But luckily not every update requires hours to complete. Edna Boone, senior director, mobile initiatives at HIMSS, gives us four quick and simple IT tweaks to improve hospital efficiency.
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1. Embrace best practices. Boone suggests considering tried and true best practices – such as total quality management, business process reengineering and Lean and Six Sigma – and applying those concepts to your IT department. By employing Lean Sigma Six concepts, for example, an organization can streamline IT functions and increase customer satisfaction through proven techniques.
2. Involve your users. "Engage key stakeholders and end users of your system and process in your workflow and efficiency analysis," said Boone. The additional opinions could open your eyes to improvements. "Implementing small, incremental changes while working on large-scale plans can have big results as well," she added.
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3. Look for additional resources. Consider an automated workflow modeling application, Boone said. In addition, look to the Process Management and Workflow section of the HIMSS Management Engineering and Process Improvement Toolkit. The section contains tools and tips regarding ways to simplify processes, implement Six Sigma to determine risk management and improve IT implementation and operations.
4. Consider the customer's perspective. Boone recommends taking on the role of the customer and completing a walk-through of your processes to identify both barriers and opportunities. "Start by calling for an appointment," she said. "Then try to find the department in the hospital. What is the environment like? Is the staff friendly and welcoming?" Next, take a look at your admission process. "Is it quick, complicated, too invasive, lots of paperwork, or easy to maneuver?" Boone said. "And finally, what are the procedures? How did the staff interact with the client?"
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