Healthcare Projects may be executed with multiple objectives like implementation of new medical technology, adhering to regulatory compliance issues through quality management services, streamlining the workflow of staff or making a seamless integration of operation management services. These projects frequently face several challenges despite significant healthcare project planning, strategy and execution.
It is often noticed that many projects fail to live up to the expected goals and do not deliver the intended benefits to the healthcare business. Some of the probable reasons why healthcare projects fail are enlisted below:
- Unsuitable documentation - Every project plan must be documented clearly and exhaustively. This must be done after having detailed discussions with the concerned stakeholders on the expectations with respect to cost, time and healthcare quality. All milestones must be properly tracked to have a clear-cut understanding of where the project is heading in reality in comparison to the stated goals. It is also very important that a strong business case is established in line with initiatives and expectations. Often, lack of proper or relevant documentation and proper business case hinders the scope, priorities and successful execution of the project.
- Poor scheduling - Apart from allocating the resources, it is vital that the healthcare project is well scheduled to handle the competing priorities. All goals and milestones must be clearly defined and deadlines must be planned realistically. Scheduling must consider all resources including infrastructure, funding and staff and handle risks proactively. Poor scheduling due to wrong time estimation results in a lot of confusion and hampers the progress of the project.
- Multitasking overload – Due to severe pressure for meeting the costs and timelines, most healthcare project managers assign multiple roles and tasks to the team members without sufficient introspection. It is crucial that the task load is planned and shared based on the qualification, experience and capabilities of the healthcare staff. Often, inexperienced people are given multiple roles and responsibilities which they cannot handle leading to failure.
- Management stress - Healthcare management faces stress in various aspects including handling the project finances, human resources, technology, culture and communication. There must transparency and proper communication between all levels of management including the upper, middle and lower levels to avoid misunderstandings and delays. All project members must be allowed to express their concerns, give their opinions and suggestions and make complaints if necessary. Following medical ethics and handling compliance issues is crucial for the management because healthcare business runs on patient satisfaction and delight. The management must also clearly articulate the short-term and long-term goals, vision and mission of the healthcare organization to avoid ambiguity and stress. Having able leaders is also the key factor that contributes to the project’s success because he or she ensures that the entire team strives towards the accomplishment of the target.
- Poor assumptions and change management - Many healthcare projects are baselined with wrong assumptions. This could be due to poor planning and forecasting. The project must be executed with the goal of delivering the right output and information within the specified timelines and not exceed the planned budgets. All constraints must be taken into account cautiously without making unrealistic assumptions so that the correct adjustments may be made in the workflow to ensure correct scoping, budgeting and scheduling of the project. Similarly, in an attempt to fulfill the technical details or meet deadlines, most projects ignore the aspect of change management which is essential for successful completion. The staff must undergo training and communication programs to face any unforeseen challenges and changes. Having proper portfolio management goes a long way in evaluating and prioritizing the project processes to ensure a seamless implementation.
Healthcare Consultants can help organizations in overcoming these hurdles. Their expertise and experience help in adopting a streamlined approach to project management with good documentation, balanced task sharing, realistic scheduling, risk mitigation and a competent management team. This helps in increasing healthcare revenues and margins while optimizing care outcomes.
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