Office of the Auditor General Reports on Connect Care Preparations

The Office of the Auditor General (OAG) has just released its review of work leading up to the Wave 1 launch of Connect Care in November 2019. The findings are positive, indicating there was excellent preparation to ensure safe and effective delivery of patient care throughout the launch.

The intent of the audit was to determine whether Alberta Health Services (AHS) had key controls in place to guide successful implementation, and a plan to sustain success after launch.

Highlights of the audit include findings that AHS had processes to:

• regularly monitor and assess readiness for launch,
• sustain the system after launch,
• maintain vendor support leading up to and after launch,
• manage risks and prioritize patient safety.

The report further identified important success factors:

• The program was not run as an IT project, but rather a clinical improvement initiative led by stakeholders.
• Senior executives were assigned as sponsors and were visibly committed throughout.
• A culture of transparency, accountability and dedication was promoted.

The OAG provided helpful feedback to AHS, leading to more attention to documentation of risk mitigation plans and communication with stakeholders.

• Report: Wave 1 Implementation of the Connect Care Clinical Information System