Assignment: Healthcare Management
EXERCISE: IMPROVEMENT CASE STUDY
Objective
To practice quality improvement tools by applying them to an improvement effort in an ambulatory care setting.
Instructions
1. Read the case study.
2. Follow the instructions at the end of the case.
Instructions
1. Completely read all of the instructions.
2. Decide which problem you want to focus on as your first priority. Describe the problem and why you chose this problem.
3. State the goal for the improvement effort.
4. Identify the fundamental knowledge that is required on the team to solve this problem. Define the people you will invite to participate on the team and the fundamental knowledge they bring to the team.
5. Document the current process (as it is described in the case narrative) using a process flowchart.
6. Identify your customers and their expectations.
7. Explore and prioritize root causes of the problem by doing the following:
a. Brainstorm root causes and document the causes on a fishbone diagram.
b. Describe how you would collect data about how frequently the root causes contribute to the problem.
c. Generate hypothetical data for question 7b. Make a Pareto chart using the hypothetical data for question 7b.
8. Review the following change concepts (Langley et al. 1996). Select and explain the ones that apply to improving your process. Be sure to take into account what you have learned in steps 5 through 7.
a. Eliminate waste (e.g., things that are not used, intermediaries, unnecessary duplication)
b. Improve workflow (e.g., minimize handoffs, move steps in the process closer together, find and remove bottlenecks, do tasks in parallel, adjust to high and low volumes)
c. Manage time (e.g., reduce set-up time and waiting time)
d. Manage variation (create standard processes where appropriate)
e. Design systems to avoid mistakes (use reminders)
9. Incorporating what you learned in steps 5 through 8, improve the process and document the improved process with a process flowchart or workflow diagram.
10. Decide what you will measure to monitor the voice of the process and briefly describe how you would collect the data.
11. You have completed the "Plan" phase of the Shewhart cycle. Describe briefly how you would complete the rest of the PDCA cycle.
12. Save your answers to each part of this exercise. This will become the documentation of your improvement effort.
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.
Download:- Case-Study.rar