(Solved) Vila Health: Patient Flow | Assignment #1 Solution

Vila Health: Patient Flow

Create a 5-7 page report that will help the Director of Quality Management at Vila Health to understand the current trend of patient satisfaction numbers, and propose potential solutions to any problems.

Demonstrating the organization’s ability to be respectful of and responsive to the needs of their consumers will in turn improve upon the quality and safety of the care being delivered, decrease costs, and increase provider satisfaction. Organizations that seek to remain relevant in the industry, improve business operations, continue to capture market share, and continue quality improvement efforts, Vila Health should always be focused on establishing patient safety as an improvement priority.

Patient safety should never fall off the improvement radar, as organizations can quickly suffer from the implications of declined satisfaction if they are not monitoring the needs of their consumers. Organizations that fail to prioritize patient satisfaction run the risk of losing business and reimbursements. Given that reimbursements are tied to patient satisfaction, quality, and outcomes, Vila Health any organization wishing to remain relevant in the industry would make patient satisfaction a priority within their strategy.

The quality improvement team is a diverse group of individuals who are tasked with carrying out improvement efforts. The team should include individuals who will be impacted by the improvement efforts being worked on. With this in mind, several teams may exist and be working on a variety of improvement efforts simultaneously within the organization. Each team is responsible for addressing the improvement initiative and tracking its progress toward achieving the anticipated improvement.

Common tools utilized by the team include lean methodology, six sigma, DMAIC, value stream mapping, and fishbone diagrams. The fishbone diagram (also known as the cause-and-effect diagram) is a visual tool utilized to highlight potential causes of a problem, including delays in care, Vila Health in order to determine the root causes (Kros & Brown, 2013). Lean methodology focuses on making rapid improvements toward the goals of delivering value, eliminating waste, establishing flow, and pursuing perfection. 

Reducing unnecessary and wasteful steps is key in creating a dramatic improvement in flow in the value stream resulting in improved efficiency and speed—the main goal of the methodology. DMAIC (define, measure, analyze, improve, and control) is a five-step process utilized in the six sigma method, Vila Health which is focused on eliminating defects and waste, resulting in improved quality and efficiency (Kros & Brown, 2013). The data-driven strategy requires use of all five steps in order to ensure the best possible results.

Reference

Kros, J. F., & Brown, E. C. (2013). Health care operations and supply chain management: Operations, planning, and control. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Demonstration of Proficiency

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the course competencies through the following assessment scoring guide criteria:

• Competency 1: Describe when and how the senior leader would directly impact health care operations.

• • Describe why leaders should select declining patient satisfaction as a performance improvement initiative.
• Competency 2: Analyze the impact of the various success factors of a health care organization.

• • Explain why patient satisfaction is an essential component of health care business.
• Competency 3: Analyze the concept of competitive strength by considering efficiency and effectiveness of organizational processes.

• • Complete a fishbone diagram of the situation presented in this assessment.
  • Describe the purpose of a performance improvement team.
• Competency 4: Apply management concepts to lead an efficient health care system.

• • Describe lean methodology.
  • Explain the DMAIC model for a data-driven improvement cycle.
• Competency 5: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and respectful of the diversity, dignity, and integrity of others and is consistent with health care professionals.

• • Write following APA style for in-text citations, quotes, and references.
  • Write clearly and logically, with correct use of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and mechanics.

Preparation

This assessment is based on the Vila Health: Patient Flow media simulation, which is linked in the Vila Health: Patient Flow section of Assessment 2. Go to that section to complete the scenario at this time. The scenario presented in this media piece will provide you with the baseline information and context to create a report that addresses utilizing process improvement techniques and strategies to improve upon patient flow within and out of Independence Medical Center.

In addition to the information presented on fishbone diagrams and quality improvement strategies within the simulation, you may also want to conduct more in-depth research before create your report. You are encouraged to research topics on patient flow, DMAIC, patient satisfaction, and performance improvement teams. 

Vila Health: Patient Flow | Transc

Vila Health: Patient Flow | Transcriptmedia simulation.

Instructions

Based on the media simulation you completed, the Director of Quality Management has asked you, in your position in the quality assurance department, to create a report on the declining patient satisfaction at Independence Medical Center. In addition to your findings, you have been asked to present potential solutions and rationale for why these solutions are potentially relevant and valuable to pursue at IMC.

Include the following in your report:

• Explain why patient satisfaction is an essential component of a health care business.

• • Identify a competitive advantage of the organization depicted in Vila Health: Patient Flow.
  • Explain the organization’s strategic initiatives.
  • Explain why patient satisfaction is a strategy for this organization.
• Describe why leaders should select declining patient satisfaction as a performance improvement initiative.

• • Describe potential reasons for patient satisfaction decline.
  • Define a performance improvement initiative.
• Complete a fishbone diagram of the situation presented in the Vila Health: Patient Flow media piece.

• • Discuss the process to identify the top categories of an issue.
  • Describe how to organize the subtopics when producing a fishbone diagram.
• Describe the purpose of a performance improvement team.

• • Identify the positions or roles that are necessary to form a performance improvement team.
  • Describe the stakeholders that should be represented in a performance improvement team.
• Describe lean methodology.

• • Define lean methodology.
  • Determine what kinds of projects benefit from the use of lean methodology.
• Explain the define, measure, analyze, improve, and control (DMAIC) model for a data-driven improvement cycle.

• • Define the problem or scope that is depicted in Vila Health: Patient Flow.
  • Discuss what data you have to collect respective to the identified problem.
  • Define the root causes of the problem.
  • Determine the possible recommendations the team would offer.
  • Define possible recommendations and what would affect them. 

Write clearly and logically, with correct use of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and mechanics.

• Apply the principles of effective composition.
• Determine the proper application of the rules of grammar and mechanics.

Write following APA style for in-text citations, quotes, and references.

• Determine the proper application of APA formatting requirements and scholarly writing standards.
• Assess the relevance and credibility of information sources.

Additional Requirements

• Written communication: Writing is clear, precise, scholarly, and free of errors that detract from the overall message. Concepts flow in a logical order.
• References: A minimum of three scholarly references.
• Length: 5–7 pages.
• APA: Correct use of APA style and formatting. Refer to the APA resources in the NHS Learner Success Lab (located in the courseroom navigation menu) if you have questions about APA style or formatting.

• • APA Style Paper Template [DOCX].
  • APA Style Paper Tutorial [DOCX].

 

Vila Health: Patient Flow

 

Introduction

 

Quality Assurance

 

The Emergency Room

 

The Fishbone Diagram

 

Conclusion

 

Credits

 

Introduction

 

The physical delivery of health care is a complicated process, and one which can have implications for the organization’s finances and its patients’ health. For those reasons, organizations try to make their delivery as efficient as possible. For example, hospitals routinely analyze how patients flow from one department to another – such as from the ER to a room in one of the units, or from Surgery to Med-Surg to discharge. The goal is to make sure that patients get treatment in a timely fashion and then discharged or moved to a more appropriate floor as soon as possible.

 

In this activity, you will observe the flow of patients in an ER.

 

Email From Quality Assurance

 

Independence Medical Center is a critical access hospital in Independence, Iowa. You are a recently hired project manager in the hospital’s Quality Assurance department, and you’ve been given an assignment: Find out why patient satisfaction has been going down in recent months.

 

!”#$% Chad Williams, Director of Quality Assurance &'()*+,% Survey Numbers

 

Hey there! I’m in charge of Quality Assurance and I hear from Albert Lynton that you’re in charge of the project to figure out our problem with patient satisfaction. Albert (he’s our director of operations) asked me to send you the survey numbers so you know what we’re seeing.

 

So here’s the scoop: In the last 8 months, our patient sat has tanked. We’re talking 93 percent satisfaction at the beginning of that time to 79 percent now. Ouch!

 

We’re still at 90 percent satisfaction with treatment outcomes, so at least there’s that. And we’re at 85 percent with the quality of the environment – beds, food, that sort of thing.

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But here’s where we’re hurting: communication and wait times. We’re at 65 percent for communication (by providers, that is, our docs and nurses), and 49 percent for wait times.

 

Now, here’s a breakdown of those who said they were dissatisfied with their wait time:

• 47 percent of those who completed the survey were treated in the ER.

 

• 38 percent were admitted from the ER to the floor (to Med-Surg, the ICU, and other departments).
• 15 percent of the patients who completed the survey were parents of pediatric patients.

Other facts you might want to keep in mind: Vila Health 73 percent of the hospital’s admissions come through the Emergency Room, and nearly half (46 percent) of these admissions occur between 6 p.m. and 4 a.m.

 

Good luck, and let me know if you need anything!

 

–– Chad

 

The Emergency Room

 

You decide to use a common technique for figuring out problems in patient flow: shadowing patients as they come through the ER.

 

Converstaion between Ruby Martindale, Linda Mueller, and Stephanie Foster.

 

-‘(./01″,23415*% We’re going to have to divert all ambulances to Buchanan County. We are at capacity, and by that I mean we are beyond capacity.

 

62341/0’*55*”% Vila Health When can I see a doctor?

 

-‘(./01″,23415*% Any time now! (to another nurse) Who’s attending today? Aren’t there any doctors we can pull in?

&,*78132*/!#9,*”% No, they’re still doing rounds.

 

-‘(./01″,23415*% What? It’s 3:00! How many patients do we have still here who could have been moved?

&,*78132*/!#9,*”% I don’t know, but Med-Surg is under capacity. So probably several.

 

Message over the hospital PA system:

 

Dr. Fabiola, Vila Health please call the ER. Dr. Fabiola, please call the ER.

 

Conversation between Debra Green and Beverly Marshall.

 

:*(“1/;”**3% That’s his third page. I wonder where he is?

 

<*=*”5./01″98155% I don’t know, but Mr. Tensleep, the one with the confusing lab results, isn’t going anywhere until we can consult with him.

 

Converstaion between Winston Sutherland and Heather Taylor.

 

>239,#3/&’,8*”5134% Let’s get an EKG on Ms. Mueller.

 

?*1,8*”/@1.5#”% Vila Health But she’s not showing any cardiac risk factors.

 

>239,#3/&’,8*”5134% Let’s get one anyway. She’s driving me nuts and I’m not giving her a single excuse to sue us. Besides, the last patient who didn’t have any risk factors went home on my okay, and he was back here three hours later.

 

?*1,8*”/@1.5#”% Well, it will have to wait. There are quite a few elective surgeries today, and several of the patients needed a preoperative EKG.

 

>239,#3/&’,8*”5134% Vila Health Oh, right. It’s Monday. I should have known we’d get backed up. Remind me again why they don’t spread those out?

 

?*1,8*”/@1.5#”% Don’t get me started.

 

The Fishbone Diagram

 

!”#$% Chad Williams, Director of Quality Assurance &'()*+,% Template for You

 

How did your observations go? I hope you learned what you needed to. Meanwhile, here’s a template for you to use as you pull together your ideas for improving patient satisfaction. I think this is a useful tool, and I use it myself regularly.

 

A,,1+8$*3,% The Fishbone Diagram. docx (https://media.capella.edu/CourseMedia/VilaHealth/BHA4110/patientFlow/docs/The Fishbone Diagram.docx).

Vila Health

–– Chad 

 

Conclusion

 

Conclusion: Activity complete!

 

What did you learn about Independence Medical Center’s patient flow?

 

What would you do to improve the situation?

 

Fill out the Fishbone Diagram template and submit it along with your assignment in this unit.