Posted: November 17th, 2023

Project Management Best Practices in Healthcare

Project Management Best Practices in Healthcare

Project management is the process of planning, organizing, and executing a set of steps to achieve a specific goal. It is a valuable skill in any industry, but especially in healthcare, where it can help improve quality, efficiency, and patient satisfaction. In this blog post, we will discuss some of the best practices for project management in healthcare, based on the latest research and examples.

1. Engage with stakeholders
Stakeholders are anyone who is affected by or has an interest in the project outcome. They can include clinicians, administrators, patients, insurers, regulators, and vendors. Engaging with stakeholders means involving them in the project from the start, understanding their needs and expectations, and communicating with them regularly throughout the project lifecycle. Stakeholder engagement can help ensure that the project aligns with the strategic goals of the organization, meets the requirements of the end-users, and gains support and buy-in from all parties.

2. Define clear project goals and objectives
A project goal is a broad statement of what the project intends to achieve. A project objective is a specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound (SMART) statement that describes how the project goal will be accomplished. Defining clear project goals and objectives can help provide direction and focus for the project team, set the scope and boundaries of the project, and establish criteria for success and evaluation.

3. Develop a realistic project timeline
A project timeline is a graphical representation of the sequence of activities and tasks that need to be completed for the project. It shows the start and end dates, durations, dependencies, milestones, and deliverables of each activity and task. Developing a realistic project timeline can help estimate the resources and budget needed for the project, allocate responsibilities and accountability among the project team members, monitor and track the progress and performance of the project, and identify and manage potential risks and issues.

4. Build a strong project team
A project team is a group of people who work together to complete the project. It can include internal staff, external consultants, contractors, or volunteers. Building a strong project team means selecting the right people with the right skills, knowledge, experience, and attitude for the project, defining their roles and responsibilities clearly, fostering collaboration and communication among them, providing them with adequate training and support, and motivating and rewarding them for their contributions.

5. Use data to drive decision-making
Data is any information that can be collected, analyzed, and used to inform decisions. It can include quantitative data (such as numbers, statistics, or metrics) or qualitative data (such as opinions, feedback, or observations). Using data to drive decision-making means collecting relevant and reliable data from various sources (such as surveys, interviews, reports, or databases), analyzing it using appropriate methods (such as descriptive, inferential, or predictive analytics), interpreting it using critical thinking (such as identifying patterns, trends, or insights), and applying it to make informed decisions that support the project goals and objectives.

6. Communicate effectively
Communication is the exchange of information between two or more parties. It can be verbal (such as spoken or written words) or non-verbal (such as gestures, facial expressions, or body language). Communicating effectively means choosing the right mode (such as email, phone call, meeting, or report), medium (such as text, audio, video, or image), message (such as content, tone, style), and audience (such as internal or external stakeholders) for each communication purpose (such as informing,
persuading,
or collaborating). Effective communication can help ensure that everyone involved in the project is on the same page,
understands their roles
and expectations,
and receives timely
and accurate information.

7. Monitor and evaluate the project
Monitoring is the process of collecting,
measuring,
and reporting data on the progress
and performance of the project.
Evaluating is the process of assessing
and judging
the value
and impact of the project.
Monitoring
and evaluating
the project can help determine whether
the project is on track,
on budget,
and on quality,
identify
and resolve any problems
or issues that arise,
learn from successes
and failures,
and demonstrate accountability
and transparency to stakeholders.

References:

– A Primer on Project Management for Health Care | Executive and Continuing Professional Education | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/ecpe/a-primer-on-project-management-for-health-care/
– Project Management in Healthcare: Introduction and Phases https://bootcamp.umass.edu/blog/project-management/project-management-in-healthcare/
– Mastering Healthcare Project Management: Tips & Examples – Teamly https://www.teamly.com/blog/healthcare-project-management/
– Nine best practices in healthcare IT project management https://www.managedhealthcareexecutive.com/view/nine-best-practices-healthcare-it-project-management