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Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Michael Daley
Hs
Summary of the prediction
Health equity will acquire greater attention, but not that much.
The COVID-19 epidemic brought to light and highlighted the
fact that our country is experiencing a health equity catastrophe.
COVID-19 continues to unfairly impact low-income areas and
ethnic minorities due to structural imbalances.
President Biden's health equity special team will be led by Yale
University scholar Marcella Nunez-Smith, indicating that health
equity will be a priority for the current regime.
Knowledge-based explanation
The process of discovering which health-related interventions
are helpful in individuals or groups, how beneficial they are
And how well they can be implemented successfully for
successful adoption is referred to as prevention science.
Policy changes are used in primary prevention efforts to
enhance access to healthcare, needed pharmaceuticals, and
nutritional meals.
Knowledge-based explanation
A health transition is a change in a general population’s state of
health that typically happens in tandem with socioeconomic
growth in developing countries. This health transition is needed
for health equity.
According to a recent review of pharmacy data, African-
American and Latino health plan participants perform worse on
key indicators of treatment outcomes than Caucasians
Organizations SCAN Group and SCAN Health Plan, are working
towards health equity
They are establishing company-wide objectives in order to
better their results.
Scientific management
Integrating health equality concerns into policy and
programmers, partnering with other areas to address disparities,
interacting with community to ensure their initiatives to solve
disparities, and recognizing the lowering of health disparities
are all ways that public health can help to reduce health
disparities.
Collaboration, policy reform advocacy, good management, and
nursing teaching are all important parts of the medical staff's
role in eliminating health inequities.
Relationship Between Scientific management theory and the
prediction
The scientific management philosophy aimed to boost the
effectiveness of each individual in an organization.
Public health care should be made accessible and affordable to
low income individuals by setting up campaigns and initiatives
to make sure they know where the services are provided
Equal treatment should be given to all. No discrimination
Doctors, nurses as well as other medical staff should make sure
all the patients and people in their communities are getting
equal treatment
References
Sachin H. (2020). Top 10 Healthcare Industry Predictions For
2021.Forbes.https://www.forbes.com/sites/sachinjain/2020/12/1
6/top-10-healthcare-industry-predictions for-the-year-
2021/?sh=146b895d2d07
WHO. (2020). Equitable Access to Safe and Effective Vaccines
.https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-
McFarland A, MacDonald E (2019) Role of the nurse in
identifying and addressing health inequalities. Nursing
Standard. doi: 10.7748/ns.2019.e11341
Pauly, B.(., MacDonald, M., Hancock, T. et al. Reducing health
inequities: the contribution of core public health services in
BC. BMC Public Health 13, 550 (2013).
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-13-550
Daniel B. McLaughlin
John R. Olson
Healthcare
Operations
Management
T h i r d E d i T i o n
AUPHA/HAP Editorial Board for Graduate Studies
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Indiana University
LTC Lee W. Bewley, PhD, FACHE
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Virginia Commonwealth University
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St. Louis University
Joseph F. Crosby Jr., PhD
Armstrong Atlantic State University
Mark L. Diana, PhD
Tulane University
Peter D. Jacobson, JD
University of Michigan
Brian J. Nickerson, PhD
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Mark A. Norrell, FACHE
Indiana University
Maia Platt, PhD
University of Detroit Mercy
Debra Scammon, PhD
University of Utah
Tina Smith
University of Toronto
Carla Stebbins, PhD
Des Moines University
Cynda M. Tipple, FACHE
Marymount University
Health Administration Press, Chicago, Illinois
Association of University Programs in Health Administration,
Washington, DC
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represent the official positions of the American College of
Healthcare Executives, the Foundation
of the American College of Healthcare Executives, or the
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21 20 19 18 17 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: McLaughlin, Daniel B., 1945– author. | Olson, John R.
(Professor), author.
Title: Healthcare operations management / Daniel B.
McLaughlin and John R. Olson.
Description: Third edition. | Chicago, Illinois : Health
Administration Press; Washington, DC :
Association of University Programs in Health Administration,
[2017] | Includes bibliographical
references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016046001 (print) | LCCN 2016046925
(ebook) | ISBN 9781567938517
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Subjects: LCSH: Medical care—Quality control. | Health
services administration—Quality control. |
Organizational effectiveness. | Total quality management.
Classification: LCC RA399.A1 M374 2017 (print) | LCC
RA399.A1 (ebook) | DDC 362.1068—
dc23
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Health Administration Press Association of University Programs
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(312) 424-2800 (202) 763-7283
To my wife, Sharon, and daughters, Kelly and Katie, for their
love and support
throughout my career.
—Dan McLaughlin
To my father, Adolph Olson, who passed away in 2011. Your
strength as you
battled cancer inspired me to change and educate others about
our healthcare
system.
—John Olson
The first edition of this book was coauthored by Julie Hays.
During the final
stages of the completion of the book, Julie unexpectedly died.
As Dr. Christopher
Puto, dean of the Opus College of Business at the University of
St. Thomas, said,
“Julie cared deeply about students and their learning
experience, and she was
an accomplished scholar who was well respected by her peers.”
This book is a final
tribute to Julie’s accomplished career and is dedicated to her
legacy.
—Dan McLaughlin
and John Olson
vii
BRIEF CONTENTS
Preface
...............................................................................................
.......xv
Part I Introduction to Healthcare Operations
Chapter 1. The Challenge and the Opportunity
.................................. 3
Chapter 2. History of Performance Improvement
............................. 17
Chapter 3. Evidence-Based Medicine and Value-Based
Purchasing .... 45
Part II Setting Goals and Executing Strategy
Chapter 4. Strategy and the Balanced Scorecard
................................ 71
Chapter 5. Project Management
....................................................... 97
Part III Performance Improvement Tools, Techniques, and
Programs
Chapter 6. Tools for Problem Solving and Decision Making
........... 135
Chapter 7. Statistical Thinking and Statistical Problem Solving
........ 167
Chapter 8. Healthcare Analytics
..................................................... 203
Chapter 9. Quality Management: Focus on Six Sigma
..................... 221
Chapter 10. The Lean Enterprise
...................................................... 255
Part IV Applications to Contemporary Healthcare Operations
Issues
Chapter 11. Process Improvement and Patient Flow
......................... 281
Chapter 12. Scheduling and Capacity Management
........................... 323
Chapter 13. Supply Chain Management
............................................ 345
Chapter 14. Improving Financial Performance with Operations
Management ................................................................. 369
viii B r i e f C o n t e n t s
Part V Putting It All Together for Operational Excellence
Chapter 15. Holding the Gains
......................................................... 391
Glossary
...............................................................................................
.. 411
Index
...............................................................................................
...... 419
About the Authors
................................................................................... 437
ix
DETAILED CONTENTS
Preface
...............................................................................................
.......xv
Part I Introduction to Healthcare Operations
Chapter 1. The Challenge and the Opportunity
.................................. 3
Overview .......................................................................... 3
The Purpose of This Book ................................................. 3
The Challenge ................................................................... 4
The Opportunity .............................................................. 6
A Systems Look at Healthcare ........................................... 8
An Integrating Framework for Operations Management
in Healthcare .............................................................. 12
Conclusion ...................................................................... 15
Discussion Questions ...................................................... 15
References ....................................................................... 15
Chapter 2. History of Performance Improvement
............................. 17
Operations Management in Action .................................. 17
Overview ........................................................................ 17
Background..................................................................... 18
Knowledge-Based Management ....................................... 20
History of Scientific Management .................................... 22
Project Management ....................................................... 26
Introduction to Quality ................................................... 27
Philosophies of Performance Improvement ...................... 34
Supply Chain Management .............................................. 38
Big Data and Analytics .................................................... 40
Conclusion ...................................................................... 41
Discussion Questions ...................................................... 41
References ....................................................................... 42
Chapter 3. Evidence-Based Medicine and Value-Based
Purchasing .... 45
Operations Management in Action .................................. 45
x D e t a i l e d C o n t e n t s
Overview ........................................................................ 45
Evidence-Based Medicine ................................................ 46
Tools to Expand the Use of Evidence-Based Medicine ..... 54
Clinical Decision Support ................................................ 59
The Future of Evidence-Based Medicine and Value
Purchasing .................................................................. 62
Vincent Valley Hospital and Health System and Pay for
Performance ............................................................... 63
Conclusion ...................................................................... 64
Discussion Questions ...................................................... 64
Note ............................................................................... 64
References ....................................................................... 65
Part II Setting Goals and Executing Strategy
Chapter 4. Strategy and the Balanced Scorecard
................................ 71
Operations Management in Action .................................. 71
Overview ........................................................................ 71
Moving Strategy to Execution ......................................... 72
The Balanced Scorecard in Healthcare ............................ 75
The Balanced Scorecard as Part of a Strategic
Management System ................................................... 76
Elements of the Balanced Scorecard System ..................... 76
Conclusion ...................................................................... 93
Discussion Questions ...................................................... 93
Exercises ......................................................................... 94
References ....................................................................... 94
Further Reading .............................................................. 95
Chapter 5. Project Management
....................................................... 97
Operations Management in Action ................................. 97
Overview ........................................................................ 97
Definition of a Project ..................................................... 99
Project Selection and Chartering ................................... 100
Project Scope and Work Breakdown .............................. 107
Scheduling .................................................................... 113
Project Control ............................................................. 117
Quality Management, Procurement, the Project
Management Office, and Project Closure .................. 120
Agile Project Management ............................................ 124
Innovation Centers ........................................................ 125
xiD e t a i l e d C o n t e n t s
The Project Manager and Project Team ......................... 126
Conclusion .................................................................... 129
Discussion Questions .................................................... 129
Exercises ........................................ ............................... 129
References ..................................................................... 130
Further Reading ............................................................ 130
Part III Performance Improvement Tools, Techniques, and
Programs
Chapter 6. Tools for Problem Solving and Decision Making
........... 135
Operations Management in Action ................................ 135
Overview ...................................................................... 135
Decision-Making Framework ......................................... 136
Mapping Techniques ..................................................... 138
Problem Identification Tools ......................................... 143
Analytical Tools ............................................................. 153
Implementation: Force Field Analysis ............................ 162
Conclusion .................................................................... 163
Discussion Questions .............................................. ...... 163
Exercises ....................................................................... 164
References ..................................................................... 165
Chapter 7. Statistical Thinking and Statistical Problem Solving
........ 167
Operations Management in Action ................................ 167
Overview: Statistical Thinking in Healthcare .................. 167
Foundations of Data Analysis ......................................... 169
Graphic Tools ................................................................ 169
Mathematical Descriptions ............................................ 174
Probability .................................................................... 178
Confidence Intervals and Hypothesis Testing ................. 185
Simple Linear Regression............................................... 192
Conclusion .................................................................... 198
Discussion Questions .................................................... 199
Exercises ....................................................................... 199
References ..................................................................... 201
Chapter 8. Healthcare Analytics
...................................................... 203
Operations Management in Action ................................ 203
Overview ...................................................................... 203
What Is Analytics in Healthcare? .................................... 203
Introduction to Data Analytics ...................................... 205
xii D e t a i l e d C o n t e n t s
Data Visualization ......................................................... 209
Data Mining for Discovery ............................................ 214
Conclusion .................................................................... 217
Discussion Questions .................................................... 218
Note ............................................................................. 218
References .................................................................... 219
Chapter 9. Quality Management—Focus on Six Sigma
................... 221
Operations Management in Action ................................ 221
Overview ...................................................................... 221
Defining Quality ........................................................... 222
Cost of Quality .............................................................. 223
The Six Sigma Quality Program ......................... ............ 225
Additional Quality Tools ............................................... 240
Riverview Clinic Six Sigma Generic Drug Project .......... 245
Conclusion .................................................................... 250
Discussion Questions .................................................... 250
Exercises ....................................................................... 250
References ..................................................................... 253
Chapter 10. The Lean Enterprise
...................................................... 255
Operations Management in Action ................................ 255
Overview ...................................................................... 255
What Is Lean? ............................................................... 256
Types of Waste .............................................................. 257
Kaizen ........................................................................... 259
Value Stream Mapping .................................................. 259
Additional Measures and Tools ...................................... 261
The Merging of Lean and Six Sigma Programs .............. 274
Conclusion .................................................................... 276
Discussion Questions .................................................... 276
Exercises ....................................................................... 277
References ..................................................................... 277
Part IV Applications to Contemporary Healthcare Operations
Issues
Chapter 11. Process Improvement and Patient Flow
......................... 281
Operations Management in Action ................................ 281
Overview ...................................................................... 281
Problem Types .............................................................. 282
Patient Flow .................................................................. 283
xiiiD e t a i l e d C o n t e n t s
Process Improvement Approaches ................................. 284
The Science of Lines: Queuing Theory ......................... 292
Process Improvement in Practice ................................... 304
Conclusion .................................................................... 318
Discussion Questions .................................................... 319
Exercises ....................................................................... 319
References ..................................................................... 320
Further Reading ............................................................ 321
Chapter 12. Scheduling and Capacity Management
........................... 323
Operations Management in Action ................................ 323
Overview ...................................................................... 323
Hospital Census and Rough-Cut Capacity Planning ...... 324
Staff Scheduling ............................................................ 326
Job and Operation Scheduling and Sequencing Rules .... 330
Patient Appointment Scheduling Models ....................... 334
Advanced-Access Patient Scheduling .............................. 337
Conclusion .................................................................... 341
Discussion Questions .................................................... 341
Exercises ....................................................................... 341
References ..................................................................... 342
Chapter 13. Supply Chain Management
............................................ 345
Operations Management in Action ................................ 345
Overview ...................................................................... 345
Supply Chain Management ............................................ 346
Tracking and Managing Inventory ................................. 347
Demand Forecasting ..................................................... 349
Order Amount and Timing ........................................... 354
Inventory Systems ......................................................... 362
Procurement and Vendor Relationship Management ...... 364
Strategic View ............................................................... 364
Conclusion .................................................................... 365
Discussion Questions .................................................... 366
Exercises ....................................................................... 366
References ................................... .................................. 368
Chapter 14. Improving Financial Performance with Operations
Management ................................................................. 369
Operations Management in Action ................................ 369
Overview: The Financial Pressure for Change ................ 369
xiv D e t a i l e d C o n t e n t s
Making Ends Meet on Medicare and the Pressure of
Narrow Networks ..................................................... 370
Conclusion .................................................................... 386
Discussion Questions .................................................... 386
Exercises ....................................................................... 387
Note ............................................................................. 387
References ..................................................................... 387
Part V Putting It All Together for Operational Excellence
Chapter 15. Holding the Gains
......................................................... 391
Overview ...................................................................... 391
Approaches to Holding Gains ........................................ 391
Which Tools to Use: A General Algorithm ..................... 397
Data and Statistics ......................................................... 404
Operational Excellence .................................................. 405
The Healthcare Organization of the Future ................... 407
Conclusion .................................................................... 408
Discussion Questions .................................................... 408
Case Study .................................................................... 409
References ..................................................................... 410
Glossary
...............................................................................................
.. 411
Index
...............................................................................................
...... 419
About the Authors
................................................................................... 437
xv
PREFACE
This book is intended to help healthcare professionals meet the
challenges and
take advantage of the opportunities found in healthcare today.
We believe that
the answers to many of the dilemmas faced by the US healthcare
system, such
as increasing costs, inadequate access, and uneven quality, lie
in organizational
operations—the nuts and bolts of healthcare delivery. The
healthcare arena is
filled with opportunities for significant operational
improvements. We hope that
this book encourages healthcare management students and
working profession-
als to find ways to improve the management and delivery of
healthcare, thereby
increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of tomorrow’s
healthcare system.
Many industries outside healthcare have successfully used the
programs,
techniques, and tools of operations improvement for decades.
Leading health-
care organizations have now begun to employ the same tools.
Although numer-
ous other operations management texts are available, few focus
on healthcare
operations, and none takes an integrated approach. Students
interested in
healthcare process improvement have difficulty seeing the
applicability of the
science of operations management when most texts focus on
widgets and
production lines rather than on patients and providers.
This book covers the basics of operations improvement and
provides
an overview of the significant trends in the healthcare industry.
We focus on
the strategic implementation of process improvement programs,
techniques,
and tools in the healthcare environment, with its complex web
of reimburse-
ment systems, physician relations, workforce challenges, and
governmental
regulations. This integrated approach helps healthcare
professionals gain an
understanding of strategic operations management and, more
important, its
applicability to the healthcare field.
How This Book Is Organized
We have organized this book into five parts:
1. Introduction to Healthcare Operations
2. Setting Goals and Executing Strategy
3. Performance Improvement Tools, Techniques, and Programs
xvi P r e f a c e
4. Applications to Contemporary Healthcare Operations Issues
5. Putting It All Together for Operational Excellence
Although this structure is helpful for most readers, each chapter
also stands
alone, and the chapters can be covered or read in any order that
makes sense
for a particular course or student.
The first part of the book, Introduction to Healthcare
Operations,
begins with an overview of the challenges and opportunities
found in today’s
healthcare environment (chapter 1). We follow with a history of
the field
of management science and operations improvement (chapter 2).
Next, we
discuss two of the most influential environmental changes
facing healthcare
today: evidence-based medicine and value-based purchasing, or
simply value
purchasing (chapter 3).
In part II, Setting Goals and Executing Strategy, chapter 4
highlights the
importance of tying the strategic direction of the organization to
operational
initiatives. This chapter outlines the use of the balanced
scorecard technique
to execute and monitor these initiatives toward achieving
organizational objec-
tives. Typically, strategic initiatives are large in scope, and the
tools of project
management (chapter 5) are needed to successfully manage
them. Indeed, the
use of project management tools can help to ensure the success
of any size
project. Strategic focus and project management provide the
organizational
foundation for the remainder of this book.
The next part of the book, Performance Improvement Tools,
Tech-
niques, and Programs, provides an introduction to basic
decision-making and
problem-solving processes and describes some of the associated
tools (chapter
6). Most performance improvement initiatives (e.g., Six Sigma,
Lean) follow
these same processes and make use of some or all of the tools
discussed in
chapter 6.
Good decisions and effective solutions are based on facts, not
intuition.
Chapter 7 provides an overview of data collection processes and
analysis tech-
niques to enable fact-based decision making. Chapter 8 builds
on the statistical
approaches of chapter 7 by presenting the new tools of advanced
analytics and
big data.
Six Sigma, Lean, simulation, and supply chain management are
specific
philosophies or techniques that can be used to improve
processes and systems.
The Six Sigma methodology (chapter 9) is the latest
manifestation of the use of
quality improvement tools to reduce variation and errors in a
process. The Lean
methodology (chapter 10) is focused on eliminating waste in a
system or process.
The fourth section of the book, Applications to Contemporary
Health-
care Operations Issues, begins with an integrated approach to
applying the
various tools and techniques for process improvement in the
healthcare environ-
ment (chapter 11). We then focus on a special and important
case of process
improvement: patient scheduling in the ambulatory setting
(chapter 12).
xviiP r e f a c e
Supply chain management extends the boundaries of the
hospital or
healthcare system to include both upstream suppliers and
downstream custom-
ers, and this is the focus of chapter 13. The need to “bend” the
healthcare
cost inflation curve downward is one of the most pressing issues
in healthcare
today, and the use of operations management tools to achieve
this goal is
addressed in chapter 14.
Part V, Putting It All Together for Operational Excellence,
concludes
the book with a discussion of strategies for implementing and
maintaining the
focus on continuous improvement in healthcare organizations
(chapter 15).
Many features in this book should enhance student
understanding and
learning. Most chapters begin with a vignette, called Operations
Management in
Action, that offers a real-world example related to the content
of that chapter.
Throughout the book, we use a fictitious but realistic
organization, Vincent
Valley Hospital and Health System, to illustrate the various
tools, techniques,
and programs discussed. Each chapter concludes with questions
for discussion,
and parts II through IV include exercises to be solved.
We include abundant examples throughout the text of the use of
various
contemporary software tools essential for effective operations
management.
Readers will see notes appended to some of the exhibits, for
example, that
indicate what software was used to create charts, graphs, and so
on from the
data provided. Healthcare leaders and managers must be experts
in the appli-
cation of these tools and stay current with the latest versions.
Just as we ask
healthcare providers to stay up-to-date with the latest clinical
advances, so too
must healthcare managers stay current with basic software tools.
Acknowledgments
A number of people contributed to this work. Dan McLaughlin
would like to
thank his many colleagues at the University of St. Thomas Opus
College of
Business. Specifically, Dr. Ernest Owens provided guidance on
the project man-
agement chapter, and Dr. Michael Sheppeck assisted on the
human resources
implications of operations improvement. Dean Stefanie Lenway
and Associate
Dean Michael Garrison encouraged and supported this work and
helped create
our new Center for Innovation in the Business of Healthcare.
Dan would also like to thank the outstanding professionals at
Hennepin
County Medical Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, who
provided many of the
practical and realistic examples in this book. They continue to
be invaluable
healthcare resources for all of the residents of Minnesota.
John Olson would like to thank his many colleagues at the
University
of St. Thomas Opus College of Business. In addition, he would
like to thank
the Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA). Attributing much
of his under-
standing of healthcare analytics to working with the highly
professional staff
xviii P r e f a c e
of the MHA, he wishes to acknowledge Rahul Korrane, Tanya
Daniels, Mark
Sonneborn, and Julie Apold (now with Optum) as true agents
for change in
the US healthcare system.
The dedicated employees of the Veterans Administration have
helped
John embrace the challenges that confront healthcare today—in
particular
Christine Wolohan, Lori Fox, Susan Chattin, Eric James, Denise
Lingen, and
Carl (Marty) Young of the continuous improvement group, who
are helping
to create an organization of excellence. John acknowledges their
dedication to
serving US veterans and the amazing, high-quality service they
deliver.
John and Dan also want to thank the skilled professionals of
Health
Administration Press for their support, especially Janet Davis,
acquisitions edi-
tor, and Joyce Dunne, who edited this third edition.
Finally, this book still contains many passages that were written
by Julie
Hays and are a tribute to her skill and dedication to the field of
operations
management.
Instructor Resources
This book’s Instructor Resources include PowerPoint slides; an
updated
test bank; teaching notes for the end-of-chapter exercises; Excel
files and
cases for selected chapters; and new case studies, for most
chapters,
with accompanying teaching notes. Each of the new case studies
is one to
three pages long and is suitable for one class session or an
online learning
module.
For the most up-to-date information about this book and its
Instructor
Resources, visit ache.org/HAP and browse for the book’s title
or author
names.
This book’s Instructor Resources are available to instructors
who adopt
this book for use in their course. For access information, please
e-mail
[email protected]
Student Resources
Case studies, exercises, tools, and web links to resources are
available at
ache.org/books/OpsManagement3.
PART
INTRODUCTION TO
HEALTHCARE OPERATIONS
I
CHAPTER
3
THE CHALLENGE AND THE OPPORTUNITY
The Purpose of This Book
Excellence in healthcare derives from
four major areas of expertise: clinical
care, population health, leadership,
and operations. Although clinical
expertise, the health of a population,
and leadership are critical to an orga-
nization’s success, this book focuses
on operations—how to deliver high-
quality health services in a consistent,
efficient manner.
Many books cover opera-
tional improvement tools, and some
focus on using these tools in health-
care environments. So why have we
devoted a book to the broad topic
of healthcare operations? Because we
see a need for organizations to adopt
an integrated approach to operations
improvement that puts all the tools
in a logical context and provides a
road map for their use. An integrated
approach uses a clinical analogy: First,
find and diagnose an operations issue.
Second, apply the appropriate treat-
ment tool to solve the problem.
The field of operations research
and management science is too deep
to cover in one book. In Healthcare
Operations Management, only those
tools and techniques currently being
deployed in leading healthcare organi-
zations are covered, in part so that we
may describe them in enough detail
1
O V E RV I E W
The challenges and opportunities in today’s complex healthcare
delivery systems demand that leaders take charge of their opera -
tions. A strong operations focus can reduce costs, increase
safety—for
patients, visitors, and staff alike—improve clinical outcomes,
and allow
an organization to compete effectively in an aggressive
marketplace.
In the recent past, success for many organizations in the US
healthcare system has been achieved by executing a few critical
strate-
gies: First, attract and retain talented clinicians. Next, add new
technol-
ogy and specialty care services. Finally, find new methods to
maximize
the organization’s reimbursement for these services. In most
organiza-
tions, new services, not ongoing operations, were the key to
success.
However, that era is ending. Payer resistance to cost
increases and a surge in public reporting on the quality of
health-
care are forces driving a major change in strategy. The passage
of
the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010 represented a
culmination
of these forces. Although portions of this law may be repealed
or
changed, the general direction of health policy in the United
States
has been set. To succeed in this new environment, a healthcare
enterprise must focus on making significant improvements in its
core operations.
This book is about improvement and how to get things done.
It offers an integrated, systematic approach and set of
contemporary
operations improvement tools that can be used to make
significant
gains in any organization. These tools have been successfully
deployed
in much of the global business community for more than 40
years and
now are being used by leading healthcare delivery
organizations.
This chapter outlines the purpose of the book, identifies
challenges that healthcare systems currently face, presents a
systems
view of healthcare, and provides a comprehensive framework
for the
use of operations tools and methods in healthcare. Finally,
Vincent
Valley Hospital and Health System (VVH), the fictional
healthcare
delivery system used in examples throughout the book, is
described.
H e a l t h c a r e O p e r a t i o n s M a n a g e m e n t4
to enable students and practitioners to use them in their work.
Each chap-
ter provides many references for further reading and deeper
study. We also
include additional resources, case studies, exercises,
and tools on the companion website that accompanies
this book.
This book is organized so that each chapter builds on the
previous one
and is cross-referenced. However, each chapter also stands
alone, so a reader
interested in Six Sigma can start in chapter 9 and then move to
the other
chapters in any order he wishes.
This book does not specifically explore quality in healthcare as
defined
by the many agencies that have as their mission to ensure
healthcare quality,
such as The Joint Commission, the National Committee for
Quality Assurance,
the National Quality Forum, and some federally funded quali ty
improvement
organizations. In particular, The Healthcare Quality Book:
Vision, Strategy,
and Tools (Joshi et al. 2014) delves into this perspective in
depth and may be
considered a useful companion to this book. However, the
systems, tools, and
techniques discussed here are essential to completing the
operational improve-
ments needed to meet the expectations of these quality
assurance organizations.
The Challenge
Health spending is projected to grow 1.3 percent faster per year
than the gross
domestic product (GDP) between 2015 and 2025. As a result,
the health share
of GDP is expected to rise from 17.5 percent in 2014 to 20.1
percent by 2025
(CMS 2015). In addition, healthcare spending is placing
increasing pressure
on the federal budget. In its expenditure report summary, the
Centers for
Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS 2015) notes that “federal,
state and local
governments are projected to finance 47 percent of national
health spending
by 2024 (from 45 percent in 2014).”
Despite the high cost, the value delivered by the system has
been ques-
tioned by many policymakers. For example, unexplained quality
variations in
healthcare were estimated in 1999 to result in 44,000 to 98,000
preventable
deaths every year (IOM 1999). And those problems persist. A
2010 study of
hospitals in North Carolina showed a high rate of adverse
events, unchanged
over time even though hospitals had sought to improve the
safety of inpatient
care (Landrigan et al. 2010).
Clearly, the pace of quality improvement is slow. “National
Healthcare
Quality Report, 2009,” published by the Agency for Healthcare
Research
and Quality (AHRQ), reported: “Quality is improving at a slow
pace. Of
the 33 core measures, two-thirds improved, 14 (42%) with a rate
between 1%
and 5% per year and 8 (24%) with a rate greater than 5% per
year. . . . The
Agency for
Healthcare
Research and
Quality (AHRQ)
A federal agency
that is part of
the Department
of Health and
Human Services.
It provides
leadership and
funding to identify
and communicate
the most effective
methods to deliver
high-quality
healthcare in the
United States.
On the web at
ache.org/books/OpsManagement3
C h a p t e r 1 : T h e C h a l l e n g e a n d t h e O p p o r t
u n i t y 5
median rate of change was 2% per year. Across all 169
measures, results were
similar, although the median rate of change was slightly higher
at 2.3% per
year” (AHRQ 2010).
These problems were studied in the landmark work of the
Institute of
Medicine (IOM), Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health
System for the 21st
Century. The IOM (2001) panel concluded that the knowledge
to improve
patient care is available, but a gap—a chasm—separates that
knowledge from
everyday practice. The panel summarized the goals of a new
health system in
terms of six aims, as described in exhibit 1.1.
Although this seminal work was published more than a decade
ago, its
goals still guide much of the quality improvement effort today.
Many healthcare leaders are addressing these issues by
capitalizing on
proven tools employed by other industries to ensure high
performance and
quality outcomes. For major change to occur in the US health
system, however,
these strategies must be adopted by a broad spectrum of
healthcare providers
and implemented consistently throughout the continuum of
care—in ambula-
tory, inpatient, acute, and long-term care settings—to undergird
population
health initiatives.
The payers for healthcare must engage with the delivery system
to find
new ways to partner for improvement. In addition, patients need
to assume
strong financial and self-care roles in this new system. The
ACA and subsequent
health policy initiatives provide many new policies to support
the achievement
of these goals.
Although not all of the IOM goals can be accomplished through
opera-
tional improvements, this book provides methods and tools to
actively change
the system toward accomplishing several aspects of these aims.
Institute of
Medicine (IOM)
The healthcare
arm of the
National Academy
of Sciences; an
independent,
nonprofit
organization
providing unbiased
and authoritative
advice to decision
makers and the
public.
1. Safe, avoiding injuries to patients from the care that is
intended to help
them
2. Effective, providing services based on scientific knowledge
to all who
could benefit, and refraining from providing services to those
not likely
to benefit (avoiding underuse and overuse, respectively);
3. Patient centered, providing care that is respectful of and
responsive to
individual patient preferences, needs, and values, and ensuring
that
patient values guide all clinical decisions;
4. Timely, reducing wait times and harmful delays for both
those who
receive and those who give care;
5. Efficient, avoiding waste of equipment, supplies, ideas, and
energy; and
6. Equitable, providing care that does not vary in quality
because of per-
sonal characteristics such as gender, ethnicity, geographic
location, and
socioeconomic status.
EXHIBIT 1.1
Six Aims for
the US Health
System
Source: Information from IOM (2001).
H e a l t h c a r e O p e r a t i o n s M a n a g e m e n t6
The Opportunity
While the current US health system presents numerous
challenges, opportuni-
ties for improvement are emerging as well. A number of major
trends provide
hope that significant change is possible. The following trends
represent this
groundswell:
• Informatics systems are maturing, and big data and analytics
tools are
becoming ever more powerful.
• Automation, robots, and the Internet of Things will begin to
replace
human labor in healthcare.
• Supply chains and the relationships among health plans,
healthcare
systems, and individual providers are changing through
mergers,
partnerships, and acquisitions.
• Primary care is being redesigned with new provider models
and new
tools, such as telemedicine and mobile applications.
• Medicine itself is undergoing rapid change with the adoption
of
precision medicine tools, such as pharmacogenomics, to
individualize
patient treatments.
• A new emphasis on population health accountability and
management
will lead to healthier environments and lifestyles.
Evidence-Based Medicine
The use of evidence-based medicine (EBM) for the delivery of
healthcare in
the United States is the result of 40 years of work by some of
the most progres-
sive and thoughtful practitioners in the nation. The movement
has produced
an array of care guidelines, care patterns, and shared decision-
making tools
for caregivers and patients.
The impact of EBM on care delivery can be powerful. Rotter
and col-
leagues (2010) reviewed 27 studies worldwide including 11,938
patients and
assessed the use of clinical pathways. They found that the cost
of care for patients
whose treatment was delivered using the pathways was $4,919
per admission
less than for those who did not receive pathway-centered care.
Comprehensive resources are available to healthcare
organizations that
wish to emphasize EBM. For example, the National Guideline
Clearinghouse
(NGC 2016) is a comprehensive database of more than 4,000
evidence-based
clinical practice guidelines and related documents. NGC is an
initiative of
AHRQ, which itself is a division of the US Department of
Health and Human
Services. NGC was originally created in partnership with the
American Medical
Association and American Association of Health Plans, now
America’s Health
Insurance Plans.
Evidence-based
medicine (EBM)
The conscientious
and judicious
use of the best
current evidence in
making decisions
about the care of
individual patients.
C h a p t e r 1 : T h e C h a l l e n g e a n d t h e O p p o r t
u n i t y 7
Big Data and Analytics
Healthcare delivery has been slow to adopt information
technologies, but
many organizations have now implemented electronic health
record (EHR)
systems and other automated tools. Although implementation of
these systems
Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM)
The Institute of Medicine has been a leading advocate for
comparative effec-
tiveness research, the National Academy of Sciences’
concomitant deploy-
ment of EBM. The IOM Roundtable on Value and Science-
Driven Healthcare
has set a “goal that by the year 2020, 90 percent of clinical
decisions will be
supported by accurate, timely, and up-to-date clinical
information and will
reflect the best available evidence” (IOM 2011, 4; emphasis in
original).
To achieve this end, the IOM Roundtable recommends a
sophisticated
set of processes and infrastructure, which it describes as follows
(IOM 2011, 10).
Infrastructure Required for Comparative Effectiveness
Research: Common
Themes
• Care that is effective and efficient stems from the integrity of
the
infrastructure for learning.
• Coordinating work and ensuring standards are key components
of the
evidence infrastructure.
• Learning about effectiveness must continue beyond the
transition from
testing to practice.
• Timely and dynamic evidence of clinical effectiveness
requires bridging
research and practice.
• Current infrastructure planning must build to future needs and
opportunities.
• Keeping pace with technological innovation compels more
than a head-
to-head and time-to-time focus.
• Real-time learning depends on health information technology
investment.
• Developing and applying tools that foster real-time data
analysis is an
important element.
• A trained workforce is a vital link in the chain of evidence
stewardship.
• Approaches are needed that draw effectively on both public
and private
capacities.
• Efficiency and effectiveness compel globalizing evidence and
localizing
decisions.
In short, EBM is the conscientious and judicious use of the best
cur-
rent evidence in making decisions about the care of individual
patients.
H e a l t h c a r e O p e r a t i o n s M a n a g e m e n t8
has sometimes been organizationally painful, EHRs are now
becoming mature
enough to have a substantial positive impact on operations.
In addition, data science computer engineering has evolved to
provide
significant new tools in the following areas:
• Big data storage and retrieval—high volume, high velocity,
and high
variety of data types
• New analytical tools for reporting and prediction
• Portable and wearable devices
• Interoperabilty of devices and databases
Chapter 8 describes a set of analytical tools to fully utilize
these new resources.
Active and Engaged Consumers
Consumers are assuming new roles in their own care through the
use of health
education and information and by partnering effectively with
their healthcare
providers. Personal maintenance of wellness though a healthy
lifestyle is one
essential component. Understanding one’s disease and treatment
options and
having an awareness of the cost of care are also important
responsibilities of
the consumer.
Patients are becoming good consumers of healthcare by finding
and
considering price information when selecting providers and
treatments. Many
employers now offer high-deductible health plans with
accompanying health
savings accounts (HSAs). This type of consumer-directed
healthcare is likely
to grow and increase pressure on providers to deliver cost-
effective, customer-
sensitive, high-quality care. In addition, the ACA provides new
tools for employ-
ers to motivate their employees financially to engage in healthy
lifestyles.
The healthcare delivery system of the future will support and
empower
active, informed consumers.
A Systems Look at Healthcare
The Clinical System
To participate in the improvement of healthcare operations,
healthcare leaders
must understand the series of interconnected systems that
influence the delivery
of clinical care (exhibit 1.2).
In the patient care microsystem, the healthcare professional
provides
hands-on care to the patient. Elements of the clinical
microsystem include
• the team of health professionals who provide clinical care to
the patient,
• the tools that the team has at its disposal to diagnose and treat
the
patient (e.g., imaging capabilities, laboratory tests, drugs), and
Health savings
account (HSA)
A personal
monetary account
that can only be
used for healthcare
expenses. The
funds are not
taxed, and the
balance can be
rolled over from
year to year. HSAs
are normally
used with high-
deductible health
insurance plans.
Consumer-directed
healthcare
In general,
the consumer
(patient) is well
informed about
healthcare prices
and quality and
makes personal
buying decisions
on the basis of
this information.
The health
savings account
is frequently
included as a key
component of
consumer-directed
healthcare.
Patient care
microsystem
The level of
healthcare
delivery that
includes providers,
technology,
and treatment
processes.
C h a p t e r 1 : T h e C h a l l e n g e a n d t h e O p p o r t
u n i t y 9
• the logic for determining the appropriate treatments and the
processes
to deliver that care.
Because common conditions (e.g., hypertension) affect a large
number
of patients, clinical research has been conducted to determine
the most effec-
tive ways to treat these patients. Therefore, in many cases, the
organization
and functioning of the microsystem can be optimized. Process
improvements
can be made at this level to ensure that the most effective, least
costly care is
delivered. In addition, the use of EBM guidelines can help
ensure that the
patient receives the correct treatment at the correct time.
The organizational infrastructure also influences the effective
delivery
of care to the patient. Ensuring that providers have the correct
tools and skills
is an important element of infrastructure.
The EHR is one of the most important advances in the clinical
micro-
system for both process improvement and the wider adoption of
EBM.
Another key component of infrastructure is the leadership
displayed by
senior staff. Without leadership, progress and change do not
occur.
Finally, the environment strongly influences the delivery of
care. Key
environmental factors include market competition, government
regulation,
demographics, and payer policies. An organization’s strategy is
frequently influ-
enced by such factors (e.g., a new regulation from Medicare, a
new competitor).
Many of the systems concepts regarding healthcare delivery
were ini-
tially developed by Avedis Donabedian. These fundamental
contributions are
discussed in depth in chapter 2.
Organization
Level C
Microsystem
Level B
Patient
Level A
Environment
Level D
EXHIBIT 1.2
A Systems View
of Healthcare
Source: Ransom, Joshi, and Nash (2005). Based on Ferlie, E.,
and S. M. Shortell. 2001. “Improving
the Quality of Healthcare in the United Kingdom and the United
States: A Framework for Change.”
Milbank Quarterly 79 (2): 281–316.
H e a l t h c a r e O p e r a t i o n s M a n a g e m e n t10
System Stability and Change
Elements in each layer of this system interact. Peter Senge
(1990) provides a
useful theory for understanding the interaction of elements in a
complex system
such as healthcare. In his model, the structure of a system is the
primary mecha-
nism for producing an outcome. For example, the presence of an
organized
structure of facilities, trained professionals, supplies,
equipment, and EBM care
guidelines leads to a high probability of producing an expected
clinical outcome.
No system is ever completely stable. Each system’s
performance is modi-
fied and controlled by feedback (exhibit 1.3). Senge (1990, 75)
defines feedback
as “any reciprocal flow of influence. In systems thinking it is an
axiom that every
influence is both cause and effect.” As shown in exhibit 1.3,
increased salaries
provide an incentive for employees to achieve improvement in
performance
level. This improved performance leads to enhanced financial
performance
and profitability for the organization, and increased profits
provide additional
funds for higher salaries, and the cycle continues. Another
frequent example in
healthcare delivery is patient lab results that directly influence
the medication
+
+
+
–
–
Employee
motivation
Salaries
Financial
performance,
profit
Add or
reduce staff
Actual
staffing
level
Compare actual to
needed staff based
on patient demand
EXHIBIT 1.3
Systems with
Reinforcing
and Balancing
Feedback
C h a p t e r 1 : T h e C h a l l e n g e a n d t h e O p p o r t
u n i t y 11
ordered by a physician. A third example is a financial report
that shows an
over-expenditure in one category that prompts a manager to
reduce spending
to meet budget goals.
A more complete definition of a feedback-driven operational
system
includes an operational process, a sensor that monitors process
output, a feed-
back loop, and a control that modifies how the process operates.
Feedback can be either reinforcing or balancing. Reinforcing
feedback
prompts change that builds on itself and amplifies the outcome
of a process,
taking the process further and further from its starting point.
The effect of rein-
forcing feedback can be either positive or negative. For
example, a reinforcing
change of positive financial results for an organization could
lead to increases
in salaries, which would then lead to even better financial
performance because
the employees are highly motivated. In contrast, a poor
supervisor could cause
employee turnover, possibly resulting in short staffing and even
more turnover.
Balancing feedback prompts change that seeks stability. A
balancing
feedback loop attempts to return the system to its starting point.
The human
body provides a good example of a complex system that has
many balancing
feedback mechanisms. For example, an overheated body
prompts perspiration
until the body is cooled through evaporation. The clinical term
for this type
of balance is homeostasis. A treatment process that controls
drug dosing via
real-time monitoring of the patient’s physiological responses is
an example of
balancing feedback. Inpatient unit staffing levels that determine
where in a
hospital patients are admitted is another. All of these feedback
mechanisms are
designed to maintain balance in the system.
A confounding problem with feedback is delay. Delays occur
when
interruptions arise between actions and consequences. In the
midst of delays,
systems tend to “overshoot” and thus perform poorly. For
example, an emer-
gency department might experience a surge in patients and call
in additional
staff. When the surge subsides, the added staff stay on shift but
are no longer
needed, and unnecessary expense is incurred.
As healthcare leaders focus on improving their operations, they
must
understand the systems in which change resides. Every change
will be resisted
and reinforced by feedback mechanisms, many of which are not
clearly visible.
Taking a broad systems view can improve the effectiveness of
change.
Many subsystems in the total healthcare system are
interconnected.
These connections have feedback mechanisms that either
reinforce or balance
the subsystem’s performance. Exhibit 1.4 shows a simple
connection that origi-
nates in the environmental segment of the total health system.
Each process
has both reinforcing and balancing feedback.
This general systems model can be converted to a more
quantitative
system dynamics model, which is useful as part of a predictive
analytics system.
This concept is addressed in more depth in chapter 8.
H e a l t h c a r e O p e r a t i o n s M a n a g e m e n t12
An Integrating Framework for Operations Management in
Healthcare
The five-part framework of this book (illustrated in exhibit 1.5)
reflects our view
that effective operations management in healthcare consists of
highly focused
strategy execution and organizational change accompanied by
the disciplined
use of analytical tools, techniques, and programs. An
organization needs to
understand the environment, develop a strategy, and implement
a system to
effectively deploy this strategy. At the same time, the
organization must become
adept at using all the tools of operations improvement contained
in this book.
These improvement tools can then be combined to attack the
fundamental
challenges of operating a complex healthcare delivery
organization.
Introduction to Healthcare Operations
The introductory chapters provide an overview of the
significant environmental
trends healthcare delivery organizations face. Annual updates to
industrywide trends
can be found in Futurescan: Healthcare Trends and Implications
2016–2021 (SHSMD
and ACHE 2016). Progressive organizations tend to review
these publications care-
fully, as they can use this information in response to external
forces by identifying
either new strategies or current operating problems that must be
addressed.
Business has aggressively used operations improvement tools
for the
past 40 years, but the field of operations science actually began
many centuries
ago. Chapter 2 provides a brief history.
Healthcare operations are increasingly driven by the effects of
EBM and
pay for performance; chapter 3 offers an overview of these
trends and how
organizations can effect change to meet current challenges and
opportunities.
Setting Goals and Executing Strategy
A key component of effective operations is the ability to move
strategy to
action. Chapter 4 shows how the use of the balanced scorecard
and strategy
maps can help accomplish this aim. Change in all organizations
is challenging,
and the formal methods of project management (chapter 5) can
deliver effec-
tive, lasting improvements in an organization’s operations.
Payers want
to reduce
costs for
chemotherapy
New payment
method for
chemotherapy
is created
Environment Organization Clinical microsystem Patient
Changes are made in
care processes and
support systems to
maintain quality
while reducing costs
Chemotherapy
treatment needs to
be more efficient to
meet payment
levels
EXHIBIT 1.4
Linkages Within
the Healthcare
System:
Chemotherapy
C h a p t e r 1 : T h e C h a l l e n g e a n d t h e O p p o r t
u n i t y 13
Performance Improvement Tools, Techniques, and Programs
Once an organization has its strategy implementation and
change management
processes in place, it needs to select the correct tools,
techniques, and programs
to analyze current operations and develop effective adjustments.
Chapter 6 outlines the basic steps of problem solving, which
begins
by framing the question or problem and continues through data
collection
and analyses to enable effective decision making. Chapter 7
introduces the
building blocks for many of the advanced tools used later in the
book. (This
chapter may serve as a review or reference for readers who
already have good
statistical skills.)
Closely related to statistical thinking is the emerging science of
analyt-
ics. With powerful new software tools and big data repositories,
the ability to
understand and predict organizational performance is
significantly enhanced.
Chapter 8 is new to this edition and presents several tools that
have become
available to healthcare analysts and leaders since publication of
the second
edition.
Some projects require a focus on process improvement. Six
Sigma tools
(chapter 9) can be used to reduce variability in the outcome of a
process. Lean
tools (chapter 10) help eliminate waste and increase speed.
Applications to Contemporary Healthcare Operations Issues
This part of the book demonstrates how these concepts can be
applied to
some of today’s fundamental healthcare challenges. Process
improvement
techniques are now widely deployed in many organizations to
significantly
improve performance; chapter 11 reviews the tools of process
improvement
and demonstrates their use in improving patient flow.
Scheduling and capacity management continue to be major
concerns for
most healthcare delivery organizations, particularly with the
advent of advanced-
access scheduling, a concept promoted by the Institute for
Healthcare Improve-
ment and discussed in chapter 12. Specifically, the chapter
demonstrates how
Setting goals
and executing
strategy
Performance
improvement
tools,
techniques, and
programs
Fundamental
healthcare
operations
issues
High performance
EXHIBIT 1.5
Framework
for Effective
Operations
Management in
Healthcare
H e a l t h c a r e O p e r a t i o n s M a n a g e m e n t14
simulation can be used to optimize scheduling. Chapter 13
explores the optimal
methods for acquiring supplies and maintaining appropriate
inventory levels.
Chapter 14 outlines a systems approach to improving financial
results, with a
special emphasis on cost reduction—one of today’s most
important challenges.
Putting It All Together for Operational Excellence
In the end, any operations improvement will fail unless steps
are taken to
maintain the gains; chapter 15 contains the necessary tools to do
so. The
chapter also provides a detailed algorithm that helps
practitioners select the
appropriate tools, methods, and techniques to effect significant
operational
improvements. It demonstrates how our fictionalized case study
healthcare
system, Vincent Valley Hospital and Health System (VVH),
uses all the tools
presented in the book to achieve operational excellence. In this
way, a future
is envisioned in which many of the tools and methods contained
in the book
are widely deployed in the US healthcare system.
Vincent Valley Hospital and Health System
Woven throughout the chapters are examples featuring VVH, a
fictitious but
realistic health system. The companion website contains an
expansive descrip-
tion of VVH; here we provide some essential details.
VVH is located in a midwestern city with a population of 1.5
million.
The health system employs 5,000 staff members, oper-
ates 350 inpatient beds, and has a medical staff of 450
physicians. It operates nine clinics staffed by physicians
who are employees of the system. VVH competes with
two major hospitals and an independent ambulatory surgery
center that was
formed by several surgeons from all three hospitals.
The VVH brand includes an accountable care organization to
reflect
the increased emphasis it has placed on population health in its
community.
The organization also is working to create a Medicare
Advantage plan. It has
significantly restructured its primary care delivery segment and
has contracted
with a variety of retail clinics to supplement the traditional
office-based primary
care physicians with whom it is affiliated. It recently added an
online diagnosis
and treatment service, with 24-hour telehealth now available.
Three major health plans provide most of the private payment to
VVH,
which, along with the state Medicaid system, have recently
begun a pay-for-
performance reimbursement initiative. VVH has a strong
balance sheet and a
profit margin of approximately 2 percent, but its senior leaders
feel the orga-
nization is financially challenged.
The board of VVH includes many local industry leaders, who
have asked
the chief executive to focus on using the operational techniques
that have led
them to succeed in their own businesses.
On the web at
ache.org/books/OpsManagement3
C h a p t e r 1 : T h e C h a l l e n g e a n d t h e O p p o r t
u n i t y 15
Conclusion
This book is an overview of operations management approaches
and tools. The
reader is expected to understand all the concepts in the book
(and in current use in
the field) and be able to apply, at the basic level, most of the
tools, techniques, and
programs presented. The reader is not expected to execute at the
more advanced
(e.g., Six Sigma black belt, project management professional)
level. However,
this book prepares readers to work effectively with
knowledgeable professionals
and, most important, enables them to direct the work of those
professionals.
Final Note About the Third Edition
Prior editions of this book included a chapter on simulation.
Although simula-
tion is a valuable tool in many industries, it is not used widely
in healthcare, so
the chapter was eliminated, with some of the principles of
simulation moved to
chapter 11. We hope the industry embraces this tool in the
future—and then
we will bring this chapter back.
Discussion Questions
1. Provide three examples of system improvements at the
boundaries of
the healthcare subsystems (patient, microsystem, organization,
and
environment).
2. Identify three systems in a healthcare organization (at any
level) that
have reinforcing feedback.
3. Identify three systems in a healthcare organization (at any
level) that
have balancing feedback.
4. Identify three systems in a healthcare organization (at any
level) in
which feedback delays affect the performance of the system.
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guideline.gov/.
Ransom, S. B., M. S. Joshi, and D. B. Nash (eds.). 2005. The
Healthcare Quality Book: Vision,
Strategy, and Tools. Chicago: Health Administration Press.
Rotter, T., L. Kinsman, E. L. James, A. Machotta, H. Gothe, J.
Willis, P. Snow, and J. Kugler.
2010. “Clinical Pathways: Effects on Professional Practice,
Patient Outcomes, Length
of Stay and Hospital Costs.” Cochrane Database of Systematic
Reviews 3: CD006632.
Senge, P. M. 1990. The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice
of the Learning Organization.
New York: Doubleday.
Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development
(SHSMD) and American Col-
lege of Healthcare Executives (ACHE). 2016. Futurescan:
Healthcare Trends and
Implications 2016–2021. Chicago: SHSMD and Health
Administration Press.
CHAPTER
17
2HISTORY OF PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT
Operations Management in Action
During the Crimean War, a conflict that waged from
October 1853 to February 1856 pitting Russia against
Britain, France, and Ottoman Turkey, reports of ter-
rible conditions in military hospitals began to emerge
that alarmed British citizens. In response to the out-
cry, the British government commissioned Florence
Nightingale, now widely recognized as a pioneer in
nursing practice, to oversee the introduction of nurses
to military hospitals and to improve conditions in the
hospitals. When Nightingale arrived in Scutari, Turkey,
she found the military hospital there overcrowded and
filthy. She instituted many changes to improve the
sanitary conditions in the hospital, and many lives
were saved as a result of these reforms.
Nightingale was among the first healthcare
professionals to collect, tabulate, interpret, and graph-
ically display data related to the impact of process
changes on care outcomes—what is known today as
evidence-based medicine. To quantify the overcrowd-
ing problem, she compared the average amount of
space per patient in London hospitals—1,600 square
feet—to the space in Scutari—about 400 square feet.
She developed a standardized document, the Model
Hospital Statistical Form, to enable the collection of
consistent data for analysis and comparison. In Feb-
ruary 1855, the patient mortality rate at the military
hospital in Scutari was 42 percent. As a result of Night-
ingale’s changes, by June of that year the mortality
rate had decreased to 2.2 percent.
To present these data in a persuasive manner, she developed a
new type of
graphic display, the polar area diagram. The diagram was a pie
chart with a monthly
slice for mortality numbers and their causes displayed in a
different color. A quick
glance at the diagram “showed that except for the bloodiest
month in the siege of
Sevastopol, battle deaths take up a very small portion of each
slice,” notes Lienhard
O V E RV I E W
This chapter provides the background and historical
context for performance improvement—which is not
a new concept. Several of the tools, techniques, and
philosophies outlined in this text are based in past
efforts. Although the terminology has changed, many
of the core concepts remain the same.
The major topics in this chapter include the
following:
• Background for understanding operations
management
• Systems thinking and knowledge-based
management
• Scientific management
• Project management
• Introduction to quality, and quality experts of
note
• Philosophies of performance improvement,
including Six Sigma, Lean, and others
• Introduction to supply chain management
• Introduction to big data and analytics
Although these tools and techniques have been
adapted for contemporary healthcare, their roots
are in the past, and an understanding of this history
(exhibit 2.1) can enable organizations to move success-
fully into the future.
H e a l t h c a r e O p e r a t i o n s M a n a g e m e n t18
(2016). It revealed that “The Russians were a minor enemy. The
real enemies were
cholera, typhus, and dysentery. Once the military looked at that
eloquent graph,
the modern army hospital system was inevitable” (Lienhard
2016).
After the war, Nightingale used the data she had collected to
demonstrate
that the mortality rate in Scutari following her reforms was
significantly lower than
in other British military hospitals. Although the British military
hierarchy was resis-
tant to her changes, the data were convincing and resulted in
reforms to military
hospitals and the establishment of the Royal Commission on the
Health of the Army.
Were she alive today, Nightingale would recognize many of the
philosophies,
tools, and techniques outlined in this text as essentially the
same as those she
employed to achieve lasting reform in hospitals throughout the
world.
Sources: Information from Cohen (1984), Lienhard (2016),
Neuhauser (2003), and Nightingale (1858).
Background
The healthcare industry faces many challenges. The costs of
care and level of
services delivered are increasing; even as the population ages,
we are able to pro-
long lives to an ever greater extent as technology advances and
expertise grows.
The expectation of quality care with zero defects, or failures in
care, is being
pursued by government and other stakeholders, driving the need
for healthcare
providers to produce more of a high-quality product or service
at a reduced
cost. This need can only be met through improved utilization of
resources.
Specifically, providers must offer their services more
effectively and effi-
ciently than at any time in the past by optimizing their use of
limited financial
assets, employees and staff, machines and facilities, and time.
Enter operations management.
Operations management is the design, implementation, and
improve-
ment of the processes and systems that create and deliver the
organization’s
products and services. Operations managers plan and control
delivery processes
and systems within the organization.
Forward-thinking healthcare leaders and professionals have
realized
that the theories, tools, and techniques of operations
management, if properly
applied, can enable their organizations to become efficient and
effective care
delivery environments. However, for many of the aims
identified by the US
healthcare system to be achieved, essentially all healthcare
providers must adopt
these tools and techniques, many of which have enabled other
service indus-
tries and manufacturing sectors to improve efficiency and
effectiveness. The
operations management information presented in this book
should similarly
enable hospitals and other healthcare organizations to design
systems, processes,
products, and services that meet the needs of their stakeholders.
Importantly,
it should also allow continuous improvement in these systems
and services to
keep pace with the quickly changing healthcare landscape.
C h a p t e r 2 : H i s t o r y o f P e r f o r m a n c e I m p r o
v e m e n t 19
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H e a l t h c a r e O p e r a t i o n s M a n a g e m e n t20
To improve systems and processes, however, one must first
know the
system or process and its desired inputs and outputs.
Knowledge-Based Management
This book takes a systems view of service provision and
delivery, as illustrated
in exhibit 2.2, and focuses on knowledge-based management
(KBM)—using
data and information toward basing management decisions on
facts rather than
on feelings or intuition—to frame that view. The improvement
in computer
systems and new analytical approaches support the increased
use of KBM,
especially in terms of building a knowledge hierarchy.
The knowledge hierarchy relates to the learning that ultimately
under-
pins KBM. As illustrated in exhibit 2.3, the knowledge
hierarchy consists of
the following five categories (Zeleny 1987):
Knowledge
hierarchy
The foundation of
knowledge-based
management,
composed of five
categories of
learning: data,
information,
knowledge,
understanding,
and wisdom.
Feedback
Transformation
process
Labor
Material
Machines
Management
Capital
Goods or
services
TUPTUOTUPNI
EXHIBIT 2.2
Systems View
of the Provision
of Services for
Purposes of
This Book
Im
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Understanding
Wisdom
morals
principles
patterns
relationships
Knowledge
Learning
Information
Data
EXHIBIT 2.3
Knowledge
Hierarchy
C h a p t e r 2 : H i s t o r y o f P e r f o r m a n c e I m p r o
v e m e n t 21
1. Data. Symbols or raw numbers that simply exist; they have
no structure
or organization. Entities collect data with their computer
systems;
individuals collect data through their experiences. At this stage
of the
hierarchy, one can presume to know nothing because raw data
alone are
not adequate for decision making.
2. Information. Data that are organized or processed to have
meaning.
Information can be useful, but it is not necessarily useful. It can
answer
such questions as who, what, where, and when—in other words,
know
what.
3. Knowledge. Information that is deliberately useful.
Knowledge enables
decision making—know how.
4. Understanding. A mental frame that allows use of what is
known and
enables the development of new knowledge. Understanding
represents
the difference between learning and memorizing—know why.
5. Wisdom. A high-level stage that adds moral and ethical views
to
understanding. Wisdom answers questions to which there is no
known
correct answer and, in some cases, to which there will never be
a known
correct answer—know right.
A simple example may help explain this hierarchy. Say your
height is
67 inches and your weight is 175 pounds (data). You have a
body mass index
(BMI) of 26.7 (information). A healthy BMI is 18.5 to 25.5
(knowledge).
Your BMI is high, and to be healthy you should lower it
(understanding). You
begin a diet and exercise program and lower your BMI
(wisdom).
Finnie (1997, 24) summarizes the relationships in the hierarchy
and
notes our tendency to focus on its less important levels:
We talk about the accumulation of information, but we fail to
distinguish between
data, information, knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. An
ounce of information
is worth a pound of data, an ounce of knowledge is worth a
pound of information,
an ounce of understanding is worth a pound of knowledge, an
ounce of wisdom is
worth a pound of understanding. In the past, our focus has been
inversely related to
importance. We have focused mainly on data and information, a
little bit on knowl-
edge, nothing on understanding, and virtually less than nothing
on wisdom.
Knowledge Through the Ages
The roots of the knowledge hierarchy can be traced to
eighteenth-century
philosopher Immanuel Kant, much of whose work attempted to
address the
questions of what and how we can know.
The two major philosophical movements that significantly
influenced
Kant were empiricism and rationalism (McCormick 2006). The
empiricists,
most notably John Locke, argued that human knowledge
originates in one’s
H e a l t h c a r e O p e r a t i o n s M a n a g e m e n t22
experiences. According to Locke, the mind is a blank slate that
fills with ideas
through its interaction with the world. The rationalists,
including Descartes
and Galileo, argued that the world is knowable through an
analysis of ideas
and logical reasoning. Both the empiricists and the rationalists
viewed the mind
as passive, either by receiving ideas onto a blank slate or
because it possesses
innate ideas that can be logically analyzed.
Kant joined these philosophical ideologies by arguing that
experience leads
to knowing only if the mind provides a structure for those
experiences. Although
the idea that the rational mind plays a role in defining reality is
now common,
in Kant’s time this was a major insight into what and how we
know. Knowledge
does not flow from our experiences alone, nor only from our
ability to reason;
rather, knowledge flows from our ability to apply reasoning to
our experiences.
Relating Kant’s philosophy to the knowledge hierarchy, data are
our
experiences, information is obtained through logical reasoning,
and knowledge
is obtained when we apply structured reasoning to data to
acquire knowledge
(Ressler and Ahrens 2006).
The intent of this text is to enable readers to gain knowledge.
We discuss
tools and techniques that allow the application of logical
reasoning to data
toward obtaining knowledge and using it to make decisions.
This knowledge
and understanding should help the reader provide healthcare in
an efficient
and effective manner.
History of Scientific Management
Frederick Taylor (whose work is covered in more detail later in
the chapter)
originated the term scientific management in The Principles of
Scientific Man-
agement (Taylor 1911). Scientific management methods called
for eliminating
the old rule-of-thumb, individual way of performing work and,
through study
and optimization of the work, replacing the varied methods with
the one “best”
way of performing the work to improve productivity and
efficiency. Today, the
term scientific management has been replaced with operations
management,
but the concept is similar: Study the process or system and
determine ways to
optimize it to achieve improved efficiency and effectiveness.
Mass Production
The Industrial Revolution and mass production set the stage for
much of Tay-
lor’s work. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, individual
craftsmen performed
all tasks necessary to produce a good using their own tools and
procedures.
In the eighteenth century, Adam Smith advocated for the
division of labor—
increasing work efficiency through specialization. To support a
division of
labor, a large number of workers are brought together, and each
performs a
specific task related to the production of a good. Thus, the
factory system of
Scientific
management
A disciplined
approach to
studying a system
or process and
then using data
to optimize it to
achieve improved
efficiency and
effectiveness.
C h a p t e r 2 : H i s t o r y o f P e r f o r m a n c e I m p r o
v e m e n t 23
mass production was born, and Henry Ford’s assembly line
eventually emerged,
making industrial conditions ripe for Taylor to introduce
scientific management.
Mass production allows for significant economies of scale, as
predicted
by Smith. Before Ford set up his moving assembly line, each car
chassis was
assembled by a single worker and took about 12½ hours to
produce. After the
introduction of the assembly line, this time was reduced to 93
minutes (Bellis
2006). The standardization of products and work ushered in by
the assembly
line not only led to a reduction in the time needed to produce
cars but also
significantly reduced the costs of production. The selling price
of the Model
T fell from $1,000 to $360 between 1908 and 1916 (Simkin
2005), allowing
Ford to capture a large portion of the market.
Although Ford is commonly credited with introducing the
moving
assembly line and mass production in modern times, both
processes were
in practice several hundred years earlier. The Venetian Arsenal
of the 1500s
employed 16,000 people and produced nearly one ship every
day (NationMas-
ter.com 2004). Ships were mass produced using
premanufactured, standardized
parts on a floating assembly line (Schmenner 2001).
One of the first examples of mass production in the healthcare
industry
is Shouldice Hospital (Heskett 2003). Much like Ford, who is
commonly cited
as saying people could have the Model T in any color, “so long
as it’s black,”
Shouldice, founded in 1945 in Toronto, performs just one type
of surgery—
routine hernia operations—and it continues to thrive with its
unique approach
(Heskett 2003).
Furthermore, evidence is growing in healthcare that level of
experience in
treating specific illnesses and conditions affects the outcome of
that care. Higher
volumes of cases often result in better outcomes (Halm, Lee,
and Chassin 2002).
Specifically, the additional practice associated w ith higher
volume results in bet-
ter outcomes. The idea of “practice makes perfect,” or learning-
curve effects,
has led organizations such as the Leapfrog Group (made up of
organizations
that provide healthcare benefits) to list patient volume among
its criteria for
quality (Halm, Lee, and Chassin 2002). The Agency for
Healthcare Research
and Quality (AHRQ) report Localizing Care to High-Volume
Centers devotes an
entire chapter to this issue and its impact on medical practice
(Auerbach 2001).
Frederick Taylor
Taylor began his work when mass production and the factory
system were in
their infancy. He believed that US industry was “wasting”
human effort and
that, as a result, national efficiency (now called productivity)
was significantly
lower than it could be. The introduction to The Principles of
Scientific Manage-
ment (Taylor 1911) illustrates his intent:
[O]ur larger wastes of human effort, which go on every day
through such of our acts
as are blundering, ill-directed, or inefficient, and which Mr.
[Theodore] Roosevelt
H e a l t h c a r e O p e r a t i o n s M a n a g e m e n t24
refers to as a lack of “national efficiency,” are less visible, less
tangible, and are but
vaguely appreciated. . . . This paper has been written:
First. To point out, through a series of simple illustrations, the
great loss which the
whole country is suffering through inefficiency in almost all of
our daily acts.
Second. To try to convince the reader that the remedy for this
inefficiency lies in
systematic management, rather than in searching for some
unusual or extraordinary
man [referring to the so-called great man theory prevalent at the
time].
Third. To prove that the best management is a true science,
resting upon clearly
defined laws, rules, and principles, as a foundation. And further
to show that the
fundamental principles of scientific management are applicable
to all kinds of human
activities, from our simplest individual acts to the work of our
great corporations,
which call for the most elaborate cooperation. And, briefly,
through a series of illus-
trations, to convince the reader that whenever these principles
are correctly applied,
results must follow which are truly astounding.
Note that Taylor specifically mentions systems management as
opposed
to the individual; this is a common theme that we revisit
throughout this book.
Rather than focusing on individuals as the cause of problems
and the source
of solutions, emphasis is placed on systems and their
optimization.
Taylor believed that much waste was the result of what he
called “sol-
diering,” which today might be thought of as slacking. Further,
he believed
that the underlying causes of soldiering were as follows (Taylor
1911):
First. The fallacy, which has from time immemorial been almost
universal among
workmen, that a material increase in the output of each man or
each machine in
the trade would result in the end in throwing a large number of
men out of work.
Second. The defective systems of management which are in
common use, and which
make it necessary for each workman to soldier, or work slowly,
in order that he may
protect his own best interests.
Third. The inefficient rule-of-thumb methods, which are still
almost universal in all
trades, and in practicing which our workmen waste a large part
of their effort.
To eliminate soldiering, Taylor proposed instituting incentive
schemes.
While at Midvale Steel Company, he used time studies to set
daily production
quotas. Incentives were paid to those workers who reached their
daily goals,
and those who did not reach their goals were paid significantly
less. Productiv-
ity at Midvale doubled. Not surprisingly, Taylor’s ideas
produced considerable
backlash. The resistance to increasingly popular pay-for-
performance programs
in healthcare today is analogous to that experienced by Taylor.
Taylor believed that “one best way” existed to perform any task
and
that careful study and analysis would lead to the discovery of
that way. For
C h a p t e r 2 : H i s t o r y o f P e r f o r m a n c e I m p r o
v e m e n t 25
example, while at Bethlehem Steel Corporation, he studied the
shoveling of
coal. Using time studies and a careful analysis of how the work
was performed,
he determined that the optimal amount of coal per shovel load
was 21 pounds.
Taylor then developed shovels that would hold exactly 21
pounds for each
type of coal; workers had previously supplied their own shovels
(NetMBA.com
2005). He also determined the ideal work rate and rest periods
to ensure that
workers could shovel all day without fatigue. As a result of
Taylor’s improved
methods, Bethlehem Steel was able to reduce the number of
workers shoveling
coal from 500 to 140 (Nelson 1980).
Taylor’s four principles of scientific management are to
1. develop and standardize work methods on the basis of
scientific study,
and use these to replace individual rule-of-thumb methods;
2. select, train, and develop workers rather than allowing them
to choose
their own tasks and train themselves;
3. develop a spirit of cooperation between management and
workers
to ensure that the scientifically developed work methods are
both
sustainable and implemented on a continuing basis; and
4. divide work between management and workers so that each
has an
equal share, where management plans the work and workers
perform
the work.
Although some would be problematic today—particularly the
notion
that workers are “machinelike” and motivated solely by
money—many of
Taylor’s ideas can be seen in the foundations of newer
initiatives such as Six
Sigma and Lean, two important quality improvement approaches
discussed in
depth later in the book.
Frank and Lillian Gilbreth
The Gilbreths were contemporaries of Frederick Taylor. Frank,
who worked
in the construction industry, noticed that no two bricklayers
performed their
tasks the same way. He believed that bricklaying could be
standardized and the
one best way determined. He studied the work of bricklaying
and analyzed the
workers’ motions, finding much unnecessary stooping, walking,
and reaching.
He eliminated these motions by developing an adjustable
scaffold designed
to hold both bricks and mortar (Taylor 1911). As a result of this
and other
improvements, Frank Gilbreth reduced the number of motions in
bricklaying
from 18 to 5 (International Work Simplification Institute 1968)
and raised out-
put from 1,000 to 2,700 bricks a day (Perkins 1997). He applied
what he had
learned from his bricklaying experiments to other industries and
types of work.
In his study of surgical operations, Frank Gilbreth found that
doctors
spent more time searching for instruments than performing the
surgery. He
H e a l t h c a r e O p e r a t i o n s M a n a g e m e n t26
developed a technique still seen in operating rooms today:
When the doctor
needs an instrument, he extends his hand, palm up, and asks for
the instru-
ment, which is then placed in his hand. This technique
eliminates searching
for the instrument and allows the doctor to stay focused on the
surgical area,
thus reducing surgical time (Perkins 1997).
Frank and Lillian Gilbreth may be more familiarly known as the
parents
in the book Cheaper by the Dozen (Gilbreth and Carey 1948)
(which was made
into a movie by the same title in 1950 and remade in 2003). The
Gilbreths
incorporated many of their time-saving ideas in their family as
well. For example,
they bought just one type of sock for all 12 of their children,
thus eliminating
time-consuming sorting.
Scientific Management Today
Scientific management fell out of favor during the Depression,
partly because
of the sense that it dehumanized employees, but mainly because
of a general
belief in society that productivity improvements resulted in
downsizing and
increased unemployment. Not until World War II did scientific
management,
renamed operations research, see a resurgence of interest.
In healthcare today, standardized methods and procedures are
used to
reduce costs and increase the quality of outcomes. Specialized
equipment has
been developed to speed procedures and reduce labor costs. In a
sense, we are
still searching for the one best way. However, we must heed the
lessons of the
past. If the tools of operations management are perceived to be
dehumanizing
or to result in downsizing by healthcare organizations, their
implementation
will meet significant resistance.
Project Management
The discipline of project management began with the
development of the Gantt
chart in the early twentieth century. Henry Gantt worked closely
with Frederick
Taylor at Midvale Steel and in Navy ship construction during
World War I.
From this work, he developed bar graphs to illustrate the
duration of project
tasks and display scheduled and actual progress. These Gantt
charts were used
to help manage large projects, including construction of the
Hoover Dam,
and proved to be such a powerful tool that they are commonly
used today.
Although Gantt charts were originally adopted to track large
projects, they
are not ideal for very large, complicated projects because they
do not explicitly
show precedence relationships, that is, what tasks need to be
completed before
other tasks can start. In the 1950s, two mathematic project
scheduling techniques
were developed: the program evaluation and review technique
(PERT) and
the critical path method (CPM). Both techniques begin by
developing a project
network showing the precedence relationships among tasks and
task duration.
Program
evaluation and
review technique
(PERT)
A graphic
technique to
link and analyze
all tasks within
a project; the
resulting graph
helps optimize the
project’s schedule.
Critical path
method (CPM)
The critical path
is the longest
course through
a graph of linked
tasks in a project.
The critical path
method is used to
reduce the total
time of a project
by decreasing the
duration of tasks
on the critical path.
C h a p t e r 2 : H i s t o r y o f P e r f o r m a n c e I m p r o
v e m e n t 27
PERT was developed by the US Navy to address the desire to
acceler-
ate the Polaris missile program. This “need for speed” was
precipitated by
the Soviet launch of Sputnik, the first space satellite. PERT
uses a probability
distribution (the beta distribution), rather than a point estimate,
for the dura-
tion of each project task. The probability of completing the
entire project in a
given amount of time can then be determined. This technique is
most useful
for estimating project completion time when task times are
uncertain and for
evaluating risks to project completion prior to the start of a
project.
The CPM technique was developed at the same time as PERT by
the
DuPont and Remington Rand corporations to manage plant
maintenance
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
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Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
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Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
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Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
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Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
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Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
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Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
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Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
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Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
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Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
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Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
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Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
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Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
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Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
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Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
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Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
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Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
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Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
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Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
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Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
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Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
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Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
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Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
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Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more
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Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more

  • 1. Health equity will gain increasing visibility, but little more Michael Daley Hs Summary of the prediction Health equity will acquire greater attention, but not that much. The COVID-19 epidemic brought to light and highlighted the fact that our country is experiencing a health equity catastrophe. COVID-19 continues to unfairly impact low-income areas and ethnic minorities due to structural imbalances. President Biden's health equity special team will be led by Yale University scholar Marcella Nunez-Smith, indicating that health equity will be a priority for the current regime. Knowledge-based explanation The process of discovering which health-related interventions are helpful in individuals or groups, how beneficial they are And how well they can be implemented successfully for successful adoption is referred to as prevention science. Policy changes are used in primary prevention efforts to enhance access to healthcare, needed pharmaceuticals, and nutritional meals.
  • 2. Knowledge-based explanation A health transition is a change in a general population’s state of health that typically happens in tandem with socioeconomic growth in developing countries. This health transition is needed for health equity. According to a recent review of pharmacy data, African- American and Latino health plan participants perform worse on key indicators of treatment outcomes than Caucasians Organizations SCAN Group and SCAN Health Plan, are working towards health equity They are establishing company-wide objectives in order to better their results. Scientific management Integrating health equality concerns into policy and programmers, partnering with other areas to address disparities, interacting with community to ensure their initiatives to solve disparities, and recognizing the lowering of health disparities are all ways that public health can help to reduce health disparities. Collaboration, policy reform advocacy, good management, and nursing teaching are all important parts of the medical staff's role in eliminating health inequities.
  • 3. Relationship Between Scientific management theory and the prediction The scientific management philosophy aimed to boost the effectiveness of each individual in an organization. Public health care should be made accessible and affordable to low income individuals by setting up campaigns and initiatives to make sure they know where the services are provided Equal treatment should be given to all. No discrimination Doctors, nurses as well as other medical staff should make sure all the patients and people in their communities are getting equal treatment References Sachin H. (2020). Top 10 Healthcare Industry Predictions For 2021.Forbes.https://www.forbes.com/sites/sachinjain/2020/12/1 6/top-10-healthcare-industry-predictions for-the-year- 2021/?sh=146b895d2d07 WHO. (2020). Equitable Access to Safe and Effective Vaccines .https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus- McFarland A, MacDonald E (2019) Role of the nurse in identifying and addressing health inequalities. Nursing Standard. doi: 10.7748/ns.2019.e11341 Pauly, B.(., MacDonald, M., Hancock, T. et al. Reducing health inequities: the contribution of core public health services in BC. BMC Public Health 13, 550 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-13-550
  • 4. Daniel B. McLaughlin John R. Olson Healthcare Operations Management T h i r d E d i T i o n AUPHA/HAP Editorial Board for Graduate Studies Nir Menachemi, PhD, Chairman Indiana University LTC Lee W. Bewley, PhD, FACHE University of Louisville Jan Clement, PhD Virginia Commonwealth University Michael Counte, PhD St. Louis University Joseph F. Crosby Jr., PhD Armstrong Atlantic State University
  • 5. Mark L. Diana, PhD Tulane University Peter D. Jacobson, JD University of Michigan Brian J. Nickerson, PhD Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Mark A. Norrell, FACHE Indiana University Maia Platt, PhD University of Detroit Mercy Debra Scammon, PhD University of Utah Tina Smith University of Toronto Carla Stebbins, PhD Des Moines University Cynda M. Tipple, FACHE Marymount University Health Administration Press, Chicago, Illinois Association of University Programs in Health Administration, Washington, DC
  • 6. Your board, staff, or clients may also benefit from this book’s insight. For more information on quantity discounts, contact the Health Administration Press Marketing Manager at (312) 424-9450. This publication is intended to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold, or otherwise provided, with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering professional services. If professional advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. The statements and opinions contained in this book are strictly those of the authors and do not represent the official positions of the American College of Healthcare Executives, the Foundation of the American College of Healthcare Executives, or the Association of University Programs in Health Administration. Copyright © 2017 by the Foundation of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Printed in the United States of America. All rights reserved. This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form without written permission of the publisher. 21 20 19 18 17 5 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: McLaughlin, Daniel B., 1945– author. | Olson, John R. (Professor), author.
  • 7. Title: Healthcare operations management / Daniel B. McLaughlin and John R. Olson. Description: Third edition. | Chicago, Illinois : Health Administration Press; Washington, DC : Association of University Programs in Health Administration, [2017] | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2016046001 (print) | LCCN 2016046925 (ebook) | ISBN 9781567938517 (alk. paper) | ISBN 9781567938524 (ebook) | ISBN 9781567938531 (xml) | ISBN 9781567938548 (epub) | ISBN 9781567938555 (mobi) Subjects: LCSH: Medical care—Quality control. | Health services administration—Quality control. | Organizational effectiveness. | Total quality management. Classification: LCC RA399.A1 M374 2017 (print) | LCC RA399.A1 (ebook) | DDC 362.1068— dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016046001 The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984. ∞ ™ Acquisitions editor: Janet Davis; Project manager: Joyce Dunne; Cover designer: James Slate; Layout: Cepheus Edmondson Found an error or a typo? We want to know! Please e-mail it to [email protected], mentioning the book’s title and putting “Book Error” in the subject line. For photocopying and copyright information, please contact Copyright Clearance Center at
  • 8. www.copyright.com or at (978) 750-8400. Health Administration Press Association of University Programs A division of the Foundation of the American in Health Administration College of Healthcare Executives 1730 M Street, NW One North Franklin Street, Suite 1700 Suite 407 Chicago, IL 60606-3529 Washington, DC 20036 (312) 424-2800 (202) 763-7283 To my wife, Sharon, and daughters, Kelly and Katie, for their love and support throughout my career. —Dan McLaughlin To my father, Adolph Olson, who passed away in 2011. Your strength as you battled cancer inspired me to change and educate others about our healthcare system. —John Olson The first edition of this book was coauthored by Julie Hays. During the final stages of the completion of the book, Julie unexpectedly died. As Dr. Christopher Puto, dean of the Opus College of Business at the University of St. Thomas, said, “Julie cared deeply about students and their learning experience, and she was an accomplished scholar who was well respected by her peers.” This book is a final
  • 9. tribute to Julie’s accomplished career and is dedicated to her legacy. —Dan McLaughlin and John Olson vii BRIEF CONTENTS Preface ............................................................................................... .......xv Part I Introduction to Healthcare Operations Chapter 1. The Challenge and the Opportunity .................................. 3 Chapter 2. History of Performance Improvement ............................. 17 Chapter 3. Evidence-Based Medicine and Value-Based Purchasing .... 45 Part II Setting Goals and Executing Strategy Chapter 4. Strategy and the Balanced Scorecard ................................ 71 Chapter 5. Project Management ....................................................... 97
  • 10. Part III Performance Improvement Tools, Techniques, and Programs Chapter 6. Tools for Problem Solving and Decision Making ........... 135 Chapter 7. Statistical Thinking and Statistical Problem Solving ........ 167 Chapter 8. Healthcare Analytics ..................................................... 203 Chapter 9. Quality Management: Focus on Six Sigma ..................... 221 Chapter 10. The Lean Enterprise ...................................................... 255 Part IV Applications to Contemporary Healthcare Operations Issues Chapter 11. Process Improvement and Patient Flow ......................... 281 Chapter 12. Scheduling and Capacity Management ........................... 323 Chapter 13. Supply Chain Management ............................................ 345 Chapter 14. Improving Financial Performance with Operations Management ................................................................. 369
  • 11. viii B r i e f C o n t e n t s Part V Putting It All Together for Operational Excellence Chapter 15. Holding the Gains ......................................................... 391 Glossary ............................................................................................... .. 411 Index ............................................................................................... ...... 419 About the Authors ................................................................................... 437 ix DETAILED CONTENTS Preface ............................................................................................... .......xv Part I Introduction to Healthcare Operations Chapter 1. The Challenge and the Opportunity .................................. 3 Overview .......................................................................... 3 The Purpose of This Book ................................................. 3 The Challenge ................................................................... 4 The Opportunity .............................................................. 6 A Systems Look at Healthcare ........................................... 8 An Integrating Framework for Operations Management
  • 12. in Healthcare .............................................................. 12 Conclusion ...................................................................... 15 Discussion Questions ...................................................... 15 References ....................................................................... 15 Chapter 2. History of Performance Improvement ............................. 17 Operations Management in Action .................................. 17 Overview ........................................................................ 17 Background..................................................................... 18 Knowledge-Based Management ....................................... 20 History of Scientific Management .................................... 22 Project Management ....................................................... 26 Introduction to Quality ................................................... 27 Philosophies of Performance Improvement ...................... 34 Supply Chain Management .............................................. 38 Big Data and Analytics .................................................... 40 Conclusion ...................................................................... 41 Discussion Questions ...................................................... 41 References ....................................................................... 42 Chapter 3. Evidence-Based Medicine and Value-Based Purchasing .... 45 Operations Management in Action .................................. 45 x D e t a i l e d C o n t e n t s Overview ........................................................................ 45 Evidence-Based Medicine ................................................ 46 Tools to Expand the Use of Evidence-Based Medicine ..... 54 Clinical Decision Support ................................................ 59 The Future of Evidence-Based Medicine and Value
  • 13. Purchasing .................................................................. 62 Vincent Valley Hospital and Health System and Pay for Performance ............................................................... 63 Conclusion ...................................................................... 64 Discussion Questions ...................................................... 64 Note ............................................................................... 64 References ....................................................................... 65 Part II Setting Goals and Executing Strategy Chapter 4. Strategy and the Balanced Scorecard ................................ 71 Operations Management in Action .................................. 71 Overview ........................................................................ 71 Moving Strategy to Execution ......................................... 72 The Balanced Scorecard in Healthcare ............................ 75 The Balanced Scorecard as Part of a Strategic Management System ................................................... 76 Elements of the Balanced Scorecard System ..................... 76 Conclusion ...................................................................... 93 Discussion Questions ...................................................... 93 Exercises ......................................................................... 94 References ....................................................................... 94 Further Reading .............................................................. 95 Chapter 5. Project Management ....................................................... 97 Operations Management in Action ................................. 97 Overview ........................................................................ 97 Definition of a Project ..................................................... 99 Project Selection and Chartering ................................... 100 Project Scope and Work Breakdown .............................. 107 Scheduling .................................................................... 113 Project Control ............................................................. 117
  • 14. Quality Management, Procurement, the Project Management Office, and Project Closure .................. 120 Agile Project Management ............................................ 124 Innovation Centers ........................................................ 125 xiD e t a i l e d C o n t e n t s The Project Manager and Project Team ......................... 126 Conclusion .................................................................... 129 Discussion Questions .................................................... 129 Exercises ........................................ ............................... 129 References ..................................................................... 130 Further Reading ............................................................ 130 Part III Performance Improvement Tools, Techniques, and Programs Chapter 6. Tools for Problem Solving and Decision Making ........... 135 Operations Management in Action ................................ 135 Overview ...................................................................... 135 Decision-Making Framework ......................................... 136 Mapping Techniques ..................................................... 138 Problem Identification Tools ......................................... 143 Analytical Tools ............................................................. 153 Implementation: Force Field Analysis ............................ 162 Conclusion .................................................................... 163 Discussion Questions .............................................. ...... 163 Exercises ....................................................................... 164 References ..................................................................... 165 Chapter 7. Statistical Thinking and Statistical Problem Solving ........ 167
  • 15. Operations Management in Action ................................ 167 Overview: Statistical Thinking in Healthcare .................. 167 Foundations of Data Analysis ......................................... 169 Graphic Tools ................................................................ 169 Mathematical Descriptions ............................................ 174 Probability .................................................................... 178 Confidence Intervals and Hypothesis Testing ................. 185 Simple Linear Regression............................................... 192 Conclusion .................................................................... 198 Discussion Questions .................................................... 199 Exercises ....................................................................... 199 References ..................................................................... 201 Chapter 8. Healthcare Analytics ...................................................... 203 Operations Management in Action ................................ 203 Overview ...................................................................... 203 What Is Analytics in Healthcare? .................................... 203 Introduction to Data Analytics ...................................... 205 xii D e t a i l e d C o n t e n t s Data Visualization ......................................................... 209 Data Mining for Discovery ............................................ 214 Conclusion .................................................................... 217 Discussion Questions .................................................... 218 Note ............................................................................. 218 References .................................................................... 219 Chapter 9. Quality Management—Focus on Six Sigma ................... 221 Operations Management in Action ................................ 221 Overview ...................................................................... 221 Defining Quality ........................................................... 222
  • 16. Cost of Quality .............................................................. 223 The Six Sigma Quality Program ......................... ............ 225 Additional Quality Tools ............................................... 240 Riverview Clinic Six Sigma Generic Drug Project .......... 245 Conclusion .................................................................... 250 Discussion Questions .................................................... 250 Exercises ....................................................................... 250 References ..................................................................... 253 Chapter 10. The Lean Enterprise ...................................................... 255 Operations Management in Action ................................ 255 Overview ...................................................................... 255 What Is Lean? ............................................................... 256 Types of Waste .............................................................. 257 Kaizen ........................................................................... 259 Value Stream Mapping .................................................. 259 Additional Measures and Tools ...................................... 261 The Merging of Lean and Six Sigma Programs .............. 274 Conclusion .................................................................... 276 Discussion Questions .................................................... 276 Exercises ....................................................................... 277 References ..................................................................... 277 Part IV Applications to Contemporary Healthcare Operations Issues Chapter 11. Process Improvement and Patient Flow ......................... 281 Operations Management in Action ................................ 281 Overview ...................................................................... 281 Problem Types .............................................................. 282 Patient Flow .................................................................. 283
  • 17. xiiiD e t a i l e d C o n t e n t s Process Improvement Approaches ................................. 284 The Science of Lines: Queuing Theory ......................... 292 Process Improvement in Practice ................................... 304 Conclusion .................................................................... 318 Discussion Questions .................................................... 319 Exercises ....................................................................... 319 References ..................................................................... 320 Further Reading ............................................................ 321 Chapter 12. Scheduling and Capacity Management ........................... 323 Operations Management in Action ................................ 323 Overview ...................................................................... 323 Hospital Census and Rough-Cut Capacity Planning ...... 324 Staff Scheduling ............................................................ 326 Job and Operation Scheduling and Sequencing Rules .... 330 Patient Appointment Scheduling Models ....................... 334 Advanced-Access Patient Scheduling .............................. 337 Conclusion .................................................................... 341 Discussion Questions .................................................... 341 Exercises ....................................................................... 341 References ..................................................................... 342 Chapter 13. Supply Chain Management ............................................ 345 Operations Management in Action ................................ 345 Overview ...................................................................... 345 Supply Chain Management ............................................ 346 Tracking and Managing Inventory ................................. 347 Demand Forecasting ..................................................... 349 Order Amount and Timing ........................................... 354 Inventory Systems ......................................................... 362 Procurement and Vendor Relationship Management ...... 364 Strategic View ............................................................... 364
  • 18. Conclusion .................................................................... 365 Discussion Questions .................................................... 366 Exercises ....................................................................... 366 References ................................... .................................. 368 Chapter 14. Improving Financial Performance with Operations Management ................................................................. 369 Operations Management in Action ................................ 369 Overview: The Financial Pressure for Change ................ 369 xiv D e t a i l e d C o n t e n t s Making Ends Meet on Medicare and the Pressure of Narrow Networks ..................................................... 370 Conclusion .................................................................... 386 Discussion Questions .................................................... 386 Exercises ....................................................................... 387 Note ............................................................................. 387 References ..................................................................... 387 Part V Putting It All Together for Operational Excellence Chapter 15. Holding the Gains ......................................................... 391 Overview ...................................................................... 391 Approaches to Holding Gains ........................................ 391 Which Tools to Use: A General Algorithm ..................... 397 Data and Statistics ......................................................... 404 Operational Excellence .................................................. 405 The Healthcare Organization of the Future ................... 407 Conclusion .................................................................... 408 Discussion Questions .................................................... 408 Case Study .................................................................... 409
  • 19. References ..................................................................... 410 Glossary ............................................................................................... .. 411 Index ............................................................................................... ...... 419 About the Authors ................................................................................... 437 xv PREFACE This book is intended to help healthcare professionals meet the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities found in healthcare today. We believe that the answers to many of the dilemmas faced by the US healthcare system, such as increasing costs, inadequate access, and uneven quality, lie in organizational operations—the nuts and bolts of healthcare delivery. The healthcare arena is filled with opportunities for significant operational improvements. We hope that this book encourages healthcare management students and working profession- als to find ways to improve the management and delivery of healthcare, thereby increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of tomorrow’s healthcare system.
  • 20. Many industries outside healthcare have successfully used the programs, techniques, and tools of operations improvement for decades. Leading health- care organizations have now begun to employ the same tools. Although numer- ous other operations management texts are available, few focus on healthcare operations, and none takes an integrated approach. Students interested in healthcare process improvement have difficulty seeing the applicability of the science of operations management when most texts focus on widgets and production lines rather than on patients and providers. This book covers the basics of operations improvement and provides an overview of the significant trends in the healthcare industry. We focus on the strategic implementation of process improvement programs, techniques, and tools in the healthcare environment, with its complex web of reimburse- ment systems, physician relations, workforce challenges, and governmental regulations. This integrated approach helps healthcare professionals gain an understanding of strategic operations management and, more important, its applicability to the healthcare field. How This Book Is Organized We have organized this book into five parts:
  • 21. 1. Introduction to Healthcare Operations 2. Setting Goals and Executing Strategy 3. Performance Improvement Tools, Techniques, and Programs xvi P r e f a c e 4. Applications to Contemporary Healthcare Operations Issues 5. Putting It All Together for Operational Excellence Although this structure is helpful for most readers, each chapter also stands alone, and the chapters can be covered or read in any order that makes sense for a particular course or student. The first part of the book, Introduction to Healthcare Operations, begins with an overview of the challenges and opportunities found in today’s healthcare environment (chapter 1). We follow with a history of the field of management science and operations improvement (chapter 2). Next, we discuss two of the most influential environmental changes facing healthcare today: evidence-based medicine and value-based purchasing, or simply value purchasing (chapter 3). In part II, Setting Goals and Executing Strategy, chapter 4 highlights the importance of tying the strategic direction of the organization to operational initiatives. This chapter outlines the use of the balanced
  • 22. scorecard technique to execute and monitor these initiatives toward achieving organizational objec- tives. Typically, strategic initiatives are large in scope, and the tools of project management (chapter 5) are needed to successfully manage them. Indeed, the use of project management tools can help to ensure the success of any size project. Strategic focus and project management provide the organizational foundation for the remainder of this book. The next part of the book, Performance Improvement Tools, Tech- niques, and Programs, provides an introduction to basic decision-making and problem-solving processes and describes some of the associated tools (chapter 6). Most performance improvement initiatives (e.g., Six Sigma, Lean) follow these same processes and make use of some or all of the tools discussed in chapter 6. Good decisions and effective solutions are based on facts, not intuition. Chapter 7 provides an overview of data collection processes and analysis tech- niques to enable fact-based decision making. Chapter 8 builds on the statistical approaches of chapter 7 by presenting the new tools of advanced analytics and big data. Six Sigma, Lean, simulation, and supply chain management are
  • 23. specific philosophies or techniques that can be used to improve processes and systems. The Six Sigma methodology (chapter 9) is the latest manifestation of the use of quality improvement tools to reduce variation and errors in a process. The Lean methodology (chapter 10) is focused on eliminating waste in a system or process. The fourth section of the book, Applications to Contemporary Health- care Operations Issues, begins with an integrated approach to applying the various tools and techniques for process improvement in the healthcare environ- ment (chapter 11). We then focus on a special and important case of process improvement: patient scheduling in the ambulatory setting (chapter 12). xviiP r e f a c e Supply chain management extends the boundaries of the hospital or healthcare system to include both upstream suppliers and downstream custom- ers, and this is the focus of chapter 13. The need to “bend” the healthcare cost inflation curve downward is one of the most pressing issues in healthcare today, and the use of operations management tools to achieve this goal is addressed in chapter 14.
  • 24. Part V, Putting It All Together for Operational Excellence, concludes the book with a discussion of strategies for implementing and maintaining the focus on continuous improvement in healthcare organizations (chapter 15). Many features in this book should enhance student understanding and learning. Most chapters begin with a vignette, called Operations Management in Action, that offers a real-world example related to the content of that chapter. Throughout the book, we use a fictitious but realistic organization, Vincent Valley Hospital and Health System, to illustrate the various tools, techniques, and programs discussed. Each chapter concludes with questions for discussion, and parts II through IV include exercises to be solved. We include abundant examples throughout the text of the use of various contemporary software tools essential for effective operations management. Readers will see notes appended to some of the exhibits, for example, that indicate what software was used to create charts, graphs, and so on from the data provided. Healthcare leaders and managers must be experts in the appli- cation of these tools and stay current with the latest versions. Just as we ask healthcare providers to stay up-to-date with the latest clinical advances, so too
  • 25. must healthcare managers stay current with basic software tools. Acknowledgments A number of people contributed to this work. Dan McLaughlin would like to thank his many colleagues at the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business. Specifically, Dr. Ernest Owens provided guidance on the project man- agement chapter, and Dr. Michael Sheppeck assisted on the human resources implications of operations improvement. Dean Stefanie Lenway and Associate Dean Michael Garrison encouraged and supported this work and helped create our new Center for Innovation in the Business of Healthcare. Dan would also like to thank the outstanding professionals at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, who provided many of the practical and realistic examples in this book. They continue to be invaluable healthcare resources for all of the residents of Minnesota. John Olson would like to thank his many colleagues at the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business. In addition, he would like to thank the Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA). Attributing much of his under- standing of healthcare analytics to working with the highly professional staff
  • 26. xviii P r e f a c e of the MHA, he wishes to acknowledge Rahul Korrane, Tanya Daniels, Mark Sonneborn, and Julie Apold (now with Optum) as true agents for change in the US healthcare system. The dedicated employees of the Veterans Administration have helped John embrace the challenges that confront healthcare today—in particular Christine Wolohan, Lori Fox, Susan Chattin, Eric James, Denise Lingen, and Carl (Marty) Young of the continuous improvement group, who are helping to create an organization of excellence. John acknowledges their dedication to serving US veterans and the amazing, high-quality service they deliver. John and Dan also want to thank the skilled professionals of Health Administration Press for their support, especially Janet Davis, acquisitions edi- tor, and Joyce Dunne, who edited this third edition. Finally, this book still contains many passages that were written by Julie Hays and are a tribute to her skill and dedication to the field of operations management. Instructor Resources
  • 27. This book’s Instructor Resources include PowerPoint slides; an updated test bank; teaching notes for the end-of-chapter exercises; Excel files and cases for selected chapters; and new case studies, for most chapters, with accompanying teaching notes. Each of the new case studies is one to three pages long and is suitable for one class session or an online learning module. For the most up-to-date information about this book and its Instructor Resources, visit ache.org/HAP and browse for the book’s title or author names. This book’s Instructor Resources are available to instructors who adopt this book for use in their course. For access information, please e-mail [email protected] Student Resources Case studies, exercises, tools, and web links to resources are available at ache.org/books/OpsManagement3. PART INTRODUCTION TO HEALTHCARE OPERATIONS
  • 28. I CHAPTER 3 THE CHALLENGE AND THE OPPORTUNITY The Purpose of This Book Excellence in healthcare derives from four major areas of expertise: clinical care, population health, leadership, and operations. Although clinical expertise, the health of a population, and leadership are critical to an orga- nization’s success, this book focuses on operations—how to deliver high- quality health services in a consistent, efficient manner. Many books cover opera- tional improvement tools, and some focus on using these tools in health- care environments. So why have we devoted a book to the broad topic of healthcare operations? Because we see a need for organizations to adopt an integrated approach to operations improvement that puts all the tools in a logical context and provides a road map for their use. An integrated
  • 29. approach uses a clinical analogy: First, find and diagnose an operations issue. Second, apply the appropriate treat- ment tool to solve the problem. The field of operations research and management science is too deep to cover in one book. In Healthcare Operations Management, only those tools and techniques currently being deployed in leading healthcare organi- zations are covered, in part so that we may describe them in enough detail 1 O V E RV I E W The challenges and opportunities in today’s complex healthcare delivery systems demand that leaders take charge of their opera - tions. A strong operations focus can reduce costs, increase safety—for patients, visitors, and staff alike—improve clinical outcomes, and allow an organization to compete effectively in an aggressive marketplace. In the recent past, success for many organizations in the US healthcare system has been achieved by executing a few critical strate- gies: First, attract and retain talented clinicians. Next, add new
  • 30. technol- ogy and specialty care services. Finally, find new methods to maximize the organization’s reimbursement for these services. In most organiza- tions, new services, not ongoing operations, were the key to success. However, that era is ending. Payer resistance to cost increases and a surge in public reporting on the quality of health- care are forces driving a major change in strategy. The passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010 represented a culmination of these forces. Although portions of this law may be repealed or changed, the general direction of health policy in the United States has been set. To succeed in this new environment, a healthcare enterprise must focus on making significant improvements in its core operations. This book is about improvement and how to get things done.
  • 31. It offers an integrated, systematic approach and set of contemporary operations improvement tools that can be used to make significant gains in any organization. These tools have been successfully deployed in much of the global business community for more than 40 years and now are being used by leading healthcare delivery organizations. This chapter outlines the purpose of the book, identifies challenges that healthcare systems currently face, presents a systems view of healthcare, and provides a comprehensive framework for the use of operations tools and methods in healthcare. Finally, Vincent Valley Hospital and Health System (VVH), the fictional healthcare delivery system used in examples throughout the book, is described. H e a l t h c a r e O p e r a t i o n s M a n a g e m e n t4
  • 32. to enable students and practitioners to use them in their work. Each chap- ter provides many references for further reading and deeper study. We also include additional resources, case studies, exercises, and tools on the companion website that accompanies this book. This book is organized so that each chapter builds on the previous one and is cross-referenced. However, each chapter also stands alone, so a reader interested in Six Sigma can start in chapter 9 and then move to the other chapters in any order he wishes. This book does not specifically explore quality in healthcare as defined by the many agencies that have as their mission to ensure healthcare quality, such as The Joint Commission, the National Committee for Quality Assurance, the National Quality Forum, and some federally funded quali ty improvement organizations. In particular, The Healthcare Quality Book: Vision, Strategy, and Tools (Joshi et al. 2014) delves into this perspective in depth and may be considered a useful companion to this book. However, the systems, tools, and techniques discussed here are essential to completing the operational improve- ments needed to meet the expectations of these quality assurance organizations.
  • 33. The Challenge Health spending is projected to grow 1.3 percent faster per year than the gross domestic product (GDP) between 2015 and 2025. As a result, the health share of GDP is expected to rise from 17.5 percent in 2014 to 20.1 percent by 2025 (CMS 2015). In addition, healthcare spending is placing increasing pressure on the federal budget. In its expenditure report summary, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS 2015) notes that “federal, state and local governments are projected to finance 47 percent of national health spending by 2024 (from 45 percent in 2014).” Despite the high cost, the value delivered by the system has been ques- tioned by many policymakers. For example, unexplained quality variations in healthcare were estimated in 1999 to result in 44,000 to 98,000 preventable deaths every year (IOM 1999). And those problems persist. A 2010 study of hospitals in North Carolina showed a high rate of adverse events, unchanged over time even though hospitals had sought to improve the safety of inpatient care (Landrigan et al. 2010). Clearly, the pace of quality improvement is slow. “National Healthcare Quality Report, 2009,” published by the Agency for Healthcare Research
  • 34. and Quality (AHRQ), reported: “Quality is improving at a slow pace. Of the 33 core measures, two-thirds improved, 14 (42%) with a rate between 1% and 5% per year and 8 (24%) with a rate greater than 5% per year. . . . The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) A federal agency that is part of the Department of Health and Human Services. It provides leadership and funding to identify and communicate the most effective methods to deliver high-quality healthcare in the United States. On the web at ache.org/books/OpsManagement3 C h a p t e r 1 : T h e C h a l l e n g e a n d t h e O p p o r t u n i t y 5 median rate of change was 2% per year. Across all 169 measures, results were
  • 35. similar, although the median rate of change was slightly higher at 2.3% per year” (AHRQ 2010). These problems were studied in the landmark work of the Institute of Medicine (IOM), Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century. The IOM (2001) panel concluded that the knowledge to improve patient care is available, but a gap—a chasm—separates that knowledge from everyday practice. The panel summarized the goals of a new health system in terms of six aims, as described in exhibit 1.1. Although this seminal work was published more than a decade ago, its goals still guide much of the quality improvement effort today. Many healthcare leaders are addressing these issues by capitalizing on proven tools employed by other industries to ensure high performance and quality outcomes. For major change to occur in the US health system, however, these strategies must be adopted by a broad spectrum of healthcare providers and implemented consistently throughout the continuum of care—in ambula- tory, inpatient, acute, and long-term care settings—to undergird population health initiatives. The payers for healthcare must engage with the delivery system to find
  • 36. new ways to partner for improvement. In addition, patients need to assume strong financial and self-care roles in this new system. The ACA and subsequent health policy initiatives provide many new policies to support the achievement of these goals. Although not all of the IOM goals can be accomplished through opera- tional improvements, this book provides methods and tools to actively change the system toward accomplishing several aspects of these aims. Institute of Medicine (IOM) The healthcare arm of the National Academy of Sciences; an independent, nonprofit organization providing unbiased and authoritative advice to decision makers and the public. 1. Safe, avoiding injuries to patients from the care that is intended to help them 2. Effective, providing services based on scientific knowledge to all who could benefit, and refraining from providing services to those
  • 37. not likely to benefit (avoiding underuse and overuse, respectively); 3. Patient centered, providing care that is respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs, and values, and ensuring that patient values guide all clinical decisions; 4. Timely, reducing wait times and harmful delays for both those who receive and those who give care; 5. Efficient, avoiding waste of equipment, supplies, ideas, and energy; and 6. Equitable, providing care that does not vary in quality because of per- sonal characteristics such as gender, ethnicity, geographic location, and socioeconomic status. EXHIBIT 1.1 Six Aims for the US Health System Source: Information from IOM (2001). H e a l t h c a r e O p e r a t i o n s M a n a g e m e n t6 The Opportunity While the current US health system presents numerous
  • 38. challenges, opportuni- ties for improvement are emerging as well. A number of major trends provide hope that significant change is possible. The following trends represent this groundswell: • Informatics systems are maturing, and big data and analytics tools are becoming ever more powerful. • Automation, robots, and the Internet of Things will begin to replace human labor in healthcare. • Supply chains and the relationships among health plans, healthcare systems, and individual providers are changing through mergers, partnerships, and acquisitions. • Primary care is being redesigned with new provider models and new tools, such as telemedicine and mobile applications. • Medicine itself is undergoing rapid change with the adoption of precision medicine tools, such as pharmacogenomics, to individualize patient treatments. • A new emphasis on population health accountability and management will lead to healthier environments and lifestyles. Evidence-Based Medicine
  • 39. The use of evidence-based medicine (EBM) for the delivery of healthcare in the United States is the result of 40 years of work by some of the most progres- sive and thoughtful practitioners in the nation. The movement has produced an array of care guidelines, care patterns, and shared decision- making tools for caregivers and patients. The impact of EBM on care delivery can be powerful. Rotter and col- leagues (2010) reviewed 27 studies worldwide including 11,938 patients and assessed the use of clinical pathways. They found that the cost of care for patients whose treatment was delivered using the pathways was $4,919 per admission less than for those who did not receive pathway-centered care. Comprehensive resources are available to healthcare organizations that wish to emphasize EBM. For example, the National Guideline Clearinghouse (NGC 2016) is a comprehensive database of more than 4,000 evidence-based clinical practice guidelines and related documents. NGC is an initiative of AHRQ, which itself is a division of the US Department of Health and Human Services. NGC was originally created in partnership with the American Medical Association and American Association of Health Plans, now America’s Health Insurance Plans.
  • 40. Evidence-based medicine (EBM) The conscientious and judicious use of the best current evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients. C h a p t e r 1 : T h e C h a l l e n g e a n d t h e O p p o r t u n i t y 7 Big Data and Analytics Healthcare delivery has been slow to adopt information technologies, but many organizations have now implemented electronic health record (EHR) systems and other automated tools. Although implementation of these systems Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) The Institute of Medicine has been a leading advocate for comparative effec- tiveness research, the National Academy of Sciences’ concomitant deploy- ment of EBM. The IOM Roundtable on Value and Science- Driven Healthcare has set a “goal that by the year 2020, 90 percent of clinical decisions will be supported by accurate, timely, and up-to-date clinical information and will reflect the best available evidence” (IOM 2011, 4; emphasis in original).
  • 41. To achieve this end, the IOM Roundtable recommends a sophisticated set of processes and infrastructure, which it describes as follows (IOM 2011, 10). Infrastructure Required for Comparative Effectiveness Research: Common Themes • Care that is effective and efficient stems from the integrity of the infrastructure for learning. • Coordinating work and ensuring standards are key components of the evidence infrastructure. • Learning about effectiveness must continue beyond the transition from testing to practice. • Timely and dynamic evidence of clinical effectiveness requires bridging research and practice. • Current infrastructure planning must build to future needs and opportunities. • Keeping pace with technological innovation compels more
  • 42. than a head- to-head and time-to-time focus. • Real-time learning depends on health information technology investment. • Developing and applying tools that foster real-time data analysis is an important element. • A trained workforce is a vital link in the chain of evidence stewardship. • Approaches are needed that draw effectively on both public and private capacities. • Efficiency and effectiveness compel globalizing evidence and localizing decisions. In short, EBM is the conscientious and judicious use of the best cur- rent evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients. H e a l t h c a r e O p e r a t i o n s M a n a g e m e n t8 has sometimes been organizationally painful, EHRs are now
  • 43. becoming mature enough to have a substantial positive impact on operations. In addition, data science computer engineering has evolved to provide significant new tools in the following areas: • Big data storage and retrieval—high volume, high velocity, and high variety of data types • New analytical tools for reporting and prediction • Portable and wearable devices • Interoperabilty of devices and databases Chapter 8 describes a set of analytical tools to fully utilize these new resources. Active and Engaged Consumers Consumers are assuming new roles in their own care through the use of health education and information and by partnering effectively with their healthcare providers. Personal maintenance of wellness though a healthy lifestyle is one essential component. Understanding one’s disease and treatment options and having an awareness of the cost of care are also important responsibilities of the consumer. Patients are becoming good consumers of healthcare by finding and considering price information when selecting providers and treatments. Many employers now offer high-deductible health plans with
  • 44. accompanying health savings accounts (HSAs). This type of consumer-directed healthcare is likely to grow and increase pressure on providers to deliver cost- effective, customer- sensitive, high-quality care. In addition, the ACA provides new tools for employ- ers to motivate their employees financially to engage in healthy lifestyles. The healthcare delivery system of the future will support and empower active, informed consumers. A Systems Look at Healthcare The Clinical System To participate in the improvement of healthcare operations, healthcare leaders must understand the series of interconnected systems that influence the delivery of clinical care (exhibit 1.2). In the patient care microsystem, the healthcare professional provides hands-on care to the patient. Elements of the clinical microsystem include • the team of health professionals who provide clinical care to the patient, • the tools that the team has at its disposal to diagnose and treat the patient (e.g., imaging capabilities, laboratory tests, drugs), and Health savings account (HSA)
  • 45. A personal monetary account that can only be used for healthcare expenses. The funds are not taxed, and the balance can be rolled over from year to year. HSAs are normally used with high- deductible health insurance plans. Consumer-directed healthcare In general, the consumer (patient) is well informed about healthcare prices and quality and makes personal buying decisions on the basis of this information. The health savings account is frequently included as a key component of consumer-directed healthcare. Patient care
  • 46. microsystem The level of healthcare delivery that includes providers, technology, and treatment processes. C h a p t e r 1 : T h e C h a l l e n g e a n d t h e O p p o r t u n i t y 9 • the logic for determining the appropriate treatments and the processes to deliver that care. Because common conditions (e.g., hypertension) affect a large number of patients, clinical research has been conducted to determine the most effec- tive ways to treat these patients. Therefore, in many cases, the organization and functioning of the microsystem can be optimized. Process improvements can be made at this level to ensure that the most effective, least costly care is delivered. In addition, the use of EBM guidelines can help ensure that the patient receives the correct treatment at the correct time. The organizational infrastructure also influences the effective delivery of care to the patient. Ensuring that providers have the correct tools and skills
  • 47. is an important element of infrastructure. The EHR is one of the most important advances in the clinical micro- system for both process improvement and the wider adoption of EBM. Another key component of infrastructure is the leadership displayed by senior staff. Without leadership, progress and change do not occur. Finally, the environment strongly influences the delivery of care. Key environmental factors include market competition, government regulation, demographics, and payer policies. An organization’s strategy is frequently influ- enced by such factors (e.g., a new regulation from Medicare, a new competitor). Many of the systems concepts regarding healthcare delivery were ini- tially developed by Avedis Donabedian. These fundamental contributions are discussed in depth in chapter 2. Organization Level C Microsystem Level B Patient Level A
  • 48. Environment Level D EXHIBIT 1.2 A Systems View of Healthcare Source: Ransom, Joshi, and Nash (2005). Based on Ferlie, E., and S. M. Shortell. 2001. “Improving the Quality of Healthcare in the United Kingdom and the United States: A Framework for Change.” Milbank Quarterly 79 (2): 281–316. H e a l t h c a r e O p e r a t i o n s M a n a g e m e n t10 System Stability and Change Elements in each layer of this system interact. Peter Senge (1990) provides a useful theory for understanding the interaction of elements in a complex system such as healthcare. In his model, the structure of a system is the primary mecha- nism for producing an outcome. For example, the presence of an organized structure of facilities, trained professionals, supplies, equipment, and EBM care guidelines leads to a high probability of producing an expected clinical outcome. No system is ever completely stable. Each system’s performance is modi- fied and controlled by feedback (exhibit 1.3). Senge (1990, 75) defines feedback as “any reciprocal flow of influence. In systems thinking it is an
  • 49. axiom that every influence is both cause and effect.” As shown in exhibit 1.3, increased salaries provide an incentive for employees to achieve improvement in performance level. This improved performance leads to enhanced financial performance and profitability for the organization, and increased profits provide additional funds for higher salaries, and the cycle continues. Another frequent example in healthcare delivery is patient lab results that directly influence the medication + + + – – Employee motivation Salaries Financial performance, profit Add or reduce staff
  • 50. Actual staffing level Compare actual to needed staff based on patient demand EXHIBIT 1.3 Systems with Reinforcing and Balancing Feedback C h a p t e r 1 : T h e C h a l l e n g e a n d t h e O p p o r t u n i t y 11 ordered by a physician. A third example is a financial report that shows an over-expenditure in one category that prompts a manager to reduce spending to meet budget goals. A more complete definition of a feedback-driven operational system includes an operational process, a sensor that monitors process output, a feed- back loop, and a control that modifies how the process operates. Feedback can be either reinforcing or balancing. Reinforcing feedback prompts change that builds on itself and amplifies the outcome
  • 51. of a process, taking the process further and further from its starting point. The effect of rein- forcing feedback can be either positive or negative. For example, a reinforcing change of positive financial results for an organization could lead to increases in salaries, which would then lead to even better financial performance because the employees are highly motivated. In contrast, a poor supervisor could cause employee turnover, possibly resulting in short staffing and even more turnover. Balancing feedback prompts change that seeks stability. A balancing feedback loop attempts to return the system to its starting point. The human body provides a good example of a complex system that has many balancing feedback mechanisms. For example, an overheated body prompts perspiration until the body is cooled through evaporation. The clinical term for this type of balance is homeostasis. A treatment process that controls drug dosing via real-time monitoring of the patient’s physiological responses is an example of balancing feedback. Inpatient unit staffing levels that determine where in a hospital patients are admitted is another. All of these feedback mechanisms are designed to maintain balance in the system. A confounding problem with feedback is delay. Delays occur when
  • 52. interruptions arise between actions and consequences. In the midst of delays, systems tend to “overshoot” and thus perform poorly. For example, an emer- gency department might experience a surge in patients and call in additional staff. When the surge subsides, the added staff stay on shift but are no longer needed, and unnecessary expense is incurred. As healthcare leaders focus on improving their operations, they must understand the systems in which change resides. Every change will be resisted and reinforced by feedback mechanisms, many of which are not clearly visible. Taking a broad systems view can improve the effectiveness of change. Many subsystems in the total healthcare system are interconnected. These connections have feedback mechanisms that either reinforce or balance the subsystem’s performance. Exhibit 1.4 shows a simple connection that origi- nates in the environmental segment of the total health system. Each process has both reinforcing and balancing feedback. This general systems model can be converted to a more quantitative system dynamics model, which is useful as part of a predictive analytics system. This concept is addressed in more depth in chapter 8.
  • 53. H e a l t h c a r e O p e r a t i o n s M a n a g e m e n t12 An Integrating Framework for Operations Management in Healthcare The five-part framework of this book (illustrated in exhibit 1.5) reflects our view that effective operations management in healthcare consists of highly focused strategy execution and organizational change accompanied by the disciplined use of analytical tools, techniques, and programs. An organization needs to understand the environment, develop a strategy, and implement a system to effectively deploy this strategy. At the same time, the organization must become adept at using all the tools of operations improvement contained in this book. These improvement tools can then be combined to attack the fundamental challenges of operating a complex healthcare delivery organization. Introduction to Healthcare Operations The introductory chapters provide an overview of the significant environmental trends healthcare delivery organizations face. Annual updates to industrywide trends can be found in Futurescan: Healthcare Trends and Implications 2016–2021 (SHSMD and ACHE 2016). Progressive organizations tend to review these publications care- fully, as they can use this information in response to external forces by identifying
  • 54. either new strategies or current operating problems that must be addressed. Business has aggressively used operations improvement tools for the past 40 years, but the field of operations science actually began many centuries ago. Chapter 2 provides a brief history. Healthcare operations are increasingly driven by the effects of EBM and pay for performance; chapter 3 offers an overview of these trends and how organizations can effect change to meet current challenges and opportunities. Setting Goals and Executing Strategy A key component of effective operations is the ability to move strategy to action. Chapter 4 shows how the use of the balanced scorecard and strategy maps can help accomplish this aim. Change in all organizations is challenging, and the formal methods of project management (chapter 5) can deliver effec- tive, lasting improvements in an organization’s operations. Payers want to reduce costs for chemotherapy New payment method for chemotherapy is created
  • 55. Environment Organization Clinical microsystem Patient Changes are made in care processes and support systems to maintain quality while reducing costs Chemotherapy treatment needs to be more efficient to meet payment levels EXHIBIT 1.4 Linkages Within the Healthcare System: Chemotherapy C h a p t e r 1 : T h e C h a l l e n g e a n d t h e O p p o r t u n i t y 13 Performance Improvement Tools, Techniques, and Programs Once an organization has its strategy implementation and change management processes in place, it needs to select the correct tools, techniques, and programs to analyze current operations and develop effective adjustments. Chapter 6 outlines the basic steps of problem solving, which
  • 56. begins by framing the question or problem and continues through data collection and analyses to enable effective decision making. Chapter 7 introduces the building blocks for many of the advanced tools used later in the book. (This chapter may serve as a review or reference for readers who already have good statistical skills.) Closely related to statistical thinking is the emerging science of analyt- ics. With powerful new software tools and big data repositories, the ability to understand and predict organizational performance is significantly enhanced. Chapter 8 is new to this edition and presents several tools that have become available to healthcare analysts and leaders since publication of the second edition. Some projects require a focus on process improvement. Six Sigma tools (chapter 9) can be used to reduce variability in the outcome of a process. Lean tools (chapter 10) help eliminate waste and increase speed. Applications to Contemporary Healthcare Operations Issues This part of the book demonstrates how these concepts can be applied to some of today’s fundamental healthcare challenges. Process improvement techniques are now widely deployed in many organizations to significantly
  • 57. improve performance; chapter 11 reviews the tools of process improvement and demonstrates their use in improving patient flow. Scheduling and capacity management continue to be major concerns for most healthcare delivery organizations, particularly with the advent of advanced- access scheduling, a concept promoted by the Institute for Healthcare Improve- ment and discussed in chapter 12. Specifically, the chapter demonstrates how Setting goals and executing strategy Performance improvement tools, techniques, and programs Fundamental healthcare operations issues High performance EXHIBIT 1.5 Framework for Effective Operations Management in Healthcare
  • 58. H e a l t h c a r e O p e r a t i o n s M a n a g e m e n t14 simulation can be used to optimize scheduling. Chapter 13 explores the optimal methods for acquiring supplies and maintaining appropriate inventory levels. Chapter 14 outlines a systems approach to improving financial results, with a special emphasis on cost reduction—one of today’s most important challenges. Putting It All Together for Operational Excellence In the end, any operations improvement will fail unless steps are taken to maintain the gains; chapter 15 contains the necessary tools to do so. The chapter also provides a detailed algorithm that helps practitioners select the appropriate tools, methods, and techniques to effect significant operational improvements. It demonstrates how our fictionalized case study healthcare system, Vincent Valley Hospital and Health System (VVH), uses all the tools presented in the book to achieve operational excellence. In this way, a future is envisioned in which many of the tools and methods contained in the book are widely deployed in the US healthcare system. Vincent Valley Hospital and Health System Woven throughout the chapters are examples featuring VVH, a fictitious but
  • 59. realistic health system. The companion website contains an expansive descrip- tion of VVH; here we provide some essential details. VVH is located in a midwestern city with a population of 1.5 million. The health system employs 5,000 staff members, oper- ates 350 inpatient beds, and has a medical staff of 450 physicians. It operates nine clinics staffed by physicians who are employees of the system. VVH competes with two major hospitals and an independent ambulatory surgery center that was formed by several surgeons from all three hospitals. The VVH brand includes an accountable care organization to reflect the increased emphasis it has placed on population health in its community. The organization also is working to create a Medicare Advantage plan. It has significantly restructured its primary care delivery segment and has contracted with a variety of retail clinics to supplement the traditional office-based primary care physicians with whom it is affiliated. It recently added an online diagnosis and treatment service, with 24-hour telehealth now available. Three major health plans provide most of the private payment to VVH, which, along with the state Medicaid system, have recently begun a pay-for- performance reimbursement initiative. VVH has a strong balance sheet and a profit margin of approximately 2 percent, but its senior leaders
  • 60. feel the orga- nization is financially challenged. The board of VVH includes many local industry leaders, who have asked the chief executive to focus on using the operational techniques that have led them to succeed in their own businesses. On the web at ache.org/books/OpsManagement3 C h a p t e r 1 : T h e C h a l l e n g e a n d t h e O p p o r t u n i t y 15 Conclusion This book is an overview of operations management approaches and tools. The reader is expected to understand all the concepts in the book (and in current use in the field) and be able to apply, at the basic level, most of the tools, techniques, and programs presented. The reader is not expected to execute at the more advanced (e.g., Six Sigma black belt, project management professional) level. However, this book prepares readers to work effectively with knowledgeable professionals and, most important, enables them to direct the work of those professionals. Final Note About the Third Edition Prior editions of this book included a chapter on simulation.
  • 61. Although simula- tion is a valuable tool in many industries, it is not used widely in healthcare, so the chapter was eliminated, with some of the principles of simulation moved to chapter 11. We hope the industry embraces this tool in the future—and then we will bring this chapter back. Discussion Questions 1. Provide three examples of system improvements at the boundaries of the healthcare subsystems (patient, microsystem, organization, and environment). 2. Identify three systems in a healthcare organization (at any level) that have reinforcing feedback. 3. Identify three systems in a healthcare organization (at any level) that have balancing feedback. 4. Identify three systems in a healthcare organization (at any level) in which feedback delays affect the performance of the system. References Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). 2010. “National Healthcare Quality Report, 2009: Key Themes and Highlights from the National Healthcare Qual- ity Report.” Last reviewed March.
  • 62. http://archive.ahrq.gov/research/findings/ nhqrdr/nhqr09/Key.html. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). 2015. “National Health Expenditure Projections 2014-2025 Forecast Summary.” Published July 14. www.cms.gov/ Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Statistics-Trends-and- Reports/National HealthExpendData/Downloads/Proj2015.pdf. H e a l t h c a r e O p e r a t i o n s M a n a g e m e n t16 Institute of Medicine (IOM). 2011. Learning What Works: Infrastructure Required for Comparative Effectiveness Research. Workshop Summary. Accessed August 8, 2016. www.nap.edu/catalog/12214/learning-what-works- infrastructure-required-for- comparative-effectiveness-research-workshop. ———. 2001. Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century. Wash- ington, DC: National Academies Press. ———. 1999. To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Joshi, M. S., E. R. Ransom, D. B. Nash, and S. B. Ransom. 2014. The Healthcare Quality Book: Vision, Strategy and Tools, 3rd edition. Chicago: Health Administration Press.
  • 63. Landrigan, C. P., G. J. Parry, C. B. Bones, A. D. Hackbarth, D. A. Goldmann, and P. J. Sharek. 2010. “Temporal Trends in Rates of Patient Harm Resulting from Medical Care.” New England Journal of Medicine 363 (22): 2124–34. National Guideline Clearinghouse (NGC). 2016. Home page. Accessed August 8. https:// guideline.gov/. Ransom, S. B., M. S. Joshi, and D. B. Nash (eds.). 2005. The Healthcare Quality Book: Vision, Strategy, and Tools. Chicago: Health Administration Press. Rotter, T., L. Kinsman, E. L. James, A. Machotta, H. Gothe, J. Willis, P. Snow, and J. Kugler. 2010. “Clinical Pathways: Effects on Professional Practice, Patient Outcomes, Length of Stay and Hospital Costs.” Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 3: CD006632. Senge, P. M. 1990. The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization. New York: Doubleday. Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development (SHSMD) and American Col- lege of Healthcare Executives (ACHE). 2016. Futurescan: Healthcare Trends and Implications 2016–2021. Chicago: SHSMD and Health Administration Press. CHAPTER
  • 64. 17 2HISTORY OF PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT Operations Management in Action During the Crimean War, a conflict that waged from October 1853 to February 1856 pitting Russia against Britain, France, and Ottoman Turkey, reports of ter- rible conditions in military hospitals began to emerge that alarmed British citizens. In response to the out- cry, the British government commissioned Florence Nightingale, now widely recognized as a pioneer in nursing practice, to oversee the introduction of nurses to military hospitals and to improve conditions in the hospitals. When Nightingale arrived in Scutari, Turkey, she found the military hospital there overcrowded and filthy. She instituted many changes to improve the sanitary conditions in the hospital, and many lives were saved as a result of these reforms. Nightingale was among the first healthcare professionals to collect, tabulate, interpret, and graph- ically display data related to the impact of process changes on care outcomes—what is known today as evidence-based medicine. To quantify the overcrowd- ing problem, she compared the average amount of space per patient in London hospitals—1,600 square feet—to the space in Scutari—about 400 square feet. She developed a standardized document, the Model Hospital Statistical Form, to enable the collection of consistent data for analysis and comparison. In Feb- ruary 1855, the patient mortality rate at the military hospital in Scutari was 42 percent. As a result of Night- ingale’s changes, by June of that year the mortality rate had decreased to 2.2 percent.
  • 65. To present these data in a persuasive manner, she developed a new type of graphic display, the polar area diagram. The diagram was a pie chart with a monthly slice for mortality numbers and their causes displayed in a different color. A quick glance at the diagram “showed that except for the bloodiest month in the siege of Sevastopol, battle deaths take up a very small portion of each slice,” notes Lienhard O V E RV I E W This chapter provides the background and historical context for performance improvement—which is not a new concept. Several of the tools, techniques, and philosophies outlined in this text are based in past efforts. Although the terminology has changed, many of the core concepts remain the same. The major topics in this chapter include the following: • Background for understanding operations management • Systems thinking and knowledge-based management
  • 66. • Scientific management • Project management • Introduction to quality, and quality experts of note • Philosophies of performance improvement, including Six Sigma, Lean, and others • Introduction to supply chain management • Introduction to big data and analytics Although these tools and techniques have been adapted for contemporary healthcare, their roots are in the past, and an understanding of this history (exhibit 2.1) can enable organizations to move success- fully into the future. H e a l t h c a r e O p e r a t i o n s M a n a g e m e n t18 (2016). It revealed that “The Russians were a minor enemy. The real enemies were cholera, typhus, and dysentery. Once the military looked at that eloquent graph, the modern army hospital system was inevitable” (Lienhard
  • 67. 2016). After the war, Nightingale used the data she had collected to demonstrate that the mortality rate in Scutari following her reforms was significantly lower than in other British military hospitals. Although the British military hierarchy was resis- tant to her changes, the data were convincing and resulted in reforms to military hospitals and the establishment of the Royal Commission on the Health of the Army. Were she alive today, Nightingale would recognize many of the philosophies, tools, and techniques outlined in this text as essentially the same as those she employed to achieve lasting reform in hospitals throughout the world. Sources: Information from Cohen (1984), Lienhard (2016), Neuhauser (2003), and Nightingale (1858). Background The healthcare industry faces many challenges. The costs of care and level of services delivered are increasing; even as the population ages, we are able to pro- long lives to an ever greater extent as technology advances and expertise grows. The expectation of quality care with zero defects, or failures in care, is being pursued by government and other stakeholders, driving the need for healthcare providers to produce more of a high-quality product or service
  • 68. at a reduced cost. This need can only be met through improved utilization of resources. Specifically, providers must offer their services more effectively and effi- ciently than at any time in the past by optimizing their use of limited financial assets, employees and staff, machines and facilities, and time. Enter operations management. Operations management is the design, implementation, and improve- ment of the processes and systems that create and deliver the organization’s products and services. Operations managers plan and control delivery processes and systems within the organization. Forward-thinking healthcare leaders and professionals have realized that the theories, tools, and techniques of operations management, if properly applied, can enable their organizations to become efficient and effective care delivery environments. However, for many of the aims identified by the US healthcare system to be achieved, essentially all healthcare providers must adopt these tools and techniques, many of which have enabled other service indus- tries and manufacturing sectors to improve efficiency and effectiveness. The operations management information presented in this book should similarly
  • 69. enable hospitals and other healthcare organizations to design systems, processes, products, and services that meet the needs of their stakeholders. Importantly, it should also allow continuous improvement in these systems and services to keep pace with the quickly changing healthcare landscape. C h a p t e r 2 : H i s t o r y o f P e r f o r m a n c e I m p r o v e m e n t 19 C P M m et h o d P E R T m et h o
  • 95. in P er fo rm an ce Im p ro ve m en t H e a l t h c a r e O p e r a t i o n s M a n a g e m e n t20 To improve systems and processes, however, one must first know the system or process and its desired inputs and outputs. Knowledge-Based Management This book takes a systems view of service provision and delivery, as illustrated in exhibit 2.2, and focuses on knowledge-based management (KBM)—using data and information toward basing management decisions on
  • 96. facts rather than on feelings or intuition—to frame that view. The improvement in computer systems and new analytical approaches support the increased use of KBM, especially in terms of building a knowledge hierarchy. The knowledge hierarchy relates to the learning that ultimately under- pins KBM. As illustrated in exhibit 2.3, the knowledge hierarchy consists of the following five categories (Zeleny 1987): Knowledge hierarchy The foundation of knowledge-based management, composed of five categories of learning: data, information, knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. Feedback Transformation process Labor Material Machines Management Capital
  • 97. Goods or services TUPTUOTUPNI EXHIBIT 2.2 Systems View of the Provision of Services for Purposes of This Book Im p o rt an ce Understanding Wisdom morals principles patterns relationships
  • 98. Knowledge Learning Information Data EXHIBIT 2.3 Knowledge Hierarchy C h a p t e r 2 : H i s t o r y o f P e r f o r m a n c e I m p r o v e m e n t 21 1. Data. Symbols or raw numbers that simply exist; they have no structure or organization. Entities collect data with their computer systems; individuals collect data through their experiences. At this stage of the hierarchy, one can presume to know nothing because raw data alone are not adequate for decision making. 2. Information. Data that are organized or processed to have meaning. Information can be useful, but it is not necessarily useful. It can answer such questions as who, what, where, and when—in other words, know what.
  • 99. 3. Knowledge. Information that is deliberately useful. Knowledge enables decision making—know how. 4. Understanding. A mental frame that allows use of what is known and enables the development of new knowledge. Understanding represents the difference between learning and memorizing—know why. 5. Wisdom. A high-level stage that adds moral and ethical views to understanding. Wisdom answers questions to which there is no known correct answer and, in some cases, to which there will never be a known correct answer—know right. A simple example may help explain this hierarchy. Say your height is 67 inches and your weight is 175 pounds (data). You have a body mass index (BMI) of 26.7 (information). A healthy BMI is 18.5 to 25.5 (knowledge). Your BMI is high, and to be healthy you should lower it (understanding). You begin a diet and exercise program and lower your BMI (wisdom). Finnie (1997, 24) summarizes the relationships in the hierarchy and notes our tendency to focus on its less important levels: We talk about the accumulation of information, but we fail to distinguish between
  • 100. data, information, knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. An ounce of information is worth a pound of data, an ounce of knowledge is worth a pound of information, an ounce of understanding is worth a pound of knowledge, an ounce of wisdom is worth a pound of understanding. In the past, our focus has been inversely related to importance. We have focused mainly on data and information, a little bit on knowl- edge, nothing on understanding, and virtually less than nothing on wisdom. Knowledge Through the Ages The roots of the knowledge hierarchy can be traced to eighteenth-century philosopher Immanuel Kant, much of whose work attempted to address the questions of what and how we can know. The two major philosophical movements that significantly influenced Kant were empiricism and rationalism (McCormick 2006). The empiricists, most notably John Locke, argued that human knowledge originates in one’s H e a l t h c a r e O p e r a t i o n s M a n a g e m e n t22
  • 101. experiences. According to Locke, the mind is a blank slate that fills with ideas through its interaction with the world. The rationalists, including Descartes and Galileo, argued that the world is knowable through an analysis of ideas and logical reasoning. Both the empiricists and the rationalists viewed the mind as passive, either by receiving ideas onto a blank slate or because it possesses innate ideas that can be logically analyzed. Kant joined these philosophical ideologies by arguing that experience leads to knowing only if the mind provides a structure for those experiences. Although the idea that the rational mind plays a role in defining reality is now common, in Kant’s time this was a major insight into what and how we know. Knowledge does not flow from our experiences alone, nor only from our ability to reason; rather, knowledge flows from our ability to apply reasoning to our experiences. Relating Kant’s philosophy to the knowledge hierarchy, data are our experiences, information is obtained through logical reasoning, and knowledge is obtained when we apply structured reasoning to data to acquire knowledge (Ressler and Ahrens 2006). The intent of this text is to enable readers to gain knowledge. We discuss tools and techniques that allow the application of logical
  • 102. reasoning to data toward obtaining knowledge and using it to make decisions. This knowledge and understanding should help the reader provide healthcare in an efficient and effective manner. History of Scientific Management Frederick Taylor (whose work is covered in more detail later in the chapter) originated the term scientific management in The Principles of Scientific Man- agement (Taylor 1911). Scientific management methods called for eliminating the old rule-of-thumb, individual way of performing work and, through study and optimization of the work, replacing the varied methods with the one “best” way of performing the work to improve productivity and efficiency. Today, the term scientific management has been replaced with operations management, but the concept is similar: Study the process or system and determine ways to optimize it to achieve improved efficiency and effectiveness. Mass Production The Industrial Revolution and mass production set the stage for much of Tay- lor’s work. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, individual craftsmen performed all tasks necessary to produce a good using their own tools and procedures. In the eighteenth century, Adam Smith advocated for the division of labor—
  • 103. increasing work efficiency through specialization. To support a division of labor, a large number of workers are brought together, and each performs a specific task related to the production of a good. Thus, the factory system of Scientific management A disciplined approach to studying a system or process and then using data to optimize it to achieve improved efficiency and effectiveness. C h a p t e r 2 : H i s t o r y o f P e r f o r m a n c e I m p r o v e m e n t 23 mass production was born, and Henry Ford’s assembly line eventually emerged, making industrial conditions ripe for Taylor to introduce scientific management. Mass production allows for significant economies of scale, as predicted by Smith. Before Ford set up his moving assembly line, each car chassis was assembled by a single worker and took about 12½ hours to produce. After the introduction of the assembly line, this time was reduced to 93
  • 104. minutes (Bellis 2006). The standardization of products and work ushered in by the assembly line not only led to a reduction in the time needed to produce cars but also significantly reduced the costs of production. The selling price of the Model T fell from $1,000 to $360 between 1908 and 1916 (Simkin 2005), allowing Ford to capture a large portion of the market. Although Ford is commonly credited with introducing the moving assembly line and mass production in modern times, both processes were in practice several hundred years earlier. The Venetian Arsenal of the 1500s employed 16,000 people and produced nearly one ship every day (NationMas- ter.com 2004). Ships were mass produced using premanufactured, standardized parts on a floating assembly line (Schmenner 2001). One of the first examples of mass production in the healthcare industry is Shouldice Hospital (Heskett 2003). Much like Ford, who is commonly cited as saying people could have the Model T in any color, “so long as it’s black,” Shouldice, founded in 1945 in Toronto, performs just one type of surgery— routine hernia operations—and it continues to thrive with its unique approach (Heskett 2003). Furthermore, evidence is growing in healthcare that level of
  • 105. experience in treating specific illnesses and conditions affects the outcome of that care. Higher volumes of cases often result in better outcomes (Halm, Lee, and Chassin 2002). Specifically, the additional practice associated w ith higher volume results in bet- ter outcomes. The idea of “practice makes perfect,” or learning- curve effects, has led organizations such as the Leapfrog Group (made up of organizations that provide healthcare benefits) to list patient volume among its criteria for quality (Halm, Lee, and Chassin 2002). The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) report Localizing Care to High-Volume Centers devotes an entire chapter to this issue and its impact on medical practice (Auerbach 2001). Frederick Taylor Taylor began his work when mass production and the factory system were in their infancy. He believed that US industry was “wasting” human effort and that, as a result, national efficiency (now called productivity) was significantly lower than it could be. The introduction to The Principles of Scientific Manage- ment (Taylor 1911) illustrates his intent: [O]ur larger wastes of human effort, which go on every day through such of our acts as are blundering, ill-directed, or inefficient, and which Mr. [Theodore] Roosevelt
  • 106. H e a l t h c a r e O p e r a t i o n s M a n a g e m e n t24 refers to as a lack of “national efficiency,” are less visible, less tangible, and are but vaguely appreciated. . . . This paper has been written: First. To point out, through a series of simple illustrations, the great loss which the whole country is suffering through inefficiency in almost all of our daily acts. Second. To try to convince the reader that the remedy for this inefficiency lies in systematic management, rather than in searching for some unusual or extraordinary man [referring to the so-called great man theory prevalent at the time]. Third. To prove that the best management is a true science, resting upon clearly defined laws, rules, and principles, as a foundation. And further to show that the fundamental principles of scientific management are applicable to all kinds of human activities, from our simplest individual acts to the work of our great corporations,
  • 107. which call for the most elaborate cooperation. And, briefly, through a series of illus- trations, to convince the reader that whenever these principles are correctly applied, results must follow which are truly astounding. Note that Taylor specifically mentions systems management as opposed to the individual; this is a common theme that we revisit throughout this book. Rather than focusing on individuals as the cause of problems and the source of solutions, emphasis is placed on systems and their optimization. Taylor believed that much waste was the result of what he called “sol- diering,” which today might be thought of as slacking. Further, he believed that the underlying causes of soldiering were as follows (Taylor 1911): First. The fallacy, which has from time immemorial been almost universal among workmen, that a material increase in the output of each man or each machine in the trade would result in the end in throwing a large number of men out of work. Second. The defective systems of management which are in common use, and which
  • 108. make it necessary for each workman to soldier, or work slowly, in order that he may protect his own best interests. Third. The inefficient rule-of-thumb methods, which are still almost universal in all trades, and in practicing which our workmen waste a large part of their effort. To eliminate soldiering, Taylor proposed instituting incentive schemes. While at Midvale Steel Company, he used time studies to set daily production quotas. Incentives were paid to those workers who reached their daily goals, and those who did not reach their goals were paid significantly less. Productiv- ity at Midvale doubled. Not surprisingly, Taylor’s ideas produced considerable backlash. The resistance to increasingly popular pay-for- performance programs in healthcare today is analogous to that experienced by Taylor. Taylor believed that “one best way” existed to perform any task and that careful study and analysis would lead to the discovery of that way. For C h a p t e r 2 : H i s t o r y o f P e r f o r m a n c e I m p r o v e m e n t 25
  • 109. example, while at Bethlehem Steel Corporation, he studied the shoveling of coal. Using time studies and a careful analysis of how the work was performed, he determined that the optimal amount of coal per shovel load was 21 pounds. Taylor then developed shovels that would hold exactly 21 pounds for each type of coal; workers had previously supplied their own shovels (NetMBA.com 2005). He also determined the ideal work rate and rest periods to ensure that workers could shovel all day without fatigue. As a result of Taylor’s improved methods, Bethlehem Steel was able to reduce the number of workers shoveling coal from 500 to 140 (Nelson 1980). Taylor’s four principles of scientific management are to 1. develop and standardize work methods on the basis of scientific study, and use these to replace individual rule-of-thumb methods; 2. select, train, and develop workers rather than allowing them to choose their own tasks and train themselves; 3. develop a spirit of cooperation between management and workers to ensure that the scientifically developed work methods are both sustainable and implemented on a continuing basis; and 4. divide work between management and workers so that each has an
  • 110. equal share, where management plans the work and workers perform the work. Although some would be problematic today—particularly the notion that workers are “machinelike” and motivated solely by money—many of Taylor’s ideas can be seen in the foundations of newer initiatives such as Six Sigma and Lean, two important quality improvement approaches discussed in depth later in the book. Frank and Lillian Gilbreth The Gilbreths were contemporaries of Frederick Taylor. Frank, who worked in the construction industry, noticed that no two bricklayers performed their tasks the same way. He believed that bricklaying could be standardized and the one best way determined. He studied the work of bricklaying and analyzed the workers’ motions, finding much unnecessary stooping, walking, and reaching. He eliminated these motions by developing an adjustable scaffold designed to hold both bricks and mortar (Taylor 1911). As a result of this and other improvements, Frank Gilbreth reduced the number of motions in bricklaying from 18 to 5 (International Work Simplification Institute 1968) and raised out- put from 1,000 to 2,700 bricks a day (Perkins 1997). He applied what he had learned from his bricklaying experiments to other industries and
  • 111. types of work. In his study of surgical operations, Frank Gilbreth found that doctors spent more time searching for instruments than performing the surgery. He H e a l t h c a r e O p e r a t i o n s M a n a g e m e n t26 developed a technique still seen in operating rooms today: When the doctor needs an instrument, he extends his hand, palm up, and asks for the instru- ment, which is then placed in his hand. This technique eliminates searching for the instrument and allows the doctor to stay focused on the surgical area, thus reducing surgical time (Perkins 1997). Frank and Lillian Gilbreth may be more familiarly known as the parents in the book Cheaper by the Dozen (Gilbreth and Carey 1948) (which was made into a movie by the same title in 1950 and remade in 2003). The Gilbreths incorporated many of their time-saving ideas in their family as well. For example, they bought just one type of sock for all 12 of their children, thus eliminating time-consuming sorting. Scientific Management Today Scientific management fell out of favor during the Depression, partly because
  • 112. of the sense that it dehumanized employees, but mainly because of a general belief in society that productivity improvements resulted in downsizing and increased unemployment. Not until World War II did scientific management, renamed operations research, see a resurgence of interest. In healthcare today, standardized methods and procedures are used to reduce costs and increase the quality of outcomes. Specialized equipment has been developed to speed procedures and reduce labor costs. In a sense, we are still searching for the one best way. However, we must heed the lessons of the past. If the tools of operations management are perceived to be dehumanizing or to result in downsizing by healthcare organizations, their implementation will meet significant resistance. Project Management The discipline of project management began with the development of the Gantt chart in the early twentieth century. Henry Gantt worked closely with Frederick Taylor at Midvale Steel and in Navy ship construction during World War I. From this work, he developed bar graphs to illustrate the duration of project tasks and display scheduled and actual progress. These Gantt charts were used to help manage large projects, including construction of the Hoover Dam,
  • 113. and proved to be such a powerful tool that they are commonly used today. Although Gantt charts were originally adopted to track large projects, they are not ideal for very large, complicated projects because they do not explicitly show precedence relationships, that is, what tasks need to be completed before other tasks can start. In the 1950s, two mathematic project scheduling techniques were developed: the program evaluation and review technique (PERT) and the critical path method (CPM). Both techniques begin by developing a project network showing the precedence relationships among tasks and task duration. Program evaluation and review technique (PERT) A graphic technique to link and analyze all tasks within a project; the resulting graph helps optimize the project’s schedule. Critical path method (CPM) The critical path is the longest course through
  • 114. a graph of linked tasks in a project. The critical path method is used to reduce the total time of a project by decreasing the duration of tasks on the critical path. C h a p t e r 2 : H i s t o r y o f P e r f o r m a n c e I m p r o v e m e n t 27 PERT was developed by the US Navy to address the desire to acceler- ate the Polaris missile program. This “need for speed” was precipitated by the Soviet launch of Sputnik, the first space satellite. PERT uses a probability distribution (the beta distribution), rather than a point estimate, for the dura- tion of each project task. The probability of completing the entire project in a given amount of time can then be determined. This technique is most useful for estimating project completion time when task times are uncertain and for evaluating risks to project completion prior to the start of a project. The CPM technique was developed at the same time as PERT by the DuPont and Remington Rand corporations to manage plant maintenance