Blog

Are you looking for Diagrams or Models of your Clinical Guidelines?

Read Time: 3 Minutes

Some people checking out process modelling ask the same questions over and over again. “Why can’t I use Visio instead?” “Why do I need to spend more money on software?” These are valid questions – no one wants to spend money these days on something unnecessarily. However, before reaching a decision, you should understand the implications of your choice.

Confusion arises because process modeling software such as the Trisotech Digital Enterprise Suite (DES) and drawing programs such as Visio share similar BPMN shapes. The images in drawing programs are simple and two dimensional. In process modeling each BPMN icon is the tip of an iceberg, overlying a complex infrastructure that allows for a low-code programming environment. So, while they look to be the same, they are as different as night and day.

Two Main Reasons to Model

There are 2 main reasons why people look at process modeling for capturing clinical guidelines. One is to document and describe, to better understand, or to communicate details about a guideline. This reason is referred to as “notional” modeling. The second reason is to automate the guideline.

Notional Models

Simple drawing programs work just fine for simple problems. However, what works well on a simple problem may fail with a more complex one. Implementing a clinical guideline may require orchestration of over 50 separate models and over 250 data inputs. This is a level of complexity that can be challenging to represent, and simple Visio models may not be able to carry this load.

Why does an organization spend extra money to buy process modelling software?

There are several reasons why an organization gets process modeling software. This is a goal-oriented decision to achieve a return on the investment.

First, the organization has complex guideline processes that may have failed previous attempts at quick-and-dirty solutions. Something that looks good on paper may be incomplete when put into practice – the devil is in the details. It is common when drawing an initial guideline process to underestimate the required complexity. This may even pass review by several individuals. When building a guideline process model, it is easier to be sure that the process is complete because you can recognize gaps while building.

Second, the organization needs to make sure that the models are correct. When using a drawing program anything pretty much goes, which can lead to failure. Just because you can draw something does not always mean that it will work. For example, this diagram has multiple BPMN errors that would prevent execution.

Modelling software offers a more formal representation of the process, with rules of how each shape interacts with others. The availability of validation tools can alert the modeler that violations have occurred and where they are located.

Third, process model software like Trisotech DES include an animator, which allows you to directly interact with the model by stepping through the model to observe its behavior under different circumstances. Developers can show this to end-users to confirm performance before it is accepted. Hidden problems with a process can be identified and resolved before going into production.

Finally, the organization eventually wants to automate all or parts of a guideline process. With the Trisotech modeling software the notional model is the foundation for automating the content. If validation and animation steps have been used properly, then you can feel comfortable that the final model will execute as expected.

Making the Choice

If you have something simple, are unsure about your goals, or have cost constraints, then Visio can work to some degree and Trisotech offers some free Visio templates. However, if you have a project that is complex, critical or challenging, then process modeling may be the better choice. You can request a demo and see why Trisotech is the leading low-code/no-code platform for healthcare.