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| | The Leading Edge: Improving Efficiency |
Great Tips to Improve Efficiency
In these challenging economic times, healthcare organizations are looking for any and every way to improve efficiency and cut costs. The good news is that there are several easy and inexpensive ways to do just this. Here are some simple and effective ideas for improving efficiency and reducing staff frustration!
Consistency is key. Set up all the file drawers the same way on each floor so that there is no guessing where one might find an interim order sheet and/or other important forms. Don't think this will make much of a difference? Think again: It could take 5 to 10 minutes to locate a certain file because it's organized differently at another drawer. Now multiply that by all of the other staff members who have to do the same thing... and that quickly adds up to a lot of wasted time.
Make it accessible. Put frequently used forms in an easily accessible location. Move less frequently used forms to a secondary file drawer.
Color coding makes it easy. Color code everything you can for quick reference. For example, you could color code the doctor's communication books so that if Dr. Smith is pink on the first floor, she's pink on all of the floors. You can also color code the weight books, CNA logs, etc., or at least have them all be in the same type of book on each floor.
Get some standards. Standardize the location of the charts, logbooks, etc. Post important telephone numbers and procedural information in the same places at each nursing station.
One important note: Be sure to include the staff members in deciding how to organize each aspect of the facility. It's important for every department to be represented because moving certain items might make it easier for one group, but harder for another. By collecting ideas and feedback from all departments you'll certainly gain a better buy-in, as well as improved organization and job satisfaction!
"Some people like my advice so much that they frame it upon the wall instead of using it." -Gordon R. Dickson
| | Findings on Healthcare Spending Among Older Americans |
Spending to treat the health problems of Americans age 65 and older increased by about $2,000 for every senior who used health services between 1996 and 2006 (after adjusting for inflation), according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
AHRQ found that average, inflation-adjusted spending for senior healthcare expenses rose from $6,989 in 1996 to $9,080 in 2006. AHRQ's study covers all Americans age 65 and older with healthcare expenses other than those residing in nursing homes and other institutions.
The federal agency also found significant increases in average spending for seniors on the following types of healthcare during the 10-year period (in 2006 dollars):
- Per prescription drug purchase: from $105 to $174 (66%)
- Physician office visit: from $114 to $180 per visit (58%)
- Dental visit: from $187 to $254 per visit (36%)
- Daily hospital stay: from $2,271 to $2,714 per day (20%)
AHRQ, which is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, improves the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care for all Americans. The data in this AHRQ News and Numbers summary are taken from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), a detailed source of information on the health services used by Americans, the frequency with which they are used, the cost of those services, and how they are paid.
"About the time we can make the ends meet, somebody moves the ends."
-Herbert Hoover
| | How to Cope with Cutbacks |
In recent years, many workplaces have felt more like a fancy hotel than an office. There were things like catered lunch meetings, dry cleaning services, free coffee and even on-site gyms. These days, however, many companies are scaling back. Management is scrutinizing anything but the barest of business expenses and you might feel like your job hasn't been the same since your fringe benefits got taken away.
If you're like many healthcare professionals, watching such comforts get rescinded may make you feel like your work has suddenly lost some of its luster. And this feeling is not completely unfounded. According to psychologists, watching perks get taken away produces fear, and fear can sap some of the motivation you once had to excel in your job. If you're starting to feel the fear and panic of cutbacks, it's time to get some perspective. Take heed of the following:
Get some perspective: To better cope with the more austere workplace, first recognize that the things you thought your job was required to provide may not be essential-especially right now-even if they're as important to you as a benefit like paid sick leave. Many things that you may have thought were necessities aren't necessities. It's something you've probably heard many times, but if you have a job, you should really be thankful for it.
Don't take it personally: Indeed, you should not interpret cutbacks as a step backwards in your career. Everyone right now is having to make the same types of decisions and cutbacks. So, you really can't take such cutbacks personally or as a reflection of your job performance.
Share the burden: There needs to be a sense of shared responsibility and burden at the workplace. If you know you're all in this together, make sure you don't isolate yourself as you're going about your duties. You should still gather with your colleagues, even if it's no longer on the company dime, because you want to feel like you're working alongside others. A cake and soda in the break room might be a turnoff if you're used to something else, but it still gets people in the room together.
Finally, realize that you can be part of the solution. The company values what you do for it and wants you to help dig out of any hard times. Try to articulate what makes you feel accomplished or energized during your time at the office but that also doesn't involve your expense account.
"An economist is a surgeon with an excellent scalpel and a rough-edged lancet, who operates beautifully on the dead and tortures the living."
-Nicholas Chamfort
| Things You Wish You Could Say Out Loud at Work
| - I can see your point, but I still think you're full of it.
- Ahhh, I see the mess-up fairy has visited us again.
- I see you've set aside this special time to humiliate yourself in public.
- How about "never?" Is "never" good for you?
- It sounds like English, but I can't understand a word you're saying.
- You are validating my inherent mistrust of co-workers.
- I'm already visualizing the duct tape over your mouth.
- The fact that no one understands you doesn't mean you're a visionary.
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