Optimizing the workflow in healthcare facilities can be performed in different ways, for instance, increasing the motivation of staff, introducing digital methods for monitoring performance, and other interventions. One of the approaches that do not require significant effort and, at the same time, improve the overall work process in hospitals and other medical institutions is establishing a sustainable reporting system. Hospital-reported outcomes are valuable data to analyze, identify gaps, and highlight progress, thereby improving the performance of the entire organization.
The reporting process may involve compiling final results on predetermined aspects of the workflow. These activities can be based on distinctive methods and engage different stakeholders. However, reporting allows creating an environment in which staff, including team leaders, are aware of all the nuances of the working regime, which, in turn, has a positive effect on productivity. Menachemi et al. (2018) mention information exchange as one of the critical components of hospital-reported data. Health professionals gain insight into the important information they share and reduce the risk of delayed interventions (Menachemi et al., 2018). This nature of work does not require significant costs from the hospital and may consist in regular meetings of employees or communication in a single local network. The free exchange of knowledge and experience is a tool for increasing professionalism and a practice designed to minimize mistakes made due to inattention.
Based on the aforementioned benefits, hospital-reported outcomes are crucial data that can help maintain a positive reputation for a particular healthcare facility. For instance, Prihartono and Wibowo (2020) analyze the incidents related to medication administration errors in South Jakarta. Based on the authors’ proposed statistics, only 9.25% of all identified cases were reported to nurses, which made it unlikely that local hospitals would improve their activities in this field (Prihartono & Wibowo, 2020, p. 13). Such gaps suggest the value of establishing robust reporting mechanisms to prevent medication errors that negatively influence not only patient outcomes but also the reputation of hospitals. In the case of effective exchange of data on all gaps, the threat of their recurrence is minimized, which is one of the main tasks of implementing hospital reporting systems. The staff becomes more organized and responsible, which reduces the burden of supervision on the part of administrators. As a result, employees’ professionalism increases, thereby enhancing the credibility of a particular institution.
Another essential perspective to mention in the context of hospital-reported outcomes is the potential cost savings for healthcare institutions. As Menachemi et al. (2018) note, effective communication among healthcare professionals is positively correlated with a reduction in unwanted costs. This manifests itself, for instance, in more productive patient interventions, proper medication administration, and other routine activities that reflect performance results. In other words, the more accurate and credible the reporting data is, the greater the likelihood of hospital budget savings. Therefore, encouraging sustainable reporting is an important step towards strengthening hospitals’ financial bases.
Given the merits presented, one can state that hospital-reported outcomes are crucial data to establish a highly productive work environment for personnel and create a conducive recovery environment for patients. Employees’ responsibility is increasing, which has a positive effect on their qualifications and the reputation of the healthcare institution. Knowledge sharing contributes to minimizing errors in the workflow and enhances communication among colleagues, thereby improving the efficiency of the workflow.
References
Menachemi, N., Rahurkar, S., Harle, C. A., & Vest, J. R. (2018). The benefits of health information exchange: An updated systematic review. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 25(9), 1259-1265. Web.
Prihartono, I. P., & Wibowo, A. (2020). Assessment of medication administration error reporting among hospital nurses in Indonesia. Journal of Patient Safety & Quality Improvement, 8(1), 13-23. Web.