FOCUS PDCA : a process improvement approach

FOCUS PDCA is a management method, developed in the healthcare industry, used to improve processes. Created by the Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), it is a systematic process improvement method. Through FOCUS-PDCA, a knowledge of how a process is currently performing to meet customer needs and expectations is used to plan and test process changes. FOCUS-PDCA is an extension of the Deming or Shewhart Cycle which includes Plan-Do-Check-Act.

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Although created for the medical industry, FOCUS PDCA can be used by any type of organization. The FOCUS portion identifies the area needing improvement, brings together a team that is capable of achieving an improvement, and selects a solution. The PDCA portion identifies what needs to be done to implement the solution, makes the necessary changes, and verifies that the desired result has been achieved.

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the FOCUS-PDCA model provides a model for improving processes. The model’s name is an acronym that describes the basic components of the improvement process. The steps include:

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F: Find a process to improve

What are you trying to improve? Briefly describe the problem, issue or need that your project is intended to address.

Prioritization: 

-    High Risk                                      -    High Impact on Performance

-      High Volume                                 -    High Potential for Improvement

-      Problem Prone                              -    Supports Critical Success Factors

-      Low Volume                                   -    Patient Safety

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O: Organize a project team

Who are the major stakeholders and/or participants in the process that would help make an effective multidisciplinary team? List the members of your project team, including position and department.  

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C: Clarify the current process

How is it being done now? Provide an overview of the major steps in the current process (or workflow). Collect/present data that will show the nature or extent of the current problem and prove the need for improvement (costs, time, errors, outcomes or results, etc.) Identify how this data was collected (survey, interviews, chart review, tally sheet, observation, etc.)

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U: Understand process variation

What are the root causes and how do they occur? Summarize your analysis of the causes of the observed problem or issue as well as variations that exist.

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S: Select an improvement

What are the project goals? Briefly explain how you intend to address the causes of the problem. Focus on your general approach or strategy rather than on detailed steps.

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P: Plan a change aimed at improvement

What are the detailed steps you can take to make an improvement? Highlight the major actions or changes you plan to implement.  Note who will be responsible for each step, as well the general target dates for completion.

D: Do the plan

What steps did you do? Describe how your plan was actually carried out. List the changes you implemented and include key dates.

C: Check to see if an improvement was made

Did the plan work? Summarize the major results of the project. Collect and analyze data to demonstrate if an improvement was made or not. Determine which changes worked and which did not. (Data collection and data analysis methods should be the same as those used in the "Clarify the current process" step in order to show a "before" and "after" difference.)

A: Act on the results

Do you plan to adopt the new changes, alter them, or abandon them? Briefly highlight the steps that will be taken to maintain the results of the project in the future and to make further improvements.