[[050 - Implementation Science Index]] | [[Blog - What is Implementation Science]] Title: NT + OO = COO: My Takeaway from HIMSS 2024 24 Oct 2024 I attended the HIMSS APAC 2024 conference in October 2024, with a keen interest in how digital transformation is shaping healthcare delivery. As the global demand for healthcare services grows, so does the demand for healthcare staff. With an aging population, healthcare providers are looking for ways to optimize care delivery to meet these increasing needs. Naturally, there was a lot of talk about digital transformation—AI being a major focus. Everywhere you looked, AI was presented as the future of healthcare. But as a mental healthcare case manager, I was there with a different lens. I wasn’t just looking for the latest tech trends—I wanted to learn how others were successfully bringing their innovative solutions to real-world applications. I was eager to hear about the challenges they faced and how they overcame them. One moment that really stood out to me was a quote shared by Harold (Hal) Wolf, Chief Executive Officer of HIMSS: “NT + OO = COO” — New Technology + Old Organisation = Costly Old Organisation.” It struck me hard. Simply adding new technology to an existing organizational structure, without changing the processes, can lead to inefficiency and high costs. It made me realize that I, too, might have been trying to “slap on” new tools to old processes in my own work—trying to avoid disrupting the “business as usual.” But, as I learned, doing that only adds complexity and costs without really solving the underlying problems. After the conference, I started reflecting on whether my project team had been thinking enough about process redesign. I began digging deeper into this concept and, through my reading, discovered the entire field of Implementation Science! Now, I’m on a journey to learn as much as I can about how to implement new services effectively—not just by adding tools but by designing processes that encourage adoption and truly improve care delivery. I believe mental healthcare delivery can’t stay stagnant—it needs to evolve. We can’t keep doing the same-old-same-old.