Thesis Statement
Changes in the healthcare field are always associated with difficulties since they affect the ways care is delivered, as well as medical professionals’ and clients’ experiences. For my research paper, I have chosen the topic of change management in healthcare. More specifically, I am planning to examine innovation implementation in medical systems and their management.
A rational and structured approach to change implementation can enhance the quality of medical services and improve medical professionals’ working conditions. With the development of technologies, health care is becoming one of the most changing industries. The reason why the use of innovation is beneficial is that it can provide more accurate information about patient’s health conditions, enhance the quality of medical service and change the health behaviors of patients (Free et al., 2013). Moreover, some technologies, such as the ones used in surgeries, can help avoid fatal mistakes in disease treatment.
Changes in the healthcare system can involve the implementation of new well-tested procedures, adoptions of medical equipment or new approaches to caregiving, and removal of unsafe treatment methods (Grol, Wensing, Eccles, & Davis, 2013). Management in these cases can include dealing with resistance to change, organization of training and educational programs for medical staff, as well as establishing communication with caregivers and patients. At the same time, only a small percentage of innovations are used in patient care daily (Grol et al., 2013). Successful implementation of technologies requires managers to consider many technical, social, and individual factors (Cresswell & Sheikh, 2013). It means that it is crucial to develop a change management system to ensure the positive outcomes of their adoption.
Research Plan
Objectives
The purpose of the research is to identify the difficulties associated with innovation implementation in healthcare and the most efficient approach to its management. Its primary aim is to study what factors create barriers to complete and fast adoption of change. The results of this study will be used to develop a strategy for overcoming challenges associated with the implementation of technologies. Moreover, the research will provide information about the innovations that can potentially be implemented in healthcare institutions.
Methods
To conduct research, I will use the following methods. I will examine the technologies that have been introduced over the past five years to define which of them could be beneficial for the healthcare system. It is also essential to learn what current methods of treatment are unsafe and outdated to suggest different solutions. I will study medical articles and reports to identify the problems related to the adoption of technologies and the methods that are used to manage them. After that, I am planning to conduct a survey within several hospitals to learn whether there is a need for new technologies, as well as patients’ and employees’ experience with the innovations that are already adopted. Lastly, I will summarize the strategies of change management within healthcare systems.
Expected Results
As a result of my research, I will develop a general change management plan that will help organizations’ leaders support innovation implementation in the healthcare system. The system will include the methods of approaching challenges managers may face during the process of adaption. Considering those possible problems, I will elaborate on the steps to fast implementation of technologies. I believe that the results of my research will be useful to professionals planning to improve their medical institutions and approach to care.
References
Cresswell, K., & Sheikh, A. (2013). Organizational issues in the implementation and adoption of health information technology innovations: An interpretative review. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 82(5), 73-86.
Free, C., Phillips, G., Galli, L., Watson, L., Felix, L., Edwards, P.,… Haines, A. (2013). The effectiveness of mobile-health technology-based health behaviour change or disease management interventions for health care consumers: A systematic review. PLoS Medicine, 10. Web.
Grol, R., Wensing, M., Eccles, M., & Davis, D. (Eds.). (2013). Improving patient care: The implementation of change in health care (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.