Impact of Lean Management Practices on Patients

Patient safety is considered a fundamental aspect of the health and social care sector. Therefore, now it has become very important for professionals to be more vigilant with respect to providing clinical care to users. Policymakers and clinicians identify potential risks that can arise and accordingly, they deliver services to them. Practitioners are responsible for providing quality care to patients (Boamah, Read and Spence Laschinger, 2017). It involves correct diagnosis and therapeutic acts that support improving the health of the person. World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that the safety of patients is a global priority of the healthcare sector. Concern authorities are continuously working to minimize clinical errors and increase professional competencies so that diligent can get quality care in hospitals.

In recent times medical professionals are taking support of advanced technologies and enhancing patient engagement. This aids in identifying the medical needs of the person and providing them care accordingly. Increasing communication with the users is the first priority of the clinical department (The role of hospital managers in quality and patient safety: a systematic review, 2014). WHO has made it essential to coordinate with the patients properly. It is an influential regulation that is essential to be followed by each nursing staff. Practitioners interact with the users well so that they can share their issues with the doctors properly. This helps care providers in providing quality care services to the patients. It improves safety culture in the health and social care organization as well. Now staff members are providing necessary education through promotional campaigns to the users so that they can take care of themselves. These people take care of safety measures in paediatric and surgical settings.  

Lean management theory is considered one of the effective approaches that concentrate on making continuous improvements in management practices. It is an essential method that helps in making positive changes in the workplace so that employees can understand their responsibilities and perform well in the organization. The health and social care sector is the industry in which patients always prefer to deliver quality care to patients but for that, it is very essential for medical professionals to understand the requirements of patients and accordingly make changes in the system so that people can get quality care in hospitals (Zaheer and et.al, 2015).

Lean management practices involve the engagement of medical professionals, customer communication, and empowering users so that the actual root cause of problems can be identified and improvements can be made accordingly. In recent times authorities have trying to improve culture and reduce wastage and waiting time so that patients can get high-quality services in hospitals. These lean practices ensure the individual gets quality services at a lower rate. Nurses and physicians play a significant role in patient safety. They diagnose individuals properly in order to address the systematic nature of the problem (Quality of care and patient safety: a global priority, 2017). WHO has made several standards in this respect that help medical professionals identify necessary steps that need to be followed by them in order to provide quality care services to patients in hospitals. Care managers are the persons who are responsible for the activities of the care home. They ensure all nurses and junior doctors perform their duties well and take care of patients effectively. Statistical records show that from 2004-2005 hospitals have concentrated on development management practices in the care homes. They have emphasised outcome-based initiatives through which patients can get quality care in the hospitals (Boamah, Read and Spence Laschinger, 2017).

NHS managers always implement a lean management approach in the workplace. They ensure staff members create value for the consumers and deal with them properly. In this management practice, high authorities identify issues in the system and make modifications so that the issue can be resolved soon. In recent times due to the high workload medical professionals are unable to handle such a large number of people in hospitals. In such conditions, they fail to provide them with treatment as per their medical needs. This increases the chances of occurring errors which affect the quality of services in NHS. Care managers are responsible for ensuring changing requirements in the organization and they have to make modifications in the system in a systematic manner so that they can ensure patient safety and improve their health conditions to a great extent (Carayon and et.al, 2014).

The main of this research is to identify the impact of lean management practices on patients' outcomes, professional practices and the health care system. It will explain various lean management practices and their effectiveness in hospitals for patient safety and improving professional practices. It will emphasise on interrelationship between lean management practices or interventions and professional practices.

Aim and Objectives

Aim

“To identify the impact of lean management practices on patients' outcome, professional practices and health care system”.

Objectives

• To explain lean management practices in the health and social care sector.
• To explain frequently reported types of lean activities and approaches.
• To identify the interrelationship between lean management practices or interventions and professional practices.
• To determine the effectiveness of lean management practices in order to improve patient safety in the health and social care sector.
• To suggest ways through which lean management approaches ensure patient safety and can improve professional practices in the health and social care sector.
• What are the lean management practices applied in the health and social care sector?
• Explain frequently reported types of lean activities and approaches.
• What are the interrelationships between lean management practices or interventions and professional practices?
• How effective are lean management practices in order to improve patient safety in the health and social care sector?

Research Questions

• What are the lean management practices applied in the health and social care sector?
• Explain frequently reported types of lean activities and approaches.
• What are the interrelationships between lean management practices or interventions and professional practices?
• How effective are lean management practices in order to improve patient safety in the health and social care sector?

Rationale of the study

Lean practices have been applied by many other countries and they have become able to improve their patient safety and professional practices. Thus, by conducting this study individuals will be able to make the concerned department aware of the effectiveness of lean management practices in hospitals. The main reason for carrying out this research is there are limited studies have been conducted in past on management work in the health and social care sector (HSC) with reference to patient safety. Thus, actually, medical professionals are unaware of working activities and their power. Due to financial issues, the NHS is unable to make changes in the care system to improve the safety of patients (The Role of Hospital Managers in Quality and Patient Safety: A Systematic Review, 2014). Thus, it is an interesting area of research and scholar will be able to gather in-depth details about the topic which may improve their experience as well. This topic has been provided by the university thus, the researcher has chosen this topic for further investigation. Scholars have framed objectives on the basis of the research aim and will gather information on the topic. Few researchers are aware of the impact of lean management practices on patients' outcomes, professional practices and the health care system.

Research specification

Research methodology plays a significant role in the dissertation, it helps the researcher find suitable ways to conduct the investigation in an accurate manner. In order to conduct a present study on the impact of lean management practices on patients' outcomes, professional practices and healthcare system scholars will apply secondary data collection sources (Quality of care and patient safety: a global priority, 2017). Individuals will gather information regarding lean management practices, and patient safety from books, journals, internet articles etc. These sources will help the investigator develop an in-depth understanding of the topic. Furthermore, scholars will conduct a systematic review which will assist in critically evaluating the topic and data.

There are two main types of approaches qualitative and qualitative. Both these are helpful in preparing a thesis in an appropriate manner. In the current investigation, the researcher will choose both of these approaches. This will support finding the impact of lean management practices on patients' outcomes, professional practices and the health care system. Furthermore, the researcher will take the support of a meta-synthesis tool that will aid in seeking data from various but interrelated qualitative studies.

Structure of the study

• Chapter 1: Introduction: The first chapter will be a brief introduction to the topic. This researcher will give a brief overview of lean management practices, quality care, patient safety, and professional practices. It will give the rationale and significance of the study in the introduction part. Furthermore, aims and objectives will be framed in this chapter.
• Chapter 2: Literature review: This chapter will review earlier literature on the topic. This will help enhance the knowledge of the researcher about the topic. In a literature review session scholar will give the points of various researchers on the impact of lean management practices on patients' outcomes, professional practices and healthcare system
• Chapter 3: Methods of analysis: It will describe various methods that will be used by the researcher in order to conduct this research. The rationale for each selected method will be given by the scholar. Results will be analysed by selecting the appropriate method (Rathert and et.al, 2015).
• Chapter 4: Discussion: This chapter will discuss the topic on the basis of literature review and analysis results. This will help in finding accurate answers about  the impact of lean management practices on patients' outcomes, professional practices and healthcare system
• Chapter 5: Conclusion and recommendations: This will be the last section in which the researcher will conclude the entire study and present the results. This will answer the research questions that have been obtained by this investigation. At last researcher will give necessary recommendations regarding the same (Boamah, Read and Spence Laschinger, 2017).

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

2500

Lean management practices and frequently reported types of lean activities and approaches

Interrelationship between lean management practices or interventions and  professional practices 

Effectiveness of lean management practices in order to improve patient safety in the health and social care sector

Different managerial activities

As per the view of Zaheer and et.al, (2015) managers are responsible for ensuring the smooth functioning of the workplace and minimising risk as well. The health and social sector is the service industry that continuously work to improve the health of the patients. Managers have to identify the medical needs of these people and deliver them quality treatment so that they can recover soon. Managers have to communicate with patients well. Managers in hospitals have to enhance communication in the organization (The role of hospital managers in quality and patient safety: a systematic review, 2014). This communication helps in minimizing confusion and providing quality care treatment to the users. Effective communication plays a significant role in the HSC, this assists in developing understanding among medical professional regarding their role and responsibilities. In this way, they can be able to provide timely care to patients. This helps in minimizing clinical errors in the system. Many times due to improper knowledge about the needs of the people doctors fail to provide them with correct knowledge. Managers have to ensure that all nurses and other medical staff members communicate well with patients and provide them with treatment as per their medical needs.

Carayon and et.al, (2014) argued that performance monitoring is an essential management activity that is implemented by managers in NHS. It is the responsibility of care managers in the organization to monitor the performance of other nursing staff members and ensure whether they are performing well or not. They have to identify their training needs and have to provide them with training accordingly (Quality of care and patient safety: a global priority, 2017). This aids managers in improving the performance of care providers to a great extent. Each industry has some standards and it is very important for the employees to work according to these standards. It is essential management practice to monitor the progress of each team member so that the overall target to improve patient safety can be accomplished.

As per the view of Carayon and et.al, (2015) strategic planning is essential management practice in the health and social care sector. Care managers have to make effective planning so that they can provide immediate services to users and minimize errors. NHS is continuously working to improve technologies in hospitals. For that higher authorities make plans regarding budget and implementing these technologies in the workplace. This strategic planning aids in achieving the strategic goal of hospitals (The role of hospital managers in quality and patient safety: a systematic review, 2014).  Currie and et.al, (2014) stated that providing necessary training is essential management practice, each manager in a hospital is responsible for identifying lacking points in their employees and arranging training programs for them accordingly. This training helps in raising the skills of the staff members this way they can provide quality care to patients without making any errors. Management trains people and ensures that they can fulfil their responsibility towards patients effectively. According to Sujan, Spurgeon and Cooke, (2015) ensuring patient safety is a very important management activity in a hospital. Managers have to cross-check each practice and have to monitor the performance of all employees. This helps in providing quality care services to users and minimizing clinical errors in hospitals.

Theory of lean management (500)

Impact of managers' role on patients safety

Contextual factors that impact the role of managers that influence patient safety and quality of care.

Impact of Government Policies and socio Socio-economic Changes

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REFERENCES

• Boamah, S. A., Read, E. A. and Spence Laschinger, H. K., 2017. Factors influencing new graduate nurse burnout development, job satisfaction and patient care quality: a timelagged study. Journal of advanced nursing. 73(5). pp.1182-1195.
• Carayon, P. and et.al., 2014. Human factors systems approach to healthcare quality and patient safety. Applied ergonomics. 45(1). pp.14-25.
• Carayon, P. and et.al., 2015. Perceived impact of care managers’ work on patient and clinician outcomes. European Journal for person-centred healthcare. 3(2). pp.158.
• Currie, G. and et.al., 2014. A qualitative study of the knowledge-brokering role of middle-level managers in service innovation: managing the translation gap in patient safety for older persons’ care. Health Services and Delivery Research. 2(32). pp.1-118.
• Rathert, C. and et.al., 2015. Patient perceptions of patientcentred care: an empirical test of a theoretical model. Health Expectations. 18(2). pp.199-209.
• Sujan, M., Spurgeon, P. and Cooke, M., 2015. The role of dynamic trade-offs in creating safety—A qualitative study of handover across care boundaries in emergency care. Reliability Engineering & System Safety. 141. pp.54-62.
• Zaheer, S. and et.al., 2015. Patient safety climate (PSC) perceptions of frontline staff in acute care hospitals: Examining the role of ease of reporting, unit norms of openness, and participative leadership. Health care management review. 40(1). pp.13-23.

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