Discussion: Workflow Issues

Have you ever carefully edited a paper you have written and then, when it is proofread by someone else, he or she finds a glaring typo? Sometimes we get so close to a project that we may fail to notice important details. The complexity of health care processes means that there can be a number of different gaps and varied areas of inefficiency in a single workflow. This is why it can be beneficial to get an outsider's perspective on workflow issues you are investigating.

In this Discussion, you outline the workflow issue (Incomplete Medication Reconciliation) you plan to use for Part 1 of the Course Project in order for your colleagues to provide their perspectives and feedback. This Discussion serves as an opportunity for you to refine you workflow issue before submitting Part 1 of the Course Project in Week 5. It also builds on the Week 3 Discussion, which provided you with general information about meaningful use and its ties to common workflow issues in health care. You will apply that knowledge in this Discussion by critically analyzing your colleague's selected workflow issues, which will assist you in gaining a stronger grasp of the Course Project.

The Instructor in this course will also respond to your preliminary workflow issue and provide guidance for any necessary revisions or refinements you should make to better meet the requirements for the Course Project.

To prepare:

Reflect on the workflow issue that you are planning to use for Part 1 of your Course Project (Incomplete Medication Reconciliation).

Consider the inefficiencies and gaps based on your preliminary knowledge about the workflow.

Examine how the workflow issue (Incomplete Medications Reconciliation) relates to electronic health records (EHRs). How could the workflow issue be addressed through either the implementation or optimization of an EHR system?

Identify one or more specific meaningful use objectives that connect to your workflow issue (Incomplete Medication Reconciliation). Refer to the Learning Resources in Week 3 for a review of the meaningful use objectives.

Review your initial thoughts on how you will conduct a gap analysis (your Gap Analysis Plan paper). What information will you need to obtain about the current-state workflow? How will you gather this information, and who will you consult in your organization?

With these thoughts in mind:

Post in 24 hour, a minimum of 550 words essay in APA format, and a minimum of 3 references which include:

1) A description of the workflow issue you plan to use for your Course Project. The workflow issue I plan to use is "Incomplete Medication Reconciliation".

2) Describe where the inefficiencies lie based on your current knowledge about the workflow, and identify the meaningful use objective(s) related to the workflow issue.

3) Provide a brief overview of your plans for conducting a gap analysis, including your data-collection methods and who you will contact in the organization.

Note: As you write your initial posting, keep in mind that you will revisit this workflow issue throughout the Course Project, so you are not expected to have a perfectly structured and finalized workflow issue. It is understandable that your workflow issue may evolve throughout later weeks of this course as you gain new knowledge and gather more information about the workflow. This is the reality of the systems development life cycle (SDLC)-it is an iterative process in which later steps often help to inform and clarify earlier efforts in the process. Consider your workflow issue a living, developing element that has the potential for later growth and change.

Required Readings

McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. G. (2015). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge (3rd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning.

Chapter 15, "The Electronic Health Record and Clinical Informatics"

This chapter explores the components of electronic health records and explains their significance in patient care. The authors evaluate the political facets of implementing these records and project how their implementation will benefit health care as a whole.

Dennis, A., Wixom, B. H., & Roth, R. M. (2015). Systems analysis and design (6th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Chapter 3, "Requirements Determination" (pp. 81-115)

Adherence to business requirements is important during a project. It is integral to plan the project with said requirements in mind. In this chapter, the authors demonstrate the processes of familiarizing one's self with requirements and implementing them in the project plan.

Helmers, S. (2011). Microsoft Visio 2010 step by step. Sebastopol, CA: O'Reilly.

Chaper 1, "A Visual Orientation to a Visual Product" (pp. 1-36)

This introductory chapter walks the user through the basic desktop and tools necessary to get started in using Microsoft Visio. It provides instructions on the Visio ribbon, explores the drawing window, and offers tips on using and manipulating the variety of shapes available.

Chapter 2, "Creating a New Drawing" (pp. 37-68)

This chapter outlines the steps necessary for actually creating a drawing, and covers such topics as selecting the correct shape, connecting shapes, and using the Auto features.

Bayer, S., Petsoulas, C., Cox, B., Honeyman, A., & Barlow, J. (2010). Facilitating stroke care planning through simulation modelling. Health Informatics Journal, 16(2), 129-143.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

This article provides an example of how workflow can be used to improve the level of health care being provided. In this particular case, data analysis and modeling were used to determine the optimal workflow for dealing with stroke patients.

Campbell, E. M, Guappone, K. P., Sittig, D. F., Dykstra, R. H., & Ash, J. S. (2009). Computerized provider order entry adoption: Implications for clinical workflow. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 24(1), 21-26.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

This article assesses the impact of computerized provider order entry (CPOE) on clinical workflow. The mass adoption of advanced data capture and access methods can effect change in both positive and negative ways, so care needs to be taken in the design phase to provide a user friendly system.

Crosson, J. C., Etz, R. S., Wu, S., Straus, S. G., Eisenman, D., & Bell, D. S. (2011). Meaningful use of electronic prescribing in 5 exemplar primary care practices. Annals of Family Medicine, 9(5), 392-397.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

One benefit of the widespread use of electronic health records (EHRs) is the opportunity to have electronic prescription capabilities. This article suggests practices that will help ensure e-prescribing that is high quality, efficient, and safe.

Effken, J. A., & Carrington, J. (2011). Communication and the electronic health record: Challenges to achieving the meaningful use standard. Online Journal of Nursing Informatics, 15(2).

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

Transitioning into a heavier use of health IT requires the adoption of more effective means of applying and deriving meaning from the data available. This article addresses the optimal relationship between user/IT communication and proper use of EHRs for achieving high-quality patient care.

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (n.d.). Workflow assessment for health IT toolkit. Retrieved October 22, 2012, from http://healthit.ahrq.gov/health-it-tools-and-resources/workflow-assessment-health-it-toolkit

This web page provides a number of resources that examine how to plan, design, implement, and use workflows and how to analyze current systems to ensure optimum workflow.

Optional Resources

There are a wide variety of online tutorials available to assist you with using Visio. Below are two you might consider, as needed:

Microsoft. (2011). The Visio 2010 MVP sessions. Retrieved from http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/visio/

This free resource, developed by Microsoft, provides video tutorials in the use of all aspects of Visio 2010.

Edson, D. (2011). Visio 2010 essential training. Retrieved from http://www.lynda.com/Visio-2010-tutorials/Essential-Training/75921-2.html

This series of videos provides detailed instruction on all aspects of Visio use. This resource requires a paid subscription.