Process Improvement Proposal

Process Improvement Proposal

Introduction

Continuous improvement of quality and performance is an essential part of healthcare organizations. The central objective for healthcare organizations to engage in continuous improvement is, firstly, to improve the efficiency of the organization’s operations. This involves healthcare organizations adopting and implementing processes and practices that improve the quality of healthcare. Based on research, the continuous improvement of quality and performance in the healthcare industry improves the reliability and sustainability of healthcare systems (Lennox et al., 2018). It helps healthcare organizations enhance patient outcomes by ensuring that patients and the public receive affordable and quality healthcare services (World Health Organization, 2020). Quality improvement in health care is an endless journey that requires organizational commitment and repeated investment in order to achieve better patient outcomes, organizational growth, and performance. Healthcare leaders must first build a culture of continuous improvement in order to sustain the continuous enhancement of the quality of care.

The culture of continuous improvement in health care is driven by the healthcare staff, the organizations, the practices and processes of the healthcare organizations, ongoing and continuous learning, and the availability of resources for investment. Healthcare leaders are required to implement approaches to analyze the organizations based on these factors of care quality improvement. Kaplan and Norton’s balanced scorecard can best be adopted to analyze, evaluate, and ready health care organizations for processes and practice improvement.

The balanced scorecard is a strategic management tool adopted by management teams to analyze an organization’s business operations, identify gaps and opportunities, and improve and control internal processes. David Norton and Robert Kaplan introduced the concept of a balanced scorecard in 1992 as an improvement of previous performance metrics (Fatima & Elbanna, 2020). The balanced scorecards introduced a non-financial perspective on performance measures. The balanced scorecard involves the measurement of organizational and business performance from the financial, business processes, learning and growth, and customer perspectives of a business. The balanced scorecard as a strategic management tool has enabled organizations to pool information from all aspects of the business to drive business performance (Quesado et al., 2018)and improve quality in healthcare settings (Al-Hanawi, 2018). Do you need urgent assignment help ? Get in touch with us at eminencepapers.com. We endeavor to provide you with excellent service.

Existing Organizational Structure, Mission, and Vision Analysis

Parkwest Medical Center is one of the leading medical and surgical facilities in Knoxville, Tennessee. It is a member of the Covenant Health Network, which consists of ten more top-performing hospitals in Tennessee. Parkwest Medical Center has remained a top provider of care services in acute and primary care settings. The hospital is well staffed with an estimated 1,700 employees, which consist of 500 active and courtesy physicians. In addition, Parkwest has a total of 307 acute care beds and an outpatient department. Its healthcare services include but are not limited to cardiovascular care, orthopedics, neurosurgery, cancer care, child services, and obstetrics, among other clinical services.

The vision and mission statements are a critical part of the strategic management process. According to Taiwo and Lawal (2016), the mission statement highlights the central purpose of an organization and why it does what it does, while the vision statement reflects its strategies and direction. The values are the beliefs the organization holds that direct the expected behaviors; the vision and mission statements reflect how the organization supports and operates as per its declared values (Calder, 2014).

Parkwest’s mission is to serve the community by improving the quality of life through better health. The hospital’s vision is to “be recognized as a model of excellence where every healthcare employee wants to work, every physician wants to practice, and every community member wants to receive care.”  The existing organizational culture in Parkwest Medical Center is guided by its vision, mission, and values. Parkwest was started as a joint venture between physicians and the Hospital Corporation of America (HCA). The hospital has, to date, allowed its physicians to provide services to the patients in ways they feel fit to achieve maximum health outcomes and satisfaction for the patients and the community.

Finances, Internal Process, Learning and Growth, and Customer Satisfaction

Financial Perspective

The financial perspective of the balanced scorecard focuses on the ability of the organization to return value on investment and the risks related to the operations of the business. The analysis of an organization from the financial perspective focuses on financial data, including its market sales, operational costs, revenue generated, and other costs related to the running of the business. The Parkwest Medical Center has continuously generated sufficient revenues to support its operations, development, and adoption of new technologies to support its main goal of serving the community of Knoxville.

Internal Process Perspective

Internal processes are business processes that are controlled by the management and have no influence on external factors or partners. The internal processes perspective as a performance metric in the balanced scorecard assists the management in identifying gaps and shortcomings in the organization’s internal environment, practices, and processes and draft improvement. The performance measures from the indicator’s internal process perspective diagnose the efficiency of processes and support the improvement of the efficiency of the processes (Gupta & Chopra, 2018). Parkwest Medical Center has adopted various strategies to ensure the efficiency of its internal processes and practices. Currently, the hospital is one of the best equipped with up-to-date service support technologies. Parkwest has also invested in the recruitment of qualified staff and currently has over 400 courtesy physicians who are readily accessible to patients. The hospital also employs a multidisciplinary approach to patient care, such as in the management of complex diseases like cancer, to improve the quality of patient experiences and outcomes.

Learning and Growth Perspective

The learning and growth perspective is a non-financial aspect of the balanced scorecard that Kaplan and Norton added to help organizations determine their ability to learn, grow, adapt to changes, and improve. The perspective analyzes an organization’s training and knowledge resources. It can highlight the current ability of the organization to develop and utilize the existing information resources to develop a competitive edge. Parkwest Medical Center has invested in research to inform care decisions, support physician learning and development, and improve the overall efficiency of its operations. The organization is improving its resources to align with its vision to be “a model of excellence where every healthcare employee wants to work, every physician wants to practice, and every community member wants to receive care.”

Customer Satisfaction Perspective

Customer satisfaction is a strategic metric that helps businesses redesign and enhance their performance (Otto et al., 2019). Research from various business fields has linked customer satisfaction to the perceived quality of services and improved customer loyalty (El-Adly, 2019; Joudeh et al., 2018; Nguyen et al., 2020). Parkwest Medical Centre has lived by its vision, mission, and values and has invested greatly in satisfying the needs of all customers. The hospital has a tradition of quality, focused on innovation, and treating all patients and visitors with courtesy, compassion, and respect. Parkwest has in the past received multiple awards due to its excellence in emergency care, clinical practice, and patient satisfaction.

Evidence-Based and Best-Practice for Monitoring and Improving

As the Parkwest Medical Center’s management implements the balanced scorecard to measure the hospital’s productivity and market performance, it is important to develop key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor and improve the processes and performance of the hospital. The evidence-based and best practices for monitoring the effectiveness of the balanced scorecard in Parkwest from the customer perspective include customer satisfaction and customer retention. The monitoring and improving metric for financial performance perspectives will be determined by the revenue growth rate and the profit margins after implementing the balanced scorecard recommendation. The internal processes perspective will be monitored through the level of staff engagement and the efficiency of service delivery, while the learning and growth will be monitored by staff participation, error and near misses, and employee satisfaction index.

Recommendations

The following recommendations have been developed to assist Parkwest Medical Center to improve on its internal business and operational processes, quality, organizational efficiency, learning implementation, and implementation and evaluation processes:

Process Improvements

Parkwest Medical Center’s Management needs to facilitate the development of communication skills among the management teams, physicians, nurses, and student nurses.

Quality Improvements

Parkwest Medical Center needs to upgrade its decision support systems, including the EHR systems, to include a virtual care center (VCC) system that will improve physician-physician and physician-patient communication to reduce medication errors in post-discharge care.

Organizational Efficiency

Parkwest Medical Center should survey the knowledge of adopted technologies among end-users to develop a user-specific training program.

Learning Implementation

Parkwest’s management should implement its training programs based on staff needs rather than an organization-wide approach.

Implementation and Evaluation

Parkwest’s management and staff can familiarize themselves with the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle. The PDSA cycle helps organizations identify and determine the needed changes and evaluate the effectiveness of changes as they occur (NHS England and NHS Improvement, 2021). The PDSA cycle will help identify working and ineffective changes, easing the implementation and evaluation process.

Organization’s Values

Values define, guide, and dictate an organization’s behaviors and culture. Parkwest’s values are focused on a commitment to service and the community. The organization’s services are guided by the values of integrity, quality, service, caring, developing people, and using resources wisely. The hospital considers it an honor to provide care services that meet the healthcare needs of every client and patient. Over the years of service delivery, Parkwest Medical Center has focused on providing excellent quality health care services that not only meet the needs of the patient but also focus on the wellness of the patient’s family and other visitors. Visitors and patients are treated with the courtesy, compassion, and respect they deserve. The facility has continuously invested in the latest healthcare technologies to equip its well-trained healthcare professionals and support them in providing care services that align with the hospital’s values, vision, and mission. Parkwest Medical Center, as a not-for-profit medical center, has partnered with other healthcare and community organizations to identify local health-related needs and develop action plans to address those needs. The investments and collaborations are essential as the hospital seeks to make some changes the hospital is making towards the improvement of the care services it offers to the community.

Conclusion

A balanced scorecard enables organizations to monitor and control their internal processes and objectives continuously. It assists organizations in establishing a cooperative environment to improve their efficiency. The concept of the balanced scorecard indicates that organizations need to continuously improve the efficiency of their internal systems in order to achieve better financial performance and customer satisfaction. As continuous improvement is an aspect of healthcare organizations, the application of the balanced scorecard in the management of these organizations can help guide strategic management and connect the internal processes of healthcare organizations to strategic healthcare goals. In conclusion, the balanced scorecard is a strategic tool that can move Parkwest Medical Center forward and help it achieve its healthcare vision and mission.

References

Al-Hanawi, M. K. (2018). Balanced scorecard method for healthcare quality improvement: A critical analysis. International Journal of Healthcare, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.5430/ijh.v4n2p58

Calder, W. B. (2014). Achieving an Institution’s Values, Vision, and Mission. College Quarterly, 17(2), n2.

El-Adly, M. I. (2019). Modeling the relationship between hotel perceived value, customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 50, 322–332. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JRETCONSER.2018.07.007

Fatima, T., & Elbanna, S. (2020). Balanced scorecard in the hospitality and tourism industry: Past, present and future. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 91, 102656. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.IJHM.2020.102656

Gupta, V., & Chopra, M. (2018). Gauging the impact of knowledge management practices on organizational performance – a balanced scorecard perspective. VINE Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems, 48(1), 21–46. https://doi.org/10.1108/VJIKMS-07-2016-0038/FULL/XML

Joudeh, J. M. M., Dandis, A., Ala’, &, & Dandis, O. (2018). Service Quality, Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty in an Internet Service Providers Service Quality, Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty in an Internet Service Providers View project Service Quality, Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty in an Internet Service Providers. International Journal of Business and Management, 13(8). https://doi.org/10.5539/ijbm.v13n8p108

Lennox, L., Maher, L., & Reed, J. (2018). Navigating the sustainability landscape: A systematic review of sustainability approaches in healthcare. Implementation Science, 13(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1186/S13012-017-0707-4/TABLES/6

Nguyen, D. T., Pham, V. T., Tran, D. M., & Pham, D. B. T. (2020). Impact of Service Quality, Customer Satisfaction and Switching Costs on Customer Loyalty. The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business, 7(8), 395–405. https://doi.org/10.13106/JAFEB.2020.VOL7.NO8.395

NHS England and NHS Improvement. (2021). Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) cycles and the model for improvement Online library of Quality, Service Improvement and Redesign tools NHS England and NHS Improvement.

Otto, A. S., Szymanski, D. M., & Varadarajan, R. (2019). Customer satisfaction and firm performance: insights from over a quarter century of empirical research. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 2019 48:3, 48(3), 543–564. https://doi.org/10.1007/S11747-019-00657-7

Quesado, P., Guzmán, B. A., & Rodrigues, L. L. (2018). Advantages and contributions in the balanced scorecard implementation. Intangible Capital, 14(1), 186–201. https://doi.org/10.3926/IC.1110

Taiwo, A. A., & Lawal, F. A. (2016). Vision and mission in organization: Myth or heuristic device?. The International Journal of Business & Management, 4(3).

World Health Organization. (2020). Primary health care on the road to universal health coverage: 2019 monitoring report. https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/344057/9789240004276-eng.pdf?sequence=2

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Generate recommendations for process improvement and organizational fitness for a selected organization in the form of a 6-8 page proposal that is targeted for its management team.

Introduction
Note: The assessments in this course build upon each other, so you are strongly encouraged to complete them in a sequence.

Health care leaders function within a complex, high-risk environment where errors can lead to injury and death. The goal of any healthcare leader is to assess and manage risk, while concurrently promoting a culture of patient safety.

Patient safety is the cornerstone of high-quality care.

Youngberg (2011) addresses the need for leaders to create a systemic mindfulness of patient safety within the high-risk health care delivery environment. Further, the author discusses high-reliability organizations, which attain next to zero error rates, despite a great propensity for error or catastrophic events.

Read further in the Assessment 5 Context [PDF] document, which contains important information on the following topics related to change leadership, risk management, and patient safety:

Themes for Success in Leadership.
The National Patient Safety Goals and Strategic Direction.
Personal Reflection.
Ethical Leadership.
Professional Communication.
As you prepare to complete this assessment, you may want to think about other related issues to deepen your understanding or broaden your viewpoint. You are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of your professional community. Note that these questions are for your own development and exploration and do not need to be completed or submitted as a part of your assessment.

How does a health care leader establish a culture of patient safety?
How are risks to patient safety assessed and managed in your current or future work setting?
What are the other types of risks that are assessed and managed?
What are the important factors that need to be monitored in your selected work setting?
How can you contribute to risk management and patient safety within your job?
Imagine that you are the new CEO of your organization, and are charged with transforming the previous status quo to an efficient, high-performing accountable care organization.

Which tools would you put to work in your new position?
What types of individuals would be needed for your executive leadership team?
What competencies might be important to the team members?
What processes, structural models, or frameworks from this course might help you as a transformational leader?
Reference
Youngberg, B. J. (2011). Principles of risk management and patient safety. Jones and Bartlett.

Preparation
BALANCED SCORECARD
The following resources are required to complete this assessment.

These articles introduce the concept of a balanced scored to motivate and measure a business unit performance.

Kaplan, R. S., & Norton, D. P. (1996). Linking the balanced scorecard to strategy. California Management Review, 39(1), 53–79.
Kaplan, R. S., & Norton, D. P. (1992). The balanced scorecard: Measures that drive performance. Harvard Business Review, 70(1), 71–79.
Note: You should complete this assessment last.

The goal of this assessment is to generate recommendations, in the form of a proposal for process improvement and organizational fitness. Make your recommendations for the organization you selected in Assessment 4 for the balanced scorecard presentation. Apply the concepts of balanced scorecards to create your recommendations.

Instructions
In your proposal, use specific language and include evidence-based concepts from peer-reviewed literature, including a minimum of four outside peer-reviewed sources. Communicate information and ideas clearly, accurately, and concisely, including reference citations and using correct grammar. Include the following in your proposal:

Describe the selected organization, including its vision and mission.
Analyze the company using any adaptation of the Kaplan and Norton balanced scorecard framework that fits your selected organization. Refer to the Balanced Scorecard section of this assessment for links to different resources you might use.
Communicate vision, strategy, objectives, measures, targets, and initiatives for each of the following four elements through a macro-level discussion:
Financial performance measures.
Internal business processes.
Learning and growth.
Customer satisfaction.
Convey the organization’s values through an ethical, organizational, and directional strategy.
Recommend evidence-based and best practices for monitoring and improving discussions.
Generate one recommendation for each of the following:
Process improvements.
Quality improvements.
Organizational efficiency.
Learning implementation.
Implementation and evaluation.
Additional Requirements
Written communication: Written communication should be free from errors that detract from the overall message.
APA formatting: Resources and citations should be formatted according to APA style and formatting guidelines. Use APA format for all of the following:
Cover page.
Abstract.
Table of contents, including a list of figures and tables.
Headings and subheadings.
Reference list.
Number of resources: A minimum of 6 resources. The following Norton and Kaplan articles will serve as two resources.
The Balanced Scorecard: Measures that Drive Performance.
Linking the Balanced Scorecard to Strategy.
Length of paper: 6–8 typed double-spaced pages.
Font and font size: Arial, 10-point.
Competencies Measured
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:

Competency 1: Conduct an environmental assessment to identify quality- and risk-management priorities for a health care organization.
Analyze existing organizational structures, mission, and vision.
Competency 3: Analyze the process and outcomes of a care quality- or risk-management issue.
Provide macro-level discussion on finances, internal processes, learning and growth, and also customer satisfaction.
Competency 4: Analyze applicable legal and ethical institution-based values as they relate to quality assessment.
Convey the organization’s values through an ethical, organizational, and directional strategy to impact the needed changes for quality improvement.
Recommend evidence-based and best practices for monitoring and improving discussion.
Competency 5: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and consistent with expectations for professionals in health care administration.
Communicate information and ideas accurately, including reference citations and correct grammar.