Problem: Ineffective and Inefficient Processes

According to a 2005 study, as much as 30% of a hospital’s operating budget is spent on duplicative tests, rework due to process failures, excess patient days caused by poor communication and teamwork, and inadequate systems design. Even if your organization is a top performer, waste is still rampant, contributing to at least a 10% reduction in your bottom line.

Together, effectiveness and efficiency represent the difference between a positive and negative bottom line, and healthcare providers have spent millions trying to improve both. So, despite the huge investments in process improvement, why haven’t the results been forthcoming? Simple. Healthcare providers are overly focused on trying to fix ineffective and inefficient processes, rather than overhauling them entirely.

Solution: Focus on Process Redesign, Not Improvement

In order to improve a process, it must first be predictable and in control. If it lacks one of these two characteristics, it can never be improved, no matter how much time, money, and energy you invest. That said, the vast majority of healthcare processes usually lack both characteristics – they are neither in control, nor are they predictable. Just consider the variation that exists in your organization for processes such as door-to-doc time in the E.R., length of stay for any diagnostic-related group, coding accuracy, and on-time starts for elective surgical cases.

strategicplanningMD has perfected a redesign methodology that allows healthcare organizations to achieve breakthrough levels of effectiveness and efficiency. Using our redesign roadmap, we guide you through eight distinct phases:

  1. Key stakeholder and customer analysis.
  2. Voice-of-the-customer data collection to determine critical-to-quality process components.
  3. Prioritization of critical-to-quality components based on stakeholder and customer needs.
  4. Identification of process features to deliver critical-to-quality components 100% of the time.
  5. Identification of controls to ensure process effectiveness and efficiency.
  6. Detail-level design documents.
  7. Return-on-investment analysis and business case.
  8. Transference of new process from design to operations.

If you are frustrated by your lack of success in process improvement, then call us at 800-535-1559. We’ll show you the possibilities for achieving higher levels of performance using process redesign.