Home Tenders TERMS OF REFERENCE – Clinical Informatics Officer

TERMS OF REFERENCE – Clinical Informatics Officer

Engagement Type: Individual

Duration: 12 months

BACKGROUND

The Government of Jamaica has received two loans from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) to support the Health Systems Strengthening for the Prevention & Care Management of Non- Communicable Diseases (NCD) Programme.

The programme objective is to improve the health of Jamaica’s population by strengthening comprehensive policies for the prevention of Non-Communicable (Chronic) Diseases (NCDs) risk factors and improved access to an upgraded and integrated primary and secondary health network in prioritized areas with an emphasis on chronic disease management, that provide more efficient and higher quality care. This is a hybrid programme with a policy-based operation, a programmatic policy-based loan series (PBP) and an investment loan that will invest in the physical infrastructure and equipment of Jamaica’s health sector.

The Policy-Based Loan is implementing policies that will consolidate regulatory measures to address the preventable causes of NCDs and to reorient health systems to address prevention and control of NCDs through a people-centred primary health chronic care model.

The Investment Loan, (JA – L1049) in turn, is financing activities to consolidate integrated health networks and improving the management, quality, and efficiency of health services. The Policy Based Loan will benefit the Jamaican population at-large, while the Investment Loan will have approximately 800,000 potential direct beneficiaries who reside in the catchment areas of the health services networks that will receive investments.

The Investment Programme being implemented by the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MOHW) has two (2) major components and an allocation to support programme administration and evaluation.

Component 1 – Organization and consolidation of integrated health services networks

This component is financing the purchase of medical equipment and the improvement of infrastructure for primary health care services in the catchment areas of three priority hospitals to increase their capacity in health promotion and disease prevention, especially regarding chronic, non-communicable diseases. The investments focus on strengthening the diagnostic and screening capability as well as the clinical and resolutive capacity of health clinics. This Component is further financing the upgrading and or expansion of three (3) hospitals selected on criteria relating to strategic role in the national hospital network, supply-demand gap analyses, and physical needs assessment. The hospitals will benefit from infrastructure upgrading and or expansion as well as modernization. Hospitals: are 1) Spanish Town Hospital, 2) St. Ann’s Bay Hospital and3) May Pen Hospital

Sub-Component 1.1 – Strengthening Primary Care

1.1 The purpose of this subcomponent is to increase the physical capacity for service provision at the primary care level in three (3) priority geographical areas. Approximately ten (10) health centres have been identified to receive investments in medical equipment and infrastructure refurbishment and expansion. Health Centres are (1) St Jago Park, (2) Old Harbour, (3) Greater Portmore, (4) St. Ann’s Bay, (5) Ocho Rios, (6) Brown’s Town, (7) Chapelton, (8) May Pen East, (9) May Pen West, (10) Mocho.

The subcomponent finances: (i) the preparation of building designs for the construction of new infrastructure on the sites of existing facilities (three centres), expansion of existing structures (four centres), and refurbishing (three centres); (ii) the physical works required for infrastructure improvement; (iii) the purchase of medical equipment including essential diagnostic and treatment items for NCDs, such as sphygmomanometers, electrocardiogram machines, pulse oximeters, defibrillators, computerized chemistry machines, etc.); (iv) engineering services for construction supervision; and (v) corrective and preventive maintenance of medical equipment

Sub-Component 1.2 – Increasing the Capacity and Efficiency of Hospital Services

This subcomponent addresses urgent needs to enhance patient safety and services in three (3) hospitals whose catchment areas contain the health centres identified in subcomponent 1.1. Financing from this subcomponent has been allocated to:

The building and engineering designs for the infrastructure improvement and expansion.
The construction in three hospitals according to contracted plans and designs.
The purchase of medical equipment to raise clinical capacity to partially account for existing demand.
The purchase of imaging equipment, including computerized tomography machines.
Purchase of industrial style laundry machines.
Construction supervision services; and
The design and implementation of a corrective and preventive equipment maintenance programme.

Component 2 – Improvement of Management, Quality and Efficiency of Health Services

This component provides technical assistance to design and implement the Chronic Care Model (CCM) in the participating health services networks; to review and develop care pathways and protocols; and to prepare change management, continuous quality improvement and social media marketing for behaviour change strategies. It will also finance the implementation of the fourth Jamaica Health and Lifestyle Survey. This component is further supporting:

The creation of a strong foundation for a digital health ecosystem, including the adoption of standards for interoperability, system architecture, updated governance structure, and other key elements.
The design and implementation of a sustainable electronic health record (EHR) platform Focusing on digitalization of key processes within the improved CCM.
The strengthening of telehealth/telemedicine/telementoring capacity to include chronic care management, and the establishment of norms and processes for its institutionalization.
The strengthening of telehealth/telemedicine capacity through the expansion of the echo model, the inclusion of chronic care in the platform, and the establishment of norms and processes for its institutionalization.

Following a 2019 mission to Jamaica the GoJ requested, and the Bank approved a non-reimbursable investment operation (“Investment Grant operation”, “IGR”) to complement the Programme to be granted by the European Union Caribbean Investment Facility (EU – CIF). In November 2020, the European Union (EU) and the Bank executed a Contribution Agreement under which the EU agreed to contribute an additional amount to the GoJ for the co-financing and execution of the investment loan component of HSSP.

The EU Contribution Agreement modifies HSSP to incorporate complementary financing provided by the European Union. As a result of the additional financing from the EU, the investment loan has been modified to reallocate resources originally assigned for the upgrading of ten health centres, which will now be financed by the EU-CIF, to increase the funds available for infrastructure improvement and medical equipment renewal at three hospitals.

The general objective of the complementary funding (JA – G1005) is to contribute to the improvement of the health of Jamaica’s population, while the specific goals are to (i) improve the quality of primary care provided through health centres in the catchment areas of the hospitals selected for IDB investments, and (ii) increase patient adherence to NCD management protocols.

Programme Administration and Evaluation

The implementation of HSSP is supported by a Project Executing Unit (PEU). The overall responsibility of the PEU is to support the Executing Agency/MoHW in the management, administration, and implementation of the investment loan/contribution.

This allocation supports the MOHW in terms of strengthening its institutional capacity for project implementation. It finances, inter alia, the Consultancy Firms contracted by the PEU, specialized technical services, independent auditing, as well as surveys and studies regarding the implementation of the programme and evaluation of its impact. The PEU is structured to provide additional capability in the areas of project management, procurement, financial management, infrastructure upgrading, medical equipment specification, and health information technology. Technical and fiduciary staff from the MOHW will work closely with the PEU specialists so that the MOHW benefits from knowledge transfer and capacity strengthening.

What you’ll do: The Clinical Informatics Officer is responsible for assisting in the management of the project life cycle in support of key internal and external customers/stakeholders during the implementation of the EHR and other digital health initiatives. The Clinical Informatics Officer participates in complex decision making; developing implementation strategies, definition, scope, and software analysis; and, assisting in the maintenance of project plans, budget, and timelines that will enable the Ministry of Health and Wellness’s vision for IS4H in Jamaica. The Clinical Informatics Officer is also responsible for data quality for the EHR, through application of appropriate data standards using OpenEHR Clinical Modelling and the application of terminologies, in particular SNOMED CT, in the relevant value sets.

The Clinical Informatics Officer reports directly to the Electronic Health Record (EHR) Lead and focuses on the Clinical aspects of the EHR and the data.

This role is expected to be fulfilled over a period of twelve (12) months commencing in October 2023.

Key responsibilities:

Participate in the identification, prioritisation and documentation of the ongoing functionality and usability requirements for the clinical aspects of the EHR.
Participate in testing of the EHR including new versions and bug fixes.
Coordinate any related fixes and modifications with the involvement of relevant stakeholders.
Assist the team in identifying and acting on risks and issues in line with policy, ensuring that such items are documented, communicated and escalated appropriately.
Attend project team and stakeholder meetings and provide timely feedback as required.
Manage the review of paper forms created as templates within the SystmOne EHR for clinical services in primary and secondary care with emphasis on standardising key data elements which contribute to clinical summary documents.
Collaborate with MOHW Health Information Management Director and team to ensure SystmOne capture of the data elements required to produce indicators required for JAHRVIS.
Collaborate with the Platform Interoperability Specialist to complete Master Patient Index (MPI)(to include patient and provider self registration) and facilitate integration with SystmOne
Manage the NCDs and Chronic Care Pathway modelling of the patient journey and clinical content development in collaboration with stakeholders.
Establish and manage the core team including domain experts and health information management administrators according to the programmes and services being targeted for clinical modelling.
Manage the design of the OpenEHR Templates for clinical summary documents including inpatients, emergency room encounters, primary care encounters.
Collaborate with the consultant the MOHW engages for the Digital Health Architecture development especially regarding the business and information architecture components.
Maintain the online tools and resources for editing, building and storage of digital health resources including archetypes and templates.
Lead the development of term sets and templates design and link the associated value sets using agreed standard terminologies/coding systems;
Research and advise on alternate options for online Library of Archetypes and Templates with related governance tools.
Participate in additional capacity building through collaboration with experts to improve competence in clinical modelling, SNOMED CT, LOINC and other terminologies, data governance, standard & quality assessment.
Perform any other related duties as assigned from time to time.

Deliverables:

Product 1: Detailed Work plan
Product 2: Monthly Progress Reports – monthly progress reports to the Electronic Health Record Lead outlining the work done with respect to the above mentioned goals and responsibilities.
Product 3: Final Report – Final report on all of the activities carried out during the contract’s period including all relevant documentation.
Other products – Other deliverables to be defined on a semi-annual basis in consultation with and under the direction of the Electronic Health Record Lead

Education: A Bachelor’s degree in Medicine or a healthcare discipline or a related field;

Experience: Minimum of five (5) years working in administrative or technical aspects of the healthcare sector; experience in manipulating health or other industry data sets; administrative or management role; designing or implementing components of ehealth systems would be an asset;

Languages: Advanced writing, communication and presentation skills in English;

Core and Technical Competencies:

Prior experience and training in Digital Health Standards is an asset; knowledge of health information systems and digital health standards and terminologies; Good leadership skills; Good problem solving skills; teaching/training skills; strong goal orientation, time management, ability to work as a team leader and member;
Excellent interpersonal skills.
Proficient in written and verbal communication with excellent technical writing skills.

Opportunity Summary:

Length of contract: 12 months (with a possible extension of up to 24 months pending satisfactory performance) with full time level of effort.
Starting date: October 2023
Location: Jamaica
Responsible person: Electronic Health Record (EHR) Lead

ANNEX B

Consultant’s Reporting Obligations

NO	Deliverable	Scheduled for delivery	Programme Coordinator sign off.	% of Total Contract Value	Payment (J$)
1	Workplan	Month 1 of the Contract Duration	Yes	8.33
2	Monthly progress report	Month 2 of the Contract Duration	Yes	8.33
3	Monthly progress report	Month 3 of the Contract Duration	Yes	8.33
4	Monthly progress report	Month 4 of the Contract Duration	Yes	8.33
5	Monthly progress report	Month 5 of the Contract Duration	Yes	8.33
6	Monthly progress report	Month 6 of the Contract Duration	Yes	8.33
7	Monthly progress report	Month 7 of the Contract Duration	Yes	8.33
8	Monthly progress report	Month 8 of the Contract Duration	Yes	8.33
9	Monthly progress report	Month 9 of the Contract Duration	Yes	8.33
10	Monthly progress report	Month 10 of the Contract Duration	Yes	8.33
11	Monthly progress report	Month 11 of the Contract Duration	Yes	8.33
12	Final Report	Month 12 of the Contract Duration	Yes	8.33
			TOTAL