Making Process Improvement 'Stick'

Once again, health systems are investing heavily in process improvements. The latest push aims to curb costs to help hospitals survive in a market environment that increasingly demands greater efficiency in the delivery of care. Market drivers—including cost pressures associated with payment reform and the information boom—will demand a 20 to 40 percent improvement in overall efficiency. The multipronged approach required for such change will include performance improvement, clinical transformation, scale and integration, and asset rationalization. Such organizational changes will facilitate the ongoing shift from episodic to value-based care. 

To sustain gains from a process improvement initiative, healthcare organizations should:

• Explain to staff why a process improvement initiative is needed. 
• Encourage leaders within the organization to champion the process improvement, and tie their evaluations to its outcomes.
• Ensure that both leaders and employees have the skills to help sustain the sought-after process improvements.

Although much has changed in health care, some constants remain. Those who work in health care have great passion, fortitude, and a willingness to learn. Usually, these characteristics are paired with a desire to have purpose, worthwhile work, and the ability to make a difference. Process improvement is lengthy and requires an organizational culture of alignment, collaboration, and empowerment through training and development to feed employees’ natural enthusiasm, sustain gains, and continue reaching higher.