Groundwork occurs during the first phase (year 1) of Clinical Information System (CIS) implementation. It is a major Connect Care activity, alongside Direction-Setting, Validation and Clinical System Design.
Groundwork is about discovery. Groundwork analysis helps Epic get to know Alberta Health Services (AHS) and how its goals set the scope and expectations for a CIS. The Groundwork process reciprocally helps AHS explore Epic capabilities, so that early decisions can be made about where the CIS will enable existing practices and where it will be designed for post-transformation practices.
Groundwork is also about commitment. Groundwork decisions, primarily made by Connect Care leadership, recognize requirements for success, define Connect Care's scope, empower oversight structures, affirm decision-making principles, and set bounds for the CIS foundation build.