Strategies for Improving Patient Care and Communication - Assignment Example

HealthCare Management al Affiliation) Introduction Just like any other service organizations, health care organizations are facedwith various challenges that need to be addressed to facilitate sustainable development while upholding client satisfaction. The interaction of individuals between different departments is important in ensuring that proper relationships are established, which would enhance effective sharing of patient information towards providing quality care while minimizing medical errors. However, the health care setting forms a series of barriers that hinder development of such relationships and thus lead to poor collaboration among the health professionals. This affects not only the quality of care but also the cost of care incurred by the organizations. As such, it is important for proper measure to be put in place including team-building measures, to allow proper team collaboration towards patient safety. Adequate conflict prevention and resolution measures are also important towards maintaining a positive relationship among health professionals and the patients. In an interview with Human Resource Manager from UPSON Regional Medical Center, various operational approaches were identified, which have allowed for the success of the organization in knitting its employees together towards one course. However, some measures could be put in place to further advance the relationship between the health professionals and the patients towards attaining patient-oriented quality care, an aspect that would reduce the cost of management through minimizing errors, promoting safety, and enhancing quick response to treatment. The communication mechanisms can also be important in reducing on-show rates; hence, promoting profitability. Interview Questions 1. What measures have been put in place by the management at UPSON Regional Medical Center to promote interdepartmental interaction? 2. What challenges are faced in ensuring proper communication between health professional both within and between departments at UPSON Regional Medical Center and what measures have been put in place to uphold proper communication? 3. Are there any team building mechanisms in place at UPSON Regional Medical Center and how successful are they towards upholding team cohesiveness? 4. What measures have been put in place towards preventing and managing conflicts both between the health professionals and the patients, and those among health professionals? 5. What is your take on ethics within health organizations and what measures have been put in place at UPSON Regional Medical Center towards maintaining good ethical practices? 6. To what extent has UPSON Regional Medical Center gone towards meeting the need for workplace diversity? Interdepartmental Interaction With increasing advancement in technology within the health care system, different organizations including UPSON Regional Medical Center have embraced clinical information systems that facilitate patient care. It is important to note that the security of patient information is highly important in the health care organizations and thus the different individuals from different departments who make up the teams that manage the patients are faced with an important role in safeguarding patient information(Freshman, Rubino, & Chassiakos, 2010). In some organizations, traditional information safety practices such as the role-based access control, form part of the enterprise systems. However, such systems have been proveninsufficient in enhancing the privacy of the patient. Such insufficiency has been in part promoted by the dynamism of the healthcare systems, characterized by difficulties in predicting the health care providers that to access given information. Electronic Medical Record (EMR) for systems of information sharing between departments electronically to allow timely sharing of patient information while providing care while safeguarding the privacy of the patient. According to the manager from UPSON Regional Medical Center, these systems have been effective in minimizing the complex nature of patient information storage, recovering, and collective reasoning among different departments towards ensuring high-quality care. Manual record keeping exposes patient records to a high risk of exploitation as all individuals, especially employees, may have easy accessibility to such information(Freshman, Rubino, & Chassiakos, 2010). On the other hand, EMRs systems have allowed for proper sharing of information between the health care departments. As much as there have also been concerns about the security of the information circulating in the EMR systems between the health care organizations, standard strategies for information security have been promoted by health care organizations, including role-based access control. These strategies limit the accessibility of the information to only the interdepartmental members who have a role in the care of the patient. Another interdepartmental measure that has promoted increased performance at UPSON Regional Medical Center is the formation of inter-departmental leadership teams. Such teams include representatives from all the departments who raise the concerns that may be impeding interdepartmental interaction(Freshman, Rubino, & Chassiakos, 2010). Such problems are solved promptly; hence, promoting positive relationship between the departments. Communications In relation to promoting communication within UPSON Regional Medical Center, it was clear that apart from sharing of information through the EMR systems, the members did not hold meetings between the departments, which would allow better communication between the members concerning issues that affect the relationshipsbetween the departmentsand collaboration towards handlingpatients. Interdepartmental meeting within healthcare organizations form an important part of the communicationsframework (Roberts, Putnam, & Raup, 2012). This promotes a working relationship between members of the organization from the different departments towards achieving a common goal, supportive communication, and preventing conflicts. This encourages the involvement of groups in different discussions and any decision-making processes. Intradepartmental meetings are common at UPSON Regional Medical Center, which involve members of the same department coming together to tackle issues that may concern their relationship and working environment. Managers in health care organizations encourage intradepartmental meetings as they form a basis onto which organizational interdepartmental meetings are established. As such, for communication to be enhanced between different departments, it is important for proper communication to be facilitated within each department(Roberts, Putnam, & Raup, 2012). Some of the health care providers in a portion of the departments did not have a platform that allowed them to discuss issues related to their relationship withUPSON Regional Medical Center. Thisled to the establishment of informal forms of communication. As much as informal interactions may form working relationships between the employees in the organization, they may not necessarily solve any communicationproblems between the members of the departments as the communicating departments may not collectively agree to the solutions discussed. Through establishing a formal platform for discussion between departmental members, a clear approach to communication may be established towards meeting the communication goals of the organization(Roberts, Putnam, & Raup, 2012). A report giving system was also enhanced between the health care providers in the health care organization to enhance the safety of the patients in the care process. Amidst educational and professional changes in the health care setting, health care errors can be minimized through enhancing report mechanisms between health care professionals concerning the care given to the patients. Team Building Activities Team building mechanisms in the health care settingare basedon the cohesiveness and the relationships of the team. Some of the health care managers mistakenly assume that the task performance of the team is undoubtedly improved through enhancing cohesiveness(Chatman, 2008). It is important to note that just as one psychotherapy session may fail to change the life of an individual, the team’s performance should not be expected to improve after spending a few days away. Rather, it is evident that through fostering regular interactions among the team members, using both semi-structured and structured away days as a form of team building, the functioning of the team is more likely to improve(Chatman, 2008). The ‘away days’ principle of team building has been well established within UPSON Regional Medical Center. The manager from the organization clearly explained that two ‘away days’ are organized after every two weeks for some of the employees within the organizationinter-changeably at different venues far from the clinical area. The selected venues are highly informal, an aspect that allows members of the team to feel comfortable and relaxed and thus interact freely. All the team membersare expected to attend the away days and thus they are scheduled early enough to allow them to clear their diaries of any other commitments. In addition, during the away days, the team members may be encouraged to participate in various activities including games that would enhance their relationships and thus promote communication while reducing any chances for conflict. The health care organization can also be involved in community related events such as participating in local races, as this would promote the team spirit among all the employees, both the racers and the supporters(Chatman, 2008). On the other hand, professional development seminars are also an effective way of team building as they allow the improvement of the individual team members. Case in point, most of the employees have an issue such as improving social skills and time management that they need to improve on. Thus, through inviting the employees to take part in development seminars, such as online seminars by renowned motivational speakers, during their breaks or free time may lead to acquisition of new skills and improvement of the employee knowledge base, which may positively affect their relationships within the team. Conflict Resolution Techniques It is important to note the inevitability of conflict in an organizational setting. It forms a force that drives and in most cases destroys the social engine. Conflicts that concern ethical issues and those that are value-based are challenging when it comes to solving them. In most organizations, the health care professionals clearly understand that through meeting the focusing on the patient values, needs, and preferences, proper health care can be provided without initiating conflict(Mills, 2002). Some of the factors that may contribute to the development of conflict in the health care environment include disparity of power, knowledge, and control that different players’ experience. In addition, the health providers and patients’ ethnic diversity are likely to create barriers when developing solutions to conflicts. In most organizations, the level of gender inequity is still high among the various health care professionals, an aspect that promotes prejudice related conflicts. Other conflicts are because of the firmly held religious or personal values among the health professionals and the patients, which enhance maintenance of unchangeable positions among such individuals(Mills, 2002). The constant disagreement with the proposed treatment methods among some of the patients and families result in frustration and anger among the health care physicians. At UPSON Regional Medical Center, the manager emphasized that proper measureshad been put in place towards ensuring proper handling of conflicts among the health professionals, and even those between the health professionals and thepatients. In improving the strength of the organization in handling conflicts, proper organizational assessments of conflicts enables theorganization to identify the various conflict contributory factors and thus establish methods for mitigating the risk of conflict(Mills, 2002). In addition, the hospital has established a conflict management system, which incorporates both prevention and intervention mechanisms. The preventive measures in the system include enhancing proper communication between the health professionals and promoting patient-based care, while the intervention measures include the establishment of a proper conflict reporting system and policies that guide conflict resolution. Other approaches include using outside mediation services where possible and enhancing internal ombudsperson services(Mills, 2002). Ethics The significance and number of challenges that are faced by health care organizations remain unprecedented. Increasing financial pressures, mergers and consolidations, rising payer and public expectations, quality improvement and patient safety issues, and reform issues have increased the stress under which health care organizations are placed, an aspect that intensifies the organizational concerns for ethics and conflicts(Ells & MacDonald, 2002). The manager from UPSON Regional Medical Center maintained that it is important forhealthcare organizations to be managed and led with high levels of integrity and compliance with the provisions of ethical and professional standards. Ethics in the health care setting has a direct influence on the performance of the health care professionals and thus the safety of the patients(Ells & MacDonald, 2002). As such, proper measures must be put in place to ensure that ethical standards are well adhered to. In modelling and demonstrating the commitment to and importance of ethics, the managers at UPSON Regional Medical Center have promulgated establishment of a code of ethics at the organizational level, which includes the guidelines and behavioral ethical standards. This has allowed the organization to facilitate practices, decisions, and behaviors that are congruent with the national code of ethics. The organization also constantly reviews the ideals and principles expressed in the mission, value statement, and vision, annual reports, personnel policies, orientationmaterials, and any other documents in the view of ensuring congruence. The organization also supports behaviors and perspectives that show the essentiality of ethics towards achieving the mission of the organization. Through proper communication throughout the year, the organization’s management has promoted a clear understanding of the expected commitment to the code of ethics among the health care professionals. The managers at UPSON Regional Medical Center can further promote adherence to ethics through ensuring that all the individuals including healthcare professionals and patients are equally respected. On the other hand, establishment of an environment that would allow free communication of ethical concerns would allow timely resolution of such problems and prevention of future ethical problems(Ells & MacDonald, 2002). Workplace Diversity Programming To develop a workplace diversity program for a healthcare organization, it is important for the management to develop knowledge of the workforce and the community. At UPSON Regional Medical Center, the managers have established such knowledge through collecting demographic knowledge about the community. This has involved gathering Race, Ethnicity and Language (REaL) data concerning the population of patients and the workforce(Dreachslin, Gilbert, & Malone, 2012). The data collected o diversity has enabled the organization to establish a recruitment framework that caters for the societal diversity. In line with the framework, the organization has established policies for Equal Employment Opportunities (EEO) that enhance commitment to diversity. To retain a diverse workforce the organization has established flexible scheduling, and mentorship and supervision that is culturally appropriate. The organization has also established mechanisms thatallow the advancement and development of the diverse workforce which include establishment of career ladders and articulation agreements. The organization has also increasingly publicized its development strategy for the workforce. UPSON Regional Medical Center receives patients from all walks of life and diverse ethnicities, races, and tribes. In this view, the organization has developed an effective inclusion climate through cultural competencytrainingand diversity programming. The organization has outlined and publicized the advantages of diversity. Professional development mechanisms have been effective in ensuring that all the health care professionals develop a positive attitude towards diversity(Dreachslin, Gilbert, & Malone, 2012). UPSON Regional Medical Center has also employed translators, interpreters, and bilingual staff who facilitate the care process for patients who speak other languages apart from English. The organization has increasingly promoted financial reimbursement services involving interpretation in the health care setting. To enhance diversity programming, it is important for UPSON Regional Medical Center to adjust its policies through incorporation of diversity enhancement measures. Such measures could include establishing a diversity plan and aligning diversity with the strategies of the organization. In addition, the organization could enhance diversity through development of a diversity structure. It is also vital to search and publicize the senior management’s commitment. Another measure could include establishment of an accountability system for the organization(Dreachslin, Gilbert, & Malone, 2012). Lastly, the organization could also enhance diversity through developing partnerships with different sectors. Proposed Operational Changes The current technological advancement in all sectors including the health sector call for constant changes in the approaches adopted by organizations towards handling the clients, and increasingprofitability. In the health care system, organizations are faced with the need to ensure the safety of the patients besides attaining high levels of profitability. One of the operational changes that can be adopted by UPSON Regional Medical Center is enhancing communication between the health care professionals and the patients and ensuring that the patients actively participate in their care process. In addition, having already adopted the EMR system, the organization should consider establishment of a cloud-based system that would remind patients to respond to reschedules and cancelations on time as this reduces the rate of on-show, which minimizes the returns that the organization gets on its investments(McLaughlin, Johnson, & Sollecito, 2011). This would reduce the cost incurred by the organization on the budget when such responses are received when it is already too late. Proper measures should also be put in place towards establishment of inter-departmental meetings, as this would facilitate communication between the departments and discussion of any concerns that may interfere with the relationships between the departments. This will reduce the errors that may result from poor coordination of the departments and thus save the organization from the cost incurred to rectify such errors including payment of fines. Conclusion It is evident that the changes occurring at the global level are continuously forcing differentorganizations to embrace changes that may enhance performance. It is important for healthcare organizations to welcome any changes that improve safety and quality of care, or reduce the cost of care. Nevertheless, healthcare organizations should realize the importance of tailoring the delivery of health care to the local population’s needs and establishing clear communication and awarenessprograms between the organization and the public. Furthermore, the rate at which healthcare is growing is high and thus the powerful forces that are driving such transformation are likely to establish a great economic potential for any organizations that would employ proper techniques for survival in the short-term while planning for long-term success. One of the most effective strategies that can be employed by organizations towards success is improvement of the quality of patient care and ensuring patient safety. As such, collaboration of the individual efforts of health professionals and embracing of recent technologies are important in ensuring that patient care is individualized and of high quality. References Chatman, I. J. (2008). Medical Team Training: Strategies for Improving Patient Care and Communication. New York: Joint Commission Resources. Dreachslin, J. L., Gilbert, M. J., & Malone, B. (2012). Diversity and Cultural Competence in Health Care: A Systems Approach. Mason: John Wiley & Sons. Ells, C., & MacDonald, C. (2002). Implications of organizational ethics to healthcare. Healthcare Management Forum, 15(3), 32-38. Freshman, B., Rubino, L., & Chassiakos, Y. R. (Eds.). (2010). Collaboration Across the Disciplines in Health Care. Boston: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, LLC. McLaughlin, C., Johnson, J., & Sollecito, W. (2011). Implementing Continuous Quality Improvement in Health Care. Boston: Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Mills, M. E. (2002). Conflict in Health Care Organizations. Journal of Health Care Law and Policy, 5(2), 502-523. Roberts, M., Putnam, J., & Raup, G. (2012). The Interdepartmental Ticket (IT) Factor: Enhancing Communication to Improve Quality. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 27(3), 247–252. Read More