An IT plan, sometimes called the strategic information systems plan, is a set of
An IT plan, sometimes called the strategic information systems plan, is a set of IT specific programs or projects that help an organization achieve its business goals. The IT plan can vary according to the needs of the organization. Developing a coherent health IT strategic plan represents a key milestone within an organizational strategic management and governance framework.
In the following scenario, you are the IT director of a large health system and need to begin building an IT plan that supports the organization’s mission and goals. You want to prepare a document to present to the IT planning group, which consists of business personnel, upper management, clinicians, and other IT members.
Your document consists of two parts: the IT plan and the communication piece that summarizes how the IT plan will enable organizational change. The IT plan can be for any type of system: implementing enterprise-wide electronic health record (EHR) systems, patient health records (PHRs), and patient portals, establishing insurance exchanges, becoming an accountable care organization, or opening a new service line are some examples.
Part 1
For Part 1, you may use the IT Plan Template, or you are free to make one of your own. The IT plan must include:
The purpose of the plan/mission statement: This answers who you are, who your audience is, what you do, what problems you are looking to solve, and how you will go about solving them.
SWOT analysis: Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats
List of strategies, actions, projects, resources: For example, information about the organization’s portfolio of projects, which projects have dependencies on others, which have more risk, etc.
Timeline for completion, including activities: Use an agile methodology and include a month-by-month report of how the project will be implemented (include how often the plan will be updated: quarterly, biannually, annually, etc.)
Part 2
For Part 2, you will provide a brief communication summary of how your IT plan will enable organizational change. This communication should be prepared for the IT planning group, which consists of business personnel, upper management, clinicians, and other IT members. Highlight the benefits, such as reducing operational costs, eliminating waste and duplication, better aligning business with IT, identifying strategic improvement and transformation opportunities, increasing quality patient outcomes, etc. Acknowledge any limitations, risks, or challenges associated with the plan and describe any mitigating factors you can employ.
Create a 3-column chart for the four components of the IT asset (application systems, technical architecture, data, IT staff). Include the role of each in the second column, and the third column will explain the connectivity with an example and the role each plays in helping to achieve the organization’s strategic goals. Explain how to navigate the organizational structure, how groups will work together, in order to achieve organizational goals.
This summation should be in narrative format in a 1-2-page document. Include the IT asset chart within the summation.
Requirements
Completed IT plan
1-page communication summary
A separate page at the end of your submission should contain a list of references in APA format. Use your textbook, the Library, and the internet for research.
Be sure to reference all sources and cite them in-text where appropriate. Your sources and content should follow proper APA style. Review the writing resources for APA formatting and citation found in Academic Tools. Additional writing resources can be found within the Academic Success Center.