Question

Compile a list of situational analysis considerations (e.g., factors, items) that are relevant to the selected HSO.

Answer 1

Health services organizations (HSOs) and health systems (HSs) are the best practice standards in the present healthcare world. They have the ability to satisfy their customers, achieve quality and safety goals, and can be cost-effective. The excellent standard in health services delivery is being established in HSOs and HSs that have good managers, as well as talented healthcare professionals and dedicated governing bodies. HSOs must use continuous quality improvement (CQI) to improve quality. The aim of CQIs is to improve processes to meet or exceed customer expectations, reduce costs by cutting down poor quality, and improve productivity by effective of use resources.

Hospitals and long-term care organizations are the HSOs considered here. Ambulatory care organizations, home health agencies, and managed care organizations, among other HSOs, are also considered in the case study.

Situation analysis is used by the managers to understand the organization's capabilities, customers, and business environment. The decision-making process by assessing the internal strengths, internal weaknesses, external opportunities and external threats ( SWOT analysis), also known as a situational analysis. The main purpose of the situational analysis is to understand the current and potential environments and plan accordingly. As an organization HSOs also use situation analysis for its CQI.

For situational analysis of HSO, a health care manager should consider dynamic external environments and the internal environment such as changing demographic trends, increased competition in the HSs, public expectations, heightened consumer awareness and presumptions, emphasized demands for accountability, and limitations on resources. The situation analysis also considers different functions such as emergency preparedness, patient and staff safety, infection control, employee stress, hazardous materials, workplace violence, technology use and project management in health services

The organizational level at which the strategic planning process is relevant depends on the unit's size, its complexity in function and the differentiation of the service provided by the HSOs. The manager of each unit is the person responsible for promoting the planning process. The assessment of any organization is done by considering the main headings including the financial, customer and internal operations.