The process-oriented method - a way of working in hospitals to provide patient-centered care

• The process-oriented method of working is today one of the most highlighted methods used in healthcare. The method designs the healthcare activities as a flow, a process, which reduces unnecessary repetition of care activities. It also keeps or increases the quality in the remaining activities. The method can be found in most quality models that have been implemented in Swedish hospitals in the past centuries. The process-oriented method of working is a new routine which is claimed to improve the work, both in administrative routines and in carrying activities for good patient-centered care in medical aspects. The process-oriented method of working is an extensive component in several quality models which are launched in healthcare. These models initially come from industry, but have been modified in order to fit the healthcare personnel and environment. The extensive dissemination of the models has had such an effect on Swedish healthcare that the law now prescribes that there must exist quality systems to guarantee development, follow-up and continuous improvement of care activities (SOSFS 2005:12 (M)). The problem with changes in the healthcare area is that the complex activities may be conducted by nurses and doctors that carry out their work independently, and who are responsible for their actions. These professions are not influenced only by laws and decisions from political and administrative management, but also by their values and norms about how the patient care should be conducted (Östergren and Sahlin-Andersson 1998). These facts influence decisions within healthcare, and stipulate that it is professions that formulate how decisions concerning patient care are implemented. Decisions are rarely implemented to their fullest, or at all, which decision-makers within healthcare are aware of (Erlingsdóttir 1999). The healthcare staff sometimes believes that they implement decided changes, but in practice carry out the healthcare as before. Deciding on a process-oriented method of working, which is the focus of this study, is a new way to carry out healthcare activities. This study investigates healthcare to patients with heart diseases. The aims are: to investigate how the implementation of the process-oriented way of working develops for patients with heart diseases, and how to define this new method.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Hälsovetenskap -- Hälso- och sjukvårdsorganisation, hälsopolitik och hälsoekonomi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Health Sciences -- Health Care Service and Management, Health Policy and Services and Health Economy (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Ekonomi och näringsliv (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Economics and Business (hsv//eng)

Keyword

patient-centered care

processorientation

heart diseases

hospital care

interveiw

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

kon (subject category)