Meet a CHIA – Jacqueline Ollier

We caught up with Jacqueline Ollier to talk about her journey into the digital health workforce and experience of undertaking CHIA. Jacqueline is currently working as a Clinical Organisational Change Manager on the Core Clinical Systems Renewal Project (CCSRP) in the Northern Territory.

1. How did you get interested in IT/health informatics/digital health?

It was actually when I was living in the UK (where I am from). I was working as a midwife and unfortunately, I contracted meningitis and was off work for a long period of time. When I was ready to return to work, I was unable to go back to clinical practice initially. The person in my workplace responsible for the maternity information system (as it was then an old green screen operating system), was going off on maternity leave so I took over. That was my first introduction to health informatics.

I then took the opportunity to relocate to Australia for a role within Queensland Health. While I was there I saw a job advertised with Mater Hospital in Brisbane and went for it. They were looking for a Project Midwife to work on the implementation of the foetal monitoring system, which I thought sounded interesting. This was the first implementation of the system in Australia and my first real big project where I started to understand the scope of digital health. This was back in 2009 when it was all relatively new. I have this newspaper article from the time which reported on the implementation and referred to it as ‘high tech wizardry’ and it’s funny as it really is not that now – it’s just normal, everyday stuff!

When I was given the opportunity to attend HIC one year I happened to drop by the Epic booth, and they demonstrated the Epic EMR to me. I was literally blown away. I could see how this would help our clinicians in our workflow and help – I know this sounds cliched but help “release our time to care”.

So that was it from a little seed all those years ago – I have since been involved in a whole gamut of digital health projects.

2. What have been your favourite aspects of working in this field?

I see my current role as on other projects I have worked on, to educate midwifes, nurses and medical staff as to why we are doing this, what the bigger picture is. Before I became interested in digital health, I used to go to work on the floor and did not give a thought as to what happens to all that information and what it means for health and for population health.

There’s a quote related to change management along the lines of ‘helping them love what they hate’. On most projects I have worked on there has been resistance to digital health on some level. Particularly in areas where EMR’s have been slower to roll out, there’s a real lack of understanding as to what it means for us clinicians, how it can improve our work and the lives and outcomes of our patients. So yeah, helping them love what they hate and seeing those smiles when we go live and I say to them ‘I told you it would make it easier’.

3. What motivated you to get involved with the CHIA Program?

In those early days, particularly working on the Queensland digital health projects, I was very well respected for the fact that I was a clinician and a midwife, but I felt I did not have the same respect from my more techie and digital health counterparts. I see myself as a conduit between clinical and technical. So, I wanted to formalise my knowledge and CHIA gives you that formalisation. Peers understand that I am not ‘just’ a midwife, I have that whole package. I am very proud of achieving CHIA.

4. What was your experience like when completing CHIA?

I will admit when I first started, I was overwhelmed. I really doubted the depth and breadth of my knowledge. But I have a naturally curious mind. I pushed myself to deepen my understanding in some of the domains that were outside the scope of my normal work. I found that all the information is there for you (in the resources), you just need to put in the study.

I actually had a pact with a pharmacist friend of mine to complete it together and we supported and encouraged each other and that really helped.

My advice to others undertaking CHIA would be do not let it intimidate you. Use the study materials and the time allotted. Just do it! You will get out of it as much as you put in.

5. What benefits have you experienced after completing your CHIA credential?

It has really boosted my confidence to engage in those broader digital health conversations. Before CHIA, my focus was narrow, it was just on EMR’s and clinical workflows. But now it’s wider – what does this mean for the workforce to become digitally capable? What do we need to do to make them ready?

Another positive, is the networking opportunities, giving me the confidence to go to conferences and engage in those strategic discussions. I have worked on a huge range of projects where colleagues have recognised that I have CHIA and have a broad range of knowledge and understanding. I just love that it has given me the confidence to do that.

I am a walking advert for CHIA at times, encouraging others to undertake CHIA!