Last updated on Oct 13, 2024

How can healthcare professionals be involved in process design for better outcomes?

Process design is the planning and implementation of the best ways to deliver value to customers and stakeholders. It involves analyzing, modeling, testing, and improving the workflows, systems, and resources that support a process. In healthcare, process design can have a significant impact on the quality, safety, efficiency, and satisfaction of patient care and outcomes. However, process design is not only a technical or managerial task. It also requires the active involvement and input of healthcare professionals who are directly involved in the process or affected by it. In this article, we will explore how healthcare professionals can be involved in process design for better outcomes.

1 Why involve healthcare professionals?

Healthcare professionals are the experts of their own domains. They have the knowledge, skills, and experience to understand the needs, challenges, and opportunities of their patients and colleagues. They can provide valuable insights, feedback, and suggestions on how to improve the process design. By involving healthcare professionals in process design, you can ensure that the process is aligned with the clinical standards, best practices, and evidence-based guidelines. You can also increase the buy-in, ownership, and commitment of the staff who will implement and use the process.

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M.Mansour Gebaly

Design Management, MSc, BArch, EDAC
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Involving healthcare professionals in process design enhances outcomes by incorporating their direct insights and practical knowledge. They’re well-equipped to identify inefficiencies, and their participation in the design process can help tailor solutions that are grounded in real-world clinical needs. Additionally, when healthcare staff contribute to process changes, it fosters a sense of ownership and engagement, making them more likely to adopt and advocate for the changes.

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2 How to involve healthcare professionals?

There are different ways and levels of involving healthcare professionals in process design, depending on the scope, complexity, and objectives of the project. For example, you can ask them to share their opinions and experiences through interviews and surveys, or you can invite a representative group to discuss and brainstorm in focus groups and workshops. Additionally, you can observe and follow healthcare professionals as they perform the process, or involve them in the creation and testing of the design using methods like rapid prototyping or pilot testing. All of these methods can help to gather qualitative and quantitative data, generate and organize ideas, document and analyze the process steps, inputs, outputs, and wastes, as well as validate and refine the process design.

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M.Mansour Gebaly

Design Management, MSc, BArch, EDAC
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To effectively involve healthcare professionals, it’s essential to establish structured channels for engagement. Techniques like journey mapping, workshops, and observational studies allow professionals to contribute their unique perspectives. Additionally, integrating their feedback at various design stages, from defining the goal, and ideation to testing and POE, ensures that the final product or process is functional and user-centred.

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3 What are the benefits of involving healthcare professionals?

Involving healthcare professionals in process design can bring many benefits for the project and the organization. Quality and safety can be improved by incorporating clinical expertise and perspective, while efficiency and productivity can be enhanced by eliminating unnecessary or redundant steps. Engaging and empowering healthcare professionals in the process design can increase satisfaction and engagement, while fostering a collaborative and creative culture can lead to greater innovation and learning. All of these outcomes are essential for optimizing the use of time, money, and materials, as well as increasing the throughput and output of the process.

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4 What are the challenges of involving healthcare professionals?

Involving healthcare professionals in process design can bring many benefits, but there are some challenges that need to be addressed. Resistance and skepticism may arise from those who are satisfied with the status quo or distrustful of the change agents. To counter this, it is important to communicate the purpose, benefits, and expectations of the process design clearly and frequently. Time and resource constraints may also be an issue since healthcare professionals are often busy and overworked. You must plan and schedule activities carefully and flexibly while providing incentives or recognition for their involvement. Diversity and conflict may also be present among stakeholders with different backgrounds, roles, opinions, and interests. Managing and balancing this diversity is key to ensuring everyone is heard and respected.

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5 How to evaluate the involvement of healthcare professionals?

To measure and improve the effectiveness and impact of involving healthcare professionals in process design, you need to evaluate the process and the outcomes of the involvement. Different criteria and indicators can be used, such as process indicators, such as the number, diversity, and representation of healthcare professionals involved, the methods and tools used, the feedback and satisfaction of the participants, and the challenges and lessons learned. Outcome indicators can also be used to measure how well the involvement activities contributed to the process design results and goals, such as the quality, safety, efficiency, and satisfaction of the process design, the adoption and implementation of the process design, the changes and improvements in the process performance, and the benefits and value for patients, staff, and organization.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Jennifer J.

Skilled Health Care Manager & Educator/ Transforming healthcare through gap analysis, outcome driven educational design/ Strategic, Operational & Project Management/ RMN, RN, MW/ Mental Health Expert
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Too many times the actual clinical staff who work using the processess, products and work within a designed a structure are not a full part of that design.There are token displays of getting them involved. Some of these involve as mentioned above...being part of a survey, asking their input etc. However, for me this does not go far enough. I say this as someone who has been on both sides...and then as the clinical person leading the design process. For me...hire a dedicated clinical expert to be a full part of that design process...whether that is full time in that role permanently or full time in that role for the length of that project. The design process will go alot smoother and be alot more suitable for end use..leading to success.

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How can healthcare professionals be involved in process design for better outcomes?

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1 Why involve healthcare professionals?

2 How to involve healthcare professionals?

3 What are the benefits of involving healthcare professionals?

4 What are the challenges of involving healthcare professionals?

5 How to evaluate the involvement of healthcare professionals?

6 Here’s what else to consider

Process Design

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How can healthcare professionals be involved in process design for better outcomes?

1

2

3

4

5

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1 Why involve healthcare professionals?

2 How to involve healthcare professionals?

3 What are the benefits of involving healthcare professionals?

4 What are the challenges of involving healthcare professionals?

5 How to evaluate the involvement of healthcare professionals?

6 Here’s what else to consider

Process Design

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