Change Management in Healthcare: Processes, Strategies and Tools

Healthcare is an industry that can be particularly difficult to instigate change in. Every day, institutions must attend to the needs of their patients, effectively allocate personnel and resources, comply with regulations, and make decisions that will positively affect their bottom line.

In the face of so much to consider, healthcare organizations must adapt and make amendments to stay up-to-date and competitive while addressing the challenges of talent erosion. Constructing the ideal change management approach is essential to assess, implement, and evaluate a proposed shift adequately.

In a survey of thousands of board members who forced out their chief executive, most pointed to a failure to adequately sell the need to change course or the lack of an effective change management model. Needless to say, planning how to drive change is critical to your success.

To effectively drive Change Management, you need to look into a Process Design which is typically divided into four key stages: planning, implementation, evaluation, and closure. But, before executing any modifications, responding to two vital questions is imperative. The first question is “Why is this change important?” and “What are we trying to achieve?

After these questions are answered, a comprehensive analysis needs to be conducted, encompassing financial, legal, and ethical factors, along with potential risks that could impede the initiative.

The planning stage is important as you will start defining clear goals and objectives.

When the change is decided upon, use metrics to measure effectiveness, assign responsibilities and set timelines. In order to avoid any discrepancies during the process, all personnel must be aware of their roles within the change management process.

In a shocking study, only 15% of employees always understand the rationale behind their leader’s strategy. We encourage you to be an inclusive leader by communicating strategically to your team.

The second phase of the process is implementation. When change is being implemented we set up communication plans and additional tools to ensure that the goal, purpose, metrics, and human emotions are appropriately addressed.

The subsequent stage in the process involves monitoring the progress and evaluating the modifications that are being implemented. For instance, if there is a change in structure, monitor progress by tracking employee productivity or surveying customer satisfaction. Attaching metrics to milestones and defining key timelines is another strategy that will make sure you deliver results on time.

When you're satisfied with the milestones achieved and outcomes, it's time to move on to the closure stage. If you get to this stage, you have achieved the targets and desired performance within your team. It's important to record the transformation process and its results for future reference, facilitating more informed decision-making and recognizing the team players with incentives.

Regarding successful change management in healthcare, certain methodologies provide additional support. These may include but are not limited to the Lean Six Sigma and Kaizen methods, communicating and engaging with stakeholders as well as training and developing the healthcare personnel. Incorporating collaborative decision-making, implementing risk mitigation strategies, and effectively managing personnel performance can also support the process. Seeking out to implement new tools and technologies can facilitate streamlining the change management process in your organization. Some examples include Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) applications for improved resource utilization and Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) to track personnel changes.

Change management does not have a universal blueprint, yet regardless of the industry, implementing strategies and tools such as collaborative decision-making, risk mitigation, and personnel management can minimize disruptions to ensure a desired outcome.