Electronic Medical Records Program - Research Paper Example

? Organizational Change Plan Implementation II Organizational Change Plan Implementation II Introduction The necessity of organizational change is determined by the fluid and dynamic nature of the operational climate, which often calls for frequent revisions in the systems of efficiency, strategies to counter obstacles, adjustments in quality levels, and matters of competition (Burke, 2010). In the wake of the modern technological innovations, many organizations have sought to revamp their systems and structures by adopting technological mechanisms in their operations. Technology has been widely accepted as a systems enabler and synergistic element that could be relied upon for better results, efficient operations, and other positive aspects associated with any productive culture. In the particular case of Winds Psychiatric Hospital, the introduction of Electronic Medical Records is expected to bring about significant changes in the operational changes of the organization. The change will inject the element of efficiency in the processes of billing, storage, and general management of records and information. The necessity of this change is to be understood in terms of the need to increase the efficiency and quality of services to the clients. The Electronic Medical Records will also impact positively on aspects of staff satisfaction since it will help solve the challenge of work-related stress, which is associated with the cumbersome and tedious manual processes of information management at the facility. The implementation and efficacy of this change will depend significantly on the organizational structure of the facility and the willingness of the workers to adopt the changes. Essentially, this change in organization is expected to solve the logistical challenges that have slowed administrative and clinical processes at the Winds Psychiatric Hospital. The organizational change at the hospital should be viewed within the framework of total quality management. Methods of Evaluation In order to obtain a comprehensive picture of the implementation of the change, the organizational change will use multiple methods including benchmarking, process evaluation, and impact evaluation. The incorporation of multiple evaluation methods in the processes of organizational change is important in shielding the process from the weaknesses that could be resident in a single method (Burke, 2010). It helps to enrich the judgment of the analysts in a manner that provides the most appropriate, credible, and reliable information of the implementation process. This helps in development of suitable actions and interventions. Benchmarking Through benchmarking, the process will make use of specific performance indicators, which shall be used to guide change management decisions. As an evaluation method, benchmarking is often preferred because it allows the implementers to observe the performing and performing elements of the change process (Grembergen, 2001). In the course of monitoring, benchmarking will assist in exposing the poorly performing parts of the change and the better performing aspects of the change program. The development of benchmark will involve the generation of data on the specifics of record management and clinical processes that are targeted for change through the Electronic Medical Records program. For instance, data on time taken to accomplish certain tasks will be recorded and measured against set standards in order to evaluate the effect of change on the program. Different benchmarks will be set for the different programs that fall under the organizational change program in order to distinguish between the different levels of success across the categories. It is expected that different aspects of the program will respond in varying ways following the introduction of Electronic Medical Records program at the Winds Psychiatric Hospital. Process Evaluation The choice of process evaluation as a monitoring method is appropriate for the reason that it works at the level of implementation and during the subsequent follow-up stages. This method helps in tracing the sequence of progress in a way that shows the nature of changes that occur in a longitudinal fashion. Process evaluation is important in illustrating the points of dip in the progress of organizational change and provides sufficient information that could be relied upon for remedial interventions. In the precise context of Winds Psychiatric Hospital, process evaluation will be necessary to determine the degree of success or challenges encountered at the preliminary stages of implementing the Electronic Medical Record program and the operational status in the follow-up stages. Impact Evaluation The method of impact evaluation is efficient in bringing out statistical information on the progress of the organizational change process. One of the important aspects of impact evaluation is that it provides empirical information regarding the progress that is made in the course of change implementation. It is often argued that the development of the change process is largely determined by the ability of the implementers to obtain empirical data that relates to the specific aspects of progress. An important consideration is that impact evaluation, just like the other methods, requires periodic assessment in order to provide resourceful and dependable information on the course of progress. In the case of Winds Psychiatric Hospital, the impact of the implementation of the Electronic Medical Record program could be measured in terms of the levels of satisfaction of the personnel in the affected departments and patients. Statistics on approval of disapproval could be used to determine this factor. Relationship between Organizational Processes and the Proposed Change Normally, it would be expected for systems and personnel within any organization to be affected in some way by the implementation of change. In essence, all kinds of changes are disruptive to the existing systems and structures (Harigopal, 2006). They affect the running of the organization by introducing and supplanting new operational mechanisms on the existing ones. In the strict sense of organizational change, some aspects of the organization must be eliminated in order to accommodate the new developments (Mills, Dye & Mills, 2008). This often creates some form of divisions, as some people tend to resist. The implementation of the Electronic Medical Record program at Winds Psychiatric Hospital would impact positively on the logistical aspects of the operations. Levels of efficiency would be affected positively by hastening the speed of information processing. Data appertaining to clients will be handled in a more organized and efficient way that would help solve the challenges of logistics and delays that have been occasioned by the manual systems of information management. It is expected that the changes will impact positively on the attitudes of most of the personnel, which would in turn improve the quality of service at the facility. In the long term, the changes would revamp the organizational culture at the hospital by reducing the logistical challenges that are often associated with manual processes. The relationship between the professional roles of the caregivers and the organizational change should be examined in light of the aspect of quality and efficiency drawn from the synergies of technology. Communication Techniques The communication techniques in the course of implementing the Electronic Medical Record program at the Winds Psychiatric Hospital shall be split into three main categories. The different categories shall be guided by the levels of communication, the duration of communication and the nature or mode of communication. At the bottom, the communication shall involve the officer in-charge of the program, the technicians and engineers. This form of communication shall involve regular and daily meetings and general notices. The communication shall be face to face although some form of written notices shall be used to pass urgent information to those who may not be readily available as issues arise. This form of information will be informal in nature, as it will take place at the work place during the installation of the systems and the regular briefings about the daily assignments and schedules. Communication with the implementation team shall also involve the use of charts and other forms of electronic communications systems, which would be necessary to explain the technical aspects of the implementation. The second level of communication shall involve the implementing officer and the Chief Executive Officer. This form of communication shall be aimed at supplying the CEO with information regarding the levels of progress, pending assignments, challenges and other kinds of information that appertain to the general progress of the implementation program. This information shall be formal in nature and shall involve the presentation of reports, charts, and power point presentations on the technical aspects of the progress. This communication may also take place in formal meetings where briefings shall be issued on the levels of progress and challenges encountered. Communication between the implementing officer and the CEO shall take place on a monthly basis and shall involve reports on the evaluation processes. The third level of communication shall involve the board of directors. This information shall be formal and organized in terms of reports on the course of the organizational change implementation. The communication between the implementing officers and the board shall take place in quarterly durations and shall entail more detailed information regarding the levels of progress and the general aspects of the organizational change. Conclusion Organizational change takes place in a systematic and orderly fashion. There is need for the implementers of organizational change to focus on the specific indicators of progress in order to determine the direction of the change process. The implementation of organizational change at the Winds Psychiatric Hospital shall require a well thought out methods of evaluation, an assessment of the possible impacts on the dependent processes, and efficient communication techniques. The methods of impact assessment, process evaluation, and benchmarking shall be used to determine the levels of progress in order to make informed decisions regarding necessary adjustments or additions as the situations may demand. Sufficient safeguards shall be put in place to enable quick responses to possible implementation challenges that may arise in order to preempt the possibility of crises. The implementation process shall entail specific aspects of total quality management in order to make the resultant change responsive to specific matters on which it is addressed. The implementation of the Electronic Medical Record program at the Winds Psychiatric hospital shall achieve the objective of incorporating technology within its general operations. The projected change at the facility shall improve the quality of service delivery and raise the profile of the hospital to match the acceptable standards of operations in terms of efficiency and quality. References Burke, W., W. (2010). Organization Change: Theory and Practice. London: SAGE. Grembergen, W., V. (2001). Information Technology Evaluation Methods and Management. New York: Idea Group Inc (IGI). Harigopal, K. (2006). Management of Organizational Change: Leveraging Transformation. London: SAGE. Mills, J., H., Dye, K., & Mills, A., J. (2008). Understanding Organizational Change. New York: Taylor & Francis. Read More