Preventing IT-Project management failures within the Swiss healthcare system

Topic

The focus of the paper is to investigate the relationship between error prevention measures, problems and organizational culture in the context of IT project management in the Swiss healthcare sector. The study examines how these factors affect project success, taking into account the challenges of skills shortages and financial pressures. In addition, the paper examines the importance of management involvement and the role of agility in IT project management, taking into account different hospital sizes. By analysing these aspects, the thesis aims to provide insights into improving IT project outcomes and address the unique dynamics of the Swiss healthcare system.

Relevance

The author's master's thesis has practical relevance for practitioners, especially in the Swiss healthcare sector. The potential for digitization in the Swiss healthcare sector is considerable, and the implementation of IT-projects can bring benefits such as increased efficiency and improved patient-experience. The author aims to help Swiss hospitals improve their IT project management, identify common errors, and achieve efficiency gains. Through an error-root-cause-analysis, the author aims to raise awareness of problems and errors in IT-project management and provide recommendations for error prevention. Additionally, he examines the influence of organizational culture on errors and problems in the Swiss healthcare system.

Results

The results show that errors are common in IT-projects and can affect project success. Errors were found to occur primarily in early stages, often due to insufficient business and end-user involvement. The consequences of errors included delays, financial impact, and project-failure. Measures as improved communication and redefinition of project-scope were suggested. Organizational culture influences project success and contributes to communication difficulties. The importance of change management and acceptance and the impact of organizational culture on health systems were explored. Hierarchical structures and cultural characteristics were identified as challenges, with a need for better communication and understanding between IT- and healthcare-staff.

Implications for practitioners

• To counteract the shortage of healthcare professionals and the financial pressure in the Swiss healthcare system, communication and collaboration must be improved and the benefits for users in IT projects must be given priority.
• Implementing error prevention measures and involving stakeholders from the beginning can help defuse conflicts of interest between IT and healthcare staff in IT project management.
• Management should emphasize the importance of IT, integrate IT strategies into corporate goals, and promote transparency through flat hierarchies and short communication channels.
• Different project management methods, such as classic approaches and agile methods, have contrasting effects on the progress of IT projects and the acceptance of change, with agile methods offering advantages in terms of personalized solutions and customer centricity.
• Implementing IT projects in the Swiss healthcare sector requires a comprehensive approach that includes user-centered design, end-user involvement, change management, training programs, and interdisciplinary project teams to meet the specific needs of the healthcare sector and achieve successful results.

Methods

The author used a qualitative research design to gain a deep understanding of the context of IT-project management and healthcare. Using a semi-structured interview format with a focus on open-ended questions, he sought to gather his data. The Interview questions were derived from relevant topics identified in his literature-review. The author selected interviewees working in IT or IT-related-departments of Swiss hospitals, taking into account the multilingual nature of Switzerland and seeking different perspectives. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using coding techniques. The analysis process involved finding of common themes, an iterative refinement and the creation of additional categories/codes.