The programme objective is to improve the health of Jamaica’s population by strengthening comprehensive policies for the prevention of Non-Communicable (Chronic) Diseases (NCDs) risk factors and improved access to an upgraded and integrated primary and secondary health network in prioritized areas with an emphasis on chronic disease management, that provide more efficient and higher quality care. This is a hybrid programme with a policy-based operation, a programmatic policy-based loan series (PBP) and an investment loan that will invest in the physical infrastructure and equipment of Jamaica’s health sector.
The Policy-Based Loan will look at policies that will consolidate regulatory measures to address the preventable causes of NCDs and to reorient health systems to address prevention and control of NCDs through a people-centred primary health chronic care model.
The Investment Loan, in turn, will finance activities to consolidate integrated health networks and improve the management, quality and efficiency of health services. The Policy Based Loan will benefit the Jamaican population at-large, while the Investment Loan will have approximately 800,000 potential direct beneficiaries who reside in the catchment areas of the health services networks that will receive investments.
The Investment Programme being implemented by the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MHW) has two (2) major components and an allocation to support programme administration and evaluation.
Additionally, Information systems for health are critical to primary health care and the CCM, as well as complex care. The WHO recognizes the need for information systems for health as part of the Package of Essential Non-Communicable (PEN) Disease Interventions for Primary Health Care in Low-Resource Settings. Moreover, research shows that digital tools can make important contributions to the provision of chronic care when patients and providers are connected to share information, compare this information to knowledge found in evidence-based standards, and monitor results through regular feedback and interaction. Adoption of health information technology has produced mortality rate reductions for complex patients whose diagnoses require cross-specialty care coordination and extensive clinical information management in hospital settings and improvements in resource allocation efficiency. Health information systems, along with information sharing, have the potential to improve clinical practice by reducing staff errors, improving automated harm detection, monitoring infections more effectively, and enhancing the continuity of care during physician handoffs. A significant number of opportunities exist for the Hospital Information Management System (HIMS) to contribute to savings for both the health system and the Jamaican economy.
Telemedicine and mobile health (mHealth) present possibilities to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of NCD management, which can occur principally in the outpatient setting. For example, blood pressure control consultations by way of 10-15 emails and/or phone calls can occur across weeks and the cost is approximately 29% of the cost of in-person acute care. mHealth tools, such as text messages, medication reminders, symptom monitoring, educational resources, and facilitated patient-provider communication to increase adherence targeting low-income, elderly, and minority groups were found to lessen the burden of travel to a care provider. They have also facilitated better management and improved patient confidence to monitor chronic diseases Telehealth, or the remote diagnosis and treatment of patients by means of telecommunications technology, has been especially effective in the management of chronic diseases, and has demonstrated improvement in outcomes (diabetes), empowerment and self-management (diabetes and high-risk dialysis patients). As mobile-cellular subscriptions are high in Jamaica (115 per 100 inhabitants) mHealth and telemedicine may provide an opening to improve patient adherence and aid in follow-up. Given Jamaica’s experience using ECHO’s tele-mentoring portal for HIV, this platform could be expanded to support chronic illness, and use-cases could be developed to pilot the use of mHealth and telemedicine for chronic care.
PAHO has also been supporting MHW/GOJ to strengthen information systems for health (IS4H) in Jamaica. IS4H is a key strategy in the efforts of the MHW/GOJ improve planning, decision-making, policy formulation, and health equality in Jamaica. MHW/GOJ has embarked on a renewed effort to strengthen and expand its use of information technology to improve the efficiency, efficacy and safety of both clinical and business processes, and to improve the availability of quality information to support clinical, program and policy decision-making.
The team: The team is led by the Project Execution Unit (PEU) from MHW/GOJ, and comprises experts from Jamaica and the international community. The successful individual will form part of this team on a contract basis and report to the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Lead. The successful individual will also work collaboratively with other leaders from across the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Regional Health Authorities, and the private health sector, as well as with other ministries and international partners.
What you’ll do: The Nursing Informatics Officer is responsible for assisting in the management the project life cycle in support of key internal and external customers/stakeholders during the implementation of the EHR and other digital health initiatives. The Nursing Informatics Officer participates in complex decision making; developing implementation strategies, definition, scope, and software analysis; and, assisting in the maintenance of project plans, budget, and timelines that will enable the Ministry of Health and Wellness’s vision for IS4H in Jamaica. The Nursing Informatics Officer reports directly to the Electronic Health Record (EHR) / Telehealth Lead and focusses on the aspects of the EHR that involve nursing care or the participation of the nursing team.
This role is expected to be full-time on site for a duration of 12 months (with a possible extension of up to 24 months) starting on August 1, 2022.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:
- Assisting in the EHR / Telehealth Lead in the management of the full implementation the Electronic Health Record (EHR) project life cycle from kick-off preparation through implementation completion and transition to support.
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- Supports the EHR implementation efforts, operational planning, execution, and ongoing evaluation of the project status across the organization.
- Participates in implementation meetings and workgroup sessions.
- Supports organizational change management related to the nursing aspects of the EHR implementation.
- Contributes to the development and implementation of project plans and workflows.
- Assists in the Monitoring and Management and Operation of the various of the Nursing aspects of the EHR with a focus on clinical effectiveness, safety and enhancement of healthcare outcomes for both primary and hospital care.
- Works with internal teams, vendor and stakeholders to advance and resolve Nursing relevant EHR related project issues in order to optimize results ensuring project execution and accountability.
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- Participates in project planning activities including project team planning session, communicating deliverables, clarifying dependencies, issue resolution, and escalating issues when appropriate.
- Assisting in keeping the implementation team and stakeholders engaged and accountable to meet project milestones.
- Helps to defines the roles and responsibilities for the selected Nursing Participants and facility champions, including consultation with the Nursing council where required for verification and CME credit processing for training activities.
- Works effectively with the internal team, vendor and stakeholders to ensure successful completion of the EHR project goals.
- Works with the Electronic Health Record and Telehealth lead and the internal policy consultant to draft and implement nursing-relevant EHR related policies.
- Communicates with the team project goals, milestones, expectations, and outcomes through regular touchpoints, distribution of status briefings, and facilitating internal and external meetings.
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- Acts as a point of contact between Electronic Health Record (EHR) Telehealth lead, executive MOHW/Regional team, and nursing/clinical stakeholders with respect to the nursing aspects of the EHR.
- Interfaces with stakeholder staff across the organization throughout project lifecycle and manages project activities and communications across all project teams (communication vehicles include team meetings, meeting minutes, e-mails, key documents, etc.).
- Assist the Electronic Health Record / Telehealth (TH) lead in the Tracking of EHR project timelines and budget updating the Electronic Health Record / Telehealth (TH) lead with status reports in order to meet and exceed projected metrics.
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- Documents and tracks progress of nursing aspects of the EHR rollout
- Provides project reporting and status to the EHR/TH lead where required.
- Identify nursing related EHR project RISKS and report such immediately to the Electronic Health Record / Telehealth lead and/or PEU.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Support and assist with the identification, prioritisation and documentation of the ongoing functionality and usability requirements for the nursing aspects of the EHR.
- Working with the Digital Standards team to identify, develop or modify existing EHR / OpenEHR templates, archetypes and forms for customisation purposes.
- Participate in testing of the EHR including new versions and bug fixes.
- Coordinating any related fixes and modifications with the involvement of relevant stakeholders.
- Assist with the development of policies and procedures relating to the nursing use of the EHR and other relevant clinical information systems.
- Liaise with system users, local user groups and suppliers regarding fault management, new features and releases.
- Assist the team in identifying and acting on risks and issues in line with policy, ensuring that such items are documented, communicated and escalated appropriately.
- Attend project team and stakeholder meetings and provide timely feedback as required.
- Assist the EHR / Telehealth lead in developing new project plans as the need arises.
- Work with the Telehealth Coordinator to identify common goals, problems or issues that might impact the larger IS4H objective(s).
Deliverables:
- Product 1: Monthly Progress Reports – monthly progress reports to the Electronic Health Record / Telehealth (TH) lead outlining the work done with respect to the above mentioned goals and responsibilities.
- Product 2: Final Report – Final report on all of the activities carried out during the contract’s period as well as the conclusions
- Other products – Other deliverables to be defined on a semi-annual basis in consultation with and under the direction of the Electronic Health Record (EHR) / Telehealth Lead and / or IS4H Project Lead
Qualification Requirements:
- Education:
- Minimum Nursing undergraduate degree (e.g., BA. Nursing or equivalent) is required from a recognized Tertiary Institution.
- Post-basic Nursing qualification in Midwifery or Public Health Nursing.
- Health Informatics training would be considered to be a considerable asset.
- Experience: Minimum of 5 years’ Nursing experience in the public sector in Jamaica, of which at least two (2) years must have been spent working in a hospital setting. The candidate should have spent at least one year in an administrative or leadership capacity. These factors would be considered as assets:
- Mixture of diverse Primary Care (clinic) and Hospital work experience.
- At least 1 year working in a complex multi-factorial project.
- Technology related experience, especially with tools or products that are public facing.
- Languages: Advanced writing, communication and presentation skills in English;
- Core and Technical Competencies: Knowledge of health information systems solutions, technologies and standards is an asset; Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to interact culturally, linguistically, and diplomatically with diverse internal and external individuals; Ability to motivate others including diverse groups of Stakeholders. Superior negotiation skills; Experience working in an multi-cultural context with international stakeholders is highly desirable.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
- Demonstrated ability to manage complex healthcare projects including all elements of scope, schedule, budget, risk evaluation, issue resolution, quality, system integration, staffing, and communication driving the process with a big picture analysis.
- Must be able to self-manage and prioritize daily schedules, work effectively in a collaborative style with internal and external customers, team members, managers, and executives.
- Strong ability to pro-actively identify and mitigate project risks, escalate and track issues to resolution, and creatively problem solve to find alternative solutions.
- Must be solutions oriented and have the ability to drive for results that add value to the project goals.
- Must have an adaptive work and communication approach that aligns with the needs of the project.
- Independent and innovative spirit.
- Flexibility and responsiveness to input from project and project stakeholders.
- Ability to quickly grasp new concepts and technologies and adapt to changes and demands of the organization.
- Effective problem solver, strategic thinker, and self-motivated.
- Innovative thinking and an ability to “think outside the box”.
Opportunity Summary:
- Length of contract: Full-time for 12 months, with possible extension given satisfactory performance. Eventually, this job role will be merged into the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ Informatics structure as a full-time post.
- Location: Jamaica
- Responsible persons: Electronic Health Record (EHR) / Telehealth Lead and IS4H HSSP Project Lead
- Requirements: You must be a citizen or bona fide permanent resident of one of the IDB’s 48 member countries.
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