(4/17/2023)

Innovation is a crucial part of maintaining a successful healthcare organization. From keeping up with advancements in treatments and medications to upgrading facility systems, healthcare leaders need to stay up to date on regulations and encourage their teams to find new solutions to ensure they are delivering high-quality care.
 

Innovation.jpgChange does have to mean taking on complicated and expensive projects. Consistent, small innovations that stem from coming up with creative solutions to fill necessary roles can have a substantial impact. Healthcare organizations should promote a culture of innovative thinking and problem-solving in order to continuously improve operations and maintain safe healing environments.
Create flexible plans

The most effective approaches today will not necessarily remain the most effective approaches in the future, so healthcare leaders should regularly re-evaluate their plans and policies. Lack of improvements to systems and policies impacts a team’s ability to best serve patients. On the other hand, optimizing operations management and utilizing technology to its fullest potential will boost efficiency and support the overall healthcare environment.

Best practices will not always apply, so knowing how to adapt and come up with creative solutions is crucial. Healthcare facilities and organizations should have plans in place for various scenarios and leave room for uncertainties. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare organizations worldwide had to think on their feet to meet needs while simultaneously facing uncertainties and lacking necessary resources. Many facilities turned to telehealth as a tool and continue to use it today to reach many at-risk patients or patients who otherwise would not be able to get to a healthcare facility.

Bring associates into the process
 
When people start thinking creatively, it sparks an organization-wide culture of innovation. Unfortunately, many teams get used to operating the same way and work with a “we’ve always done it that way” mentality. To move past this way of thinking, leaders can provide associates with adequate tools and encourage them to find creative solutions.
 
Establishing a culture in which team members feel more compelled to move against the flow when necessary, requires embracing change throughout the organization. Leadership needs to be part of any changes and inspire the team to have the courage to do things that have never been done before. Instead of vetoing an out-of-the-box idea, leaders should respond with curiosity and ask why associates think the new approach will be better and what resources would be needed to implement it.
 
When associates feel empowered to share new ideas, they are able to initiate change that can lead to positive outcomes for the organization. Diverse perspectives can offer unique solutions, so gaining insight from all levels and sectors of the organization is valuable.
 
Relate innovation back to the organizational mission

The driving factor of change should be the impact new approaches and solutions can have on the quality of care provided. Instead of making changes for the sake of changing, strive to optimize deliverables and operations. Consider ways of helping the team serve patients better, and become an active participant of innovation.

At times, healthcare organizations are hesitant to implement changes due to fear of negative consequences on their business. However, keeping an open mind and taking the time to consider the benefits of new solutions can help organizations maintain a competitive advantage and provide the highest quality of care possible. Fear of failure when trying something new may hold healthcare organizations back from offering better treatment options or working more efficiently to improve the healthcare environment.

At Medxcel, we are focused on leading the transformation of healthcare facility management by incorporating new approaches. For support enhancing operations and finding new solutions, request a consultation with our team.