Role of emotions in change and change management in an emergency department: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Changes in emergency departments are frequently implemented to improve efficiency and reduce costs. However, staff acceptance and adoption are crucial for the intended success of changes. OBJECTIVES: This study explored staff perceptions of factors influencing the implementation of changes and any common themes linking changes and factors influencing changes in an emergency department at a university teaching hospital in the UK. METHODS: We used constructivist grounded theory methodology to perform a secondary analysis of 41 interview transcripts of physicians, nurses, support workers and managers involved in paediatric emergency care. RESULTS: Participants identified leadership, communication and education as factors impacting change management. They described many emotions associated with changes and with communication, leadership and education or the lack of any of them during changes. Both positive and negative emotions sometimes coexisted at individual, team or organisational levels. Negative emotions were due to real-life challenges and concern over compromised patient care. Professional values dictated the actions or inactions that transpired either because of these emotions or despite these emotions in health professionals. CONCLUSIONS: Emotions to change should be acknowledged and addressed by credible leadership clear communication and education to improve the change process, its success and ultimately, patient care.

Standing together at the helm - how employees experience employee-driven innovation in primary care.

Primary care needs to find strategies to deal with today's societal challenges and continue to deliver efficient and high-quality care. Employee-driven innovation is increasingly gaining ground as an accessible pathway to developing successful and sustainable organisations. This type of innovation is characterised by employees being engaged in the innovation process, based on a bottom-up approach. This qualitative study explores employees' experiences of employee-driven innovation at a primary care centre in Sweden. Data are collected by focus group interviews and analysed by inductive qualitative content analysis. The result is presented with the overarching theme "Standing together at the helm" followed by three categories: "Motivating factors for practising employee-driven innovation", "Challenges in practising employee-driven innovation" and "Benefits of employee-driven innovation", including nine subcategories. The study found that employee-driven innovation fosters organisational innovation, empowers employees, and enhances adaptability at personal and organisational levels. This enables individual and collective learning, and facilitates the shaping, development, and adaptation of working methods to meet internal and external requirements. However, new employees encountered difficulty grasping the concept of employee-driven innovation and recognising its long-term advantages. Additionally, the demanding and task-focused environment within primary care posed challenges in sustaining efforts in innovation work. The employees also experienced a lack of external support to drive and implement some innovative ideas.

Power of saying 'I Don't Know': psychological safety and participatory strategies for healthcare leaders.

As healthcare systems grow increasingly complex and integrate with other services and sectors, creating complex patient pathways, this inevitably leads to additional layers within a system. Consequently, high-tier leaders become progressively detached from the inner workings of the systems in which they operate. Several barriers exist that may deter a leader from embracing uncertainty and acknowledging the limits of their expertise in these systems. These barriers range from personal insecurities about perception to organisational stigmas that compound these concerns through expectations of infallible leadership. In this article, I draw on my experience as an embedded researcher and someone who has taught leadership in healthcare settings to examine the importance of leadership vulnerability, considering not only for the leaders themselves but also for fostering a learning and innovative culture within the organisation. I focus on two fundamental tenets: psychological safety and participatory approaches to innovation. In addition, I offer practical considerations for embracing vulnerability and discuss the ensuing benefits. Given the rapidly evolving complexities in healthcare and paradigm-shifting innovations, such as the integration of digital solutions, this article serves as a call to action. It urges leaders to embrace uncertainty, encourage participation and venture into the unknown.

Relational aspects of regulating clinical work: examining electronic and in-person compliance mechanisms.

BACKGROUND: Clinical documentation quality is an important way to facilitate clinical communication, improve patient safety metrics and optimise hospital coding and public reporting. However, the monitoring of clinicians by external individuals (ie, those outside the profession or emanating from outside clinical teams) raises difficult questions relating to the autonomy of clinicians and an organisation's control over clinical work. Typically, documentation improvement initiatives have relied solely on electronic monitoring systems to vet clinician documentation. In such systems, quality personnel monitor clinical documentation and, on encountering potentially problematic content, use an electronic querying system to ask the clinicians to voluntarily clarify or modify the text if appropriate. Importantly, clinicians retain their professional autonomy and can choose to disagree with documentation requests. The current study empirically examines a clinical documentation improvement program which takes a different approach. This programme uses two modes of querying clinicians: (1) conventional electronic documentation clarification queries and (2) in-person verbal documentation clarification requests. METHODS: We conducted regression analyses using archival documentation query data (n=19 650) from an American teaching hospital to compare the efficacy of conventional electronic documentation clarification queries and in-person verbal documentation clarification requests. Our dependent variable is the length of time between the documentation clarification request and the resolution of the query (ie, the time until a clinician responds). FINDINGS: Our analyses demonstrate that in-person verbal documentation clarification requests are associated with a 30-hour reduction in the time it takes for a query to be resolved relative to electronic-only queries. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The results suggest that while electronic regulatory systems might afford hospitals with opportunities to scale quality initiatives in a cost-effective manner, organisational efforts to influence clinical work may yet benefit from the human touch of in-person regulator-clinician interaction. Furthermore, the replacement of in-person compliance interactions with digital compliance requests can potentially produce negative compliance outcomes.

Designing the careful and kind clinic: an evidence-based approach.

BACKGROUND: There is evidence that creating a 'healthy workplace' can be of profound importance for clinicians, team members and patients. Yet there have been few papers that have proposed mechanisms to take decades of research and translate this into a practical list of options for leaders and managers to take into account when structuring a clinic based on care and kindness to achieve optimal health. EVIDENCE: We bring together 20 years of scholarship linking care of the caregivers with outcomes for caregivers and patients. The data are used to support both structures and cultures that will result in satisfied and thriving healthcare team members, as well as satisfied and healthy patients. RESULTS: The clinic based on care of the caregivers will be structured to address key aspects of worklife that are known to cause either satisfaction or burnout. Aspects of care, such as time pressure, chaotic environments and worker control of their workplace, will be taken into account in clinical design; organisational culture will be supportive and cohesive, emphasising quality, values and communication. Experiences based on gender and race will be measured and continuously improved; and performance will be evaluated in a new, human-centred manner. OUTCOMES: The careful and kind clinic will be a remarkable place to work; in contrast to industrialised healthcare, this will be an environment where health can indeed be optimised, for both workers and patients.

The Holy grail of healthcare analytics: what it takes to get there?

BACKGROUND: Indian healthcare is rapidly growing and needs efficiency more than ever, which can be achieved by leveraging healthcare analytics. National Digital Health Mission has set the stage for digital health and getting the right direction from the very beginning is important. The current study was, therefore, undertaken to find what it takes for an apex tertiary care teaching hospital to leverage healthcare analytics. AIM: To study the existing Hospital Information System (HIS) at AIIMS, New Delhi and assess the preparedness to leverage healthcare analytics. METHODOLOGY: A three-pronged approach was used. First, concurrent review and detailed mapping of all running applications was done based on nine parameters by a multidisciplinary team of experts. Second, capability of the current HIS to measure specific management related KPIs was evaluated. Third, user perspective was obtained from 750 participants from all cadres of healthcare workers, using a validated questionnaire based on Delone and McLean model. RESULTS: Interoperability issues between applications running within the same institute, impaired informational continuity with limited device interface and automation were found on concurrent review. HIS was capturing data to measure only 9 out of 33 management KPIs. User perspective on information quality was very poor which was found to be due to poor system quality of HIS, though some functions were reportedly well supported by the HIS. CONCLUSION: It is important for hospitals to first evaluate and strengthen their data generation systems/HIS. The three-pronged approach used in this study provides a template for other hospitals.

Board affiliate pilot: leadership and innovation-creating new opportunities to deliver better patient care.

BACKGROUND: Leadership and management have become a key facet of medical training. However, there remains enormous variation in the quality and effectiveness of medical leadership training. This article describes an innovative pilot programme that aimed to prove a new method of developing clinical leaders. METHODS: We undertook a 12-month pilot integrating a doctor in training onto our trust board in a role called the 'board affiliate'. We collected qualitative and quantitative data throughout our pilot programme. RESULTS: Qualitative data demonstrated a clear positive impact of this role on senior management and clinical staff. Our staff survey results increased from 47.4% to 50.3%. The pilot programme has had such an impact on our organisation that we have expanded the single pilot role into two positions. CONCLUSION: This pilot programme has demonstrated a new and effective method of developing clinical leaders.

[The impact of digital technology in healthcare]. / L'impact du numérique dans le domaine de la santé.

The digitisation of health areas, care, training, research and innovation has an impact on the work, skills and knowledge of health professionals. This requires permanent professionalisation and a digital learning organisation.

Action research and health system strengthening: the case of the health sector support programme in Mauritania, West Africa.

BACKGROUND: Access to qualitative and equitable healthcare is a major challenge in Mauritania. In order to support the country's efforts, a health sector strengthening programme was set up with participatory action research at its core. Reinforcing a health system requires a customised and comprehensive approach to face the complexity inherent to health systems. Yet, limited knowledge is available on how policies could enhance the performance of the system and how multi-stakeholder efforts could give rise to changes in health policy. We aimed to analyse the ongoing participatory action research and, more specifically, see in how far action research as an embedded research approach could contribute to strengthening health systems. METHODS: We adopted a single-case study design, based on two subunits of analysis, i.e., two selected districts. Qualitative data were collected by analysing country and programme documents, conducting 12 semi-structured interviews and performing participatory observations. Interviewees were selected based on their current position and participation in the programme. The data analysis was designed to address the objectives of the study, but evolved according to emerging insights and through triangulation and identification of emergent and/or recurrent themes along the process. RESULTS: An evaluation of the progress made in the two districts indicates that continuous capacity-building and empowerment efforts through a participative approach have been key elements to enhance dialogue between, and ownership of, the actors at the local health system level. However, the strong hierarchical structure of the Mauritanian health system and its low level of decentralisation constituted substantial barriers to innovation. Other constraints were sociocultural and organisational in nature. Poor work ethics due to a weak environmental support system played an important role. While aiming for an alignment between the flexible iterative approach of action research and the prevailing national linear planning process is quite challenging, effects on policy formulation and implementation were not observed. An adequate time frame, the engagement of proactive leaders, maintenance of a sustained dialogue and a pragmatic, flexible approach could further facilitate the process of change. CONCLUSION: Our study showcases that the action research approach used in Mauritania can usher local and national actors towards change within the health system strengthening programme when certain conditions are met. An inclusive, participatory approach generates dynamics of engagement that can facilitate ownership and strengthen capacity. Continuous evaluation is needed to measure how these processes can further develop and presume a possible effect at policy level.

The place of learning in a universal health coverage health policy process: the case of the RAMED policy in Morocco.

BACKGROUND: To progress towards universal health coverage (UHC), each country will have to develop its systemic learning capacity. This study aims at documenting how, across time, learning can feed into a UHC policy process, and how the latter can itself strengthen (or not) the learning capacity of the health system. It specifically focuses on the development of a major health financing policy aligned with the UHC goal in Morocco, the RAMED, a health financing scheme covering hospital costs for the poorest segment of the population. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the RAMED policy for the period between 1997 and 2018, along with a case study design. For the data collection and analysis, we developed a framework combining Garvin's learning organisation framework and the heuristic health policy analysis framework. We gathered data from key informants and document reviews. RESULTS: The study confirmed the importance of learning during the different stages of the RAMED policy process. There is evidence of a leadership encouraging learning, the introduction and adoption of knowledge management processes, and the start of a transformation of the administrative culture. Yet, our study also showed some major shortcomings, especially the lack of structure of the learning, and insufficient effort to systemise and sustain a transformation of practices within the health administration. Our study also confirms that the learning changes in nature across the different stages of the policy process. CONCLUSION: The policy decisions and the implementation strategy create a learning dynamic, though not structured in all cases. Despite the positive interaction between learning and the RAMED policy, the opportunity to push forward a more structural transformation towards a learning system has not been fully seized. Hierarchical logics still largely prevail in the Moroccan health administration. The impact of future health policies for both the target beneficiaries and the health system will be bigger if their design integrates purposeful and structured actions in favour of organisational learning. This recommendation probably applies beyond Morocco.

Are our 'UHC systems' learning systems? Piloting an assessment tool and process in six African countries.

BACKGROUND: If there is one universal recommendation to countries wanting to make progress towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC), it is to develop the learning capacities that will enable them to 'find their own way' - this is especially true for countries struggling with fragmented health financing systems. This paper explores results from a multi-country study whose main aim was to assess the extent to which UHC systems and processes at country level operate as 'learning systems'. METHOD: This study is part of a multi-year action-research project implemented by two communities of practice active in Africa. For this specific investigation, we adapted the concept of the learning organisation to so-called 'UHC systems'. Our framework organises the assessment around 92 questions divided into blocks, sub-blocks and levels of learning, with a seven scale score in a standardised questionnaire developed during a protocol and methodology workshop attended by all the research teams. The study was implemented in six francophone African countries by national research teams involving researchers and cadres of the ministries involved in the UHC policy. Across the six countries, the questionnaire was administrated to 239 UHC actors. Data were analysed per country, per blocks and sub-blocks, by levels of learning and per question. RESULTS: The study confirms the feasibility and relevance of adapting the learning organisation framework to UHC systems. All countries scored between 4 and 5 for all the sub-blocks of the learning system. The study and the validation workshops organised in the six countries indicate that the tool is particularly powerful to assess weaknesses within a specific country. However, some remarkable patterns also emerge from the cross-country analysis. Our respondents recognise the leadership developed at governmental level for UHC, but they also report some major weaknesses in the UHC system, especially the absence of a learning agenda and the limited use of data. CONCLUSION: Countries will not progress towards UHC without strong learning systems. Our tool has allowed us to document the situation in six countries, create some awareness at country level and initiate a participatory action-oriented process.

A tool for the consensual analysis of decision-making scenarios.

The authors believe there is a need for novel ways of enhancing professional judgment and discretion in the contemporary healthcare environment. The objective is to provide a framework to guide a discursive analysis of an ongoing clinical scenario by a small group of healthcare professionals (4-12) to achieve consensual understanding in the decision-making necessary to resolve specific healthcare inadequacies and promote organisational learning. REPVAD is an acronym for the framework's five decision-making dimensions of reasoning, evidence, procedures, values, attitudes and defences. The design is set out in terms of well-defined definitions of the dimensions, a rationale for using REPVAD, and explications of dimensions one at a time. Furthermore, the REPVAD process of application to a scenario is set out, and a didactic scenario is given to show how REPVAD works together with a sample case. A discussion is fleshed out in four real life student cases, and a conclusion indicates strengths and weaknesses and the possibility of further development and transferability. In terms of findings, the model has been tried, tested and refined over a number of years in the development of advanced practitioners at university healthcare faculties in two European countries. Consent was obtained from the four participating students.

Scoping literature review on the Learning Organisation concept as applied to the health system.

ᅟ: There is growing interest in the use of the management concept of a 'learning organisation'. The objective of this review is to explore work undertaken towards the application of this concept to the health sector in general and to reach the goal of universal health coverage in particular. Of interest are the exploration of evaluation frameworks and their application in health. METHOD: We used a scoping literature review based on the York methodology. We conducted an online search using selected keywords on some of the main databases on health science, selected websites and main reference books on learning organisations. We restricted the focus of our search on sources in the English language only. Inclusive and exclusive criteria were applied to arrive at a final list of articles, from which information was extracted and then selected and inserted in a chart. RESULTS: We identified 263 articles and other documents from our search. From these, 50 articles were selected for a full analysis and 27 articles were used for the summary. The majority of the articles concerned hospital settings (15 articles, 55%). Seven articles (25%) were related to the application of the concept to the health centre setting. Four articles discussed the application of the concept to the health system (14%). Most of the applications involved high-income countries (21 articles, 78%), with only one article being related to a low-income country. We found 13 different frameworks that were applied to different health organisations. CONCLUSIONS: The scoping review allowed us to assess applications of the learning organisation concept to the health sector to date. Such applications are still rare, but are increasingly being used. There is no uniform framework thus far, but convergence as for the dimensions that matter is increasing. Many methodological questions remain unanswered. We also identified a gap in terms of the use of this concept in low- and middle-income countries and to the health system as a whole.

Pedagogy Rules: Open Mindset in Adopting Fit-for-Purpose Educational Tools in Teaching Dispersed Medical Students.

Students in the Rural Clinical School of Western Australia (RCSWA) spend one year of clinical study learning in small groups while embedded in rural or remote communities. This aims to increase the locally trained rural medical workforce. Their learning environment, the clinical context of their learning, and their rural doctor-teachers all contrast with the more traditional learning setting in city hospitals. The RCSWA has succeeded in its outcomes for students and in rural medical workforce impact; it has grown from 4 pilot sites to 14 in 12 years. This reflective piece assimilates observations of the formation of the RCSWA pedagogy and of the strategic alignment of education technologies with learning environment and pedagogy over a seven-year period. Internal and external influences, driving change in the RCSWA, were considered from three observer perspectives in a naturalistic setting. Flexibility in both education technologies and organizational governance enabled education management to actively follow pedagogy. Peter Senge's learning organization (LO) theory was overlaid on the strategies for change response in the RCSWA; these aligned with those of known LOs as well with LO disciplines and the archetypal systems thinking. We contend that the successful RCSWA paradigm is that of an LO.