3. Ensure a 'sustainable pace'
The pace at which developers work and develop should be maintained indefinitely by everyone. This means, for example, no overtime, unless people want it themselves. In this respect, the term 'sprinting', which we use for the short cycles in which parts of the final product are delivered, is perhaps not so cleverly chosen. It is more like a marathon, in which everyone is allowed to run every kilometer at the same speed.
4. Provide face-to-face conversations
Nowadays, you can do everything in the cloud. Consultations can be done perfectly well via a video call, because then you can see each other, right? That is true in a sense, but it is still not the most human way. Being together in one room, being able to look each other in the eye: that remains the richest way of communicating. That is why it is important that the IT team and the client see each other regularly.
For example, if we work in two-week sprints, we see the client at least once every two weeks for an hour and a half. This way, there are far fewer misunderstandings and both parties understand each other much better. The product owner and the IT team generally even meet daily.
Of course, that all sounds great, that theory. But how do you make sure that it works in practice? For that, I have listed a number of good practices from my own experience.
1. Ensure you have a product owner who understands the healthcare and IT worlds
The product owner is the most important person in a scrum process, his role is essential for success. After all, he bridges the gap between the client in healthcare and the IT agency. He is the one who directs the end product on content: he determines what the final product will look like and how it will develop further in the future. If this hospital email database person makes the wrong decisions, you get a product that does not meet the wishes of the end users and other stakeholders.
That is why it is important to think carefully about who the most suitable product owner is. He or she must be able to bridge the gap between care and ICT and therefore 'speak both languages'. Usually someone from the care organisation is chosen for this role. That can work very well, provided that this person is good at prioritising (not wanting everything at once), dares to say no and can deal well with internal pressure. Sometimes it is easier to look outside your own organisation. Think of a freelancer who specialises in this role and also has knowledge of the sector. It can also be someone from the IT organisation with whom you are going to collaborate.
2. Make sure everyone understands the jargon well
In healthcare, you have to deal with a lot of jargon. Sometimes there are terms that mean something completely different in healthcare than in the world of IT. You really have to be alert to that. For example, the IT team has to know what you mean by 'KNOV'. Most people know what KNO is, but KNOV is not the association for ENT doctors. The term 'LVG' even has three different meanings , depending on the context within healthcare.