CIOs should remain Connected to Organizational Leadership and Customers

By Bruce. D. Smith, SVP & CIO, Information Systems, Advocate Health Care

Bruce. D. Smith, SVP & CIO, Information Systems, Advocate Health Care

Despite the advantages, technology is yet to develop to its full potential, in terms of solving challenges connected with large healthcare organizations. The interoperability between systems has been a barrier, which inhibits the data movement and sharing of information. However, with these issues being tackled, the interoperability has undergone a sea of change. The benefits of technological improvement are most visible in connecting systems and movement of information. Yet, when it comes to critical concerns such as large-level security breaches and data base failure, there is still room for improvement.

Technological Trends Impacting the Industry The most important aspect about technological changes is the speed at which the changes take place, bringing along a plethora of opportunities. The recent trends revolve around mobile devices, virtualization of clinical desktops, elimination of personal computers and increased adaptation into cloud, with more and more applications getting uploaded. The work around information systems is in a transformative phase, as the staff is turning increasingly productive and effective. Compared to the past, the improvements have been remarkable in offering support to a growing network of services, applications, and system users.

The Challenges Limiting the Sector

It remains a critical challenge to educate and train our associates and clinicians to effectively use the available technology. Throughout advocate, our systems are us non-standard process and redundant activities. Here, technology has a transformative role to play, in the move towards more common and standardized processes. Also, the constant technological changes can also bring in significant impacts in these attempts.

The Evolving Role of CIOs

The functions of a CIO vary depending on the organization and industry. Many CIOs are with a technical background, whereas several others are businessmen turned technical experts. At times, personalas well as organizational limitations also define a CIO’s role. Every CIO would have strengths and drawbacks, and, it turns out to be an individual’s responsibility to adapt to the organizational needs. A significant challenge for CIOs is to connect with the firm’s leadership and customers, a critical step towards understanding organizational requirements and arrive at ways to address them.

As a CIO, “Constancy of Purpose” is the philosophy that I have always followed. CIOs have to make solid business choices while selecting the technologies and making them work. The next step is to drive value by exploiting those systems for high-level performance. One key aspect is to recognize is that futile attempts towards perfection would cause constant system replacement, high cost and unsatisfactory performance, because there is no such thing called perfect solution.

Technology should be considered as a tool, which, if used perfectly, can effectively transform good processes to great processes. Yet another aspect that is of significance is to develop, share, publish and follow excellent plans. The deployments should take place according to the set plans. At our firm, we have developed planning and implementation methodologies based on reliability and trust(As told to Benita M)

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