Health Care Operations and Supply Chain Management: Strategy, Operations, Planning, and Control

CHAPTER 7

PROCESS IMPROVEMENT AND PATIENT FLOW

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Identify the four steps of process mapping and draw a basic process map.
• Understand how to create a value stream map and why it is useful.
• Recognize the data required to set staffing levels.
• Understand the concepts involved in workload management.
• Comprehend the value of productivity analysis, especially as related to health care settings.
• Recognize and understand common health care productivity measures.
• Gain an awareness of steps that can be taken to improve productivity, particularly in health care settings.

INTRODUCTION

This chapter focuses on processes. In a health care setting, there are numerous processes that occur every day, many of which could be improved. The literature ...