The patient care process: a framework for change.

Abstract

Healthcare organizations across the United States recognize that they must change the way in which they deliver case. As organizations reengineer to reduce costs and change the way in which services are delivered, it is critical that decisions about reengineering be communicated throughout the entire service-delivery enterprise. There must be a framework to provide a common ground for change. The process approach to delivering service provides the greatest opportunity for organizations to achieve their goals to facilitate care, achieve the best patient outcomes, and deliver services on time and at the right price. Processes that are built around core competencies and that address customer needs are the most successful. Organizations that adopt a common framework built around the delivery of patient care and the patient care process can establish a common frame of reference for the entire organization and therefore can enhance the delivery of service for their patients and achieve organization-wide commitment to common goals.