CoSAM - Interaction applications in the health service for crises and daily operations

In the CoSAM project, DNV Imatis has developed new collaboration applications for better workflow, collaboration and task support in the health services in the District of Stovner and the District of Old Oslo. The solutions support employees in working smartly and efficiently on a daily basis as well as in crisis situations and ensure good quality in their work. The COVID-19 crisis presented the municipal health service with an acute interaction challenge that it was not prepared for, and normal routines were not sufficient: There was great uncertainty, great pressure from patients, a great need for information, extensive infection control measures, great logistical needs and it became necessary to change the organization, among other things through establishing fever clinics, reprioritizing regular appointments because many health workers were reassigned and ended up in quarantine. The challenges became particularly clear in handling the corona pandemic, but the municipal health service has the same challenges in daily operations and needs digital tools to support work processes and interaction. The partners in CoSAM have developed, tested and evaluated technology and services through innovation processes that are research-supported and needs-driven. The project has used iterative and user-centred methods. Thorough insight work has been carried out which has established knowledge of the needs of the service and which also documents the previous situation. The insight work documented a great need for a better overview, clearer responsibility and distribution of roles and tools that can make it easier for more employees to follow up a large number of home residents in a better way. The knowledge has been used to develop and adapt work processes and to develop interaction applications for various departments in the health service. The project has piloted and evaluated interaction boards for the home service, assessment team, coping team, the housing unit and several departments in the mental health and substance abuse unit, respectively. The solutions provide better follow-up of users and interaction internally and support work processes for interaction between the teams. The solutions have been developed in close collaboration with managers and employees in the district and through several iterations where the solutions are tested and evaluated along the way. The project has established knowledge about the organization and use of digital interaction solutions that can be reused in municipalities across the country. This is valuable information for other districts and municipalities about how change work and development of support can be done to work smarter and use limited resources as best as possible. Quality improvement and streamlining of services through the acquisition of digital solutions is in line with and well rooted in the municipalities' strategies and national guidelines on digitalisation of health and care services. The project results will also strengthen the healthcare industry and ensure that more and better digital solutions are developed and put into use on a larger scale.