Week 7 Discussion

week 7: Systems Design and Workflow

Consider a clinical process or task that you perform on a frequent basis. Do you do it the same every time? Why do you proceed the way you do? Habit? Protocol? Each day nurses complete certain tasks that are considered routine, but have you ever stopped to reflect on why things are done the way they are? Perhaps you have noticed areas where there is a duplication of efforts or an inefficient use of time. Other tasks might pass seamlessly from person to person. In order to design the most efficient flow of work through an organization, it is useful to understand workflow and the ways it can be structured for the most optimal use of time and resources.

This week, you examine the concept of workflow and how the design of the workflow impacts the effectiveness and quality of an organization. You analyze a current workflow design and formulate a new workflow design to improve a process.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

Analyze the effect of system design and workflow on health care quality
Analyze the steps in a current workflow design
Formulate a new workflow design to improve a process

Photo Credit: [IAN HOOTON]/[Science Photo Library]/Getty Images

Learning Resources

Note: To access this week’s required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.

Required Readings

McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. G. (2018). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge (4th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning.

Chapter 13, “Workflow and Beyond Meaningful Use”
This chapter reviews the reasons for conducting workflow analysis and design. The author explains specific workflow analysis and redesign techniques.

Huser, V., Rasmussen, L. V., Oberg, R., & Starren, J. B. (2011). Implementation of workflow engine technology to deliver basic clinical decision support functionality. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 11(1), 43–61.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

In this article, the authors describe an implementation of workflow engine technology to support clinical decision making. The article describes some of the pitfalls of implementation, along with successful and future elements.

Koppel, R., & Kreda, D. A. (2010). Healthcare IT usability and suitability for clinical needs: Challenges of design, workflow, and contractual relations. Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, 157, 7–14.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

This article points to many health information technology designs and workflow decisions that limit their value and usage. The authors also examine the structure of the conceptual relationships between HIT vendors and the clinical facilities that purchase HIT.

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (n.d.b). Workflow assessment for health IT toolkit. Retrieved, June 18, 2012, from http://healthit.ahrq.gov/portal/server.pt/community/health_it_tools_and_resources/919/workflow_assessment_for_health_it_toolkit/27865

This article supplies a toolkit on the planning, design, implementation, and use of health information technology. The sections of the website provide a definition of workflow, examples of workflow tools, related anecdotes, and research.

Document: Sample Workflow of Answering a Telephone in an Office (Word document)

Note: You will use this document to complete this week’s Assignment.

Required Media

Laureate Education (Producer). (2012f). System design and workflow. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 7 minutes.

This video provides an overview of how workflow modeling can be used in a health care setting to target areas for revising current practices and procedures. The video also shows how technology and informatics can be used to improve workflow efficiency and increase the quality of care.

The following document gives credit for Laureate-produced media in this course: Credits (PDF)

Discussion: Understanding Workflow Design

As you explored last week, the implementation of a new technology can dramatically affect the workflow of an organization. Newly implemented technologies can initially limit the productivity of users as they adjust to their new tools. Such implementations tend to be so significant that they often require workflows to be redesigned in order to achieve improvements in safety and patient outcomes. However, before workflows can be redesigned, they must first be analyzed. This analysis includes each step in completing a certain process. Some systems duplicate efforts or contain unnecessary steps that waste time and money and could even jeopardize patient health care. By reviewing and modifying the workflow, you enable greater productivity. This drive to implement new technologies has elevated the demand for nurses who can perform workflow analysis.

In this Discussion you explore resources that have been designed to help guide you through the process of workflow assessment.

To prepare:

Take a few minutes and peruse the information found in the article “Workflow Assessment for Health IT Toolkit” listed in this week’s Learning Resources.
- As you check out the information located on the different tabs, identify key concepts that you could use to improve a workflow in your own organization and consider how you could use them.
- Go the Research tab and identify and read one article that is of interest to you and relates to your specialty area.

By Day 3

Post a summary of three different concepts you found in “Workflow Assessment for Health IT Toolkit” that would help in redesigning a workflow in the organization in which you work (or one with which you are familiar) and describe how you would apply them. Next, summarize the article you selected and assess how you could use the information to improve workflow within your organization. Finally, evaluate the importance of monitoring the effect of technology on workflow.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses. Focus particularly on questions raised for which you can add comments based on your experiences or situations. Consider how your colleagues’ postings reflect and/or differ from your own perceptions and opinions. Review the Learning Resources for any clarification needed before responding.

By Day 6

Respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days using one or more of the following approaches:

Ask a probing question, substantiated with additional background information, evidence or research.
Share an insight from having read your colleagues’ postings, synthesizing the information to provide new perspectives.
Offer and support an alternative perspective using readings from the classroom or from your own research in the Walden Library.
Validate an idea with your own experience and additional research.
Make a suggestion based on additional evidence drawn from readings or after synthesizing multiple postings.
Expand on your colleagues’ postings by providing additional insights or contrasting perspectives based on readings and evidence.

Solution Preview

Understanding Workflow Design

Workflow

Workflow can be defined as a series of procedures carried out in a sequence to improve companies’ operations. Therefore, these are tasks performed by employees in organizations to achieve identified goals. Workflow tools allow firms to redesign their operations through integrating health information technology into their operations. Consequently, healthcare professionals can employ various workflow tools to enhance the quality of their operations. However, this essay will pay attention of three tools, which include flowchart, interview, and benchmarking.

Flowchart

Flowchart refers to the visual representation of the steps of the workflow processes. The method is effective in informing persons the procedures of work procedures because individuals do not have to analyze the information they see.

(887 words)