Transitioning initial success into sustainable results: the future of the WTIS

Getting a new concept or project up and running is never an insignificant undertaking. In many cases, however, the successful completion of a project signals the start of the "real work" in which the greater challenge is in turning that initial success and investment into results that can be sustained over the long-term. This was the challenge facing Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) once they developed and deployed the Wait Time Information System (WTIS) on behalf of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC). With the launch of the WTIS, the government, Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs), hospitals and patients had--for the first time--standardized, near real-time data to make more informed healthcare decisions and better manage access to critical health services. But much more work was ahead. The next step was to begin leveraging the technology and the wealth of data it provided to help drive significant performance improvements within the overall health system. The time had come to shift gears from an IT deployment project to a sustainable operations and information management program that could continue to provide value for the province. This article looks at the future of the WTIS and describes the journey CCO has taken to establish a permanent Wait Time Information Program. These concepts will be of interest to leaders of or participants in information management/information technology (IM/IT) projects looking for ideas on how to smoothly transition a successful project into a sustainable operational program.