Integration of Modern Technologies in Medicine - Case Study Example

Name: Course: Institution: Date: PROPOSED ACTIVITIES Effective project management is vital in absolutely any firm, despite the nature if the business and the scale of the firm. From the point where the project is being chosen to the end point if the project, it is necessary that the project is carefully and closely managed. Queensland is a great state with a good healthcare system, but there are numerous opportunities for better performance (Aase, 2009). This project sets the stage for structural and conventional improvement in a health system that will make the stakeholders proud. The internet is increasingly used as a source for information and knowledge. In healthcare, the internet serves as a rich source for information. Patients and other involved parties increasingly use the internet in order to search for healthcare information and application (Aase, 2009). Web 2.0 technologies are very powerful lure for an organization. This is because their interactivity brings more employees into daily contact at lower cost. When used effectively, web 2.0 technologies will encourage participation in projects and idea sharing, hence deepening Queensland’s healthcare system pool of knowledge (Aase, 2009). The real value of this project include: self-care management, consumer-directed health care and greater physician/provider networking. In order to explore how web 2.0 applications can become effective when integrated into Queensland healthcare system, we look into details all the activities included in this project and their resultant outcome. For effective control, the project’s grantee established a detailed Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) which encompasses all of the work elements for a project. The Work Breakdown Structure represents the organization of work as it is divided into manageable work packages (Aase, 2009). In a nutshell, the WBS defines and displays the products to be produced and developed, and relates the element of project to be accomplished to each other and to the end product of the project. In general, this project is divided into five major deliverables. These include: starting up the project, directing the project, initiating the project, planning, controlling, monitoring and closing. WBS description Start-up of the project This phase comprises of a list of specification and agreement documents which set the platform for project alignment, management and execution. Working groups are setup to evaluate solution sets and make recommendations to the project. The project charter is developed by the project manager and delivered to the sponsors of the project. Under close supervision of the project manager, the project plan is then developed by the project team. The project manager then submits the project plan to the sponsors for approval. In this stage proper assessments such as environmental impact assessment and cost-benefit analysis are done. Directing the project – During this phase, documents are delivered to the contractor after all installation issues have been addressed to perform according to the scope of work. The accuracy and clearness of all installation documents including the design are important for proper execution of the web 2.0 project. The technical team designs the new Queensland health care system. Initiating the project – This phase will identify the management structure of the new healthcare project. The Project Initiation Document (PID) will form contract and terms of reference for the Queensland healthcare project as a whole. The original resources and capital required for the project is reviewed by the project manager and team, and then validated with the stakeholders. This might call for additional clarification. In this phase, the relevant software that will be integrated in the system is determined. Planning – during this stage, the project’s stakeholders develop numerous and continuous plans relating to project deliverables. This is done throughout the lifecycle of the project and of the activity which help to guarantee a reliable approach to the development of the project. This stage also involves the development of the portfolio dashboards. This will be important for the executive to immediately see which projects are on schedule and which are falling behind. Controlling – control is a vital aspect of any project. During this team, the project management team will make available appropriate documents which will help to manage the day-to-day operations and include change control and quality assurance. This will be an iterative process. Monitoring – the main stakeholders of this project are the patients and the Queensland state authority. In this regard, the need for effective feedback process in necessary and take action as necessary. In this phase, the authorization of the project board is required. The final design of the project is established. This include, the final cost and budget for the project, risk management and safety procedure, the final route of the rail system, the users, management team and maintenance procedures. Closing – This phase defines the start-up and testing procedures after the completion of the project. This is important to make sure that the system work properly. Strategy The following strategy will be necessary to enhance adoption of Social Technologies. Web 2.0 is more popular with 18-25 year old and there is an upward growth in Facebook membership from those over 35 years (Bamidis & Pallikarakis, 2010). There is therefore a need to develop social networks that target the seniors because most healthcare consumers are aged 45 years and above. In this regard, the hospital will register with ancetory.com to help in photo sharing among older patients. Apart from marketing its products in Facebook and twitter, the hospital will register on other image-based social media sites like Slideshare, Tumblr and Mobli. In additional, a special team will be set in place to ensure continuous updates on the healthcare blogs, Linkedln.com and Healia.com (Bamidis & Pallikarakis, 2010). Gantt chart The Gantt chart for this project is shown below. The project is estimated to take 12 weeks from initiation to completion. These two weeks are shown in the timeline. There are two milestone events which are; presentations for plans for the project and for the new process developed in the proposal. However, the remaining tasks comprise of activities that stretch over periods of time (Bamidis & Pallikarakis, 2010) EVALUATION Web 2.0 is basically about the benefits of easy to use and free internet software. In a nutshell, Web 2.0 brings people together in a more dynamic and interactive space. Queensland healthcare system is no exception. The proposed integration of Web 2.0 in the State’s healthcare system will be leveraged to enrich the hospital’s web experience because health information is continually requested, consumed and reinterpreted (Bamidis & Pallikarakis, 2010). There are several benefits that will be realized at full development and implementation of the project. Web 2.0 will deliver benefits through multiplication of the opportunities for collaboration and by allowing knowledge to spread more effectively. These benefits will accrue through the hospital’s use of automatic information feeds such as RSS and micro blogs (Bamidis & Pallikarakis, 2010). Looking beyond the hospital boarders, significant benefits will stem from better interactions with the hospital and the patients. This will occur through the ability of the new system to forge closer ties between the management and the patients hence increasing customer’s awareness about the hospital’s products. The new system will feature a highly connected knowledge exchange which will not be limited or controlled by private interests. For this project, the promise of open access in Web 2.0 is very compelling (Bamidis & Pallikarakis, 2010). This means that there will be freedom from publishing barriers and multinational interests. The more people use, share and exchange information on the internet in a good loop of refinement and analysis, the more open and creative the project becomes; therefore, the more useful this project will be (Bamidis & Pallikarakis, 2010). Web 2.0 continual push for has resulted in the expectation openness and transparency in medical service delivery (Bamidis & Pallikarakis, 2010). The physicians will also benefit from this new system. The integration of web 2.0 will help physicians to access peer-reviewed links to other information sources (Bamidis & Pallikarakis, 2010). The physicians will also have access to information about medial news and events. They will also have the opportunity to re-share information created on webpages, blogs; profile sharing, case based discussions, clinical practical tips, professional experiences and problem solving concepts. The new system will also ensure that medical practitioners stay connected with their colleagues (Bamidis & Pallikarakis, 2010). This will ensure that they reach out and network with the wider community. As a result, these practitioners will experience personal professional branding and continued medical education. Personalized social networking resources that will be realized with this new project will serve as a medium for health professionals to improve individual’s access to healthcare (Bamidis & Pallikarakis, 2010). This will benefit the hospital through facilitating healthy professional-patients communication with the goal of improved acceptance, good understanding and adherence to best therapeutic options. Digital healing is one of the goals of this project (Bamidis & Pallikarakis, 2010). Digital healing exploits the concept of interaction via social media, with an aim of obtaining reassurance, support and validation. Therefore, this project will ensure arguments to the healthcare system of seeking health information from online hence well designed digital healing. Personal health records combined with social networking will lead to a powerful new generation of health applications (Bamidis & Pallikarakis, 2010). This will create a platform that ensures a powerful new generation of health applications, where individuals share parts of their health records with others hence a collective wisdom of other patients and professionals. References Aase, L. (2009). Social media in healthcare: The Mayo clinic experience and perspective. Bamidis, P. D., & Pallikarakis, N. (2010). XII Mediterranean Conference on Medical and Biological Engineering and Computing 2010: May 27-30, 2010, Chalkidiki, Greece. Berlin: Springer EPG Health Media. (2010). Social media and healthcare: How do healthcare professionals, patients/consumers and pharmaceutical companies use social media in relation to health? Market research reports: EPG Health Media. London Read More