3 Online Healthcare Management Quizzes
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Study Guide for Part II: Connective Processes
Chapter 3. Decision Making
a. Chapter Objectives i. Discuss the importance of decision-making skills. ii. Discuss how problem solving and decision-making
are the essence of all managerial activities. iii. Explain the difference between programmed and
nonprogrammed decisions. iv. Discuss five basic steps in the decision-making
process. v. Describe the different decision-making
approaches. b. Programmed and Nonprogrammed Decisions
i. Programmed Decisions – regular problems with regular solutions (policy & procedure)
ii. Operations research – the use of models, methods or structured inquiry to analyze a complex situation and identify the optimal approach.
iii. Nonprogrammed Decisions – new problems with no standard solutions.
c. The Importance of Decision-Making Skills – focus on nonprogrammed decisions
i. Steps in the Decision-Making Process
1. Define the Problem – dig deep, don’’t just look at symptoms to define
2. Analyze the Problem – depersonalize the facts
3. Develop Alternatives – be creative, develop many alternatives
4. Evaluate the Alternatives and Select the Best
a. Evaluate i. Risk ii. Time iii. Resources iv. Facilities v. Know-how
vi. Equipment vii. Data viii. Economy of effort ix. Acceptable x. Ethics xi. Coordination
b. Selection – not choosing is letting others choose for you
c. Experience – conditions change, be careful – experiential decision making
d. Hunches and Intuition e. Experimentation – trials and tests f. Scientific Decision Making –
qualitative/quantitative analysis computer simulation models
5. Take Action and Follow-Up – control function of management, measure outcomes, restart process if needed
Notes:
6. Avoid unethical decisions – need a good model
d. Summary Chapter 4. Coordinating Organizational Activities
a. Chapter Objectives i. Explain the increasing need for coordination due
to increased work specialization and fragmentation of patient care.
ii. Define the meaning of coordination as linking together a multitude of activities.
iii. Differentiate between cooperation and coordination.
iv. Discuss the obstacles inherent in achieving coordination.
v. Discuss how managers should not treat coordination as a separate managerial function, but as a by-product of the five managerial functions.
vi. Discuss the importance of good decision-making and communication in achieving coordination.
vii. Describe the three internal and external dimensions of coordination.
b. Work specialization – the process of breaking down a job into smaller, more specialized tasks.
c . The Meaning of Coordination – coordination is needed b e ca u se o f the organization’s characteristic o f specialization.
i. Coordination – the linking together of the activities in the organization to achieve the desired results
d. Coordination and Cooperation – Collaboration is the act of individuals working together to achieve a common goal. It requires both coordination and cooperation.
e. Difficulties in Attaining Coordination i. open architecture system f. Coordination and Managerial Functions – build coordination
into the planning process with others, the organizing function, the staffing function, the influencing function and the controlling function.
g. Coordination and Decision Making – coordination can make or break solutions
h. Coordination and Communication – setting expectations start the coordination process.
i. Dimensions of Coordination i. Vertical Coordination – between levels ii. Horizontal Coordination – on the same level iii. Diagonal Coordination – cuts across, ignoring
positions and authority
j. The Coordinator as Misnomer – title ―coordinator ro‖ might betechnically incorrect, might be a manager. k. Coordination with External Entities – payers, government,
scientists, providers, community groups. This type of coordinator needs to know organizational policy and agendas.
l. Summary
Chapter 5. Communicating
a. Chapter Objectives i. Describe the communication model and the roles
of the sender and receivers. ii. Discuss how communication affects organizational
performance. iii. Identify and discuss communication networks,
channels, and barriers.
iv. Describe how managers can ensure more effective communication by overcoming roadblocks. v. Explain the operation of the grapevine and its importance.
b. The Nature of Communication – a means of transmitting information and making oneself understood by others. More than one method is preferable. c.
Communication Network i. Formal Channels
1. Downward Communication – Supervisor to Subordinate
2. Upward Communication – Initiated by the Subordinate – be open
3. Upward Communication – Initiated by the Supervisor – never allow your boss to be surprised. Choose your words carefully.
4. Horizontal Communication 5. Diagonal Communication
c. Communication Media – your ability to move up is largely influenced by your mastery of communication.
i. Verbal Communication – be aware of the various meaning of words.
1. Semantics – words with multiple meanings ii. Oral Communication – no written record
(evidence) iii. Voicemail
iv. Written Communication iv. Visual Media – some people understand better with
pictures; some concepts demand them. v. Nonverbal Communication – this is more than facial
expressions, it is more importantly your behavior. People live by your example, more than your words
d. The Manager’s Role in Communicatio n – most disagreements come from differing expectations, most differing expectations come from poor communication.
e Barriers to Communication
i. Language – se e k first to understand the other person – see page 82 for employee interpretations
ii. Workplace Diversity iii. Status and Position –If motives are not provided with
speech and behavior, employees will supply them. iv. Resistance to Change – people have good
reasons to resist change, they need to be given an incentive to accept change.
v. Additional Barriers
f. Overcoming Barriers to Improve Communication
Effectiveness
i. Adequate Preparation and Credibility – if you don’t understand yourself, you can’t explain yourself to others.
ii. Feedback – watch for it iii. Direct Language
iv. Effective Listening and Sensitivity – seek first to understand, before being understood. Be empathetic. See page 87 for effective listening guide
v. Actions Speak Louder than W ords – integrity between words and personal actions is priceless.
vi. Repetition – consistency and perseverance in
communication is essential, more important things
distract many people. g. The Grapevine: The Informal Communications Network –
the grapevine is normal and healthy most of the time. i. Operation of the Grapevine – Expect that
everything you say to one person in private will be shared with the group.
ii. Uses of the Grapevine – feed information into the grapevine for managerial purposes.
h. Summary i. Exhibit 5.1 – Poorly Written Memo j. Exhibit 5.2 – Guidance for Better Communication -this
article is excellent, be sure to read it in full. Its principles can be used for any supervisory relationship.
Chapter 6. Legal Aspects of the Healthcare Setting a. Chapter Objectives
i. Understand basic information on legal issues affecting the healthcare environment.
ii. Outline the basis of institutional responsibility for healthcare rendered to patients.
iii. Recognize key causes for liability iv. Identify employee litigation issues. v. Understand the key concepts of major regulations
affecting management. b. Liability – the potential of a lawsuit
i. A tort is a legal wrong or an act, or omission of acting, that results in injury to another. ii. Liability – accountability and responsibility to
another enforceable by civil remedies. iii. Vicarious liability – the concept that one party
may be held responsible for the actions of another even though the original party was not involved in the act.
c. The Institution’s Direct Responsibility
i. Any organization that the public relies on for its safety has a duty to exercise ordinary care to prevent injury.
ii. Hospitals have a legal duty to provide safe facilities, trained and skilled staff, adequate equipment, and proper medication.
iii. If a jury finds a hospital has failed to meet standards, the hospital can be found negligent.
iv. Negligence v. Hospital acquired
d. Respondeat Superior – means that the institution- employer is legally responsible for negligent or wrongful acts or omissions of the employee. Respondeat Superior applies only to civil actions, not criminal actions. It does not release employees from liability.
i. borrowed servant doctrine ii. captain of the ship doctrine iii.hospitalist e. Ostensible Agency
i. also agency by estoppel ii. an agency that is not created as an actual agency
by a principal and an agent but that is imposed by law when a principal acts in such a way as to lead a third party to reasonably believe that another is the principal's agent and the third party is injured by relying on and acting in accordance with that belief
iii. Ostensible agenc y – the princ iple that a hos pital can be held liable for ac tions of private phys ic ians who are not em plo yed b y the hos pital.
f. Institution Responsibility for Medical Care and Treatment i. The corporate negligence doctrine imposes on
the hospital the duty to monitor the quality of patient care.
ii. The hospital will usually be held directly liable under the corporate negligence doctrine for failing to:
1. Select and retain only competent physicians on its medical staff
2. Regularly and routinely the activities of its physicians
3. Formulate, adopt, and enforce adequate rules and policies to ensure quality care
4. Take necessary action against physicians that do not meet standards, are incompetent, or are endangering patient welfare.
iii. Payers (insurance companies, managed care organizations) may also be held liable for prior authorization programs that injure patients.
g. Negligence and Malpractice
i. Negligence – the omission to do something that a reasonable man, guided by those ordinary considerations that ordinarily regulate human affairs, would do, or the doing of something which a reasonable and prudent man would not do.
ii. Malpractice – professional misconduct or unreasonable lack of skill… It is any professional misconduct, unreasonable lack of skill or fidelity in
professional or fiduciary duties (to act in good faith on behalf of others), evil practice, or illegal or immoral conduct.
iii. The most difficult element to prove in a negligence action is that the act caused the injury.
h. Supervisor’s Liability i. If a supervisor permits or directs someone to perform a duty that he or she knows the person is not trained to perform, the supervisor may be held liable for negligent supervision if that person causes harm.
i. Additional Potential Causes for Liability j. Employee Litigation – legal actions brought by employees
against their current or former employers. Paper trails are important.
i. Wrongful discharge – firing a worker for: 1. Refusing to perform an illegal act 2. Whistle blowing (qui tam) 3. Breaching what the employee alleges to
be an express or implied contract. k. Personnel-Related Regulations
i. Americans with Disabilities Act
1. ADA makes illegal for most entities to discriminate against individuals with disabilities in such areas as employment and public accommodation.
2. ADA imposes on employers a duty to
―reasonably accommodate a disabled individual’s ability to perform essential job functions. See page 114-115 for examples.
3. Generally, an employer may not use qualification standards to screen out individuals with disabilities.
4. See the Human Resources Department if you have questions.
ii. Sexual Harassment
1. Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination that violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
2. Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitutes sexual harassment when:
a. Submission to or rejection of this conduct
explicitly or implicitly affects an individual's employment b. Submission to or rejection of this conduct is used as the basis for employment decisions c. Unreasonably interferes with an individual's work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment. 3. PAY ATTENTION! Remember Respondeat Superior. iii. Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) –
12 weeks leave of absence for family and medical reasons. l. Other Health Administration Regulations
i. Occupational Safety and Health Administration Regulations 1. OSHA Recordkeeping Rule – new rules requiring record keeping when any work- related injury or illness results in: a. Death b. Days away from work c. Restricted work or transfer d. Medical treatment beyond first aid e. Loss of consciousness, or f. Diagnosis of a significant injury or
illness g. Needle sticks and sharp object injuries Identify potential hazards in your area and make remedies. m. HIPAA – requires providers to keep patient information private. Fines and prison terms are available for enforcement.
i . Medical identity Theft i i . E - D i s c o v e r y R u l e s i i i . E t h i c s a n d Q u i T a m
n . Summary