Select, Implement, or Change a Resource & Patient Management System
Navigate tribal healthcare and RPMS systems to increase tribal revenues and improve community service levels.
- As a CIO of a tribal organization, you have been asked to find an IT solution using an Resource and Patient Management System (RPMS) suite or module that improves tribal health care quality, enhances access to care, reduces medical errors, and modernizes administrative functions.
- Your tribe is currently using IHS’ RPMS healthcare services or system and is looking to renew its contract with IHS or replace the IHS RPMS system.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
- Stakeholders will want to have a starting point, or benchmark set of numbers and metrics, against which to measure the success of the project. Involve all project stakeholders early to identify and obtain historical or proposed healthcare usage, capacity, patterns, RPMS data, and metrics (even if manual).
- Perform a thorough tribal healthcare context analysis (including SWOT, envisioning, and metrics) and use these as inputs to develop business and technical requirements.
- Think strategically about the costs associated with the project. When you take the time to critically evaluate the costs associated with an alternative/"non-IHS (Indian Health Service)" RPMS version or module, don’t be surprised if the costs are the same as or very close to IHS’ RPMS. Don’t forget about modules and services that IHS does not provide or non-IT infrastructure items such as the need for barcode printers and scanners to track health services related inventories.
- Have an organization transition plan focused on people, processes, and technology. You want to make sure you reduce down-time, while leading your staff through role and accountability changes. Make sure to communicate these changes effectively because this is a stressful transition cycle.
Impact and Result
- Maximize your success and credibility by making a solid business case for your RPMS project by understanding the value it provides to the agency and community and be prepared to support it.
- Prepare for key objections and challenges by defining the tribal agency and community context for your RPMS deployment and making sure your technical requirements can satisfy your business requirements.
- Develop a comprehensive request for proposal based on your requirements and score your responses using a standard methodology.
- Effectively guide the organization through the healthcare services and RPMS project by carefully planning the change, communications, and your project timeline prior to implementation.
About Info-Tech
Info-Tech Research Group is the world’s fastest-growing information technology research and advisory company, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals.
We produce unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. We partner closely with IT teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.
What Is a Blueprint?
A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your IT problems.
Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.
Need Extra Help?
Speak With An Analyst
Get the help you need in this 5-phase advisory process. You'll receive 10 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.
Guided Implementation 1: Define your RPMS state
- Call 1: Understand your business context.
- Call 2: Determine your technical requirements.
Guided Implementation 2: Build the business case
- Call 1: Review your project financials.
- Call 2: Review your business case.
Guided Implementation 3: Select your RPMS solution
- Call 1: Review the RFP.
- Call 2: Review the RFP responses and contract.
Guided Implementation 4: Develop the deployment plan
- Call 1: Develop the implementation plan.
- Call 2: Finalize the plan.
Guided Implementation 5: Implement and monitor success
- Call 1: Review the initial project implementation.
- Call 2: Monitor the RPMS.
Contributors
- Donnie Parish, CIO – Health Information Technology, Cherokee Nation Health Services
- Mick Souder, Director, Management Information Systems, Southern Ute Indian Tribe