Create a 5-7 page report that will help the Director of Quality Management at Vila Health to understand the current trend of patient satisfaction numbers, and propose potential solutions to any problems.
Demonstrating the organization’s ability to be respectful of and responsive to the needs of their consumers will in turn improve upon the quality and safety of the care being delivered, decrease costs, and increase provider satisfaction. Organizations that seek to remain relevant in the industry, improve business operations, continue to capture market share, and continue quality improvement efforts, should always be focused on establishing patient safety as an improvement priority. Patient safety should never fall off the improvement radar, as organizations can quickly suffer from the implications of declined satisfaction if they are not monitoring the needs of their consumers. Organizations that fail to prioritize patient satisfaction run the risk of losing business and reimbursements. Given that reimbursements are tied to patient satisfaction, quality, and outcomes, any organization wishing to remain relevant in the industry would make patient satisfaction a priority within their strategy.
The quality improvement team is a diverse group of individuals who are tasked with carrying out improvement efforts. The team should include individuals who will be impacted by the improvement efforts being worked on. With this in mind, several teams may exist and be working on a variety of improvement efforts simultaneously within the organization. Each team is responsible for addressing the improvement initiative and tracking its progress toward achieving the anticipated improvement.
Common tools utilized by the team include lean methodology, six sigma, DMAIC, value stream mapping, and fishbone diagrams. The fishbone diagram (also known as the cause-and-effect diagram) is a visual tool utilized to highlight potential causes of a problem, including delays in care, in order to determine the root causes (Kros & Brown, 2013). Lean methodology focuses on making rapid improvements toward the goals of delivering value, eliminating waste, establishing flow, and pursuing perfection. Reducing unnecessary and wasteful steps is key in creating a dramatic improvement in flow in the value stream resulting in improved efficiency and speed—the main goal of the methodology. DMAIC (define, measure, analyze, improve, and control) is a five-step process utilized in the six sigma method, which is focused on eliminating defects and waste, resulting in improved quality and efficiency (Kros & Brown, 2013). The data-driven strategy requires use of all five steps in order to ensure the best possible results.
Reference
Kros, J. F., & Brown, E. C. (2013). Health care operations and supply chain management: Operations, planning, and control. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Demonstration of Proficiency
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the course competencies through the following assessment scoring guide criteria:
- Competency 1: Describe when and how the senior leader would directly impact health care operations.
- Describe why leaders should select declining patient satisfaction as a performance improvement initiative.
- Competency 2: Analyze the impact of the various success factors of a health care organization.
- Explain why patient satisfaction is an essential component of health care business.
- Competency 3: Analyze the concept of competitive strength by considering efficiency and effectiveness of organizational processes.
- Complete a fishbone diagram of the situation presented in this assessment.
- Describe the purpose of a performance improvement team.
- Competency 4: Apply management concepts to lead an efficient health care system.
- Describe lean methodology.
- Explain the DMAIC model for a data-driven improvement cycle.
- Competency 5: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and respectful of the diversity, dignity, and integrity of others and is consistent with health care professionals.
- Write following APA style for in-text citations, quotes, and references.
- Write clearly and logically, with correct use of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and mechanics.
Preparation
This assessment is based on the Vila Health: Patient Flow media simulation, which is linked in the Vila Health: Patient Flow section of Assessment 2. Go to that section to complete the scenario at this time. The scenario presented in this media piece will provide you with the baseline information and context to create a report that addresses utilizing process improvement techniques and strategies to improve upon patient flow within and out of Independence Medical Center.
In addition to the information presented on fishbone diagrams and quality improvement strategies within the simulation, you may also want to conduct more in-depth research before create your report. You are encouraged to research topics on patient flow, DMAIC, patient satisfaction, and performance improvement teams.
Instructions
Based on the media simulation you completed, the Director of Quality Management has asked you, in your position in the quality assurance department, to create a report on the declining patient satisfaction at Independence Medical Center. In addition to your findings, you have been asked to present potential solutions and rationale for why these solutions are potentially relevant and valuable to pursue at IMC.
Include the following in your report:
- Explain why patient satisfaction is an essential component of a health care business.
- Identify a competitive advantage of the organization depicted in Vila Health: Patient Flow.
- Explain the organization’s strategic initiatives.
- Explain why patient satisfaction is a strategy for this organization.
- Describe why leaders should select declining patient satisfaction as a performance improvement initiative.
- Describe potential reasons for patient satisfaction decline.
- Define a performance improvement initiative.
- Complete a fishbone diagram of the situation presented in the Vila Health: Patient Flow media piece.
- Discuss the process to identify the top categories of an issue.
- Describe how to organize the subtopics when producing a fishbone diagram.
- Describe the purpose of a performance improvement team.
- Identify the positions or roles that are necessary to form a performance improvement team.
- Describe the stakeholders that should be represented in a performance improvement team.
- Describe lean methodology.
- Define lean methodology.
- Determine what kinds of projects benefit from the use of lean methodology.
- Explain the define, measure, analyze, improve, and control (DMAIC) model for a data-driven improvement cycle.
- Define the problem or scope that is depicted in Vila Health: Patient Flow.
- Discuss what data you have to collect respective to the identified problem.
- Define the root causes of the problem.
- Determine the possible recommendations the team would offer.
- Define possible recommendations and what would affect them.
Write clearly and logically, with correct use of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and mechanics.
- Apply the principles of effective composition.
- Determine the proper application of the rules of grammar and mechanics.
Write following APA style for in-text citations, quotes, and references.
- Determine the proper application of APA formatting requirements and scholarly writing standards.
- Assess the relevance and credibility of information sources.
Additional Requirements
- Written communication: Writing is clear, precise, scholarly, and free of errors that detract from the overall message. Concepts flow in a logical order.
- References: A minimum of three scholarly references.
- Length: 5–7 pages.
- APA: Correct use of APA style and formatting. Refer to the APA resources in the NHS Learner Success Lab (located in the courseroom navigation menu) if you have questions about APA style or formatting.
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction
The objective of this report is to provide recommendations to the Director of Quality Management at Vila Health on how to improve patient satisfaction numbers at Independence Medical Center. The report explains why patient satisfaction is essential to a healthcare business, identifies the competitive advantage of the organization depicted in Vila Health: Patient Flow, explains the organization’s strategic initiatives and why patient satisfaction is a strategy for this organization, and describes potential reasons for patient satisfaction decline. Additionally, the report defines a performance improvement initiative, includes a fishbone diagram of the situation presented, details the process to identify the top categories of an issue, explains how to organize subtopics when producing a fishbone diagram, and describes the purpose of a performance improvement team. Lastly, the report defines lean methodology, the DMAIC model for a data-driven improvement cycle, discusses the problem scope depicted in Vila Health: Patient Flow, identifies data that should be collected, defines root causes of the problem, and provides possible recommendations the team would offer.
1. Explain why patient satisfaction is an essential component of a healthcare business.
Patient satisfaction is an essential component of a healthcare business because it directly affects the bottom line. Patients who are satisfied with the care they received are more likely to return to the healthcare provider in the future, promoting customer loyalty, and increasing revenue. Patient satisfaction also spreads by word of mouth and through online reviews, which have a significant impact on a healthcare organization’s reputation. Negative feedback can discourage potential patients from seeking care at the facility and reduce the number of patients that select that organization. Additionally, positive patient satisfaction ratings are critical in securing reimbursements from insurance providers, which are now increasingly tied to quality, outcomes, and patient satisfaction metrics.
2. Identify a competitive advantage of the organization depicted in Vila Health: Patient Flow.
Independence Medical Center’s competitive advantage is providing comprehensive, patient-centered, high-quality care to patients while utilizing cost-effective strategies that prevent jarring and sudden changes to the system. One such strategy is the patient flow exercise designed to optimize patient traffic throughout the hospital. The exercise takes into consideration all aspects of the patient journey, from pre-admission to post-discharge, and seeks to identify and eliminate bottlenecks in the system that can compromise patient experience, satisfaction, and outcomes. The hospital’s focus on patient care and streamlining operations, as demonstrated in the patient flow exercise, is a competitive strength that positions this organization to continue capturing market share in the healthcare industry.
3. Explain the organization’s strategic initiatives.
Independence Medical Center’s strategic initiatives are focused on providing high-quality, patient-centered care while controlling costs associated with delivering care. The organization seeks to increase revenue while minimizing expenses through the implementation of lean methodology, reducing waste, and achieving an uninterrupted patient flow. Additionally, the organization utilizes performance improvement teams to assess and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of organizational processes continually. Lastly, the hospital works with staff and stakeholders to identify and address the underlying issues and factors that compromise patient satisfaction, outcomes, and safety.
4. Explain why patient satisfaction is a strategy for this organization.
Patient satisfaction is a strategy for Independence Medical Center because the organization understands the link between consumer satisfaction and the bottom line. The successful development and implementation of strategies to improve patient satisfaction have the potential to increase revenue and reduce costs. This is because satisfied patients are likely to return to the healthcare provider for their future healthcare needs and encourage their friends and family to do the same while negative patient experiences and low satisfaction ratings decrease the organization’s financial stability. By prioritizing patient satisfaction measures and implementing improvement initiatives, Independence Medical Center can increase patient retention, referrals, and ultimately improve revenue streams.
5. Describe why leaders should select declining patient satisfaction as a performance improvement initiative.
Leaders should select declining patient satisfaction as a performance improvement initiative because patient satisfaction is critical in the delivery of high-quality care. Declining patient satisfaction can be an indication of suboptimal performance in different areas of the organization, including care delivery, communication, and patient experience. Addressing these factors can lead to optimal patient outcomes, improved communication, enhanced teamwork and staff morale, and improved bottom lines. Additionally, improving upon patient satisfaction and engagement metrics contributes significantly to improved reimbursements, which are increasingly tied to quality measures. Finally, declining patient satisfaction ratings can lead to a reduction in competitive advantage, which can compromise the organization’s ability to attract patients and retain staff.
6. Describe potential reasons for patient satisfaction decline.
Several factors can lead to declining patient satisfaction in healthcare organizations, including long wait times, poor communication, understaffing/overworking, medication errors, diagnostic issues, inadequate training and education of staff, and equipment issues. Other factors that impact patient satisfaction include expectations placed upon patients, cultural factors, the degree of pain experienced, bedside manner of care providers, and cleanliness of the facilities. Through patient surveys, questionnaire results, and other feedback mechanisms, Independence Medical Center can identify the primary drivers of patient dissatisfaction and tailor solutions to improve upon these drivers.
7. Define a performance improvement initiative.
A performance improvement initiative is an ongoing process designed to continuously improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of operations in healthcare organizations. This process involves identifying areas that require improvement and then implementing evidence-based interventions to address specific issues and create a culture of continuous quality improvement. Improving patient satisfaction, reducing healthcare costs, and improving patient outcomes are some of the critical components of a performance improvement initiative.
8. Complete a fishbone diagram of the situation presented in the Vila Health: Patient Flow media piece.
(See attached fishbone diagram)
9. Discuss the process to identify the top categories of an issue.
The process of identifying the top categories of an issue involves assessing the relationships between different factors contributing to a problem. This assessment is achieved by categorizing the causes of the issue into primary and secondary levels. The primary categories are broad, with multiple causes, and are used to define and guide the problem-solving process. Simultaneously, subcategories help to further classify causes within each primary category. The subcategories provide a more detailed and focused view of the issue-specific components that contribute to the primary category. The process of identifying the main categories of an issue involves creating a fishbone diagram and structuring the different subcategories and causes.
10. Describe how to organize the subtopics when producing a fishbone diagram.
When creating a fishbone diagram, it is essential to structure the subtopics based on their relevance and similarity. Subtopics should be related to the primary factors identified and clustered together. Typically, subtopics are organized by category, and the branches of a fishbone diagram represent the causal relationships between the subtopics and primary factors. This approach helps to ensure that all causes and contributing factors are properly organized and structured for efficient problem-solving.
11. Describe the purpose of a performance improvement team.
The purpose of a performance improvement team is to identify areas of improvement within an organization, develop strategies to address the areas of improvement, and implement evidence-based interventions to address specific problems. The team consists of individuals from across the organization with varying perspectives and skill sets, allowing for a holistic and evidence-based approach to improving organizational processes. Performance improvement teams are essential in addressing areas that lead to declining patient satisfaction, reduced revenues, or compromised patient outcomes.
12. Identify the positions or roles that are necessary to form a performance improvement team.
The positions necessary to form a performance improvement team include representatives from different departments within the organization, such as management teams, physicians, nursing staff, patient relations specialists, data analysts, and other healthcare professionals. The entire team should report back to either a senior leader of the organization or another departmental leader responsible for monitoring and administering performance improvement initiatives.
13. Describe the stakeholders that should be represented in a performance improvement team.
Stakeholders that should be represented in a performance improvement team include physicians, nursing staff, administrative staff, patients, ancillary staff, members of the quality improvement department, and other healthcare professionals. Leaders of the hospital should also be represented in team to provide support and facilitate the implementation of evidence-based interventions.
14. Describe lean methodology.
Lean methodology is a data-driven strategy focused on delivering high-quality value while eliminating unnecessary waste in healthcare operations. The key elements of the strategy include delivering value, creating flow, establishing efficient processes, and pursuing processes that prioritize perfection. Lean methodology involves identifying and eliminating “waste” within healthcare operations, including wasting time, resources, energy, and unnecessary steps. The strategy aims to create an efficient and streamlined environment to enhance value, improve patient outcomes, and generate cost savings.
15. Define lean methodology.
Lean methodology is a data-driven strategy focused on delivering high-quality value while eliminating unnecessary waste in healthcare operations. The key elements of the strategy include delivering value, creating flow, establishing efficient processes, and pursuing processes that prioritize perfection.
16. Determine what kinds of projects benefit from the use of lean methodology.
Projects that generate benefits with the use of lean methodology include projects that improve patient safety, optimize patient flow, reduce waste, increase efficiency, improve supply chain management, and improve key performance indicators (KPIs) such as patient satisfaction. Lean methodology also benefits projects focused on reducing costs and improving organizational performance by emphasizing efficient operations processes and waste elimination.
17. Explain the DMAIC model for a data-driven improvement cycle.
The DMAIC model is a data-driven improvement cycle used in the Six Sigma methodology focused on eliminating waste and defects in a process. DMAIC is an acronym that stands for Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control. DMAIC provides a step-by-step guide that allows organizations to identify the cause of defects in a process, reduce its variability, and optimize the process to ensure continuous improvement through data-driven decision making.
18. Discuss what data should be collected respective to the identified problem.
To improve patient satisfaction in Independence Medical Center, some essential data to collect includes the length of time patients have to wait before being attended to, understanding the frequency of incidents where patients’ questions go unanswered, and examining the hospital’s ability to manage patient pain levels. Other critical data to collected include the frequency of medication, diagnostic, and equipment errors, as well as the level of cleanliness in the facilities and assesses ease of use of hospital systems by patients. Gathered data should be collected over significant periods to establish patterns and trends, accurately and evidence-based solutions should be recommended.
19. Define the root causes of the problem.
The root causes of the problem at the Independence Medical Center are the numerous bottlenecks in processes that lead to long discharge times leading to increased waiting times for other patients. Long wait times occur at the ED, Imaging Lab, and waiting times at the pharmacy. Poor communication between staff and patients has also been identified as contributing to the problem of patient flow in the facility.
20. Determine the possible recommendations the team would offer.
The team would be required to provide recommendations to remedy the situation at the Independence Medical Center. These recommendations include reducing staffing shortages and workloads for overworked staff. Workers would also need to discuss how to improve efficiency by adopting lean methodology strategies to eliminate unnecessary waste and creating flow throughout the hospital. Additionally, implementation of new systems such as electronic bed tracking and pharmacy planning can help improve situation tremendously. Lastly, retraining of staff in terms of communication and interaction with patients to improve overall satisfaction levels significantly.
Conclusion
In conclusion, healthcare facilities such as Independence Medical Center should invest in patient satisfaction as part of a robust performance improvement initiative. This investment can lead to increased patient retention, referrals, revenue streams, and help secure insurance reimbursements. Developing strategies such as lean methodology, DMAIC models, and performance improvement teams helps to efficiently identify and address areas of declining patient satisfaction and improving organizational processes while reducing wastage of necessary resources and efforts. This report has identified the root causes of patient satisfaction limitations at Independence Medical Center by completing a fishbone diagram and providing realistic solutions for trend reversal.
