vendor training and support is paramount for a successful deployment. At PPM 2000, we pride ourselves on our number one priority: to make every engagement a partnership. It is our firm belief that if our customers are successful, we will be successful.
To find out more about how Perspective can be used in a Healthcare environment, read our Client Case Study on the use of Perspective at the Shawnee Mission Medical Center.
We look forward to seeing our many clients, and hopefully some new faces, at the IAHSS Conference in Las Vegas next week. Visit PPM 2000 at Booth #800 for an interactive demo of the Perspective product line and how it relates to maintaining the security of your facility.
—Frank Kennedy, Director of Sales