The Five Rights of Effective Clinical Process Redesign

Right Culture

The Clinical Leaders' most important high level task is the creation of the Right Culture and using it to develop the Right Consensus.  It also services as a critical infrastructure component for Effective Clinical Informatics Implementation

The essential elements are:

  • system thinking

  • multidisciplinary care and problem solving

  • using data

Patient care is delivered through the complex interactions of different disciplines and systems. Understanding those processes of care and the myriads of handoffs that routinely happen can clarify points of failure and inefficiency. Individuals are important elements in the system of care, but only elements.

Disciplines are often ignorant of the needs and expectations of other disciplines even when there is substantial overlap of their work processes. Close collaboration is essential to optimize how work is done and to develop mutual safety nets, where partnerships make sure that important details don't fall through the cracks.

Data should be the foundation of understanding and discovery. Monitoring data reveals flaws in processes. Data produces alignment of perspectives and substitutes for speeches.

Though these concepts may be brought together under different labels like Six Sigma or Performance Improvement  or a Learning Organization, what counts is that there are caregiving, problem-solving teams that learn to work together effectively and trust and value each other.

Developing an improvement culture requires nurturing, but when present can greatly accelerate a clinical transformation and result in the Right Consensus.