Organizational Performance Initiative
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Kenyatta University *
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Nov 24, 2024
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Organizational Performance Initiative
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Organizational Performance Initiative
Organizational Problem
In medical facilities, a serious organizational issue is a lack of communication.
Organizations are built on cooperation, so maintaining that foundation requires effective
communication. A successful organization needs well-developed communication skills among its
members. Either verbal or written communication is possible. The phrase "miscommunication"
refers to communication that is not sufficiently effective. Because most people, whether they are
employees or patients, find it difficult to communicate, miscommunication is a significant issue
in many healthcare organizations.
While providing treatment, healthcare practitioners must communicate with their
patients, follow the Joint Commission's care standards, and fulfill all other accreditation criteria.
The Joint Commission developed a National Patient Safety Goal, which included handoff
communication, in 2006 (Riesenberg et al., 2019). Later in 2010, this rule became a normal
procedure in healthcare facilities. The first component of performance organizations is hand-off
communication, which allows experts to communicate patient information with caregivers. It is
permissible to use the patient's condition drugs, care, therapy, services, or other changes as long
as they are adequately documented.
Serious mistakes are more likely to occur when there is poor communication, and these
mistakes may make it impossible to meet regulatory standards for quality and/or other factors,
harm the organization or individuals, or both. Several issues and mistakes can arise from poor
correspondence between staff members, clients, and clients' families. Effective communication is
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a key element of intervention because it links constructive and positive communications and is
essential to fostering a safe and healthy work environment.
Numerous organizational problems, such as conflicts between departments and staff,
employee panic and confusion, the provision of subpar care, and high staff turnover rates, can be
brought on by poor communication. Staff members become confused when clients are
discharged or transferred to different levels of care and there is a lack of communication
regarding these events. In addition, administration-made policy changes are not properly
communicated to the staff, which worsens confusion and reduces consistency (Al Kuwaiti & Al
Muhanna, 2019). Poor healthcare delivery and high employee turnover rates are closely related
to these organizational problems.
Because of interdepartmental misconceptions about the behavior and wellness of clients,
groups, and individuals experience frustration and resentment. Employee productivity and
engagement are frequently affected by this annoyance. A lack of communication can be
detrimental to teamwork, patient safety, leadership roles, and workplace culture. A healthcare
facility's operations could suffer from poor communication, endangering the safety and care of
its patients.
Evidence-based Research
Effective communication is necessary for all healthcare departments, but it is crucial in
referral management departments in particular. When there is a referral with no
supporting documentation, communication breaks down. According to NCBI research, the
referral procedure has a serious problem. This issue might lead to extended wait times for
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patients and increased insurance expenses. According to NCBI, referral letters usually lack the
necessary precise information, which hampers communication.
In a JAMA Network research, it was shown that more than 25% of released and
readmitted patients may have been averted with improved communication (Rosen et al., 2023).
In our institution, we conduct patient satisfaction surveys to track a variety of quality concerns,
including communication. In 2018, just 43% of patients thought that staff workers had honestly
communicated with them about their discharge. Most employees highlighted communication as a
significant area for improvement in yearly assessment questionnaires. According to
miscommunication research conducted by Crico Strategies, 38% of general medicine cases entail
one or more communication problems (Humphrey et al., 2022). These troubling statistics
demonstrate how inadequately our organization communicates.
Solutions to the Communication Problem
Healthcare literacy, cultural sensitivity, and language barriers can all be improved through
better communication. More healthcare professionals would have succeeded if they concentrated
on learning fresh, efficient communication strategies. Studies have shown that when medical
professionals cannot receive their orders or instructions in writing, communication issues may
occur (Hyland-Wood et al., 2021). Lack of information or referral orders without these things can
also cause communication issues. Important nursing instructions, such as when to give patients
specific treatments, were frequently included when important information about a patient's
medical records was revealed. Nurses might have overlooked reading the written instructions in a
patient's medical file if they had neglected to check that file.
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The patient's health is put at risk and communication is hampered by how frequently
these written referral notes are ignored, misunderstood, or not followed at all. This also affects
all of the hospital's departments. Despite many healthcare institutions stressing the need for
excellent communication, little can be done to tackle the problem of poor communication.
Because they are worried about the consequences, they don't communicate with other
departments as much, which leads to poor communication with patients and among all
departments.
Maintaining accurate communication can be done quickly and safely by using an
electronic medical record (EMR). Staff members and medical personnel achieve this by
recording important patient information that other medical personnel can use and see when
treating the same patient. Even though communication has improved, some staff continue
recording information in the EMR inaccurately and without any accountability (Tanwar et al.,
2020). The issue is being addressed on a worldwide scale by applying process analysis
technologies. These tools allow for the identification, documentation, and resolution of
communication problems. By incorporating electronic to-do lists into other technologies, like
patient care, the healthcare team can effectively inform patients about referrals and follow-up
appointments.
Standards and Accreditation
Federally Qualified Health Centers are subject to many laws, rules, and regulations.
Effective communication is one requirement. Although not required for communication, a license
or accreditation is critical to ensuring that our organization adheres to all requirements,
compliance, accreditation, safety, and quality efforts. Poor communication will eventually lead to
a decline in the standard of patient care because it will be more difficult for us to meet all
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requirements (Finset et al., 2020). In healthcare facilities, take into account the importance of
interactions between all staff and patients. Since poor communication is one of the top five
factors in hospital fatalities, patient safety should always come first in all communications
(Burgener, 2020). Everyone working in the healthcare departments is harmed in various ways by
poor communication. Ineffective communication also prevents the longitudinal integration of
various care modalities.
Delays in diagnosis and treatment are frequently the result of poor communication, which
is not a good sign for patients who may be seriously in need of the facility's care. Putting them
through workshops and training is the best way to ensure that all medical professionals working
in the field prioritize patient safety and communication (Shahbazpoor et al., 2021). They should
immediately put this knowledge into practice, speak up when necessary, spread the word, and
solicit immediate feedback to facilitate the provision of treatment.
Performance Improvement Initiative
Any type of healthcare setting necessitates effective medical staff communication, and
meeting the needs of each patient should be given top priority. The quality and safety of care for
patients will be directly impacted by how well communication is done. Problems in healthcare
facilities may arise when staff members or patients fail to communicate with one another or with
one another (Tanwar et al., 2020). Poor communication can have an impact on a healthcare
organization's culture, teamwork, leadership roles, and even patient safety. A communication
interruption jeopardizes the patient's safety and care, as well as the whole facility's personnel.
All parties must communicate clearly, and patient safety must always come first.
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It would be a great idea to hold daily meetings and training sessions on communication
skills for healthcare workers. Also frequently discussed should be the value of using good
communication techniques with patients and fellow employees. Every hiring process ought to
include a discussion of this. In healthcare environments, good communication skills are essential.
Patient care and patient handoff were developed by The Joint Commission using the
accreditation and standards of care that healthcare facilities use to comply with the law. The Joint
Commission created a national target for patient safety in 2010. When it comes to revealing
patient information, an organization's handoff communication procedure must allow for talks
with the provider and patient, according to the Joint Commission's Provision of Care guideline.
Any information provided, including details about the patient's condition, the plan of their
treatment, their level of care, the services they received, their medications, or recent changes,
may or may not be used.
Surveys of patients, carers, and staff are recommended to ensure that appropriate training
on communication skills for all teams is conducted. This would be done to collect information
and statistics on the patient's experience at the healthcare center, as well as their thoughts about
the healthcare professional's communication and quality of care. Surveys may also be used to
determine how comfortable staff are engaging with coworkers and clients. Following the
gathering of information, a meeting may be arranged to discuss the problem, devise solutions,
and answer any questions or concerns. This might be a good method for
improving communication between staff and patients.
Organizational Implementation
All hospital departments should be contacted to ensure everybody attends training
courses on communication skills. Starting with nurses and doctors and working my way up to
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management leaders, this will apply to every employee. The patient handoff standards must be
raised, and everyone must cooperate to improve communication. According to Patient Safety
Quality Health, they may be utilized in many ways to improve communication and establish a
strategy that will benefit the healthcare facility's employees and patients. The SBAR method,
which stands for situation, background, assessment, and recommendation, should be taken into
consideration first. When a patient's condition or needs change, staff members and medical
professionals can refer to this as a reference. Make use of this to have inter-patient conversations
about the patient's health. This is a useful tool to use when discussing how to improve team
communication and how crucial patient care and safety are.
There is still another way to train all hospital staff members in communication. This can
assist in organizing events or meetings for people who are good communicators. These abilities
must be taught, practiced, and monitored to promote efficient communication with staff members
and patients. The third critical element is to use leadership support for communication (Finset et
al., 2020). Leaders may promote an open line of communication by demonstrating effective
communication skills, including expectations, conduct, and other accessible support systems.
Patient-centered communication is crucial for providing safe and effective care, so the
management and leadership teams should make it a top priority to encourage it.
Using these innovative techniques, patient safety and care results may be improved. An
excellent illustration of these results is provided by the use of the suggested communication
improvement techniques. If there is a clear channel of communication between the physician,
caregiver, and patient, the probability that a patient may need to see a doctor after being
discharged from the hospital reduces (Back et al., 2019). If adequate communication is
employed, the patient will grasp the instructions provided after release, the importance of follow-
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up treatment, and be aware of their health. Instructions are missing, and any follow-up plans are
not discussed, which are signs of ineffective communication.
A healthcare professional's ability to effectively communicate with patients and other
parties can reduce conflict between patients and staff members and help raise the bar for patient
care. Medical professionals should work on improving their communication skills to interact
well with their leaders, managers, coworkers, caregivers, and patients to guarantee that everyone
is getting the same information and that no details about a patient's status or conditions are
overlooked (Manzoor et al., 2019). If they cooperate and make sure to maintain open lines of
communication, communication can be improved at all levels.
The Success of the Performance Improvement Plan
Financial Impacts
If this initiative is successful, the company's finances and internal communication could
both improve. Profitability suffers as a direct result of ineffective communication. Our profits
will rise if we eliminate poor communication. Patients frequently seek care elsewhere as a result
of poor or nonexistent communication. The options available to patients who are struggling
financially, who lack insurance, or who have insufficient insurance are not fully disclosed to staff
members. Through improved communication, situations like these might be avoided, increasing
patients and profit margins. If the program is regarded as effective, financial suggestions for
healthcare institutions will greatly improve. Attending meetings and obtaining communication
training might aid all staff members in learning better techniques to increase communication and
have successful patient transfers (Hessels et al., 2019). These communication skill development
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initiatives greatly improve patient care quality and safety and reduce malpractice risk and
communication issues.
Information Management Improvements
Information Management Systems (IMS) can improve patient transfers
and communication (Akkaş et al., 2020). However, they can also be harmful if not deployed
effectively and in compliance with The Joint Commission's principles. Although electronic
health and medical records can facilitate patient handoffs and communication, they are not
always as dependable since mistakes can occur regularly. EMR/EHRs are not always trustworthy
since employees and clinicians can read remarks in the documentation before taking the
appropriate action. Information management systems can help resolve challenges with patient
transfers, communication, and daily meetings by creating templates that gather data on patient
care (Dalton et al., 2020). Patient data should be gathered and documented to successfully
enhance communication skills and patient transfers.
Internal Organizational Procedures
Electronic medical records (EMRs) and electronic health records (EHRs) are important
technologies used to overcome concerns with patient transfers. When employing an information
management system, it is best to mix physical, visual, and verbal communication with real
patient transfers (Lotfi et al., 2019). The ability to identify a designated space for communication
and patient hand-offs may lead to improved use of EHRs or EMRs. From an organizational and
cultural standpoint, the Joint Commission repeatedly emphasizes how important it is to improve
hand-off communication. They proposed many ways for improving handoffs and
communication. These strategies involve leadership commitment demonstration and environment
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management to create distraction-free zones. Following these should improve patient hand-offs
and communication skills; if done well, they can be deemed successful.
Patterns of Departmental Communication
To successfully transfer patients, it is imperative to follow specific interdepartmental
communication patterns. All medical workers should be trained regularly. To be effective, all
staff members at the healthcare institution must engage in communication training and team
meetings.
The importance of following the instructions will then be apparent to all. To improve
communication and patient handoffs in any organization, including those in the healthcare
industry, staff members must work together. It should be mandated by law that all healthcare
institutions hold regular training sessions on patient transfers and appropriate correspondence.
Following the acceptance of the training standard, healthcare administrators will check in with
healthcare providers regularly and issue reminders to ensure they are following these standards
to enhance communication and patient hand-offs (Gomez & Bernet, 2019). To enhance patient
satisfaction and safety, communication between departments should be leveraged to give
assistance and continuous training.
Policies and practices established by the health center must be followed to the letter. This
suggests that no employee, not even management, has the authority to modify, alter, or employ a
less rigorous approach. Furthermore, someone needs to be in charge of ensuring that once
effective communication has been established, it remains effective and that poor communication
doesn't occur again. Continuous observation is required for constructive communication to
develop. Things could be lost in translation if there isn't enough communication. The
organization as a whole suffers greatly as a result, as do the patients and the staff.
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