Introduction
Planning is the main function of management and the core of the control subsystem of the health care system. In the broad sense of the word, planning is the predetermination of the future, building a model of the desired future state of the system while simultaneously establishing ways, methods, means, and timing to achieve this state. However, federal and state regulations can limit the goals of a strategic plan for a healthcare organization.
Analysis of Federal and State Regulations
Patients have the right to have information about them kept confidential by healthcare professionals. Confidentiality of information is the basis of a trusting relationship between the healthcare industry and the patient. Today, healthcare organizations must pay close attention to information gathering, data security, and patient privacy, which can make strategic planning difficult.
HIPAA
Today, healthcare providers are working to create strict privacy guidelines and practices that make it difficult for third parties to collect private patient information. If an insurance company or healthcare provider fails to protect confidential information adequately, they may be fined (HIPAA security rule, 2022). Regardless of the data contained within healthcare, healthcare organizations should consider The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act when creating strategic goals.
HITECH
Creating a unified approach to information security is complicated because many networks and digital complexes are used in clinics, hospitals, and laboratories. Almost all healthcare institutions work with a large amount of personal data of both their employees and clients, so information security in medicine is moving to a new level (HITECH Act, 2023). Thus, the HITECH Act could challenge achieving strategic planning goals, as there is a new target that must take into account cyber security.
Licensed Health Care Provider’s Contribution
Planning a strategy for protecting the population’s health is associated with a mechanism for implementing appropriate measures, which is determined by the attitude of the management subject to the functioning of this system.
Quality Control of the Work Performed
Trained healthcare leaders play a major role in the process of achieving the strategic goals of the organization. Everyday training is necessary so the staff can get acquainted with the latest achievements of domestic and world medicine directly at the workplace. Quality control is a method to achieve strategic goals successfully (Kharub et al., 2019). Monitoring the implementation of standards in the organization leads to a decrease in the number of identified defects in the provision of medical care, primarily in patient care.
Employee Training
Increasing the responsibility of each employee for the quality of work performed within the framework of the treatment and diagnostic process. The ongoing medical services provided largely depend on the improvement of the system of training and retraining of professionals (Chernenko et al., 2020). Forward-looking training is the process of preparing medical specialists for the implementation of planned innovations and for working with new modern equipment.
Financial Incentives and Reward Systems
The introduction of new strategic goals requires a new approach to training nursing staff, including universal training in modern standards for the practice of a nurse. Classes on this topic in the units should be held separately with the chief and senior nurses.
Who Should Receive Financial Incentives
Rewards for achieving or exceeding the goals of the strategic planning of a medical organization should be directed to those who monitor the maintenance and development of employees. These include organizational managers, senior nurses, and employees who have shown particular achievement within the goal. That is because healthcare managers and group leaders are the ones who connect goals with employees and make sure they are achieved.
Reward Options for Those Who Do Not Receive Financial Incentives
A supportive atmosphere should be created in the Medical Organization to stimulate each employee’s desire to master modern technologies, broaden their horizons, and improve their professional level. In the absence of sufficient material resources to encourage the employee, management may use other methods of motivation. For example, this may be a referral for an internship, providing an opportunity to master related medical specialties, creating conditions for scientific activity, and more.
Management Action Options for Unachieved Objectives
Strategic planning is a process that includes setting priorities and deciding how resources will be allocated to support the vision. It is not always possible to achieve the set goals, so it is important to pay attention to intermediate results in order, if necessary, to change the tactics for achieving them (Fernandez et al., 2019). It should be remembered that strategic planning is much broader; it integrates individual projects into a coherent strategy that supports the company’s most important goal.
Effective Communication Within the Organization
An effective strategy requires cross-departmental and cross-functional feedback throughout the organization. However, to avoid creating a piecemeal strategic plan, someone still needs to own the final compilation, documentation, and implementation of the strategy. Leaders can make communication a part of the organization’s culture and include effective communication in the required curriculum. That will allow employees to maintain a trusting atmosphere within the team and increase their motivation for work.
Cooperation in Planning
Communication with healthcare managers is also important to create a strategically feasible plan that satisfies all parties. Strategic planning also provides a lot of interest once established as a result of effective collaboration. Understanding where the entire company is headed helps make smarter decisions that align with end goals. If the organization’s employees were involved in setting the goals, it would be easier for them to enter the process of achieving them.
Conclusion
Strategic planning within a medical organization is a key factor in successful development. Today, cybersecurity and the preservation of confidential information in healthcare have become a unique challenge. Leaders and managers must pay special attention to the development of employees so that they can more easily adapt to changing realities and contribute to achieving their strategic goals. Effective organizational communication and collaboration are critical to strategic planning and development.
References
Chernenko, E., Lebedeva, I., Klimovskikh, N., & Gorlova, E. (2020). Improvement of the efficiency of the recruitment policy of medical care as a factor in the reduction of the staff shortage of the industry. Atlantis Press. Web.
Fernandez, M. E., ten Hoor, G. A., van Lieshout, S., Rodriguez, S. A., Beidas, R. S., Parcel, G., Ruiter, R. A., Markham, C. M., & Kok, G. (2019). Implementation mapping: Using intervention mapping to develop implementation strategies. Frontiers in Public Health, 7. Web.
HIPAA security rule. HHS. (2022). Web.
HITECH Act. HIPAA Journal. (2023). Web.
Kharub, M., Mor, R. S., & Sharma, R. (2019). The relationship between cost leadership competitive strategy and firm performance. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 30(6), 920–936. Web.