Posted By Hope Alfaro On February 9, 2017
Dealing with Change: Managing the Uncertainty in Healthcare
Regardless of the size of your public health department, community health center, or practice, dealing with changes in regulations or workflow in your clinic can make any average staff member nervous. But change is both important and necessary. It ensures your practice remaining compliant to state and federal regulations and improving patient care and clinic efficiency.
Making the Change
So how to you keep up with the times and manage uncertainty without overwhelming your staff and your resources? Managing change is about handling the complexity of the process, regardless of what change your clinic is facing. Whether you are switching from an old, outdated Electronic Health Record to a new one, or helping manage questions to healthcare reform and legislation – evaluation, planning, and flexibility will make sure that the change is relevant and worthwhile.
Managing Staff Uncertainty
Process are easy to plan, but often the human element can be the most difficult to navigate for any type of new implementation. If you have a large organization, identifying leaders to become experts and champions of the new development. According to author Scott Guerin, PhD a psychologist and director of government and policy systems at the Access Group. Managing change starts by understanding the emotional fallout involved and directly approaching each situation in your organization with thorough planning, communication, empowerment, and patience. To begin, most people do not like change, especially if things have been working fine for years, time is limited, and now there is a new system or procedure for routine tasks. Effective communication is the greatest tool at your disposal for ensuring a smooth transition. Your staff will want to know how new processes or legislation will affect them and their day to day jobs, as well as their patients. Your leaders should keep a tab on staff moral during the implementation of any new process or system, and listen to concerns from staff.
Follow Through
Change in healthcare is necessary to ensure the best possible services and outcomes for both your center and your patients. With patience and flexibility, a difficult process can become a bonding and empowering experience for the future of your clinic.
Resources:
Thompson JM., Understanding and managing organizational change: implications for public health management. J Public Health Manag Pract. 2010 Mar-Apr;16(2):167-73.
Umiker W., Management Skills for the New Health Care Supervisor. 3rd ed. An Aspen Publication, 1998
Caldwell DF, et al. Implementing strategic change in a health care system: The importance of leadership and change readiness. Health Care Manage Rev, 2008, 33(2), 124–133.