Another method hospitals typically use to gain knowledge is gathering ideas from a multitude of experts, as is done when attending a conference or a convention. Yet, how is that information disseminated throughout the hospital or healthcare organization if only two employees attended the convention? If it is difficult to share and build ideas within one department or even throughout one hospital, how can anyone expect cross-hospital exchanges to prove fruitful? Obviously, it is more difficult to share information when individuals are not physically together and even more complex when the individuals are employees of different healthcare organizations. The benefits of sharing such a huge reservoir of knowledge are colossal. Technology is a must in these cases.

Knowledge Management ≠ Information Technology

Effective KM cannot be thought of, nor treated, as simply another exercise in information technology. Unfortunately, due to the access and distribution enh

Healthcare faces these mistakes if it “applies” technology to organizational Knowledge Management (KM) without first identifying KM goals and understanding how a KM system will be used by administrators, physicians, managers, and staff. Technology facilitates knowledge exchange, but it is not the end-all to managing knowledge effectively. Technology designed to enhance the interaction among a community of similar-minded participants, such as healthcare employees, can greatly enhance the exchange of knowledge. But it is the process and culture of an organization rather than the level of applied technology that make a KM system a wealth or void of retrievable information.

An effective KM system is built on communication and education and thrives in organizations encouraging shared learning both within and outside of the hospital walls. These systems store historical knowledge and knowledge created during exchanges of information among people who are interested in learning. Knowledge management systems designed with goals in mind, versus just acquiring the most advanced technology, is what will support healthcare organizations in streamlining processes, reducing costs and improving care.

Why Knowledge Management in Healthcare?

Healthcare industry professionals are realizing that previous efforts, (e.g. searching for the elusive “best practice” and applying it as a commodity), bureaucratic and toothless performance improvement initiatives and poorly thought-out IT implementations, have not led to improved results and reduced costs. As a mindset, KM attaches importance to knowledge and identifies the value of knowledge at different levels. As a framework, KM facilitates knowledge access and transfer, which helps change behaviors and improve decisions. Knowledge management systems support healthcare workers in using available knowledge to develop organizational learning. This learning assists the employees in critiquing a compilation of practice ideas and successfully designing a customized “Best Practice” for the organization. A good KM system can help staff create and exploit new knowledge. It is capable of driving decisions, change and improvements to all levels of the organization. And, in this era of escalating costs and declining reimbursements, an effective KM system is virtually essential to a healthcare organization’s process improvement and cost reduction strategies.

Hospitals can be isolated places, which make it tough to gather ‘knowledge’. The clinical side has the measurable research and knows the outcomes, but the operational side of the hospital lacks this information. Consider this example. A hospital’s operational staff may be well aware of the increased benefit to changing one of its products used for patient care management. Nevertheless, the staff struggles when it comes to demonstrating the cost/benefit to administration and to the physicians. A KM system offers a hospital staff access to strategies and contacts so they can learn how others have successfully carried out similar situations.

Can We Talk?

Hospital staff is willing to share their knowledge with others in the field, although it’s often done informally, such as networking at a convention or conversations with internal and external peers. Effective KM systems capitalize on these opportunities.

How does a KM system change behaviors and improve decisions? One hospital department is concerned with retaining staff, especially in light of the current nursing shortage. Typically, the manager struggles with the staffing issues alone or relies on a few peers within the department. Yet, what if the manager could connect with a peer internally and solicit his or her advice, even though this employee works in an unrelated department? The insight and perspective from an “outsider” may be very useful. How about contacting peers at other facilities? An effective KM system would facilitate ‘experience sharing’ among people struggling with staffing issues. It also archives the solutions brainstormed from the interaction to use as a basis for growing the collective knowledge of the group. This information is then readily accessible the next time a hospital manager (within the hospital or from another facility) faces retention issues.

Another method hospitals typically use to gain knowledge is gathering ideas from a multitude of experts, as is done when attending a conference or a convention. Yet, how is that information disseminated throughout the hospital or healthcare organization if only two employees attended the convention? If it is difficult to share and build ideas within one department or even throughout one hospital, how can anyone expect cross-hospital exchanges to prove fruitful? Obviously, it is more difficult to share information when individuals are not physically together and even more complex when the individuals are employees of different healthcare organizations. The benefits of sharing such a huge reservoir of knowledge are colossal. Technology is a must in these cases.

Knowledge Management ≠ Information Technology

Effective KM cannot be thought of, nor treated, as simply another exercise in information technology. Unfortunately, due to the access and distribution enh

An effective KM system is built on communication and education and thrives in organizations encouraging shared learning both within and outside of the hospital walls. These systems store historical knowledge and knowledge created during exchanges of information among people who are interested in learning. Knowledge management systems designed with goals in mind, versus just acquiring the most advanced technology, is what will support healthcare organizations in streamlining processes, reducing costs and improving care.

Why Knowledge Management in Healthcare?

Healthcare industry professionals are realizing that previous efforts, (e.g. searching for the elusive “best practice” and applying it as a commodity), bureaucratic and toothless performance improvement initiatives and poorly thought-out IT implementations, have not led to improved results and reduced costs. As a mindset, KM attaches importance to knowledge and identifies the value of knowledge at different levels. As a framework, KM facilitates knowledge access and transfer, which helps change behaviors and improve decisions. Knowledge management systems support healthcare workers in using available knowledge to develop organizational learning. This learning assists the employees in critiquing a compilation of practice ideas and successfully designing a customized “Best Practice” for the organization. A good KM system can help staff create and exploit new knowledge. It is capable of driving decisions, change and improvements to all levels of the organization. And, in this era of escalating costs and declining reimbursements, an effective KM system is virtually essential to a healthcare organization’s process improvement and cost reduction strategies.

Hospitals can be isolated places, which make it tough to gather ‘knowledge’. The clinical side has the measurable research and knows the outcomes, but the operational side of the hospital lacks this information. Consider this example. A hospital’s operational staff may be well aware of the increased benefit to changing one of its products used for patient care management. Nevertheless, the staff struggles when it comes to demonstrating the cost/benefit to administration and to the physicians. A KM system offers a hospital staff access to strategies and contacts so they can learn how others have successfully carried out similar situations.

Can We Talk?

Hospital staff is willing to share their knowledge with others in the field, although it’s often done informally, such as networking at a convention or conversations with internal and external peers. Effective KM systems capitalize on these opportunities.

How does a KM system change behaviors and improve decisions? One hospital department is concerned with retaining staff, especially in light of the current nursing shortage. Typically, the manager struggles with the staffing issues alone or relies on a few peers within the department. Yet, what if the manager could connect with a peer internally and solicit his or her advice, even though this employee works in an unrelated department? The insight and perspective from an “outsider” may be very useful. How about contacting peers at other facilities? An effective KM system would facilitate ‘experience sharing’ among people struggling with staffing issues. It also archives the solutions brainstormed from the interaction to use as a basis for growing the collective knowledge of the group. This information is then readily accessible the next time a hospital manager (within the hospital or from another facility) faces retention issues.

Another method hospitals typically use to gain knowledge is gathering ideas from a multitude of experts, as is done when attending a conference or a convention. Yet, how is that information disseminated throughout the hospital or healthcare organization if only two employees attended the convention? If it is difficult to share and build ideas within one department or even throughout one hospital, how can anyone expect cross-hospital exchanges to prove fruitful? Obviously, it is more difficult to share information when individuals are not physically together and even more complex when the individuals are employees of different healthcare organizations. The benefits of sharing such a huge reservoir of knowledge are colossal. Technology is a must in these cases.

Knowledge Management ≠ Information Technology

Effective KM cannot be thought of, nor treated, as simply another exercise in information technology. Unfortunately, due to the access and distribution enh

Hospitals can be isolated places, which make it tough to gather ‘knowledge’. The clinical side has the measurable research and knows the outcomes, but the operational side of the hospital lacks this information. Consider this example. A hospital’s operational staff may be well aware of the increased benefit to changing one of its products used for patient care management. Nevertheless, the staff struggles when it comes to demonstrating the cost/benefit to administration and to the physicians. A KM system offers a hospital staff access to strategies and contacts so they can learn how others have successfully carried out similar situations.

Can We Talk?

Hospital staff is willing to share their knowledge with others in the field, although it’s often done informally, such as networking at a convention or conversations with internal and external peers. Effective KM systems capitalize on these opportunities.

How does a KM system change behaviors and improve decisions? One hospital department is concerned with retaining staff, especially in light of the current nursing shortage. Typically, the manager struggles with the staffing issues alone or relies on a few peers within the department. Yet, what if the manager could connect with a peer internally and solicit his or her advice, even though this employee works in an unrelated department? The insight and perspective from an “outsider” may be very useful. How about contacting peers at other facilities? An effective KM system would facilitate ‘experience sharing’ among people struggling with staffing issues. It also archives the solutions brainstormed from the interaction to use as a basis for growing the collective knowledge of the group. This information is then readily accessible the next time a hospital manager (within the hospital or from another facility) faces retention issues.

Another method hospitals typically use to gain knowledge is gathering ideas from a multitude of experts, as is done when attending a conference or a convention. Yet, how is that information disseminated throughout the hospital or healthcare organization if only two employees attended the convention? If it is difficult to share and build ideas within one department or even throughout one hospital, how can anyone expect cross-hospital exchanges to prove fruitful? Obviously, it is more difficult to share information when individuals are not physically together and even more complex when the individuals are employees of different healthcare organizations. The benefits of sharing such a huge reservoir of knowledge are colossal. Technology is a must in these cases.

Knowledge Management ≠ Information Technology

Effective KM cannot be thought of, nor treated, as simply another exercise in information technology. Unfortunately, due to the access and distribution enh

Can We Talk?

Hospital staff is willing to share their knowledge with others in the field, although it’s often done informally, such as networking at a convention or conversations with internal and external peers. Effective KM systems capitalize on these opportunities.

How does a KM system change behaviors and improve decisions? One hospital department is concerned with retaining staff, especially in light of the current nursing shortage. Typically, the manager struggles with the staffing issues alone or relies on a few peers within the department. Yet, what if the manager could connect with a peer internally and solicit his or her advice, even though this employee works in an unrelated department? The insight and perspective from an “outsider” may be very useful. How about contacting peers at other facilities? An effective KM system would facilitate ‘experience sharing’ among people struggling with staffing issues. It also archives the solutions brainstormed from the interaction to use as a basis for growing the collective knowledge of the group. This information is then readily accessible the next time a hospital manager (within the hospital or from another facility) faces retention issues.

Another method hospitals typically use to gain knowledge is gathering ideas from a multitude of experts, as is done when attending a conference or a convention. Yet, how is that information disseminated throughout the hospital or healthcare organization if only two employees attended the convention? If it is difficult to share and build ideas within one department or even throughout one hospital, how can anyone expect cross-hospital exchanges to prove fruitful? Obviously, it is more difficult to share information when individuals are not physically together and even more complex when the individuals are employees of different healthcare organizations. The benefits of sharing such a huge reservoir of knowledge are colossal. Technology is a must in these cases.

Knowledge Management ≠ Information Technology

Effective KM cannot be thought of, nor treated, as simply another exercise in information technology. Unfortunately, due to the access and distribution enh

Another method hospitals typically use to gain knowledge is gathering ideas from a multitude of experts, as is done when attending a conference or a convention. Yet, how is that information disseminated throughout the hospital or healthcare organization if only two employees attended the convention? If it is difficult to share and build ideas within one department or even throughout one hospital, how can anyone expect cross-hospital exchanges to prove fruitful? Obviously, it is more difficult to share information when individuals are not physically together and even more complex when the individuals are employees of different healthcare organizations. The benefits of sharing such a huge reservoir of knowledge are colossal. Technology is a must in these cases.

Knowledge Management ≠ Information Technology

Effective KM cannot be thought of, nor treated, as simply another exercise in information technology. Unfortunately, due to the access and distribution enhancements technology provides, healthcare administrators often have a distorted view of a KM system as an information technology system or as a solution that needs to be applied. While technology enhances sharing and information exchange, even the most technologically advanced KM system will not solve every dilemma. The keys to a successful KM implementation are:

· Identify the knowledge to exchange and distribute

· Determine how knowledge will be managed

· Match technology and resources appropriately to the culture and needs of the organization

Another fallacy about KM is that “knowledge” can be reduced to documents and then warehoused in a computer database for people to access as needed. The improvement resulting from a KM system comes from personal interaction, the sharing of experiences, taking action and recording the results, growing collective knowledge of a group and building new knowledge from the experiences of others. Technology based solely on warehousing knowledge “documents” or best practices are not successful in driving change and improvement in the organization.

It takes resources beyond technology to manage knowledge effectively. Group interactions must be facilitated, results must be archived and reinvested in the knowledge pool and management actions and change must be supported by the organization. Effectively managing and leveraging knowledge in an organization cannot be abdicated to the IT system.

Apply Thoughtful Technology

Organizations have a habit of buying the latest, greatest KM system on the market, if for no other reason than because others have done the same. Yet, elaborate systems that aren’t called for tend to breed reluctance. Does the hospital or healthcare organization really need the latest and greatest? When analyzing the implementation of a KM system, first determine what is really necessary to meet the hospital’s needs. For instance, take the simple suggestion box. Are the employees making practical suggestions or snide comments? Is the suggestion box readily accessible? Does the hospital culture encourage suggestions and incorporate them into the organization’s routines? If so, this is a working and useful KM system. This is when technology can really enhance the system by extending its reach and providing a historical warehouse of implementations. But, when the suggestion box isn’t used appropriately, then having the latest, greatest, technologically advanced computer suggestion box won’t improve anything. Once again, an organization requires a “learning” culture to value the collaborative learning obtained through KM systems.

Some organizations overcome these obstacles by using technology as a tool instead of as a solution. Technology can enhance knowledge exchange by providing multiple access models (interactive events and data warehouses) and widespread distribution of new and innovative ideas. Thoughtful abstracting and archiving of events and documents enable managers to actively apply lessons learned by others and applies knowledge to their daily work.

Managing Competing Expectations of Users and Administrators

Unless it fills some need and is easily accessible in one’s daily routine, a KM system will probably be ignored. Healthcare runs at a hectic pace and staff needs to spend as little time as possible navigating a KM system to obtain useful information. Administrators will not support KM efforts unless they see demonstrated results. Consider the following criteria when weighing the pros and cons of a KM system:

· What is the organization’s purpose for the KM system?

· Where is the existing knowledge?

· How is the knowledge transferred?

· Who will have access to the system?

· How will access privileges vary among staff members?

· How will each department use the system?

· How will ideas be exchanged, in-house exclusively or with other organizations?

· What is the structure of the KM system? Will it just create directories of experts or will it also create active learning communities (active learning)?

· What amount of support will be required at each level?

· How user-friendly is it?

It never serves an organization to design a system with all the fancy bells and whistles, just for the sake of having slick features. Create a KM system consistent with the way the hospital staff will use it. If the purpose is to inspire employees to think ‘outside the box’, systems can be designed to facilitate this. The best way to manage competing expectations is to understand it all upfront. The healthcare industry, especially, does not ha