The healthcare organization is routinely impacted by external factors such as governmental regulations, relationships with insurers and payers, and organizations throughout the wider community context. It is well-established that community and social factors such as financial status/stability, physical environment, education, and housing stability are powerful drivers of health status of patients even before they may seek medical care. This module will explore treatment and care delivery to disparate populations as it pertains to the design and evaluation of process improvement efforts, as well as other external factors that must be identified and accounted for in process improvement. Understanding and monitoring external factors will ensure that the healthcare organization remains competitive and is able to nimbly shift priorities as the external context evolves.

In this module, we will examine the challenges in bringing about organizational change. Organizations are comprised of people, tools, and processes. Resistance to change existing processes and workflows in healthcare organization is a hurdle that leadership and management can address through effective communication, team building, and fostering a sense of trust and purpose. This module will explore those tactics, as well as provide insight and examples of challenges on the side of the patient or consumer receiving the healthcare services.

As we near the end of this course, we will now look at the necessity of leadership throughout the change process. This is true regardless of the role the individual or the team members might have, especially as the future if healthcare delivery continues to change. We will explore three models of organizational archetypes of the future and review how future trends will impact leadership within healthcare organizations. With the increasing role of new technology and the role it will play, it is critical for organizations to adapt and change. In the future there will be certain obstacles and challenges leaders will face and need to overcome. These will require new roles, abilities, and attributes that successful leaders will need to have. Bottom line, leadership will play an important role in successful process innovations that can stand the test of time.