Healthcare Operations Management, Fourth Edition

Today's challenging healthcare landscape--with its complex web of reimbursement systems, workforce challenges, and governmental regulations--requires a platform for addressing issues and trends. Savvy healthcare managers know how to integrate and deploy strategies to produce significant operational improvements and increase effectiveness throughout an entire healthcare enterprise. Healthcare Operations Management explores the core principles of effective organizational operations and explains how they can be used to tackle healthcare-specific challenges, such as gaps in quality of care. Through an integrated approach, the authors provide a basic understanding of operations management and share strategies for applying advanced process improvement programs, tools, and techniques in healthcare. This revised edition delves extensively into the role of technology in healthcare operations improvement, exploring the use and impact of digital approaches to care delivery and finance with an emphasis on big data and advanced analytics. Other new or updated topics include: Waste reduction and cost management in the US healthcare systemQuality management factors contributing to improvement processesTools and techniques for successfully deploying LeanChanges that extend the supply chain beyond the walls of the hospital or clinic Most chapters begin with a vignette showcasing a real-world example related to the chapter's concepts and conclude with discussion questions. Integrating content featured throughout the book, the final chapter outlines a model for continuous healthcare operations improvement that introduces an algorithm for choosing and applying the book's methods and strategies. The US healthcare system is filled with opportunities for significant operational improvements that can affect the delivery of patient care. With the tools and techniques presented in this book, current and future healthcare managers will be equipped to implement these enhancements-and achieve operational excellence.