Project Management in a Hospital and in a Physician Office - Essay Example

            The electronic health record is an important priority for the efficient running of any health facility. Stakeholders involved in the implementation of electronic health records have discovered that skills such as communication, leadership as well as training are essential for the efficient functioning of an EHR. For instance, computerized physicians order entry (CPOE) system. According to a consensus statement outlining considerations for effective CPOE system, participants in a conference in 2001 dealing with CPOE listed technology. Some of the consideration included vision, motivation, project management, support, training, workflow, value, personnel as well as evaluation (Fenton, Giannangelo & Stanfill, 2006).

            Project management involves careful planning to ensure the success of the project. In this case, both hospitals and physician hospitals will need to have planned well for the project. In both cases, project management entails having well-articulated scope and objectives. In both cases, various concerns and ideas will come up during the project but it is important to note that not all of them will have an impact on the general objectives. Both the hospital and physician office always stay focused on their set priorities. This helps in avoiding time wastage or putting concern on issues that are outside the defined scope.

            Project management in the hospital and physician office is tailored to ensuring that there is a smooth flow of work or activities in the facility. In this case, the primary goal of project management would be to ensure that all the parties involved benefit from the smooth workflow. Evidently, project management is aimed at ensuring that all the parties participating in the project benefit and this implies that the parties must have put their interest first before the project started.

            According to Alder (2007), successful implementation of the EHR network requires a project management team that has management ability, leadership skills, vision, and patience. The team should realize that the successful implementation of an HER system a multifaceted project that may not go as planned. The ability to handle frustrations in a constructive manner and look for any opportunities that appear when there is adversity is very instrumental.

            Project management in a hospital and a physician's office is different in that a hospital will have an extensive network that connects various departments in the hospital. On the other hand, a physician's office will have a small network that connects a few users in the system. Considering that a hospital will have an extensive network, it implies that project management needs a lot of investment in terms of funds and personnel. The Hospital network system will need a team of IT personnel who will need to be standby so that they can handle any emergency that is likely to occur. Conversely, a physician's office will require less investment in terms of funds and human resources since its system will not be very complex.