The healthcare industry is a true system-of-systems. That's not just a lot of systems working together to achieve an outcome. It also means that the systems are not centrally controlled. Different contributors have different priorities, objectives, timelines, etc. For example where health care is a for-profit industry, the objective of those focused on preventing illness are at odds with those treating sick patients. Many industries have that to some degree but few to the same extent as healthcare.
Whenever you have a very complex system with fewer controllable variables, and conflicts of interest between contributing member systems, the number and impact of uncertainties increases as does the difficulty for projects attempting to achieve predictable outcomes. Saving Changes...
Alexandru RosioruChief Information Officer| Ministry of HealthChisinau, Moldova, Republic of
Apr 28, 2023 6:58 AM
Replying to Sergio Luis Conte
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Respectfully, I fully disagree. The most difficult projects are projects where software component is part of the solution. Why? Because "the software intangibility". When you ask progress in a software component and somebody answer you "x %", how is she/he is measuring it?.
The software solution and the measurement of the results depend on the clarity of the requests from the users or the client, how explicit they are formulated, and how measurable they are.
But I agree... sometimes the requirements are vague... and it becomes a challenge. Saving Changes...
Latha Thamma reddiSr Product and Portfolio Management (Automation Innovation)| DXC TechnologyMckinney, Tx, United States
Thank You!. Saving Changes...
Ed PelicCurrently not working only volunteering at PMI-HVC| PMI-HVCNorthville, Mi, United States
I believe a large factor is that healthcare is such a broad industry. I have worked in the US healthcare industry for 20+ years at various types of organizations. There are provider organizations, payer organizations, plan organizations, etc. Each of these areas have sub-categories e.g., provider organizations can be clinics, hospitals, urgent care centers, pharma companies, for profit, non-profit. The project scope can be financial, market, supply chain, IT, regulatory, etc. So, the very broad scope of healthcare (I once read that around 10% of the US economy is driven by healthcare) makes project scope and other PM elements (cost, resourcing, quality, etc.) vary immensely. A good example of one size does not fit all. And of course other factors (culture, etc.) play a role as well. Saving Changes...
in my personal opinion, sometimes software development projects are easier than projects in healthcare, because of a common understanding
That is true given the fact that there are so many guidelines and rules the healthcare system has to follow. In the US, From HIPAA to CMS guidelines, there are lots of factors to be taken care of and on top of that there are federal as well as State level directives.
Another big reason is the data exchange between multiple systems within and outside the organization. So there is a ton of dependencies between the systems. A very simple example would be an upgrade project. Claims processed in a system is dependent on the Member data, Provider data, Plan data, and various other sets of data which might be residing in multiple different systems. The project will have to take into consideration all the impacts/ risks and dependencies while planning. The impact analysis of the changes in one application on the others need to be done. The test plan also need to take care of all the system as well as the regression tests. The data scenarios in healthcare are vast, so the data creation is a big activity which also need to take care of masking due to guidelines. And, of course the involvement of other related activities.
Overall the efforts are high and QA is comparatively more complex for a healthcare project than many other types of businesses.
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1 reply by Alexandru Rosioru
Jan 31, 2024 11:38 AM
Alexandru Rosioru
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Absolutely! You've highlighted some crucial points about the complexities in the healthcare system. The myriad of guidelines and regulations, coupled with the intricate web of data dependencies, make every project a comprehensive undertaking. Managing upgrades and ensuring smooth data exchange among diverse systems is indeed a challenging task. Your insight into the careful consideration of impacts, risks, and dependencies during planning is spot-on. The vast array of data scenarios in healthcare necessitates meticulous attention to detail in data creation, especially with the added layer of masking due to guidelines.
It's evident that QA in healthcare projects involves a multifaceted approach, encompassing system tests, regression tests, and a thorough test plan. The sheer involvement of various related activities underscores the high level of effort required. Kudos to you for navigating these complexities and contributing to the success of healthcare projects! If there's anything specific you find particularly rewarding or challenging in this field, I'd love to hear more about it.br type="_moz"
Saving Changes...
Alexandru RosioruChief Information Officer| Ministry of HealthChisinau, Moldova, Republic of
Jan 30, 2024 2:20 PM
Replying to Debabrata Kataky
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That is true given the fact that there are so many guidelines and rules the healthcare system has to follow. In the US, From HIPAA to CMS guidelines, there are lots of factors to be taken care of and on top of that there are federal as well as State level directives.
Another big reason is the data exchange between multiple systems within and outside the organization. So there is a ton of dependencies between the systems. A very simple example would be an upgrade project. Claims processed in a system is dependent on the Member data, Provider data, Plan data, and various other sets of data which might be residing in multiple different systems. The project will have to take into consideration all the impacts/ risks and dependencies while planning. The impact analysis of the changes in one application on the others need to be done. The test plan also need to take care of all the system as well as the regression tests. The data scenarios in healthcare are vast, so the data creation is a big activity which also need to take care of masking due to guidelines. And, of course the involvement of other related activities.
Overall the efforts are high and QA is comparatively more complex for a healthcare project than many other types of businesses.
Absolutely! You've highlighted some crucial points about the complexities in the healthcare system. The myriad of guidelines and regulations, coupled with the intricate web of data dependencies, make every project a comprehensive undertaking. Managing upgrades and ensuring smooth data exchange among diverse systems is indeed a challenging task. Your insight into the careful consideration of impacts, risks, and dependencies during planning is spot-on. The vast array of data scenarios in healthcare necessitates meticulous attention to detail in data creation, especially with the added layer of masking due to guidelines.
It's evident that QA in healthcare projects involves a multifaceted approach, encompassing system tests, regression tests, and a thorough test plan. The sheer involvement of various related activities underscores the high level of effort required. Kudos to you for navigating these complexities and contributing to the success of healthcare projects! If there's anything specific you find particularly rewarding or challenging in this field, I'd love to hear more about it.br type="_moz"
