Case provided by the Hospital de Santa Maria’s Administration Council. HSM’s Intranet provides useful and updated information about general facts and events, and access to software applications from X-rays to analysis, calling for an ambulance or any office good’s request. It has become the most powerful electronic tool in this enormous and prestigious Hospital. Around 5.000 workers can use this tool everyday. Management has become accurate and consistent with the help of the HSM’s Intranet. Deciders are capable to get activity indicators and statistics on a daily/monthly/annual basis, about almost everything running in the Hospital.

Policy Context

Government objective to bring innovation to Portugal. Health Ministerial strategy, to bring health care to the XXI century. The Hospital’s Administration policy and process of reforming this huge Institution. The new technological program put out from the Hospital’s Information Technology Service.

Description of target users and groups

The target group should be the Hospital's working force. Although the HSM's Intranet helps bringing efficiency to everyday's working needs, it also benefits the patients.

Description of the way to implement the initiative

Flexibility and integration are primordial factors for the good functioning between all the intervening parts, either internal or external. Every vertical level of public/private administration is involved to contribute in the process.

Technology solution

All issues come through a PC. There are available PC's for those who work in the Hospital, and all of them can access the intranet.

Main results, benefits and impacts

The Intranet’s impact is remarkable. The benefit of delivering such vital information and answers to vital requests has no boundaries. The costs are minimal regarding the benefits. Around 5.000 users can access all critical data and applications. This impact is sustainable and still ongoing. Managers can check all kind of numbers, values, variations and percentages around the Hospital own universe. Decision making and accurate evaluation has become essential to reach our main goals. This tool, if well used, can point out critical problems, it can help make vital decisions to the future of this prestigious institution. One more evidence of great impact is the new eBulletin available everyday in HSM’s Intranet. Before changing this process to an electronic process, there were about 20 persons that walked around the Hospital in the morning delivering paper information’s to all services. Now those professionals are free to do other tasks. The previous method took 2 days and involved 3 different entities: Personnel Division, Human Resources Services and Print Office Workshop (high paper and printing costs). Now, it takes just a few minutes for one person to put online in the Intranet all the bulletin information and documents, with no cost to Hospital de Santa Maria, and reaching everyone. Just one more example, from many more in other relevant areas throughout the Hospital. The novelty in this project lies on several aspects and goes beyond state-of-the-art in health care communications. The breakthrough in current practice is clear. Through the HSM’s Intranet, there are innovative eSolutions. Efficient ways of getting through difficult processes. Major novelties are the activity indicators, a strong and overwhelming tool that delivers accurate and automatic values of almost everything that “moves” around the Hospital. This automatic activity indicators available in the HSM’s Intranet are by far the most powerful management tool for decision making in health care administration. The outcome is tremendous. Also the requesting form of an ambulance is totally paper-free and processed through the intranet. It's also important to refer the high degree of transparency shown from all levels of public administration of this esteemed institution. Another novelty lies upon flexibility and availability of such relevant information to Hospital’s management and working force. The exceptional integration and articulation between different applications and solutions is state-of-the-art.

Return on investment

Return on investment: Not applicable / Not available

Track record of sharing

Our experience influenced the new Hospital Pulido Valente's Intranet that is being implemented in the same perspective as ours.

Lessons learnt

Lesson 1 - Integrated information and communications around one single tool, provides cohesion, efficiency and global perspective. Lesson 2 - Transparent information availability, stimulates growth and unity around professionals, joining forces with a single purpose. Lesson 3 - Two years passed since this project development started, and still there’s so much to improve and optimize. An Intranet development is an endless task.

Scope: Local (city or municipality)