Introduction
In reference to the flow chart and process improvement strategies, the flow chart may need improvements on various points. According to the paper Strategy Process (n.d), this improvement could be in line with the strategic vision of the hospital to remain one of the most competitive hospitals to provide the 100% patient satisfaction spelled in its mission statement. To achieve higher levels of excellence in service delivery, the hospital management must introduce a modern management information system that integrates several aspects of patient service delivery. A case in point, consider a patient that reports and delivers a child Enroute with or without complications.
It is clear from the flow chart that accessing this category of patient’s registration information is not included in the flow chart. An information system that integrates related functions and a real-time database management system could play a key role in facilitating patient flow and information retrieval upon checking in, thus improving process flow. According to Startsz (2005), process improvement strategies should incorporate the elements of cost performance which focuses on productivity at the workplace, cost of prevention that focuses on the cost incurred in establishing and maintaining a system.
In this case, a management information system may be expensive in the short term, but in the longer term, the benefits outdo the initial cost of investment. On the other hand, the cost of appraisal incorporates the issue of maintaining the functionality of the deployed system and the quality of service delivery in meeting the hospital’s goals and objectives. Startsz (2005) argues further that the cost of nonconformance incurred in system maintenance not only keeps the system operational but improves aspects of manipulating the system to keep it evolving with the dynamic nature of business needs and customer requirements.
Main Body
A critical evaluation of the flow chart indicates that the hospital has not incorporated an emergency unit for patients that require emergency services such as miscarriage or accident victims. Such an emergency service could add value to the hospital’s service delivery in addition to the current services it offers.
On the other hand, a mother scheduled for a caesarian-section will have to check-in and directly report to the assessment department to be evaluated for the caesarian section. Once the assessment is done and the caesarian status determined, the patient will either be referred to another department to prepare and wait for the appropriate caesarian time or be referred to the appropriate department for the operation. According to the flow chart, the patient will have to check-in and go to the registration office to verify the registration status, and then proceed to the labor and delivery department to be prepared for an operation (Strategy Process, n.d).
If mothers were to be electronically or manually registered, the process could experience some changes due to the merits and demerits of each system. A manual system is painfully slow particularly in an environment with a big volume of patient flow. On the other hand, an electronic system has high initial costs, but the benefits outdo the cost compared with a manual system. The changes are illustrated below for an electronic system and manual system.
Conclusion
To efficiently utilize the system and its staff in the pursuit of its objectives and goals as spelled in its strategic vision, the hospital should conduct an analysis of its process improvement progress. Process improvement progress analysis incorporates a continuous review of service quality in terms of measurable concepts such as efficiency in terms of the queuing time, the functionality of the whole system, alignment to a commitment to change, milestones, critical path analysis, and work unit progress in achieving its goals.
Manual system
References
Startsz, J. (2005). Measurement for Process Improvement. Web.
Strategy Process. (n.d). Web.