Process Flow Analysis in Clinical Examination - Essay Example

"Process Flow Analysis in Clinical Examination" is a great example of a paper on the health system.
Process flow analysis according to Laureate Education Inc (2012) is a process used to determine the time spent to complete specific care processes in healthcare. Some care processes take a long time to be completed and this impacts the quality of care as well as its delivery. Patients are more likely to be dissatisfied when the process takes more time than is necessary. This paper focuses on a process flow analysis for making a clinical examination and informed consent in my organization that I have created. Subsequently, this paper identifies specific areas of white space that need to be addressed, proposes strategies for improving the process, and also outlines how process flow analysis can be a useful tool in financial decision-making and the ramifications of not using it. 

Description of the process

For a physician to conduct a medical examination and subsequent treatments, a consent form ought to be signed prior to the process by the patient. If the patient is unconscious or incapable of making an informed decision, then an appointed family member by the patient or one appointed by a court of law should make the decision. The patient or the individual appointed can either accept or refuse treatment. In cases where the patient refuses any medical examination and treatment and his medical condition ponders a risk to the health of the general public, then authorities ought to be contacted in order to compel the patient to undergo treatment. If the patient's condition does not risk the health of the public, then it is the obligation of the physician to respect the wishes of the patient. I collected the information to create the process flow analysis map through interviewing physicians in my organization and referring to the rules and guidelines outlined in my organization's code of conduct.

White space areas

White spaces are defined by Sawyer and Rosenblum (2009) as "Non-value added action" (p. 5). One of the white spaces in my process analysis map is where physicians are required to contact the authorities if a patient refuses treatment and his condition ponders a risk to the general public. It is worth noting that the authorities may take time to respond to such a call by a physician. The more time such a patient's treatment is delayed, the higher the risk of other individuals contracting the disease. As a strategy, it would be important for my organization to construct a confinement room for such patients to prevent the spread of contagious infections. In my opinion, health organizations should be given the power to confine such patients until the authorities show up.

Process flow analysis in decision making

A process flow analysis map can help identify white spaces or areas causing delays within the healthcare delivery system and hence forms the basis for the creation and implementation of action plans. Thorpe et al (2006) assert that weaknesses in regard to how a healthcare organization responds to health problems can be identified through a process flow analysis and strategies formulated to help improve the response. Managers involved in operations in healthcare observe how a process is exploited, the time spent conducted a single process, time wasted, and inputs incurred in the process. A process flow analysis can help the manager identify all these issues and make the necessary adjustments geared towards lessening the time spent in each process and at the same time improve patients' satisfaction. If a process flow analysis is not used, then all these issues cannot be identified and addressed. It is difficult to implement improvement plans if areas of weakness are not identified. In a nutshell, a process flow analysis is a process used to identify areas' white spaces and hence directs operation managers on areas to focus on when formulating and implementing improvement strategies.