High performance healthcare : using the power of relationships to achieve quality, efficiency and resilience

According to Jody Gittell, improving the quality of healthcare while reducing the cost is not rocket science but neither is it easy. Healthcare involves a number of different disciplines that must work together. These different disciplines are the physicians, nurses, physical therapists, case managers, social workers, clinical and administrative staff. Often the different disciplines are not working together toward a common goal, do not share knowledge or enjoy mutual respect. Ms. Gittell uses her experience from her studies of the airline industry to draw some parallels to the healthcare industry. In the airline industry, Southwest Airlines stands head and shoulders apart from other airlines. She cites their operational and relationship differences as being the basis for the superior performance. In her opinion, there are many similar characteristics - that is both involve many different disciplines working together in a highly interdependent environment. The premise of the book is that by improving relational coordination in the health care industry, it is possible to improve the quality of healthcare and reduce the cost. The core of the book centers around studies of relational coordination involving a number of different hospitals and the results obtain from these studies. While the studies found that by getting the different disciplines to operate with shared goals, shared knowledge and mutual respect, because of long standing traditions in the healthcare industry the implementation of relational coordination can be a bit tricky. The theory seems sound. The implementation will certainly be very difficult. One of the major problems is the physician has always taken the position that they were independent and have operated as such. Changing these entrenched behaviors will be difficult. It is an interesting study and advances a lot of sensible ideas. However getting all the diverse disciplines to buy-in will be a huge task. The major benefit of the ideas advanced in this book will be hospitals. It has some limited applications to the physicians office. In her groundbreaking book The Southwest Airlines Way, Jody Hoffer Gittell revealed the management secrets of the company Fortune magazine called “the most successful airline in history.” Now, the bestselling business author explains how to apply those same principles in one of our nation's largest, most important, and increasingly complex industries. High Performance Healthcare explains the critical concept of “relational coordination”—coordinating work through shared goals, shared knowledge, and mutual respect. Because of the way healthcare is organized, weak links exist throughout the chain of communication. Gittell clearly demonstrates that relational coordination strengthens those weak links, enabling providers to deliver high quality, efficient care to their patients. Using Gittell's innovative management methods, you will improve quality, maximize efficiency, and compete more effectively. High Performance Healthcare walks you step by step through the process of: Identifying weak areas of relational coordination within your organization Transforming work practices that are creating barriers to relational coordination Building a high performance work system to foster consistent relational coordination across all disciplines The book includes case studies illustrating how some healthcare organizations are already transforming themselves using Gittell's proven tools. It concludes by identifying industry-level obstacles to high performance healthcare and showing how individual organizations and their leaders can support sweeping change at the highest levels. Policy changes and increased access to care will not alone answer the healthcare industry's problems. Timely, accurate, problem-solving communication that crosses all organizational boundaries is a powerful response to business as usual. High Performance Healthcare explains exactly how to achieve this crucial dynamic, providing a long-awaited cure to an industry in crisis. "High Performance Healthcare explains the critical concept of "relational coordination"coordinating work through shared goals, shared knowledge, and mutual respect. Because of the way healthcare is organized, weak links exist throughout the chain of communication. Gittell clearly demonstrates that relational coordination strengthens those weak links, enabling providers to deliver high quality, efficient care to their patients." "Using Gittell's innovative management methods, you will improve quality, maximize efficiency,and compete more effectively. The book includes case studies illustrating how some healthcare organizations are already transforming themselves using Gittell's proven tools. It concludes by identifying industry-level obstacles to high performance healthcare and showing how individual organizations and their leaders can support sweeping change at the highest levels." "Policy changes and increased access to care will not alone answer the healthcare industry's problems. Timely, accurate, problem-solving communication that crosses all organizational boundaries is a powerful response to business as usual. High Performance Healthcare explains exactly how to achieve this crucial dynamic, providing a long-awaited cure to an industry in crisis."--BOOK JACKET The Challenges We Face -- What Is Relational Coordination? -- How Relational Coordination Drives Quality And Efficiency Performance -- Building A High Performance Work System -- A Different Kind Of High Performance Work System -- Select For Teamwork -- Measure Team Performance -- Reward Team Performance -- Resolve Conflicts Proactively -- Invest In Frontline Leadership -- Design Jobs For Focus -- Make Job Boundaries Flexible -- Create Boundary Spanners -- Connect Through Pathways -- Broaden Participation In Patient Rounds -- Develop Shared Information Systems -- Partner With Your Suppliers -- Combine Work Practices To Build A High Performance Work System -- Getting From Here To There -- Respond To Pressure With Resilience -- Transform Your Organization In A Systemic And Sustainable Way -- Make Unions Your Partners, Not Adversaries -- Support Change At The Industry Level. Jody Hoffer Gittell. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 271-314) And Index.