Hospital is considered to be the most complex structure than any other organisation . There are many different departments in the hospitals which are interlinked directly or indirectly and thus they interact with each other through a formal or informal communication channel. Also, The hospital interact with many customers internal as well as external. With different stake holders the departments in hospital may act in ignorance to each other or may be completely contrary to each other. In such system introducing and managing change becomes a tedious task.
Change typically encompasses introduction of new or unfamiliar team structures, processes, procedures or technologies or new ways of working. Hospital Managers face two problems consistently. First is to have smooth operational functioning and other is the change management . The operations management can be dealt effectively by laid down policies, protocols and Standard operating procedures. But the change management becomes a challenging job for them.
Few things necessary for change management in a hospital are -
• Positive leadership- An effective leader should change the paradigm much in advance .Those who themselves practice the change are much effective in creating a vision .the Change only operates the environment of trust mutual respect where the staff feels valued . and they are being heard. Their problems should be addressed and their questions are answered.
• Communication- Effective communication makes the objective clearer and more coherent . The message should clearly percolate in the staff that the change is for the betterment of the organisation. For example if the Hospital is in process of implementing EMR and going paper less it should be communicated to the clinicians that EHRs will allow clinicians to access the right patient information at the right place at the right time.
• Outcomes - Managers must be able to paint a vibrant picture for employees as to what future changes will look like. At the same time the outcomes should be addressed which helps them understand how the changes are helping them professionally as well as personally.
• Route-An effective change management system should lay our guidelines lines and show a clear route of achieving the change. The plan should include phases and deliverables in each phase of change. It is always a good idea about having a pilot study or a small trial of the solution or process.
• Identify stake holders – Managers should identify the key persons responsible for implementing the change. Identify each persons role, expectations from them and create a pool of innovators who will be ready to implement change .
Change typically encompasses introduction of new or unfamiliar team structures, processes, procedures or technologies or new ways of working. Hospital Managers face two problems consistently. First is to have smooth operational functioning and other is the change management . The operations management can be dealt effectively by laid down policies, protocols and Standard operating procedures. But the change management becomes a challenging job for them.
Few things necessary for change management in a hospital are -
• Positive leadership- An effective leader should change the paradigm much in advance .Those who themselves practice the change are much effective in creating a vision .the Change only operates the environment of trust mutual respect where the staff feels valued . and they are being heard. Their problems should be addressed and their questions are answered.
• Communication- Effective communication makes the objective clearer and more coherent . The message should clearly percolate in the staff that the change is for the betterment of the organisation. For example if the Hospital is in process of implementing EMR and going paper less it should be communicated to the clinicians that EHRs will allow clinicians to access the right patient information at the right place at the right time.
• Outcomes - Managers must be able to paint a vibrant picture for employees as to what future changes will look like. At the same time the outcomes should be addressed which helps them understand how the changes are helping them professionally as well as personally.
• Route-An effective change management system should lay our guidelines lines and show a clear route of achieving the change. The plan should include phases and deliverables in each phase of change. It is always a good idea about having a pilot study or a small trial of the solution or process.
• Identify stake holders – Managers should identify the key persons responsible for implementing the change. Identify each persons role, expectations from them and create a pool of innovators who will be ready to implement change .
Ms . Neha Bhagatkar
Assistant Professor
MBA –HHM ( SIHS)
References-
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- www.who.int
- Change Managementin Health Care Robert James Campbell, EdD
- Managing Change in the NHS - Valerie Iles and Kim Sutherland
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