Healthcare operations management

A Hospital is a highly challenging work place. There are numerous bottlenecks that deteriorates the productivity & efficiency of the Healthcare services delivered.
Brand reputation of a Hospital depends on how quick they resolve the issues raised without compensating the quality and patient satisfaction. Spontaneity to untangle any situation is possible only with a strong “Hospital Operations team”. Operations management team is responsible for managing all operational process of the Hospital which includes all clinical & non-clinical departments to have a smooth working environment.

1. Healthcare Operations management. Sabu V U. DMS ,(HMA ), MBA , [email protected]

2. Introduction A Hospital is a highly challenging work place. There are numerous bottlenecks that deteriorates the productivity & efficiency of the Healthcare services delivered. Brand reputation of a Hospital depends on how quick they resolve the issues raised without compensating the quality and patient satisfaction. Spontaneity to untangle any situation is possible only with a strong “ Hospital Operations team”. Operations management team is responsible for managing all operational process of the Hospital which includes all clinical & non-clinical departments to have a smooth working environment.

3. Health care operations are certain administrative, financial, legal, and quality improvement activities of a covered entity that are necessary to run its business and to support the core functions of treatment and payment. These activities, which are limited to the activities listed in the definition of health care operations, include case management and care coordination and business management and general administrative activities. Health Care Operations

4. “ Operations management is essential for the efficient functionality and provision of health services .” Operations management is the design, operation, and improvement of the processes and systems that create and deliver the organization’s Health care services . The goal of operations management is to more effectively and efficiently provide the Health care services . What is operations management?

5. Improve and optimize planning and scheduling. Maximization of bed management and usage of hospital facilities. Understanding of Inpatient diagnosis and procedures with their cost. Streamlining and optimizing utilization of operation theatre. Streamlining and optimizing utilization of various assets including high-tech equipment. Wait time for patients at various departments and processes. Medication error. Average length of Stay vis-à-vis cost for the patient. Improved and efficient processes. Waste , fraud and abuse of resources. Challenges: Efficient operation of hospitals is one of the major concern areas for the management team of any organization as it involves multiple departments, numerous activities, intertwined processes, involvement of staff at different levels and more importantly efficient use of scarce resources. As a result of such diversity, the challenges are also diverse and of varied intensity, which requires detailing and working at various levels of the organization. These challenges have a high impact on the productivity, employee morale and patient satisfaction. Some of the operational challenges that need to be addressed on a priority basis.

6. Today’s Hospitals Facing Major Challenges Maintaining patient safety Financial challenges and hospital productivity Regulatory standards Technology upgradation Patient satisfaction Personal shortages Hospital security

7. Hospitals are the second most energy-intensive buildings after restaurants, and globally, healthcare costs are on the rise. These financial challenges— in addition to an aging world population and increasing energy costs—are putting pressure on healthcare organizations to do more with less without compromising quality of care. Financial challenges and hospital productivity: Reducing the risk of infection, as well as other potential risks, such as power failures, is crucial in ensuring a high quality of care and maintaining the organization’s reputation. Maintaining patient safety: Noncompliance with regulatory standards can lead to a disruption in operations, poor quality of care, safety issues, and substantial fines. At the same time, as energy demand rises, many countries are requiring healthcare facilities to reduce carbon output and meet mandates for energy reductions. Regulatory standards

8. Healthcare facilities are often open 24/7, and those visiting are often under a great deal of stress when life and health are at stake. Violence, infant abductions, patient wanderings, and theft of drugs and hospital assets are major concerns. Hospital security: The well-being of patients is a key to reducing length of stay and preventing readmissions. I n green hospitals, patients are discharged an average of 2.5 days earlier compared to traditional hospitals. Additionally, patient satisfaction can also affect a hospital’s revenue. If the systems are operating poorly or not at all, quality metrics such as Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems can be adversely affected. Patient satisfaction: Technology has brought about many improvements in health care that have a positive impact on the patient experience in hospitals. Some facilities are using tracking technology originally designed for supply chain management to make a big difference in lowering wait times and improving treatment across the continuum of care. Technology upgradation More hospitals are seeing their operations suffer as the number of insured patients grows, and the number of Specialty Doctors and staff dwindle. And the demands from the changing healthcare industry are taking their toll on the clinical staff. Personal shortages

9. How to tries to resolve the challenges in healthcare ? The administrative team of the Hospital plays a vital role in streamlining administrative as well as non-clinical operational process flows. The ultimate destiny of every Hospital is to “render quality service at  low-cost ”. The Hospital first seeks to find the severity of the issue. Then, they frame methods to approach problems and to figure out the obstacles. But the major importance & focus is given in solving the clinical issues by medical departments. Where, a Hospital seeks expertise to find a persistent solution making a complete change in the operations for the other non-clinical barriers. The expert opinion assist in achieving operational efficiency that contributes to the success which leads the organization towards a healthy growth

10. PARTS OF OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT operations management consists of prime 3 parts

11. The process entails the assessment of the present condition and tally the same with the projected stage making the Hospital system more effective . Gap analysis- Gap analysis is a useful tool for all active organizations to examine the running system judiciously, for finding out the probable areas where more attention is required so that the organization becomes more dynamic. Process improvement Implementation – The process of implementing the new strategy into the Hospital system to vanish the gaps (includes knowledge sharing, training & setting quality indicators) and checking its efficiency 1 3 2

12. Operational (Healthcare) Goals The private sector entrepreneurs operating healthcare facilities are focused on effectively achieving following key goals to manage the healthcare infrastructure efficiently. Achievement of these goals is more critical for the public healthcare sector facilities operator given the higher % of public sector spending globally.  Improve Operational Effectiveness  Improve the quality of services in a time bound manner  Reduce medication Errors  Improve clinical effectiveness  Use Business Intelligence and Data Analytics  Improve financial and administrative performance  Reduce readmissions  Enhance member/ patient satisfaction

13. Efficiency of healthcare facilities is a relative term and has multiple, domain specific definitions. Efficiency ultimately translates to added value and improved performance outcomes. Revisiting the importance of infrastructure and facility management in healthcare organization, it is more often the forgotten information   which can play an important role in operational continuity, optimization and continuous improvement. 4 ways for efficiency in healthcare operations fficiency of Process fficient people fficiency of technology fficiency of solutions implementation

14.   Incorporates the planning and operational practices that significantly reduce or eliminate the negative impact on clinical service continuity in healthcare facilities. The analysis of infrastructure data and its contribution to decision making will result in better understanding of cause and effect scenarios affecting the environment of care. When measured against tangible criteria such as cost and quality, appropriately weighted against the potential severity of impact from infrastructure failure to patient care and patient experience, the process and its outcomes become enablers to change management initiatives, people efficiency and productivity gains. This level of complexity, and the number of variables involved in determining the right process and reaction under certain conditions, can no longer be contained without the aid of technology. E fficiency of Process   I t can make the most important difference to cost and quality of healthcare facility management service delivery. The challenge to deliver better service quality at lower cost is driving the need to adopt innovative ways in communication and people interaction with technology. Analyzing and collaboratively managing patterns of infrastructure behavior creates visibility for potential issues and strengthens engagement with all stakeholder groups in the organization. It turns a potentially daunting experience into a positive, proactive risk mitigation approach, allowing for wide recognition, shared commitment and support in required resolution. This information can also be used to continuously tune building systems to facilitate the seamless interaction between services, enabling their logical connectivity and response to uniquely complex and critical environment’s inputs E fficient people

15. Efficiency of technology  and end-users’ adoption are key success factors. The challenge remains to balance cost and complexity in implementation of intelligent solutions with a measurable performance output by choosing the appropriate technology to deliver the right process with an optimal utilization level. E fficiency of technology Efficiency of solutions implementation  implies the decision to implement the right solution in the right place, at the right time, for the right outcome. An efficient implementation will support all other key considerations discussed thus far, providing demonstrable ways to meet business objectives, offering ease-of-use for all stakeholders and providing an environment that supports people-centric processes with near-term E fficiency of solutions implementation

16. Call to Action The all healthcare leaders must meet team members always , where they are to positively impact those around them. Develop and assess issues to create the best approach and delivery system that meets the needs of their staff and patients. No one approach works best always, therefore leaders must routinely explore models and methodologies to help them tackle challenges, including building partnership with other leaders; self-development; recruiting and implementing continuous training programs for staff; research alternatives and promoting information awareness for everyone involve.

17. The healthcare Operations team must be able to provide direction and guidance to organizations about roles, responsibilities, and functions The leader must devise and revise strategies everyone can understand and follow . “Decisions made by healthcare managers not only focus on ensuring that the patient receives the most appropriate, timely, and effective services possible, but also address achievement of desired performance targets.” Ultimately , decisions made by an individual manager affect the organization’s overall performance so, work with a team Conclusion