Introduction
A health care system has two types of models in practice including; the traditional model and dispersed model. In particular, the traditional model employed in a health care setting involves primary care, secondary care, and tertiary care of patients. In that, a patient goes to primary care and receives treatment of the common problems diagnosed. The problems that go unsolved are referred to the secondary care, and the tertiary care is for those cases that require intensive care provision.
The knack to communicate ideas and information successfully is increasingly acknowledged as critical to the success of the health care system in general. For successful interactions between the health care providers and individuals but also in particular the health care providers themselves, effective communication is required.
This function ensures an organization maintain productivity and efficiency. The importance of inter-departmental communication enables the growth of trust, improves the quality of service to customers hence ascertaining repeat business. In addition, it boosts efficiency in attaining delivery projections, and departmental conflicts in an organization are minimized where there is ease in flow of information.
Therefore, this paper aims at describing a health organization and its ineffectiveness in departmental sharing of information. Also to be illustrated are the proper assimilation sequence of the knowledge management model tools in the organization so as to improve on the limitations and increase efficiency of operation within.
Extensively, the patient centered medical home and the Chronic Care Management are integrated in the acute care system and the hospital in regards to delivering chronic illness care. The current payment and delivery systems provide a wide range of tools in dealing with chronic disease’s problems. Equally, the current payment system favors the acute care platform and is the leading driver of costs in health care but minimal efforts have led to its strategic engagement in complex chronic illness management.
The presence of chronic illness management through the inclusion of acute setting and it is so because in ideal situations, chronic illness patients are usually admitted to the hospital. As the number of chronic conditions of a person increases also there will be increases in hospitalization for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions, rates of inpatient hospitalization, and hospitalizations that are linked with costly and avoidable complications
For the health care delivery system and the health of patients, hospitals need to be engaged with devised strategies that would assist them adopt new knowledge management models so as to minimize the inefficiencies created through limited information sharing. These barriers to the departmental information sharing are inclusive of;
Fragmented Communication
The particular transition time between care services can be of high risk specifically in the presence of poor information sharing and inadequate or lack of continuity of care. In inter-departmental care of acute care patients, inconsistency in information shared lead to ineffectiveness and poor service delivery to the chronic acute care patient hence severe incidences in patients even loss of lives might seem to occur. This would occur due to incompatible computer systems that are equally ineffective in disseminating the appropriate information.
Uncertainty around client and interagency consent
In between the departments there arise issues in sharing the clients’ information either in full or partiality. These issues arose due to the limited or lack of training of health personnel regarding disclosure and confidentiality clauses and inadequate information shared.
Existence of overlapping care plans
The existence of overlapping care plans would be source of conflict during referrals and information shared as to the type of care required to be provided to particular patients. This in turn leads to inefficiencies in the departments as quality of care is compromised and poor. Information to be shared among the departments should be consistent with the practices and service delivery programs of the respective health care setting.
Knowledge management tools
These tools support the objectives of the knowledge management ingenuities and equally development of information, access and storage as well as the sharing of information and its transfer. These tools include;
Electronic bulletin boards
The electronic bulletin boards to be used are essential in disseminating or transfer of informal knowledge while encouraging sharing and collaboration. This avenue can also provide platforms for interactions inform of questions, answers, and comments which can be stored for future reference.
Document repositories
These repositories organize paper documents into large digital folder systems that are particularly housed on servers. The organizations design of the repository will provide a centralized location for the chronic acute care setting.
Instant messaging
This will allow for the health care providers to share information online. This also provides for social sharing of ideas that would assist in synchronized engagement in communication and uniformity in the provision of health services especially for the patients with acute conditions.
According to research findings, the process of successful implementation is in three particular stages that occur concurrently i.e. adoption, acceptance, and assimilation. However, there are factors that influence the three implementation stages limiting its successful completion. These factors include;
Adoption
- Design influences; Expected results, innovation characteristics, communication characteristics, and fit.
- Limitation to design; Technological infrastructure, environment, organizational, and resources characteristics
Acceptance
- Design influences; Performance and effort expectancy
- Limitation to design; Attitude towards tech-use and social influences
Assimilation
- Design influences; Process characteristics, and system characteristics
- Limitation to design; Institutional characteristics and management characteristics
Therefore for an over haul from the traditional models employed to the incorporation of the knowledge management models the following steps are to be adhered to;
Step I: Knowledge Management Model Adoption
Some of the factors evident within the health care setting include; commercial advantage, characteristics, cultural values, organizational viability, information quality, and system quality. Therefore for its promotion to adoption;
- Start by performing an internal analysis of the health care organization
- Evaluate the knowledge or information needs, communities of practice, and lines of communication among departments.
- Conduct a detailed cost benefit analysis while considering the number of patients attended to in the chronic acute care department, size of the firm, frequency of use, complexity of the system structure, maintenance costs, training costs, security concerns in regards to the enhancements in performance; lower costs as compared to the previous model, and lower response time.
- Assess the existing work practices and the determination of how to improve the system from the present systems
- In addition, the more precise approach the knowledge model, the less advanced the required solution.
Step II: Knowledge Management Acceptance
Here, there are factors outlined such as ease of use of the models, anxiety, core motivation, results demonstrability, job-fit, and social factors that would hinder the swift acceptance of the new KM models. However, to improve acceptance it is required that;
- Encompass the users in the implementation and design process whenever possible
- Involve the user in the system evaluation whenever necessary
- The system to be adopted should made as intuitive and friendly as possible
- Maintain the multiple standpoints of the stored knowledge
- Provision of suitable managerial an technical support
- Also, employ product campaigns to promote the new systems all through the organization.
Step III: Knowledge Management Models Assimilation
During the assimilation process of the knowledge management models, there are factors that arise including; management campaign, process cost, promotion of collaboration, knowledge barrier, and process quality. Therefore to improve this assimilation the following need to be considered;
- Information management: A system’s content is required to be kept relevant through filtering, revising, and regular updating for it to remain suitable.
- Apparent alluring factors: This includes the management’s capacity to induce users in these departments of the advantages of the knowledge management models
- Appropriate budgeting: That involves the implementing a cost effective knowledge management system and planning for the expenses.
- Focus on group effort: Particularly the adoption of a knowledge management system that promotes teamwork and is popular among the personnel and it is cost effective as well
- Management participation: The entire organization’s management must campaign for the assimilation of the knowledge management models at every level.
In essence, these factors affect the successful adoption of the KM models hence an improved information sharing amongst an organization’s department such as e-mails. However, in the chronic acute care management department, the strategic effect of implementing the knowledge management systems that expressively aims to alter the normal operation within the organization needs careful planning and appropriate considerations.
Conclusion
Enhancement of knowledge management as an information sharing and communication tool is to be achieved through the initiatives that mirror the pomposity of concerted person centered care; this is already in practice in certain countries like Australia. The chronic acute care providers inclusive of other primary providers should operationalize care planning and the exclusion of collective and effective communication of care that reinforces it within their run through with patients and the entire care team members.
Summary
Knowledge management is the organization, development, and leveraging of knowledge capacity in an organization. This chronic acute care setting is involved in the care of severe cases in patients who mainly are transferred from the primary care setting. However, the successful implementation of knowledge management models in a traditional model organization is faced by various factors that hinder including; uncertainty around client and interagency consent, fragmented communication among the health care departments, and the presence of overlapping care plans.
Also, tentative steps are to be adhered to so as to ensure the adoption, acceptance, and assimilation of the new knowledge management model is uniform among departments. This will ensure collective follow through of the models by the health care providers eliminating inconsistencies in the quality of service provided.
Reflection
This particular topic is of importance in understanding of the rigidities in health care systems, adoption, and practice of models that ensure quality is provided for to the patient. The elaboration on sequence of implementation of the KM models shows the severity of the in depth course to be undertaken in institutions to achieve certain objectives hence the need of more appropriate and improved provider training.
The previous opinion held by me on the impaired information sharing among departments in health care that needs to be assessed and more improved models adopted has been strengthened by the research conducted in assessing a traditional health care model.
References
Briley, M. M., Homchick, R. G., Singer, T. G., & American Bar Association. (1994). Information sharing among health care providers: An antitrust analysis and practical guide. Chicago, Ill: Section of Antitrust Law, American Bar Association.
Bascetta, C. A., United States., & United States. (2005). VA and DOD health care: VA has policies and outreach efforts to smooth transition from DOD health care, but sharing of health information remains limited : testimony before the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, House of Representatives. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Accountability Office.
Lytras, M. D. (2008). Knowledge management strategies: A handbook of applied technologies. Hershey: IGI Pub.
Tan, J. K. H. (2001). Health management information systems: Methods and practical applications. Gaithersburg, Md: Aspen Publishers.
Gorelick, C., Milton, N. J., & April, K. (2004). Performance through learning: Knowledge management in practice. Amsterdam: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann
