Change Management

Design strategic plans for organizational change in alignment with socioeconomics, market forces, and trends.

Student Success Criteria
View the grading rubric for this deliverable by selecting the “This item is graded with a rubric” link, which is located in the Details & Information pane.

Scenario
You are the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for a local health system. Your organization held its annual strategic planning session and decided that there needed to be a change in the Emergency Departments (ED) relative to the triage process at one of the facilities. The Chief Executive Officer has suggested a pilot program utilizing telemedicine to supplement its ED services. The use of telemedicine may reduce wait times at the ED and triage non-emergent needs to the appropriate level of care (i.e., urgent care or primary care). It would also allow for more resources to be deployed for ED related services, such as on-call physicians operating remotely.

Instructions
In your role as CIO, you will need to research the use of telehealth in the ED and its implications for the organization. Draft a memo outlining the readiness of the organization to implement the change strategy. Your memo should include:

A SWOT analysis identifying internal and external forces and trends that may impact the change initiative.
A discussion of the challenges facing the ED based on research into the utilization practices of the ED in your community or in a community with which you are familiar.
Recommendation of the organization’s potential readiness for the change, including any actions that should be taken to increase readiness.
Using the Rasmussen library, research common challenges facing Emergency Departments. In addition, research utilization practices commonly aligned with ED visits. Use information from your current facility (or one you are familiar with or can research) to develop a SWOT analysis. Your recommendation should be based on both your SWOT analysis and your research into ED challenges.

A – 4 – Mastery

Comprehensive SWOT analysis identifying internal and external forces and trends that may impact the change initiative.

A – 4 – Mastery

Clear and thorough discussion of the challenges facing the ED based on research into the utilization practices.

A – 4 – Mastery

Clear and thorough recommendation of the organization’s potential readiness for the change, including any actions that should be taken to increase readiness.

A – 4 – Mastery

Memo and SWOT analysis format were very clear and appropriately formatted

Sample Answer

To: Chief Executive Officer From: CIO Date: March 8, 2023 Subject: Readiness of the Organization to Implement Telemedicine in the Emergency Department

As you know, the organization has decided to implement a pilot program utilizing telemedicine to supplement its ED services. I have conducted research on the use of telehealth in the ED and its implications for our organization. In this memo, I will outline the readiness of the organization to implement this change strategy.

Full Answer Section

OT Analysis

Strengths:
- Our organization has a strong reputation for quality care.
- We have a well-trained and experienced staff.
- We have the financial resources to invest in telemedicine.
Weaknesses:
- Our ED is located in a rural area, which may make it difficult to recruit and retain qualified telehealth providers.
- We may need to upgrade our technology infrastructure to support telemedicine.
- We may need to develop new protocols and procedures for the use of telemedicine.
Opportunities:
- Telemedicine has the potential to reduce wait times in the ED.
- Telemedicine can triage non-emergent needs to the appropriate level of care, which can free up resources in the ED.
- Telemedicine can expand access to care for patients in rural areas.
Threats:
- Other health systems in the area may also implement telemedicine, which could lead to competition for patients.
- The cost of telemedicine may be prohibitive for some patients.
- Patients may not be comfortable with the use of telemedicine.

Challenges Facing the ED

The ED is facing a number of challenges, including:

Increased demand: The demand for ED services is increasing due to a number of factors, including an aging population, the rising prevalence of chronic diseases, and the opioid epidemic.
Lengthy wait times: Wait times in the ED are often long, which can be frustrating for patients and can lead to delayed care.
Triage challenges: Triage nurses are often under pressure to quickly assess patients and determine their level of urgency. This can be difficult, especially when patients are presenting with multiple medical problems.
Staffing shortages: EDs are facing staffing shortages, which can lead to longer wait times and decreased quality of care.

Recommendation

I believe that our organization is ready to implement a pilot program utilizing telemedicine in the ED. We have the strengths and resources necessary to make this a success. However, there are a number of challenges that we will need to address, including:

Recruiting and retaining qualified telehealth providers: We will need to develop a strategy to recruit and retain qualified telehealth providers who are willing to work in a rural area.
Upgrading our technology infrastructure: We will need to upgrade our technology infrastructure to support telemedicine. This includes investing in new equipment and software.
Developing new protocols and procedures: We will need to develop new protocols and procedures for the use of telemedicine. This includes training staff on how to use the technology and how to triage patients.

I believe that we can overcome these challenges and successfully implement a pilot program of telemedicine in the ED. This will allow us to reduce wait times, triage non-emergent needs to the appropriate level of care, and expand access to care for patients in rural areas.

Next Steps

I recommend that we proceed with the pilot program of telemedicine in the ED. I will work with the appropriate stakeholders to develop a plan to address the challenges that I have identified. I will also work to secure the necessary funding and resources to implement the pilot program.

This question has been answered.

Get Answer

No More Worries!

Paper Formatting

No Lateness!

Our Guarantees