How can you balance competing priorities in healthcare improvement projects?

2 Identify and prioritize the stakeholders

The next step is to identify and prioritize the stakeholders who are involved in or affected by your healthcare improvement project. Stakeholders can include patients, families, staff, managers, leaders, partners, funders, regulators, and others. You need to understand their roles, interests, expectations, and concerns, and how they can influence or support your project. You can use tools such as stakeholder analysis or mapping to help you identify and prioritize your stakeholders. You can also engage them in regular communication and feedback to build trust and collaboration.

3 Manage the resources and risks

The third step is to manage the resources and risks that are associated with your healthcare improvement project. Resources can include time, money, people, equipment, materials, and information. You need to estimate and allocate your resources wisely and efficiently, and monitor and control your budget and schedule. You also need to identify and assess the potential risks that can affect your project, such as changes in policies, regulations, technologies, or stakeholder expectations. You need to develop and implement risk mitigation and contingency plans to minimize or avoid the impact of these risks.

4 Implement and evaluate the changes

The fourth step is to implement and evaluate the changes that are part of your healthcare improvement project. Changes can include new or improved processes, practices, policies, products, or services. You need to plan and execute your change activities in a systematic and structured way, using tools such as change management models or frameworks. You also need to collect and analyze data and evidence to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of your changes, using tools such as quality improvement methods or tools. You need to report and disseminate your results and lessons learned to your stakeholders and other relevant audiences.

5 Learn and adapt

The fifth step is to learn and adapt from your healthcare improvement project. Learning and adaptation are essential for continuous improvement and innovation in healthcare. You need to reflect on your project experiences and outcomes, and identify what worked well and what did not. You need to seek and incorporate feedback and suggestions from your stakeholders and other sources of learning. You need to apply your learning and insights to improve your current or future projects, or to scale up or spread your changes to other settings or contexts.

6 Celebrate and acknowledge

The sixth and final step is to celebrate and acknowledge your healthcare improvement project. Celebration and acknowledgment are important for recognizing and rewarding the achievements and contributions of your project team and stakeholders. You need to celebrate and share your project successes and challenges, and appreciate and thank your project team and stakeholders for their efforts and support. You need to create and sustain a positive and supportive culture of improvement and innovation in your healthcare organization or system.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?