As part of go-live planning, an organization should determine what additional resources will be required to support the activation of its clinical system.  The vendor will normally provide some support during the go-live and this should be outlined during the contract negotiation phase.  In addition to vendor support, you may require staff to assist with training, to work out process issues and to deal with any unexpected technical glitches.  A go-live issue resolution plan and support structure can help users determine who to contact when they need help and eliminate any one person from becoming overloaded with issues.  The plan that you develop for the go-live should include a schedule for ensuring that different resources are available throughout the initial go-live period.  In addition, engaged staff leadership (e.g., physician champion, nurse champion) can be an essential component of a successful go-live.

Rural clinics and small CAHs may rely more heavily on vendor support during their go-live.  Often, vendors will provide additional staff during the go-live period to assist clinicians with their tasks.  Larger organizations will often rely on in-house services to the extent possible.  However, additional vendor support will often be available during this time.  In the inpatient setting, having a help desk to triage problems in addition to trained staff on the floors can make the go-live process run more efficiently.

Resources:

• The Big Day and Beyond