Engage your teams for interRAI system implementation

How is your organization doing when it comes to implementing the interRAI assessment system? 

As you move through your implementation plan, it’s important to seek input from various perspectives throughout the implementation process, particularly involving front-line clinicians in all interRAI processes, whether at the point of care or through a feedback loop.

While there may be challenges along the way, regularly soliciting feedback and applying what has been learned can help make the implementation process smoother.

Here are some suggested strategies:

• Hold a series of lunch and learns where you provide part of a report (such as the outcome scale) and, at the same time, review the items and coding for that particular scale.
• Consider forming clinical and/or technical advisory groups to address any issues that arise. CIHI is always available to provide support.
• Post reports at the program level.
• Ask staff what they want to know about interRAI assessments.
• When discharging clients, provide a report and pass along key information from the interRAI assessment system (e.g., Clinical Assessment Protocols) to the caregivers/organizations they’re being referred to.
• Engage with families and the community by communicating how interRAI assessments are used to evaluate and adjust care plans.
• Ask your staff for suggestions on how you might measure things like record completion, timeliness of assessments, error rates on submissions and submission volume.

It is also important to define markers of success and celebrate them with your team and staff. Success is more than the finish line — there are plenty of milestones to be celebrated along the way! 

Ensure that all contributors are included in these celebrations and that their efforts are recognized.

Examples of success milestones include migrating to a new software platform, completing education courses and successfully submitting your organization’s first test data.