Question

Discuss the workflow redesign team and identify three characteristics that you consider to be essential to effective functioning of the team and why they are important

Answer 1

Workflow Redesign

Workflow redesign is the process of: Mapping out current workflows and analyzing how your organization gets work done (the current state) Planning for the future by mapping out how EHRs will create new workflow patterns to improve your organization's efficiency and health care quality (the future state).

Workflow redesign basics
We should begin the workflow redesign process by documenting your current workflow and mapping out how patients move through your organization. After you assess your current state, you should begin planning for the future by mapping out how your electronic health record (EHR) will improve your organization.

Adopting an electronic health record (EHR) will change the flow of patients through your organization. Workflow redesign is the process of:

• Mapping out current workflows and analyzing how your organization gets work done (the current state)
• Planning for the future by mapping out how EHRs will create new workflow patterns to improve your organization’s efficiency and health care quality (the future state)

During the workflow redesign process, you should look at all aspects of your organization from an electronic point-of-view.

Importance of Workflow Redesign
Workflow redesign can help your organization:

• Maximize efficiencies
• Enhance health care quality and safety
• Remove chaos from your current workflow
• Improve care coordination

Simply put, workflow redesign is important because it helps you get the most value from EHR implementation

Characteristics of workflow redesign that helps in effective functioning

1. Identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies in your current workflow. Decide which aspects of your workflow need improvement and prioritize them. Then do the work in stages, creating wins along the way.
2. Experiment with a new workflow in small ways, or test different ways of doing a task to identify what works best in your practice. Try using the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) method.
3. Listen to staff. What sounds like resistance is often valuable information about a process issue.
4. Use standard workflow templates to get started and visualize how the work gets done. Then customize the templates to show the process works in your practice.