EFFECTIVE, EFFICIENT AND ETHICAL ELECTRONIC CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS Sue Tolley, Barnardos Australia Bronwen Elliott, Good Praxis P/L

Electronic case management system What is an ECM system?  Simple client referral database through to complete electronic client file database.  Case work progress integrated into data collection.  Statistical reporting capacity

What can ECM do, that paper systems can’t?  Generate individual casework reports  Generate service outcome and output reports  Make files legible!  Produce copies of file records or reports

Potential of ECM  ECM systems have the capacity to guide practice  ECM systems can provide for the evaluation of casework outcomes by workers and clients  ECM system’s have the capacity to promote best practice

Key criteria  Effectiveness – will service delivery improve?  Efficiency – will service administration benefit?  Ethics - can the benefits be gained without compromising client and worker rights, relationships and experiences?

Key questions re effectiveness  What improvements are you hoping the system will make to your service?  How will you know if they are achieved?

Key questions re efficiency  How do you want to improve efficiency eg file keeping, reporting?  What are the costs (financial, staff time and focus, impact on clients)?  Are the costs worth the benefits?  How will you measure the impact on efficiency?

Key question re ethical issues  What does ethical practice look like in a ‘paper environment’?  What if anything should change in ECMS?  What safeguards can be introduced?  How will ethical standards be evaluated after introduction of ECMS?

What to look for in a good ECM system and implementation plan. Our top 10 tips

1. Make sure it mirrors best practice  Designed around practice standards.  Complies 100% with your service principles and values.

2. Choose a Child AND Family System  Ensure the system treats children as individuals.  Ensure the system can group children with their parents.  Capacity to have more than one program assisting the same family.

3. Single entry system  Data is entered for case management and reporting functions simultaneously  Reporting functions collate data automatically to suit your needs (or as required by your funding bodies)

4. Multiple referrals for same family  Expect that families will return to the service  Look carefully at how the ECMS will count clients  Recognise implications where family members change

5. Intuitive and flexible  Use family services language  Allows workers to record in real time  Avoid rigid expectations eg set order of casework tools or assessment questions

6. How much information ?  Focus on collecting essential information  Recognise impact of information eg in court processes

7. Client friendly  Be alert to unintended consequences of ECMS on relationships with clients  Seek feedback from clients about their experiences of ECMS  Ensure that you keep doing what worked prior to ECMS, or do better

8. Guided practice  Strength of ECM systems is the ability to include guidance in easily accessible formats and through case management pathways

9. Is it a secure system?  Make sure you are satisfied with provisions re confidentiality of information stored  Educate all users about new security procedures  Provide clear information for clients and other service providers with whom you may need to share information.

10. Realistic implementation process  Leadership  Address effectiveness, efficiency and ethical practice outcomes – Have a Implementation Plan  Identify and address IT resource issues  Timeliness  Training  Evaluation

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