• Identify a common, simple event that frequently occurs in your organization that you would like to evaluate.
• Consider how you would design a flowchart to represent the current workflow.
• Consider what metrics you would use to determine the effectiveness of the current workflow and identify areas of waste.
To complete:
Write a 3- to 5-page paper which includes the following:
• Create a simple flowchart of the activity you selected. (Review the Sample Workflow of Answering a Telephone in an Office document found in this week’s Learning Resources for an example.)
• Next, in your paper:
o Explain the process you have diagrammed.
o For each step or decision point in the process, identify the following:
Who does this step? (It can be several people.)
What technology is used?
What policies and rules are involved in determining how, when, why, or where the step is executed?
What information is needed for the execution of this step?
o Describe the metric that is currently used to measure the soundness of the workflow. Is it effective?
o Describe any areas where improvements could occur and propose changes that could bring about these improvements in the workflow.
o Summarize why it is important to be aware of the flow of an activity.
• Remember to include a cover page, introduction, and summary for your paper.
This Assignment is due by Day 7 of Week 8.
Note: This paper will serve as the Portfolio Assignment for the course.
•U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (n.d.b). Workflow assessment for health IT toolkit. Retrieved, June 18, 2012, from http://healthit.ahrq.gov/portal/server.pt/community/health_it_tools_and_resources/919/workflow_assessment_for_health_it_toolkit/27865
This article supplies a toolkit on the planning, design, implementation, and use of health information technology. The sections of the website provide a definition of workflow, examples of workflow tools, related anecdotes, and research.
•Document: Sample Workflow of Answering a Telephone in an Office (Word document)
Note: You will use this document to complete this week’s Assignment.
