Identifying and Mitigating Workflow Issues in a Complex Organizational Environment: Dealing with Bottlenecks in Healthcare Systems

By

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to take this chance for thanking my research facilitator, friends and family for support they provide, their belief in me as well as the guidance they provided me, without that I would have never been able to do this research.

DECLARATION

I, (Your name), would like to declare that all contents included in this dissertation stand for my individual work without any aid, & this dissertation has not been submitted for any examination at academic as well as professional level previously. It also represents my own views & not essentially the ones associated with university.

Signed __________________ Date _________________

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSII

DECLARATIONIII

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION1

Background and Policy Description of NHS2

Rationale3

Research Methodology4

Research Approach5

Data Collection Methods5

Research Aims6

Research Objectives7

Statement of Hypothesis7

Research Questions7

Structure of the Dissertation8

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW9

Theoretical Framework9

Identifying Workflow issues in Healthcare9

Efficiency and Effectiveness of the Healthcare Industry10

Cost Containment in Healthcare Industry10

Capacity Management of Outpatient Clinics11

Empirical Studies on NHS13

Health Equity13

Equality in Utilization of Health Service14

Predictions of Future Outcomes15

Measuring Equality of Health Outcomes16

Different Types of Bottlenecks18

Assessment of Current Treatment Options19

Creation and Evolution of the National Health Service19

Reforms to the NHS over time20

Methods needed for the reduction of bottlenecks21

Scope of the data for future22

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY22

Introduction22

Methodological Context23

Methods26

Sample26

Instruments26

Data Collection27

Importance and Limitations28

Proposed analysis of the data29

CHAPTER FOUR: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION31

Major Bottlenecks in NHS31

Poor Communication in Healthcare Institutions31

Lack of Capacity34

Variation in Demand and Capacity39

Measures of Performance40

Distinct trends of NHS within the UK41

Partisan Consensus on Public Health Care41

Technological advancements in Healthcare Sector42

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION45

Summary45

Measures for Reducing Delays48

Identification of Bottlenecks52

Discussion53

Brief History of Healthcare Industry54

Patient and Staff Satisfaction55

Quality care in Healthcare Industry56

Adequate Procedures and Policies57

Efficient Use of Resources58

Reasons for No Show up Appointments59

Lead Time Appointments60

Previous Attendance Patterns61

Patient Demographic and No Show Behaviour62

Age of Patient for Lower Attendance62

Gender Factor for Attendance Rates63

Patient Attendance64

Cost Benefit in Healthcare Industry64

Broken Appointments65

Recommendations66

REFERENCES69

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

Identifying and mitigating the workflow issues is an important process that can bring various changes within the organizational system. The current study is based on the identification and mitigation of the workflow issues and dealing with the bottlenecks in the healthcare system. The study aims to identify various issues and bottlenecks in the workflow of the healthcare system and give suggestions for mitigating these bottlenecks in the healthcare system. The healthcare system that has been selected for identifying and mitigating workflow issues and bottlenecks is the National Health Service (NHS).

The research is based on analysis of the bottlenecks of the healthcare system in the United Kingdom. The healthcare system is an important infrastructural element in any advanced economy. It has effects on the health of the population and thereby affects labour reproduction costs and as such it has an effect on the performance of the economy as a whole. In the United Kingdom, some 1.18 million whole time equivalent staff works directly for the NHS and it consumes £160 Billion pounds per year in cost.

The study is mainly based on the analysis of the constraints or the restrictions in one form or the other that ...