.webp)
Improving Information Capture in Healthcare: the SCPARE Case Study
.svg)
Streamlining communication, centralizing exchanges, capturing information, making project collaboration easier… These are the challenges the anesthesia and intensive care practice SCPARE was able to address with Talkspirit. Rolled out in the spring of 2021, the platform has now become the practice’s main communication tool.
Key figures:
- 2 clinics in the Grand Est region
- 37 staff, including 22 physicians and 10 nurses
- 93% active users per month
Nicolas Rocq, Anesthesiologist-Intensivist, led the rollout of Talkspirit. In this article, the project lead looks back on the reasons that led him to set up the tool, and on how the teams use it today.
A desire to streamline exchanges and centralize information
“Just a year ago, the teams communicated through several channels, particularly emails and instant messaging apps like Signal and WhatsApp.
After carrying out an audit, we realized that these means of communication weren’t optimal. With information scattered across several tools, it was impossible to know whether it had actually reached its recipient, which created silos, and as a result a loss of information”, explains Nicolas Rocq.
“The COVID crisis also affected us as it did everywhere, requiring:
- the rapid spread of information relating to the reorganization of operations and the acquisition of new scientific data,
- the introduction of remote work,
- the need for video conferencing.”
Another challenge: staff didn’t have a work email address. The administrative assistants were therefore forced to send them information on their personal email address, which was far from ideal.
Read also: Connecting employees without an email address: a challenge met by Lyon Parc Auto
“We needed a tool that staff could log in to without a work email address, that would let us both interact in real time and centralize all our resources. The goal: to give staff a single communication channel, where they’d be reachable wherever they are (at the practice or on the move), and that would let them access the information and documents they need to work.
Finally, we wanted to avoid reaching out to staff on their private inboxes and texts outside of their working hours.
To meet these various needs, we were advised to set up an enterprise social network (ESN).”
Talkspirit, a simple and friendly all-in-one ESN
“We opted for Talkspirit because the features on offer met our needs very well, particularly chat, video conferencing, and posts, which let us interact synchronously and asynchronously, and bring a certain warmth.
We also wanted to set up working groups, so we could keep a record of our various projects, which was very much possible on Talkspirit.
I really appreciated the platform’s ease of use, and also the made-in-France side, which for me was a plus”, says the anesthesiologist-intensivist.
Initiatives to win employees over
“Once the platform was rolled out, I held a meeting with the physicians to present the tool’s features to them. And then, I asked the administrative assistants to shift the flow of information from emails to Talkspirit.
There was some resistance at first, because everyone already had their own habits. And you have to bear in mind that enterprise social networks are very little known in the medical field. So it took some time to demonstrate the tool’s value to staff.
Read also: How to make it easier to adopt your new collaboration tools?
On my end, I try to feed the platform with content regularly to encourage staff to log in. The result: over these past two months, they’ve managed to get a better grip on the platform”, which is reflected in the usage rate.
Today, 93% of staff log in to Talkspirit every month, including 60% almost exclusively on mobile.
A tool that lets you…
…streamline information sharing
“To structure exchanges as effectively as possible, we created around fifty groups for working, including:
- a ‘Training’ group, where we centralize all medical knowledge, and which everyone has access to
- an ‘External Relations’ group to interact with suppliers
- a ‘Human Resources’ group that brings together all the information relating to HR processes
- groups by professional category (nurses, administrative assistants, physicians) to discuss role-specific topics
Read also: Making information sharing easier with Talkspirit: the SantéCité case study
Thanks to these groups, everyone can share information only with the people who need it, rather than with the entire practice. That way, staff aren’t “cluttered” with irrelevant information.
All the documents and information specific to each group are stored on the Talkspirit drive, then shared in a dedicated post, which lets us keep a history of all our exchanges.
And when I want to highlight an important piece of information, I pin it to the news feed to make sure everyone takes note of it.”
…make brainstorming and decision-making easier
“When we have complex cases that require special handling, we create a Talkspirit post (on an anonymized theoretical case) bringing together all the information on that case, particularly what needs to be anticipated before the date of the operation. We then use this post to brainstorm the various options available, and to reach a decision together.
Read also: Webinar recap: “Sharing information better to make better decisions”
If I need to gather colleagues’ input on specific topics (for example, anything to do with changing equipment), I’ll sometimes include a poll in my posts. That way, everyone can give their opinion asynchronously, which also helps cut down on time spent in meetings”, explains Nicolas Rocq.
…simplify exchanges with external suppliers
“Beyond chat and the news feed, we regularly use video conferencing to interact with external suppliers (for example, independent nursing practices, home-care providers, or speakers taking part in a conference).
It’s really very handy when we need to work together on shared topics.” Everyone can share their ideas live, without having to travel to the practice.
A single source of information
“Talkspirit makes it easier to interact internally and externally, but also to capture information in one place. That way, everyone has a single source of information”, accessible anywhere, anytime, and on any device.
Thanks to the mobile app, staff on the move can easily stay in touch with their colleagues, and be more responsive when they receive a request.
The result: “we hardly receive any internal emails anymore, and traffic on Signal (our old chat tool) has dropped by 90%”, says Nicolas Rocq, which already makes for some great markers of success. Now, all important information goes through Talkspirit, and staff have clearly understood that.
Read also: Putting an end to internal emails with Talkspirit: the Biterrois Medical Imaging case study
The importance of the right to disconnect
“Unlike our old communication tools, Talkspirit has features that let you respect everyone’s right to disconnect.
To avoid disturbing staff beyond a certain hour, I regularly schedule my posts, so they’re published the next morning, for example. It’s also possible to adjust the notification settings”, so you’re not notified of new messages in the evening or at the weekend.
Read also: [Ebook] Right to disconnect: a survival guide for remote work
Talkspirit’s take on SCPARE
Setting up an enterprise social network is the ideal solution to keep information flowing, make project tracking easier, and improve knowledge capture. Benefits that the SCPARE practice has clearly identified.
Read also: 8 benefits of using an enterprise social network
As the usage statistics show, the platform has now become essential for communicating and collaborating as a team, both internally and with external parties.
No more silos: staff can now access all the information shared in one single place, give their opinion on the topics that concern them, and so take part in decision-making.
*
* *
Want to learn more about the Talkspirit solution? Get in touch or book a demo with our team to discover the platform’s features in detail.
–
Author: Emmanuelle Abensur
