Quality Management - Healthcare
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The case study these questions apply to can be found here: http://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=22563 in the Massachusetts General Hospital: CABG Surgery (A).
1. What are the primary challenges in improving operating processes in a health care environment?
2. What is a care path? What are its specific features? What does it not do?
3. What are the most common causes of extended stay for CABG patients?
4. What are some of the important steps the team took to develop the care path to make it acceptable to everyone involved?
5. What are the hazards of standardizing the process too rigorously?
6. What are the dangers of allowing too much freedom to customize the process?
7. Does every care path patient have to go through all the steps in the care path? What happens to patients who do not follow the path fully?
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Solution Summary
This solutions offers a brief overview of topics such as care paths and the challenges healthcare providers face in providing quality treatment to patients based on the case study presented.
Solution Preview
The information contained in this response is designed to assist you with beginning, completing or gaining a better understanding of your assignment. Through my experience working in a healthcare environment, I am able to share my knowledge of care paths and accreditation.
1. What are the primary challenges in improving operating processes in a health care environment?
A great deal of challenges healthcare leaders face when attempting to improve processes within a healthcare environment is buy-in from providers, staff and other stakeholders. Change in itself can be difficult. However, it is just as important to continue evolving and innovating within the industry as it is to have standardization and uniformity. Other challenges which may be considered primary in making changes within a healthcare environment are ensuring that the recommended changes are in alignment with requirements set forth by accrediting agencies such as the Joint Commission. Hospitals and other healthcare facilities can be fined or closed for non-compliance. This adversely affects the credibility of a facility.
The case study cites challenges of a successful implementation such as the belief that job loss may result from operational improvements. If employees feel that their jobs are in jeopardy they are unlikely to be supportive.
2. What is a care path? What are its specific features? What does it not do?
A care ...
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