Identifying Builders

Characteristics

Builders are typically health care providers who enjoy being involved with CIS projects. They seek positive personal and organizational change from CIS use and can rally their peers to positive attitudes. Ideally, they are drawn from diverse clinical areas and are interested in a wide range of CIS functions. Builders can be identified and groomed during CIS design, build and adoption phases, re-apply their skills to their own and other areas during rollouts, and be ready for optimization post-launch. 

Builder Subtypes

Epic offers separate training pathways for “Physician Builders” and “Clinical Content Builders”. The “Physician Builder” courses focus on the needs of physicians and other practitioners who independently care for patients. The “Content Builder” courses focus on the needs of those who work closely with independent practitioners, or support their clinical activities, but may be more involved with clinical support activities. The content builder pathway offers growth opportunities for non-prescriber CIS superusers.

The Connect Care initiative envisions a builder community that accommodates both prescriber and non-prescriber needs, while encouraging close collaboration among all builders, developers, analysts, application coordinators and operational and technical experts. Both physician and content builders are encompassed in the Connect Care Builder role defined here. Larger clinical areas may want to promote both types of builder roles. In keeping with Epic’s offerings, non-physician Builders are directed to “Clinical Content Builder” courses while prescriber Builders are directed to “Physician Builder” courses.

Prerequisites

Successful builder applicants will have all of the following attributes:

• Have been and remain active in clinical or clinical support roles;

• Be in good standing with their respective colleges;

• Enjoy involvement in both clinical informatics and clinical improvement initiatives;

• Demonstrate capacity for positive working relationships with peers and IT teams; 

• Protect, and have organizational protection for, at least a day a week of their job profile committed to Builder work; and

• Willing to participate in Connect Care user groups, governance committees, working groups and a builder community of practice.

Application Process

Prospective Builders must complete an application form, including a personal statement describing how the PB role fits with the individual’s career plan and job profile. 

Prospective Builders can get started by emailing: ConnectCare.BuilderProgram@ahs.ca 

Clinical Area Endorsement

• A letter of support must be obtained from a clinical director (or equivalent operational clinical leadership), co-signed by a clinical department, section, program or equivalent director (sponsor) to whom the applicant is clinically accountable.

• The clinical sponsor will commit to protect an appropriate amount of time for the Builder to continue builder activities, and will ensure support for meaningful integration of CIS activities with clinical improvement accountabilities.

Clinical Informatics Endorsement

• Final approval for all prescriber builder roles must be granted by an AHS CMIO, ACMIO or CMIO director designate. 

• The CMIO portfolio will commit to support prescriber builder development, and must relay approval and sponsorship to Epic in the form of a “Physician Builder Access Agreement”; required prior to Builder registration for any builder course.