Moving Forward: Taking PMS
Vendor Management to the Next
Level
Dr James Conner
Vendor Account Manager, Information Directorate
Presentation to HINZ 2008 Annual Conference
17 October 2008

Overview
Introduction
Who are the PMS vendors?
GP Practice Management Systems (PMS)
Drivers and Opportunities for Change
Current Ministry PMS Vendor Engagement
Model
The Way Forward
2

Introduction
NZ adoption of IT and PMS
PMS vendors are key stakeholders
Manage and co-ordinate software changes/
updates across the sector
Almost all general practices use PMS systems
Ministry’s initiatives to strengthen relationships
Opportunities to do better
3

Who Are the PMS Vendors?
Provide, maintain and update practice software
Understand vendor culture and business
environment
Small-Medium size businesses
Geographically spread
Entrepreneurial, creative, competitive
Limited resources
4

Who Are the PMS Vendors?
(Cont…)
Market leaders; growth mode or start-up
NZ market is small
Solutions and operational focused
Strategic and global
Time and cost is important
Stable workforce; many years of collective IT
and health experience
Business but also health/patient focused
5

GP Practice Management
Systems
Adoption of PMS
Larger more multidisciplinary teams
Patient care and business benefits of PMS
Measure clinical and patient activity indicators
Population health requirements
Visits to GP
Business Models
6

GP Practice Management Systems
Survey ‘Didham, Martin, Wood & Harrison
(2004)
 Most GPs indicated that their IT is adequate for their own
needs
 Tension between business/IT needs, hardware
requirements, and obligations from MOH, DHBs & PHOs
 Almost two-thirds employed a practice manager
7

‘England is a nation of
Shopkeepers’
Napoleon
8

PMS Vendors:‘The Malacca Effect’
Gateway and Chokepoint
© james conner 2008
9

Drivers and Opportunities for
Change
Key Ministry Strategy Documents
 NZ Health Strategy 2000
 Primary Care Strategy 2001
 Health Information Strategy 2005
 Key Health targets 2007/08
 Currently developing Long Term Systems Framework
10

Drivers and Opportunities for
Change (cont…)
• Change Strategy
 Leadership role
 More integrated, co-ordinated, person centred healthcare system
 Workforce Innovation and planning
 Emphasis on co-operation, collaboration & consultation
 Health information systems key area of focus
 Information critical to continuity and delivery of care
 Linking information systems to strategy
 Organisational structure and role changes
11

Drivers and Opportunities for
Change (cont…)
Information Directorate Restructuring
 Relationship Management Group
 Leadership
 Sector approach
 Recognising stakeholder interests
 Engagement mechanisms
12

Drivers and Opportunities for
Change (cont…)
• External Factors
 Innovation
 Political, Economic, Social
 Globalisation of health industry
 Public expectations
13

Current Ministry PMS Software
Vendor Engagement Model
Background
 Key problems/issues identified
 Ministry commissioned review
 Major recommendations
• Improve and foster relationships
• Establish communication mechanisms
• Align with Project Management Office services
14

Current Ministry PMS Software
Vendor Engagement Model
Processes & Achievements
 Created vendor/liaison advisory role
 Established PMS National Vendor Forum
 Centralised point of contact
 Moving towards consistent business processes
 Higher degree of trust and working relationships
15

The Way Forward
We can do better
Leadership Role
Better integration of vendors across Ministry
Development of Relationship Management
portfolio for all our vendors
Replicate current PMS model to other vendors
Operational focus
Strategic (NZ Health IT Cluster, HINZ)
16

The Way Forward (cont…)
Enabling model
Improve business processes
Standard funding model & contracting processes
Transparency on priorities and what changes we
will fund
Improved outcomes for vendors
Recognise collective IT and health experience of
vendors
17

“The machine does not isolate
man from the great problems of
nature but plunges him more
deeply into them”.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery
B. 29 June 1900, D. 31 July 1944

References
Didham, R.,Martin, R., Wood, R. &Harrison K. (2004), Information
Technology Systems in General Practice Medicine in New Zealand, The
New Zealand Medical Journal, 23 July, 117 (1198),1-17.
Health Workforce Advisory Committee (2003), The New Zealand Health
Workforce Future Directions—Recommendations to the Minister of Health
2003. Wellington, NZ.
• Ministry of Health (2000), The New Zealand Health Strategy (2000),
Wellington, NZ.
• Ministry of Health (2001), Primary Care Strategy (2001), Wellington, NZ.
• Ministry of Health (2005), Health Information Strategy (2005), Wellington,
NZ.
• Ministry of Health (2007-08), Health Targets, Wellington, NZ.
02/11/08 19