Get the most from Q-Pulse, with HCI’s QIS Administration and Support Service
Introduction
Having a well-functioning Quality Management Information System (QMIS) such as Q-Pulse, plays a key role in supporting the everyday processes carried out by healthcare organisations. In order to get the most from your QMIS, it is important to ensure the software is well administered, kept up-to-date and that users have the necessary support to use the system correctly on a daily basis. To achieve this having an accessible and knowledgeable Administrator is vital.
In this blog, we talk to Carmel Marley who is the Quality Information Systems (QIS) Support Manager at HCI. Carmel oversees the activities of HCI’s QIS Support Desk. The QIS Support Desk provides clients with a single point of contact to manage all Q-Pulse queries, training, system administration, monitoring and maintenance. Carmel describes the type of work the QIS Support Desk does daily and the benefits this brings to our clients.
Qu: What is the main function of the HCI QIS Support Desk?
Within Ireland there are a number of healthcare organisations such as hospitals and nursing homes that use Q-Pulse as their Quality Management Information System. This is a centralised system which stores all their policies and procedures, allows them to manage their audits, manage quality improvement plans, report incidents and complaints, manage risks, manage their people and training records and manage their assets and suppliers.
HCI is contracted by many of these organisations to provide support to their frontline staff, administration staff and quality teams on managing the records held within Q-Pulse in line with their approved processes.
Qu: What kind of day-to-day support would you offer clients?
On a day-to-day basis we provide Q-Pulse technical and functional support to frontline users. For example, we can provide support to someone who is having difficulty logging into the system or maybe they might need support navigating the system or locating a record or a policy and procedure.
We also spend a lot of time ensuring that our clients’ systems are kept up to date and in line with best practice.
For example, we would support HR departments with ensuring that all user information is accurate and up to date. We also ensure frontline users know how to use the system by providing regular training sessions to any new staff members or anyone who needs refresher courses.
Each client’s contract is different, but for many of our clients we support them with the administration side of policies and procedures with regards to making sure that the document is on Q-Pulse and that it is communicated out to the staff in line with their approved process.
When a document is distributed to staff from Q-Pulse they receive an automatic email from Q-Pulse to alert them that the document is available on the system. The benefit of this is that you are removing the administrative work for the person who is developing that particular document.
Our Support Desk also provide training and support to users in navigating and effectively utilising HCI’s system’s interfaces (HCI KnowledgeTM), such as QualSIP, Occurrence Reporting, HCI PPG LibraryTM and TrainScan. These systems are very initiative and make it much easier for Q-Pulse users to engage with the system and access the information they need.
Qu: What other kind of support do you provide HR departments?
For each client the QIS Support Desk requires a monthly list of starters, movers and leavers. This allows us to keep the system up to date, taking the pressure off the HR department or Practice department in managing these users on the system.
When we are setting up new users on Q-Pulse we distribute important documents such as policies and procedures, to new staff. This ensures people are aware of the policies and procedures that are used in the organisation depending on their role.
Q-Pulse is a great system for managing staff training. All healthcare organisations have mandatory training requirements and Q-Pulse supports organisations in managing this requirement. When we set up new users on the system, we assign out what mandatory training they need for the year. Q-Pulse will also send automatic emails to staff when they are due to do a refresher training course as some mandatory training must be done every 1, 2 or 3 years.
Qu: How does the Support Desk aid in the governance of Policies and Procedures?
Each of our clients have an approved process on who should be approving a document and how the document is to be communicated to staff. HCI administers support based on the client’s approved processes.
The Support Desk also does a quality check on the documents that we receive for uploading to Q-Pulse.
For example, we review the documents to ensure that they are in the correct format as many of our clients want their documents to be in certain templates and so we check this prior to uploading them. It is essential that all documents are approved as per the process outlined by the client organisation.
Qu: What are the key benefits of utilising the QIS Support Desk?
One of the main benefits we hear from clients is the availability of our Support Desk.
There is always someone here to assist the client. Our team members are very knowledgeable and skilled in utilising Q-Pulse and clients appreciate having quick access to technical support. Our response times are good, if a client phones in a query we aim to support them on the call and if the query is emailed into the support desk we aim to resolve it as soon as possible or within the same working day.
The administration of the system can be time consuming.
Having HCI’s support reduces the burden on the internal Quality department in managing administrative tasks such as dealing with technical queries, managing staff profiles, uploading documents or training new users.
Our support ensures that there is centralised administration of the system which in line with the client’s processes and Quality Management System (QMS) controls.
HCI also act as a liaison between Ideagen and the client’s IT department. We support them in the continual update of the system as new versions of the software are released, ensuring that organisations have access to the latest functionality.
The current COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of not over relying on one person to fulfil a job role. Unforeseen events like this can result in the reallocation of healthcare workers or absenteeism due to leave, potentially leaving Q-Pulse without an administrator. Our clients never have to worry about their system being left without an administrator or staff not having access to technical support. They are guaranteed this support all year round.
What do HCI’s QIS Support Desk Clients Say?
The QIS Support Desk provides Q-Pulse administrative support to over 20,000 people working in healthcare in Ireland. The team seeks feedback from users following the close out of each case. The average monthly client satisfaction rating is 99.1%!
Below is some feedback from clients:
- “Very efficient service and issue resolved immediately! Thank you.”
- “Very helpful. Answered my questions and gave me all the info needed.”
- “The solution and explanation on how to perform the functions I asked about were clear and enabled me to manage the issues.”
- “Always extremely helpful with upload of documents. In my new role drawing up and submitting guidelines is a major part of my job. I have found staff so helpful and accommodating.”
- “I would just like to say thank you for your support. I’m still learning to use the different aspects of the system so I appreciate the help and guidance of HCI.”
- “The team is always so supportive. They always address any issues in a timely manner.”
Conclusion
In order to get the maximum benefit of your Q-Pulse system it is crucial for it to be maintained and administered properly. As healthcare partners with Ideagen, supporting Q-Pulse users in healthcare for the last 16 years, HCI really know Q-Pulse inside and out. Our support not only ensures your staff have constant access to a knowledgeable, high level administration and technical support team, 365 days of the year, but you also have a best practice system that supports your organisation in achieving your quality goals.