The Helseplattformen journal system was actually supposed to be introduced at St. Olav in April. It was postponed because the hospital management thought something else was unjustifiable. In mid-November, they put the IT system into use, despite concerns and opposition. There have been major problems after pressing the start button. Among other things with incomprehensible epicrisis and referrals that end up at the wrong hospital. Operations at the hospital have been reduced significantly, so that the employees can learn the new system. The premise for the introduction was that the hospital should be able to return to normal operation after four weeks – i.e. during this week. The hospital management has said that it is absolutely crucial for the hospital to be able to operate responsibly. Many have little faith that it will be possible. – Right now it feels very unsafe and we are worried that this will affect our patients. That’s what Ingunn Hatlevoll, union representative at the cancer department at St. Olav, says. Cancer department: afraid of increased waiting lists Hatlevoll says it has been demanding weeks after introduction. The journal system is unclear and it steals time from patient treatment, according to the shop steward. The cancer department has received extremely few referrals since the introduction of the Health Platform, says Hatlevoll. Therefore, the employees there wonder if referrals have been sent that they do not receive. The shop steward has no faith that the hospital will be back in normal operation by the end of the week. This will lead to increased waiting lists for the cancer department. The employees do everything they can to avoid this, says the shop steward. – This could mean that your prognosis worsens. In the worst case, you can go from a situation where the goal is to heal, to one that is not possible, if it has gone too far, says Hatlevoll. She says she has already heard examples of delays that may have worsened the outlook for patients in the hospital. The health platform tells news that much has also gone well with the introduction. – St. Olav has prepared well and the Health Platform in collaboration with subject experts has built a solution that is generally very good. Then we will work to be able to correct errors that are most precarious, says Nina Kongshaug, medical director of the Health Platform. Ingunn Hatlevoll is a shop steward at the cancer department at St. Olav. She is worried that the problems with the new record system will affect the patients. Photo: Jøte Toftaker / news Surgical clinic: – Chances are also high at the surgical clinic. – It has been very frustrating and difficult. It has actually been worse than we thought it would be. That’s what Monica Engstrøm says, shop steward for the senior doctors at the surgical clinic at St. Olav. She points out that information is lost in the new record system, so that the employees no longer have control over whether patient information reaches where it should. The waiting lists have increased, says Engstrøm. She is worried that the hospital will not be able to start treating patients in time and that people will not come in for examination when they should. Trustee Monica Engstrøm has little faith in full operation this week. Photo: Morten Andersen / news – Are you back in full operation during this week? – No, there is no chance. I don’t think we’ll ever be up and running, and at least not in four weeks. Engstrøm responds that the Health Platform itself is satisfied with the introduction at the hospital. – I have the benefit of talking to someone who is satisfied, she says. – Do you think this is a failure? – I think it is a disaster, says Engstrøm. Will go beyond patients Hospital director Grethe Aasved is unsure whether the hospital will be back in full operation during the week. – In that case, it will be very demanding. We are completely dependent on a number of very cumbersome workflows being straightened out this week, in order for us to make it, she says. Aasved says that work processes are particularly cumbersome for doctors, secretaries and employees who work in the X-ray department. In addition, it is still unclear whether e-mails, referrals and epicrises have ended up where they should. That threatens patient safety, says Aasved. Patients waiting for treatment will be affected if the hospital does not return to normal operation this week. The serious cases and patients who need immediate help will still be able to be taken care of, says the hospital director. Aasved is most worried about the employees: – When we are now where we are, it really starts to eat away. That is my biggest concern today. The hospital director believes it will be difficult to get back to normal during this week. Photo: Grete Thobroe / news The health platform: – Many are satisfied The health platform is now working to correct errors in the solution for the X-ray department and e-mails. – Here a lot needs to be corrected in order for them to be up to speed. It can be demanding, as the situation looks now. That’s what Nina Kongshaug, medical director of the Health Platform, says. According to the medical director, much has gone very well with the introduction of the Health Platform at the hospital. Nina Kongshaug is the medical director of the Health Platform. She points out that much has gone well during the introduction of the new record system. Photo: Jøte Toftaker / news When asked what she thinks about union representatives calling the introduction a disaster, Kongsberg says that she takes the concerns very seriously. – We would like to hear more concretely about what is going on. Then I would also like to say that there are many people who are satisfied and that many things are going very well. Then it’s a bit of a shame that bigger issues completely overshadow it. A lot is going smoothly both at St. Olav and in the six municipalities that have introduced it, she says.
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