This blog post is a writing assignment for HIMT 2200: Performance Improvement, part of the Health Information Management Technology (HI13) Associate of Applied Science Degree program at Georgia Northwestern Technical College.
Continuous improvement occurs when a manager notices a situation or process that needs correction or improvement and takes the initiative to fix it. The manager exhibits the principle of continuous improvement through her everyday actions (Spath, 2017, p. 11-12). The new administrator took a more patient-centered approach and began observing surgery operations from the patients’ point of view. She noticed many things, including patients waiting long periods for transport to come to pick up patients for surgery, patients spending all day in open gowns with no undergarments, and family needing exact change for snacks while waiting. Each process noticed was later modified to improve the patient experience. All well and able patients walked themselves to surgery instead of waiting on transport which decreased waiting times. The hospital began allowing patients to wear undergarments under gowns to feel more comfortable and preserve their dignity as they waited. The hospital also started providing free drinks and snacks in waiting rooms, so the family did not need to search for exact change (Spath, 2017, p. 139-41). The need for exact change might be more difficult for management to notice because it is small and less noticeable. However, such a change like providing free snacks makes a significant difference to the patient and family’s point of view and improves their experience. Each change the administrator made led to continuous improvement.
Management demonstrated teamwork and collaboration throughout all the changes made at the hospital. The administrator did not make decisions alone. She communicated with, collaborated with, and consulted others for their knowledge and expertise. For example, the administrator brought the idea regarding patients walking to surgery to the attention of the risk management department and improvement committee, and they collaborated to make the final decision (Spath, 2017, p. 140). The idea for patients to wear their undergarments underneath their gowns was the nurses’ idea. Administrators were shocked but listened to the nurses and then decided to make the change (Spath, 2017, p. 140-41).
As a result of the teamwork and changes, the clinical service and the patients’ experience dramatically improved. Patients felt better going into and exiting surgery. Patients walking themselves to surgery saved time because they did not wait on transportation which freed time for other patients and sped up the whole process. The patients were less bored and more engaged while going into surgery which occupied their minds from worry. Allowing the patients to wear undergarments under their gowns preserved their sense of privacy and made them feel more comfortable throughout the whole process. Providing drinks and snacks for the patients’ families helped them be more comfortable and feel less stressed if they did not have correct change while waiting on their loved ones in surgery. Overall, recovery times decreased, outpatient surgery volume increased dramatically, and patient survey results were positive (Spath, 2017, p. 140-41).
References
Spath, P. L., & Kelly, D. L. (2017). Applying Quality Management in Healthcare: A Systems Approach. (4th ed.). Chicago, IL: Health Administration Press.
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