Organizational Structure and Communication

Organizational Structure and Communication

The University of Akron: Organizational and User Needs

The Request for Proposal (RFP) by the University of Akron to invest in an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) has clearly stated the organization’s and users’ need for the system. As per the proposal from the university, it wants to implement the EMR throughout the university’s business units that utilize the EMR system according to the unique purposes of each unit. The needs for the systems are identified clearly in the functions of the units at the University of Akron: Health Services, Nursing Center for Community Health, and Speech, Language Pathology, and Audiology. Each business unit offers unique services, serves a unique client base, and operates in a different capacity.

According to the RFP, the Health Services units assist students in meeting their academic and personal goals by addressing their health concerns. The nursing Center for Community Health offers services to the underserved and vulnerable populations in the local community, including clinical education services and ambulatory care. The Speech, Language Pathology, and Audiology unit provide diagnostic and treatment services to persons with language, speech, and/or hearing problems. Therefore, as outlined in the RFP, The University of Akron seeks to adopt the EMR to support its various services offered across the units as it aims to become a certified Medicaid and Medicare provider by June 2014. The implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act made it mandatory for all health care providers, whether in public or private health care, to adopt electronic medical records (EMR) by the end of January 1, 2014. All healthcare providers were required to utilize the EMRs in a way that helps them improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of healthcare service deliveries while reducing disparities in health (Aguirre et al., 2019). These outcomes help organizations achieve meaningful use and are the basic requirements to qualify or maintain their existing Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement levels (Malhani, 2018).

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Therefore, the University of Akron as an organization needs to include the use of EMR to qualify for and be approved for the Medicaid and Medicare provider status, utilize the EMR as a medical transaction system and a tool for teaching, meet the specific needs presented by each business unit, identify and provide patient-specific health education resources, manage patient information, support medication reconciliation, and support collection of electronic syndromic surveillance data.

Strengths and Weaknesses of the University of Akron RFP

A review of the University of Akron’s Request for Proposal identifies both strengths and weaknesses in the document. These strengths and weaknesses are related to the structuring and the contents of the RFP.

Strengths of the RFP

The breakdown of the University of Akron RFP identifies several parts of the RFP that make it an effective RFP. The first strength of the RFP that makes it effective is that it has given a brief introduction to the University of Akron. It also presents an overview of the project by clearly the organizational structure, functions, and needs of each unit. It states the services it offers, the number of majors, and other degrees and programs offered by the university. It has also clearly indicated its physical address, its annual academic and operations schedule, and its areas of excellence. The inclusion of an introduction of the organization and creating an overview of the production is an essential part of an RFP as it readies the bidders and motivates them to read through the RFP and understand the project, its requirements, and the ability of the vendor to meet such requirements.

Another strength identified from the RFP is that it has mentioned the project’s goals, deliverables, and the targeted use and users. The goals, deliverables, targeted users, and usage of the EMR are important pieces of information to provide to the bidders. The goals, users and usage, and deliverable statements are a strength of the RFP; this helps bidders know the purpose of the system being developed, who it is developed to suit, and the goals of the project. It also informs the bidders why the organization has decided to replace the current system. It has also focused on the core requirements of the system that are related to fair use of the system.

Further, the RFP has provided an approximate schedule for the project. This piece of information is important to include in the RFP. The project schedule is an essential element of an effective RFP as it gives the bidders the required time to deliver on the project. The University of Akron has, therefore, stated the estimated time it intends to start using the Electronic Medical Record system. This is an essential part as it helps the bidders to weigh their ability to deliver the required system over the given timeframe for the project. It also helps bidders analyze themselves and check whether they qualify to contract the project.

In addition, another strength that further makes the RFP effective is that the University of Akron’s RFP has clearly outlined the specifications of the actual system with the needs of each unit and addresses the various challenges in the provision of each unit’s specific services. The University of Akron has clearly stated the EMR system’s software must be interoperable within the UA networking environment and other software applications currently used by UA, such as PeopleSoft/Oracle. It has stated what it expects the system to work, its usability, the ease of navigation through the user interface, the system’s compliance with the current government’s regulations and policies on the use of EMRs, and the ability to maintain the privacy and confidentiality of the user’s identity and security.

The University of Akron has also provided clear specifications of the vendor it wishes to acquire the EMR. It requires to be furnished with the history of the vendor, its positioning in the market, mission, vision, and values that guide its operations within the health care technologies. It quotes vendor reputation in the provision of health care management and clinical support systems. It also defines the expected format of the proposals from the available bidders. This is a strength of the RFP as it ensures that the proposals received by the university can easily be cleared. This is also a strength of the RFP as it makes it easier for the university to compare and pick a proposal that better suits its needs. Another part that makes the RFP effective and well-developed is that the University of Akron has requested the cost of each major software component of EMR the bidders supply. This will assist in setting up an appropriate budget for the adoption of the system.

Weaknesses of the RFP

Despite following the basic approaches during the development of the RFP, one notable weakness still emerges from the analyzed document. One, the review of the University of Akron’s RFP has a weakness related to the project’s scheduling. Although the RFP notes that it requires a realistic time estimate and strategy for implementation at all locations plus remote users, it gives the bidders a very short time to respond to the RFP. The release date for the RFP to bidders is June 27, 2011, while the expected deadline for questions is June 15, 2011. The bidders are then given a deadline of July 20, 2011, to submit their proposals. This is exactly 24 days to read the RFP address all of its questions, and develop a proposal in response.

A short deadline is a risk that will lead the bidders and vendors to compromise on the quality of the proposed EMR products and other services. However, research data has proved otherwise when it comes to short deadlines and the quality of software. A study by Basten et al. (2021) noted that increased time pressure on software development teams led to improved quality in software projects. The university needs to adopt better project planning strategies that assign adequate time for the bidders to maximize the quality of the developed system and its productivity.

As the adoption of the EMR in the different units is an essential part of improving the efficiency, safety, and quality of services offered by the University of Akron, it is important to consider a deadline extension to allow the vendors to prepare and deliver quality proposals and EMR systems tailored for the needs of the University of Akron’s units. Extending the deadline will also enable the bidders to understand the RFP and design the EMR conveniently to deliver quality EMR.

Changes I Would Make to the RFP and Why I Would Make Them

The RFP is well written. It only has one notable mistake that I feel is necessary to change. I would extend the deadline to a period that is not too long to waste time but sufficient to allow the bidders to develop tailored EMR systems for the institution. Besides the deadline extension, another thing I would do is have a shortlist of the vendors who I would deal with rather than leave the RFP open. In addition, I would select a team to research the existing notable organizations that provide the best EMR systems in the market and sample their products. This would help me shortlist a number of organizations that satisfy the set characteristics of the organization to carry out the project. The RFP would then be served to the RFP in order for them to supply their credentials. My decision for the shortlisted firms will be based on the reputation of their related health products in the market, experience in the development of EMR systems or related systems, and previous success in developing and deploying EMR systems. Shortlisting will help reduce the time wasted in reviewing multiple bidders. Lastly, another change I would make involves the choice of the overall system. I would choose to deploy an electronic health record (EHR) rather than an EMR. Although EMRs provide a full medical history of the patient, EHRs are more comprehensive and allow the sharing of health information among authorized care professionals, improving collaboration and productivity (Pai et al., 2021).

References

Aguirre, R. R., Suarez, O., Fuentes, M., & Sanchez-Gonzalez, M. A. (2019). Electronic health record implementation: a review of resources and tools. Cureus, 11(9). https://doi.org/10.7759%2Fcureus.5649

Malhani, M. A. A. (2018). Investigating Trends in the Adoption of CPOE System for Medication Orders and Determining Factors Associated with Meeting Meaningful Use Criteria for Health Information Technology (Doctoral dissertation, Howard University).

Pai, M. M., Ganiga, R., Pai, R. M., & Sinha, R. K. (2021). Standard electronic health record (EHR) framework for the Indian healthcare system. Health Services and Outcomes Research Methodology, 21(3), 339-362.

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Organization Structure and Communication

This assignment will help you research and understand what impact organizational structure and communication have on organizational behaviour within an organization. As you complete this assignment, consider experiences you have had with organization structure and communication.

Organizational Structure and Communication

Assignment:

Explain how organizational structure influences organizational behaviour.
Give examples of how both effective and ineffective applications of structure impact organizational behaviour.
Discuss how organizational communications can be used to support organizational behaviour.
Discuss effective and ineffective communication methods.

Required Format:
Title page
Introduction
How Organizational Structure Influences Organizational Behavior (Level 1)
Examples of Effective and Ineffective Applications (Level 1)
Organizational Communications (Level 1)
Effective and Ineffective Communication Methods (Level 1)
Conclusion