5 Keys to Successful Performance Improvement

Think big. Leaders need to break with traditional, incremental improvement approaches and pursue broader, bolder interventions that have the promise of long-term strategic and operational payoff.

Leaders don’t have to start from scratch. Most health system improvement opportunities can be anticipated. The key is to apply the appropriate “levers” to the most important areas and issues.

Don’t wait too late. This work should begin while health systems are prosperous and are still evolving as integrated systems. It is difficult to make long-term changes when an organization is struggling with immediate margin challenges.

Engage key constituents. Leaders must align and motivate physicians, employees, and other stakeholders throughout the process or face a lack of support and opposition.

It’s mostly about leadership. Large scale performance improvement requires strong, visionary leadership from assessment through implementation. Organizational change and renewal is not possible without effective executives leading the way.

See related article: A New Framework for Healthcare Performance Improvement