Posted: April 13th, 2017

In analyzing and improving clinical processes, one should consider the following questions: Are administrative processes organized, efficient, and well documented? Are clinical workflows efficient, clearly mapped out, and understood by all staff?

Case Study, Stage 1: Process Analysis

Before you begin this assignment, be sure you have read the “UMUCFamily Clinic Case Study” and your Week 1 and Week 2readings, which discuss Electronic Health Record (EHR) functionality and Process Workflow Analysis and Mapping.

Purpose of this Assignment

This assignment gives you the opportunity to apply your analysis skills to model a health care business process in an ambulatory setting.  Modeling the process as it exists (and as it will exist) will aid in the analysis, selection and implementation of the EHR system for the medical practice. In this assignment, you will develop 2 process maps (AS-IS and TO-BE) for the patient visit clinical process workflow. This assignment addresses the following course outcome to enable you to:

• Evaluate the organizational environment in the health care industry to recognize how technology solutions enable strategic outcomes.
• Analyze the flow of data and information among disparate health information systems to support internal and external business processes.

Family Clinic Medical Practice

In order to apply technology to a process, the process must be thoroughly understood and models are used for this purpose.  The model also supports business process analysis and redesign when the process is deemed to be inefficient or ineffective.  In addition, models are used to design the “TO-BE” process that describes the desired end state after the technology solution is developed.

In analyzing and improving clinical processes, one should consider the following questions:

• Are administrative processes organized, efficient, and well documented?
• Are clinical workflows efficient, clearly mapped out, and understood by all staff?
• Are data collection and reporting processes well established and documented?

For your Stage 1 Project for the Case Study, you will develop model of the patient visit process used at the UMUC Family Clinic.  You will create a model of that processwhich defines in detail the steps in the process as they are done today.Then,you will create a modelof the proposed new process,as it will be performed after an EHR system (IT solution) is implemented.

Assignment

For this assignment you will:

1. List at least three objectives or goals that Dr. Martin has, and briefly explain how an EHR system can help him with each objective. Note that a minimum of 4 objectives or goals are needed to earn the full points.
2. Next you will model the patient visit process as it is currently performed at the UMUC Family Clinic; this is the AS-IS Process. Draw a process model to show the major steps in the patient’s visit to the UMUC Family Clinic from the time they arrive until they leave.  This patient is a returning patient, will receive a prescription based on earlier blood test results sent from the laboratory, and his insurance company will be billed for the visit.  You must refer to the AS-IS process as described in the case, cover all the current steps and be careful not to oversimplify.  The objective here is to correctly map the current state of the process, so the improvements offered by the TO-BE process (Item 3 below) are clear.  “Patient enters –> gets prescription –> leaves office (insurance company is billed)” is not a reflection of the current state.
3. Then you will model the way that you expect the new patient visit process to function after a technology solution (EHR System) is implemented and the process is improved; this is the TO-BE Process. NOTE: We are NOT specifying the specific technology in the TO-BE Process.  Identifying the specific technology will be part of a later stage assignment.

As you develop your models, review the Week 2 readings on processes, process analysis and process modeling.  You will use flowchart symbols to indicateprocess steps, decision points, etc.  The flowchart symbols to be used and examples of how to use them to illustrate the work flow can be found in the “Flowchart” lecture.  You may use Microsoft Word, Excelor Power Point to develop your process models.  If you use another product, it is your responsibility to ensure it can be read using the Microsoft Office products.

Tools for Creating the Models

The following are two URL’s that have a more detailed description of Flow Charting and its uses:http://www.hci.com.au/hcisite2/toolkit/flowchar.htm

http://asq.org/learn-about-quality/process-analysis-tools/overview/flowchart.html

To create a flow chart in Word 2007 and 2010:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkN0dekcsmw

To create a flow chart or process map in Excel:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_R73RVfHl0

To create a flow chart in PowerPoint:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8erOL-3Bho

Submit your Stage 1paper via your Assignment Folder Stage 1as an attached document (or documents)with your last name included in the filename(s) (LASTNAME_Stage1).

Note:  Your models will be evaluated on whether they are applicable to the patient visit process, all major steps in the AS-IS and TO-BE processes are included and correctly modeled, and they are appropriate to the UMUC Family Clinic. Your overall paper will be evaluated on whether or not you correctly incorporated the course concepts from the readings and addressed all parts of the assignment.  If you use external resources, be sure to cite and reference them correctly in APA format.  Use the Rubric below to be sure you have covered all aspects.

GRADING RUBRIC: