Digitalisation in healthcare is making great strides, and new tools are paving the way for safer care and happier staff. Nina Fonsell, Head Nurse at Kanta-Häme Central Hospital (wards 6A and 6BH), Finland, shares her experiences of running pilot projects on digital tools and how they’ve shaped everyday life on the wards.
A culture of continuous development
Fonsell’s team at Kanta-Häme Central Hospital is committed to long-term improvement. Piloting digital solutions is part of their culture, and most recently, they trialled Medanets Checklists.
“Our staff are always keen to develop their work and find tools that make our jobs easier. In the digital world, information is scattered across different systems. We’ve wanted a single tool that brings together as much patient-related information as possible – and to be part of shaping it. Medanets has given us that, but we’ve also taken part in many other pilots,” Nina Fonsell explains.
“As pilot wards, we’ve felt privileged to help create tools tailored to our needs. Our feedback has been listened to, and the tools have been adapted accordingly,” she adds.
Success through collaboration and listening
The key to a successful pilot is involving the whole team. Fonsell stresses that the decision to join a pilot is made collectively. When staff have a genuine say, motivation and commitment grow.
“I always ask my team: ‘What do you think – should we try this?’ It’s important that people feel changes aren’t imposed from above but that they have a choice,” Fonsell says. This approach means her team now embraces almost any pilot project enthusiastically.
Clear communication is essential. Everyone needs to know the basics – when the pilot starts and ends, for example. Feedback should be gathered throughout, not just at the end, and discussed regularly in weekly meetings.
Regular sessions with solution providers, such as Medanets, have also been crucial. Immediate feedback and quick fixes during the pilot make staff feel heard. “When something hasn’t worked and gets resolved, people really appreciate it: ‘Great, they listened, and now it works.’ That two-way feedback is vital – and with Medanets, it’s always worked brilliantly,” Fonsell says.
Setting clear goals
Every pilot needs a concrete goal and a way to measure success. For Medanets Checklists, the aim was to eliminate paper checklists entirely. “We always assess whether the goal was met fully or partly. If only partly, we look at why and what we can do to achieve it,” Fonsell explains. These evaluations involve the whole team. Participation is ensured for all team members, including those who can’t be in the meetings in person due to shift schedules.
For the Checklists pilot, the goal was achieved – the ward secretaries no longer need to print lists on paper.
The role of leadership and training
Alongside collaboration, Fonsell highlights the importance of proper training. “When we first started with Medanets, their trainers came on-site and spent time guiding users. Clear written instructions are also essential. When these basics are in place, everything runs more smoothly – and ensuring that is the manager’s responsibility.”
Pilots allow informed decision-making
Fonsell encourages others to embrace pilot projects. “Although the initial effort can feel big, it pays off many times over – in better job satisfaction, improved processes, and ultimately better patient care.”
Pilots also allow informed decisions not to proceed: “You can see whether a new approach or tool works for you. If it doesn’t, you don’t have to adopt it.”
Medanets pilots have demonstrated real benefits. For example, certain discharge-related incident reports have disappeared thanks to Checklists, and the Medication solution piloted earlier improved patient safety. “Those safety improvements are what stick with me most,” Fonsell says.
Another major benefit is standardising practices. “Medanets will play a big role in our new hospital as we move towards paperless services and align processes across primary and specialist care.”
KANTA-HÄME CENTRAL HOSPITAL’S PILOT MODEL
- Present the solution at a staff meeting and decide together.
- Set clear goals and communicate them in writing.
- Provide thorough training and clear instructions.
- Collect feedback regularly and review progress weekly.
- Involve the whole team in evaluation.
- Use concrete metrics and reporting data (e.g., Medanets Admin UI) to track success and motivate staff.
MEDANETS CHECKLISTS AT KANTA-HÄME
The pilot ended positively, and a preliminary procurement decision has been made, to be formalised in 2026. The following checklists will move into production:
- Discharge checklist
- Emergency surgery checklist
- PD – Peritonitis treatment initiation
- Transfer to follow-up care checklist
A checklist for diabetes-related guidance was presented as an idea for future development.