Capítulo 7 Process Analysis at Arnold Palmer Hospital

Summary

The Arnold Palmer Hospital in Orlando, Florida, emphasizes continuous process improvement, focusing on labor and delivery processes. Utilizing tools like process flow charts, the hospital meticulously tracks and analyzes the journey of maternity patients from admission to discharge. This systematic approach, which includes pre-registration, triage, labor, and potential complications, ensures efficient service delivery and resource management. The hospital's dedication to process analysis and design is critical for enhancing organizational productivity and patient care.

Takeaways

• 🔄 Continuous improvement is essential for organizational productivity and is an ongoing process.
• 📈 Process analysis tools like flowcharts help managers understand and improve processes.
• 🏥 Arnold Palmer Hospital in Orlando uses process flow charts to improve various hospital processes.
• 🤰 The hospital focuses on labor and delivery processes, analyzing the flow of maternity patients and their paperwork.
• 📝 Registration and admitting paperwork is crucial for tracking and charging processes and materials used.
• 👶 If a baby is not yet born, the hospital uses a series of steps to assess and prepare for delivery.
• 🚫 If a patient is not ready for delivery, they may be sent home or asked to walk around to encourage progress.
• 🤗 The hospital's process design aims to improve service productivity and patient experience.
• 🌟 A global focus and common goals for continual process improvement are emphasized as keys to organizational success.
• 🛠 Process analysis tools, including time function mapping and service blueprints, are critical for organizational improvement.

Q & A

What is the significance of continuous improvement in organizational productivity?

Continuous improvement is critical to organizational productivity as it is an ongoing process that helps organizations to increase efficiency and effectiveness, whether they are process-focused or product-focused.

What are flowcharts and how do they aid in process analysis?

Flowcharts are graphical techniques and tools that visually represent processes. They help managers understand each process and provide insights on how to improve them.

What is the difference between process-focused and product-focused strategies in operations management?

Process-focused strategies are used in low volume, high variety job shops and focus on optimizing the process itself. Product-focused strategies are used by high volume, low variety organizations and concentrate on the product's lifecycle and its associated processes.

Can you describe the process flow chart used by Arnold Palmer Hospital?

The process flow chart used by Arnold Palmer Hospital is a tool that visually maps out the steps of a process, such as labor and delivery, to identify areas for improvement and efficiency gains.

How does Arnold Palmer Hospital handle maternity patients with immediate birth?

For maternity patients with immediate birth, the mother and baby are taken by elevator to a special floor, registered and admitted at bedside, with paperwork entered into the hospital's computer system.

What is the role of barcodes and wristbands in tracking maternity patients at Arnold Palmer Hospital?

Barcodes and wristbands are created to correctly track the mother, baby, and items used throughout the inpatient stay, ensuring accurate charging and tracking of processes and materials.

How does the hospital manage patients who are not ready for delivery?

If a patient is not ready for delivery, such as experiencing false labor pains or contractions not being close enough, they may be sent home or asked to walk around the hospital grounds to encourage progress and return at a prescribed time.

What steps are taken when there are complications with the mother during labor and delivery?

In case of complications, the mother is taken to an operating room or intensive care unit, and from there, she goes back to a mother-baby care room upon stabilization.

How does the hospital handle the discharge process for mothers and babies?

When mother and baby are ready for discharge, they are taken by wheelchair to the exit for pickup. The computerized documents comprising the patient's record of stay are transferred to the billing department for completion and submission.

Why is it important for organizations to have a global focus on continuous process improvement?

A global focus on continuous process improvement ensures that organizations have common goals and objectives, which helps prioritize areas for improvement and ultimately leads to success.

What are some of the process analysis and design tools described in the script?

The script describes various process analysis and design tools such as traditional flowcharts, value stream mapping, time function mapping, process charts, and service blueprints.