Outcomes:

After completing this class, students should be able to:

• Present and evaluate different strategies and tools to perform process and workflow analysis and redesign in healthcare settings
• Identify the elements involved in providing patient care within a complex healthcare setting that must be taken into consideration when examining and proposing changes in workflow processes
• Create diagram of processes in the healthcare setting that support workflow analysis and re-design
• Critically analyze the workflow processes in a selected healthcare setting to determine their effectiveness from the perspective of the patients, providers, and the organization’s leadership
• Research and propose ways in which quality improvement methods, tools and healthcare IT can be applied within a healthcare setting to improve workflow processes
• Based on case studies, assess the facility’s readiness for change and the impact of changes on various aspects of the organization, and develop recommendations to increase overall and unit readiness
• Develop and defend approaches to support the success of workflow re-design from development and presentation of the implementation plan based on specific case studies
• Discuss best practices to facilitate the decision making process, the communication to various stakeholder groups and the implementation of the changes
• Examine effective methods to evaluate the effectiveness of the new workflow processes and the sustainability of these processes, and to implement continuous quality improvement efforts to achieve meaningful use, improved quality of care and higher efficiencies
• Examine aspects of group process when introducing a change management plan, including leadership, conflict management, decision-making, conformity, and critical thinking that take into account the needs of different stakeholders
• Develop user support and training plan integrated into the overall IT change management plan
• Based on case studies, develop a workflow process redesign and change management plan, including implementation, communication and evaluation plans