How the Process Could Be Improved
The majority of the process is pretty efficient and quick as there is no extra time wasted, and that is the primary reason the hospital has been able to operate at 130% of its capacity, although I believe there are a couple of steps which can be avoided in case of emergency (Litvak, 2009) and (Langabeer, 2007).
- When mother is in an emergency, and the baby is already born, then instead of wasting time at the check-in desk, the mother should be taken directly to the delivery assessment on the 8th floor, and the rest of the process can be done the way it should.
- The registration process should be changed either to an electronic mode or to being done manually in advance, so that the mother does not have to be put to the extra troubles.
In Case of a Caesarean-Section Birth
If the mother is scheduled for Caesarean-section procedure, the entire flow chart will change. This means that she does not have to go through any of the above mentioned stages. She is scheduled, so it means that she is registered as well, and since it is going to be surgical, so she does not have to wait for the contractions to begin and can just go straight to the ICU or the OR. So in such a case, the first step will be to enter the hospital facility, and go to the check-in desk. From there, the woman will be prepared and taken to the operation theater directly. After the surgery, if she is stabilized, she will be discharged, and if she is not stabilized, she will be discharged later. In case there is some problem with the baby, the newborn will have to stay in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) before transfer to the baby nursery near the mother’s room. If it is impossible to stabilize the baby, the child cannot be discharged with the mother, and thus he/she has to be discharged later on. When ready, mother and/or baby will be discharged and taken by wheelchair to the discharge exit for pickup to travel home.
In Case of Electronic Registration or Manual Preregistration
If all the mothers were electronically registered or preregistered manually, some of the steps of the process would be eliminated, making the whole process more efficient. In case the mothers were all preregistered, they would not need to go to the registration office on the first floor. Instead, they would only be examined to see if they were ready to deliver or not, and the rest of the process would be the same. However, it would add one step to the process that should be taken before entering the hospital, i.e. pre-registration,
Another Process that the Hospital Could Analyze
In case there is a complication and the mother needs to be taken to the Operation Theater or ICU, there should be precautionary tests to make sure that the patient is not allergic to some medicine, or if she is diabetic, etc. (Vissers & Beech, 2005). This is a vital step and should not be ignored while doing the preparations for the delivery process. Furthermore, if there are any complications with the baby, and the newborn cannot be discharged with the mother, the child has to be discharged later on. The hospital should also analyze the process of later discharging the baby.
References
Langabeer, J. (2007). Health Care Operations Management: A Quantitative Approach to Business and Logistics. San Diego: Wiley.
Litvak, E. (2009). Managing Patient Flow in Hospitals: Strategies and Solutions. New Jersey: Wiley.
Vissers, J., & Beech, R. (2005). Health Operations Management:. New York: Prentice Hall.