System Theory Application in a Middle Georgia Labor and Delivery Unit Introduction A system can be defined as several interconnected components working together that permit the identification of a boundary-maintaining entity or process (Laszlo & Krippner, 1998). The entity, Houston Healthcare, located in Warner Robins, Georgia has a mission statement that affirms “to improve the healthcare of the communities we serve by providing patient-focused, high quality, cost-effective services while promoting health and wellness” (Houston Healthcare, 2015). The Houston Healthcare system values respect, integrity, service innovation, and excellence among its staff and patients (Houston Healthcare, 2015). However at some point, even the best system designs will recognize potential problems and require adjustments in order to fine tune or maximize it productivity. The purpose of this paper is to describe the labor and delivery unit at Houston Healthcare using systems theory terminology. This paper will also identify a potential problem within the unit using an open- systems approach, and state where the problem exists using the systems theory model. Lastly, this article will explain a proposed resolution to the problem that would uphold the organization’s mission and values and improve the culture and climate. System Theory Model The labor and delivery unit at Houston Healthcare is considered a productive subsystem of the broader organization (Meyer & O’Brien-Pallas, 2010).
The Methodist hospital of Indiana was undergoing organizational and leadership change in 1988. Their longtime head had retired and William J. Loveday became their new CEO. He brought in a whole new management team to help him implement new ideas and create a new culture there. His new CFO was in charge of the IS department and after discovering that the department was in shambles with no real direction, he hired Walter C. Zerrener to become the Chief Information Officer. Zerrener found that the Methodist Hospital had spent about $20 million to install a state-of-the-art proprietary patient management system called TDS in 1970s but had done no upgradation after that . The IS department was solely focused on keeping the TDS
Providing an effective care and support to the patient and for their babies during labour
In order for any organization to be successful, they must find effective ways to change systems and policies that are ineffective in creating a successful environment. A system consists of four things, elements, attributes, internal relationships, and the system environment. The systems theory is transdisciplinary study of the abstract organization of phenomena, independent of their substance, type, or spatial or temporal scale of existence (Heylighen & Joslyn, 1992). The study investigates all the principals common to all complex bodies, and the models which can be used to describe them. Von Bertalanffy (1971) was the creator of the “system” concept, he developed this idea as an answer to the limitations of individual disciplines in addressing complex social issues (Mitchell, 2005). The underlining principal of this theory is that an organization consists of multiple, interdependent parts that collectively form more than the sum of their parts. Developed from the systems theory, are three separate theories with the basis of each being the systems theory. The activity theory considers the entire program versus just one single sector, it sees the operation as a whole instead of sub departments, it combines both micro and macro elements of the organization. The chaos theory does not mean a chaotic hectic situation, rather a situation where there appears to be little to no order, there really is a hidden underlying order. The complexity theory is
Throughout this course I have learned about the various challenges that impede productivity and efficiency at today’s hospitals. These issues facing the modern healthcare organization come in varying forms from technological, staffing, and financial to name a few. There are no limits to what hospitals can face in these modern technologically savvy times. Below are the major issues that today’s hospitals are facing, though there are many facets to these topics it will be described as best as possible to meet overall challenges:
Pregnant mothers are viewed as a business made for doctors and hospitals as insurances typically cover infant birth and hospital bills. As Patricia Burkhardt, Clinical Associate Professor, NYU Midwifery Program could not speak the truth any better, she states, “Hospitals are a business. They want those beds filled and emptied. They don’t want women hanging around the labor room.”
The way we practice healthcare and healthcare organizations are changing due to the pressure to reduce costs, improve the quality of care and to meet rigorous guidelines. This change has forced health care professionals to examine we evaluate our overall performance. Paradise Hospital, Inc. has not had any service improvements since 1995. A physician named Avedis Donabedian (2005) proposed a model for assessing health care quality based on structures, processes, and outcomes. He defined structure as the environment in which health care is provided. This is known as the organizational characteristics such as the measurement of staffing ratios and the number of hospital beds. The process is described as the method by which health care is provided. This represents the communication and interaction seen between doctor and patient. The necessity for the tests and procedures performed. The outcome is defined as the consequence of the health care provided, was there a desirable or undesirable effect.
The publication of performance knowledge by hospitals and doctors have to be compelled to be boxed at intervals the final word reform package. Performance knowledge provides Americans with valuable data relating to the potential of those facilities and physicians to perform positive procedures. Already, patients ar "shopping" for health care. Shopper p have remarkably influenced midwifery care. several hospitals presently give "homey" organic process rooms, and atiny low
As of 2013, around 353,000 babies were born in one day, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (Be Fruitful and Multiply). Delivering babies is very difficult and strenuous, luckily labor and delivery nurses are trained to help care for the mother during the process of welcoming her newborn into the world safely. Labor and delivery nurses play a very crucial role in helping the delivery of babies and bringing safety and peace to the mother. I am choosing to pursue a career as a labor and delivery nurse because they get to provide care to babies, they get paid well, and they get to assist in the delivery process.
Quality is an important factor that affects an organization’s service delivery approach or underlying system of care. To achieve a different level of performance and improve quality, an organization’s system needs to change its own delivery system and key processes. The resources (inputs) and activities carried out are addressed together to ensure or improve quality of care. A health service delivery system can be small and simple, such as an immunization clinic or large and complex or a managed care organization. A health care delivery system consists of resources, activities, and results. Activities or processes within a healthcare organization contain focuses on what care is provided and how is done based on the location, time, and patients of the care delivery. Providing services that meet the needs and expectations of patients and their community, including system that affect patient access, care provision that is evidence-based, patient safety, support for patient engagement, coordination of care with other parts of the larger health care system, and cultural competence, including assessing health literacy of patients, patient-centered communication, and linguistically appropriate
The United States healthcare delivery system is a uniquely developed system that involves various features, components, and services. The US delivery system is massive, with total employment in various healthcare settings of qualified medical professionals that provide key functions to delivering quality healthcare. This essay will discuss the characteristics if the United States healthcare delivery system and how it could be developed from a free market perspective.
Systems engineering focuses on coordination, synchronization, and integration of complex systems of personnel, information, materials, and financial resources. This is achieved through the application of mathematical modeling and analysis techniques.. Although drawing direct parallels between other economic sectors and health care delivery is problematic, many functions common to both have been significantly improved in other sectors through engineering analysis. These include inventory control and logistics, scheduling, operations management, project planning, facilities design, process flow analysis, resource synchronization, engineering economic analysis, and many others. It is beleived that these engineering approaches, properly modified and applied, can provide similar high-level impacts in health care delivery.
The health care delivery system of the united states has undergone major changes in both social and technological perspectives. Following are the two different perspectives regarding U.S healthcare delivery system;
Quality is something that every health care agency strives to achieve. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) suggests that health care organizations develop a culture of safety such that an organization's care processes and workforce are focused on improving the reliability and safety of care for patients (Groves, Meisenbach, & Scott-Cawiezell, 2011). In order to address an issue related to health care quality, it is important to look at the frameworks that will analyze an organization and identify opportunities to improve performance. The purpose of this paper is to provide a description of an organization and an analysis of the following: mission, vision and values, strategic plan, goals,
Most are not able to fully imitate a traditionally synchronized system such as an hospital. They thus offer the necessary support to these systems instead of fully taking over their functions. In this case, the systems present seemed to hinder the proper functioning of the hospital to its optimal potential. It did not do much to increase service delivery thus came off as a hindrance to the success of the hospital’s functions. The system was also deemed by Ole Hanseth (2010) as a complex system. The word complex is defined with respect to the ability of the new practitioners to understand the use of the system. By being complex, the system fails in its quest to become a better solution as opposed to traditional record-keeping
The mission and daily operations in the healthcare industry varies from department to department. It is critical for employers and managers to learn and implement key components of the operational management to increase productivity, which in turn will yield greater results. Operations management is a vital component to the success of an organization. Managers must focus on identifying the weak areas of an organization and implement the most current strategic approaches, determine what business model works best within a department, place an emphasis on theories that motivate workers to met organizational goals, and the ensure the best practices are being used in the firm to produce optimal results. Operation management techniques are used to improve, increase and develop continuous development models that increase the productivity organizational growth. Models and ideals are used to help managers decide how to best utilize the labor pool, to perform tasks and patient treatments, logistic movement and IT support functions. This paper will examine how the principles of benchmarking, theory of constraints, six sigma, quality function deployment, business process reengineering, supply chain management, capacity scheduling and location planning, work