Shirley Ryan AbilityLab: Winning Technology Adoption With Tailored End User Training
Based in Chicago, the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (formerly the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago) is the global leader in physical medicine and rehabilitation and the world’s first-ever “translational” research hospital where clinicians, scientists, innovators and technologists work in the same space, surrounding patients, discovering new approaches, and applying (or “translating”) research in real time. Preparing for a move to a new facility, the organization needed to ensure that its clinical staff could smoothly and efficiently learn and adopt a new technology platform without missing a beat in care delivery.
The Challenge: Empower employees with new technology learning
Multiple vendors had equipped the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab’s new facility with the latest wireless, security, and clinical communications systems. As move-in day rapidly approached, clinical and support staff needed to learn how to use the new technology and ensure continuity of care to patients. The Shirley Ryan AbilityLab chose Burwood Group to create and implement its Integrated Caregiver Experience (ICE) training program, building on Burwood’s previous experience helping the hospital deploy IT infrastructure and a pilot staff training program.
The Solution: Plan and implement comprehensive, real-world care delivery scenarios
“Burwood Group jumped right in obtaining necessary configuration and training requirements in an ever-changing environment and on a tight timeline. Our staff trainers were equipped with the education and tools needed to deliver a high-impact, interactive training program designed to fit the needs and culture of our organization.” – Kathleen Stevens, RN, PhD Director, Nursing Education & Staff Development, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
To create an effective learning experience, Burwood integrated the disparate training materials provided by each product vendor into a cohesive, workflow-driven training program. First, the Burwood team met with key technical and clinical stakeholders to learn how the new platforms would affect their daily work and to map the new workflows. Indepth requirements gathering followed, even as specific technology configurations and integrations were still being developed. The team also examined service expectations to understand how each new technology component could directly support specific service goals, such as team-based care.
Burwood consultants then mapped out workflows, developed training content, tested and validated workflows, and conducted a dry run of the training—all in just over a month’s time. This included “Train the Trainer” sessions that prepared trainers to conduct high impact training sessions for care providers. The result was a holistic, eight-hour training day that combined didactic and practical learning. Most importantly, the training gave caregivers and staff the opportunity to work through real-life scenarios while using the new technology.
“Training can be onerous, but Burwood made the eight-hour day fly by with real-life scenarios and practical takeaways. Our clinical team especially enjoyed the end-of-day ‘putting it all together’ session, when they could test their newfound knowledge in simulated situations they might encounter on any given day. Most critical, our staff moved into our new facility fully prepared to hit the ground running.”
The Outcome: A technology-enabled workflow with full team adoption
With training based on practical application rather than generic “how-to” instruction, the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab’s clinicians and support staff alike successfully transitioned to their new work environment. Not only has the hospital optimized its technology investment, but it is better able to fulfill its mission as clinical staff feel at home with their IT systems.
Burwood Group Services:
Training Design, Development, Delivery and Adoption
Project Leadership
About Burwood Group’s Integrated Caregiver Experience Program:
Burwood Group’s Integrated Caregiver Experience (ICE) approach seeks to ensure the objectives of transformational initiatives are met by focusing on the significant impact to the caregiver. ICE places the caregiver at the heart of the curriculum, supporting end-user adoption of systems and workflows, and reinforcing cultural changes needed to support and achieve desired outcomes.
