All change!

Bringing something new into your practice, whether it is technology based or not, requires change. So the first and perhaps the most obvious thing to recognise is that you have to manage that change if you want it to be successful. 

Is now the right time? Whilst it might be for you, your team or department might be so overwhelmed with change that they simply don’t have the energy to deal with more change right now. Recognise what the change is that you want to happen and consider who it will affect and how. Of course it will affect the users, and it’s worth defining who all the users are, but don’t forget about other people like the information technology team and service managers who need to be onboard too.  

Engage

Engage early with the trust/service leaders. These people usually have experience of leading change, will know who the right people are to speak to within the organisation to get your project off the ground and, if they are keen on your idea, actively support it which might remove some potential obstacles. 

Contrary to what people might believe, most managers love to hear new ideas for ways to improve what you do. At this stage it is also important to get the local IT team on board (if you have one). In the NHS, IT are crucial to the success of anything with tech component and it is good to know what, if any, technical issues will need to be addressed. By offering advice early on they can help you understand any security, compatibility and connectivity issues and may save you many hours of lost time pursuing a tech tool that just isn’t going to work in your environment.