Modest changes in schedules and workflows can yield major increases in productivity, quality of patient care, and job satisfaction.
In a perfect healthcare world, a continuous flow of patients into, within, and out of the organization would be matched by precisely timed delivery of required services and supplies.
This ideal state may be unattainable, but it serves as a target for incremental improvement efforts. Specific initiatives leading toward the ideal state may include balancing schedules to ensure appropriate staffing for anticipated patient loads, relocating staff or supplies to support efficient workflows, or adjusting staffing hours to accommodate current patient needs.