1. Ready, set, launch!
Once the plan has been developed, determine a go-live date and inform all staff on the impending changes to the flow of patient visits. Before widespread implementation, it may be helpful to have one or two providers pilot the new process to identify major oversights or potential barriers, including the functionality of the EHMR. Make sure to evaluate the efforts in the pilot, as this will also provide valuable feedback and data on areas of excellence and where there may be need for improvements.
Some elements of the pilot that may be useful to consider include:
- Impact of flow
- EHR functionality
- Provider skill and comfort level
- Billing and Reimbursement
2. Data, data, data.
Collecting data enables any program in assessing its efficacy and identifying areas for improvement. Identifying specific indicators that your program is committed to measuring throughout the implementation process, and even after, will provide a clear picture on the progress to date. Data is also gathered through the lessons learned and the stories of implementation. Below are some of the evaluation tools and lessons learned that are available:
“Anything worth doing is worth measuring: How to evaluate SBIRT programs” is a webinar that was conducted by Dr. Dawn Lindsay, the Director Evaluation Services at IRETA. After participating in this sixty-five minute webinar, participants will be able to identify appropriate questions for an SBIRT evaluation, connect potential sources of data to an SBIRT evaluation plan, and discuss ways to apply concepts of SBIRT evaluation to their own settings.
Learning Brief: Lessons From Cross-Site Implementation of SBIRT for Adolescents – The experience in Baltimore, MD, represents an approach that local jurisdictions can learn from and adapt to successfully integrate SBIRT into a continuum of care to address the public health crisis of substance misuse.