Improving organizational processes for gains during implementation

Reengineering work processes has not been a traditional part of health care automation. With the new emphasis on quality and cost cutting, users are more receptive to improving processes as they are automated in new or replacement systems. The authors describe a process flowcharting technique, which, as part of the implementation design phase, assists users in understanding and engineering the processes impacted during the implementation. Also described is a strategy for securing cooperation from physicians and other key players.