Term Paper on "Innovations in Healthcare"

Term Paper 11 pages (2944 words) Sources: 1+

[EXCERPT] . . . .

, 2007). This finding led the researchers to conclude that healthcare managers should assign leadership roles to team members who exhibit high levels of conscientiousness and extroversion (Wang et al., 2007). Finally, the Wang et al. study found that internal, external, and complementing motivation on the part of team members were all positively correlated with their willingness to share knowledge (Wang et al., 2007).

The penultimate study reviewed was by Zuckerman (2006) who cites the relative paucity of timely and relevant research concerning best practices for knowledge sharing in healthcare organizations (an assertion that was supported to some extent by the dearth of relevant studies identified during the research process for this paper). For instance, according to Zuckerman, "Data assembly and analysis in healthcare are still largely done in an ad hoc and unsystematic manner. Rarely does an organization bring much structure to the information-gathering part of the process, and those organizations that do largely confine that structure to internal data assembly" (2006, p. 3).

These healthcare organizational practices are in sharp contrast to the knowledge management practices that are being used by other industries. For example, Zuckerman notes that, "Some of the leading companies have taken all of this effort to another level through the use of knowledge management programs. Such programs sort information into structured databases that allow easy access and use by personnel throughout the organization" (2006, p. 4). While it is reasonable to suggest that many healthcare organizations, particularly tertiary providers, have a patient information database in place, Zuckerman emphasizes that need for a more comprehensive knowledge database for healthcare organizations that will empower clinicians throughout the organization to not only gain access to knowledge, but will encourage their knowledge sharing practices as well.

Further, the strategic planning process can also be facilitated by developing comprehensive knowledge databases in healthcare organizations that can contribute to more effective knowledge management practices. As Zuckerman concludes, "These databases become a readily available asset, not just to 'those in the know' but to all involved in management and planning anywhere in the company. Knowledge management programs facilitate planning throughout the organization" (2006, p. 4). Moreover, expanded knowledge management programs can also contribute to continuous quality management improvements as mandated by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. These are important issues for all healthcare organizations, but there are a number of constraints that may prevent the expansion of existing databases for this purpose, including the reluctance of "those in the know" to enhance knowledge management practices because they fear it may detract from their authority and the same types of "turf battles" that characterize all organizations also occur in healthcare settings (Zuckerman, 2006).

To determine the effectiveness of the knowledge management practices in a given healthcare organization in promoting continuous quality improvement, Zuckerman recommends applying the following questions:

1. First and most basic, is the current process comprehensive, objective, timely, and highly participatory throughout the organization;

2. Second, does the process link effectively to operations and to individual and group performance objectives in the organization; and,

3. Third, does the process include continuous learning so that process deficiencies are identified and corrected before the next planning cycle begins? (2006, p. 4).

The final study reviewed was conducted by Droese and Peterson (2006) who review the relevant literature concerning the need for improved knowledge management practices in healthcare organizations as a result of federal programs such as Medicaid that require timely and responsive use of knowledge to improve the efficiency of healthcare service delivery as well as the quality of those services. In this regard, Droese and Peterson emphasize that, "Organizations not only need to acquire knowledge, but also to manage what they know. However, in the fragmented, multidisciplinary world of Medicaid and health policy, an information professional's ability to combine advanced information science training and subject matter expertise provides a unique opportunity for knowledge management" (2006, p. 174).

Following a summary of the historical background of Medicaid and other legislation that has affected healthcare policies in recent years, Droese and Peterson (2006) recommend the use of medical librarians to enhance the knowledge management practices in healthcare organizations. According to these researchers, "Librarians who work behind the scenes may be called on to provide internal reference and consultation to committees to ensure institutional priorities have adequate resources. Librarians can also fill the need to keep a collective history of what information is used for projects, especially in a policy setting, allowing for knowledge transfer even when staff turnover occurs" (Droese & Peterson, 2006, p. 174).

Significant Findings/Learning from the Literature Review

The significant findings that emerged from the research were as follows:

1. Knowledge management has become the focus of an increasing amount of research in recent years, due in large part to innovations in telecommunications such as the Internet that have made information readily available, but this information is of little use until it has been converted in contextualized and meaningful knowledge.

2. Although enterprises of all types and sizes can benefit from improved knowledge management practices, healthcare organizations in particular appear to be well situated to take advantage of the best practices developed in other industrial settings to improve the quality and efficiency of the healthcare services they provide.

3. While a set of best industry practices for the healthcare industry remains the focus of researchers, there remains a need for additional studies in this area to help inform practitioners concerning how they can realize the maximum benefits from existing information systems and what steps need to be taken to achieve improved knowledge management practices.

It is axiomatic that there is always room for improvement, and this was certainly the case with the studies reviewed above. For instance, the response rate in the study by Wang and her colleagues (2007) could probably have been significantly improved by using an online survey rather than a mailed survey. This approach would have also eliminated the seven unusable surveys that were received by the researchers. In addition, an online survey would have allowed these researchers to sample more respondents, thereby improving the trustworthiness of their findings. An online survey would have also facilitated data entry and analysis and eliminated the opportunity for the introduction of errors during the data entry and analysis process.

Likewise, although a comprehensive literature review can provide new insights and draw broad conclusions that might otherwise be overlooked, strict reliance on secondary resources alone contributes little to progress in the field of knowledge management in healthcare organizations. Therefore, the findings developed by the researchers reviewed above such as Zuckerman (2006), Kovner et al. (2000) and Detmer et al. (2001) could likely have been improved by incorporating original primary research in their studies.

Summary and Potential Topics for Future Research

The research showed that in the Age of Information, healthcare practitioners are being inundated with more information than they can reasonably process, but that any information must be converted into usable knowledge before it can be applied in meaningful ways to any setting. The research also showed that although it is possible to evaluate knowledge-management and knowledge-sharing practices in healthcare organizations and there is a growing body of research in this area, the research was consistent in emphasizing that more studies are needed to help develop a set of best practices that are specifically designed for the healthcare profession. The importance of such additional research in this area was a consistent theme throughout the literature review. Finally, since different industries have their own specific characteristics and attributes, the willingness to share construct could be examined in a number of industries in a single study (Wang et al., 2007).

References

Alavi, M., and Leidner, D.E. (2001). Review: Knowledge management and knowledge management systems: Conceptual foundations and research issues. MIS Quarterly,

25(1), 107-136.

Chatzkel, J.L. (2003). Knowledge capital: How knowledge-based enterprises really get built.

New York: Oxford University Press.

Detmer, D.E., Shortell, S.M., Caldwell, C. & Kizer, K.W. (2001). A new health system and its quality agenda. Frontiers of Health Services Management, 18(1), 3-4.

Droese, P. & Peterson, N. (2006). Utilization of the medical librarian in a state Medicaid program to provide information services geared to health policy and health disparities.

Journal of the Medical Library Association, 94(2), 174-176.

Kovner, A.R., Elton, J.J., Billings,… READ MORE

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