Create an 8-12 slide PowerPoint presentation for one or more stakeholder or leadership groups to generate interest and buy-in for the plan proposal you developed for the third assessment. Be sure that
Interdisciplinary Plan Proposal At Comanche County Memorial Hospital, the medical-surgical unit is dealing with an issue that keeps affecting patient outcomes, especially for people with chronic illnesses like Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Many of these patients stay longer than they should or return to the hospital soon after discharge. The main reason is the lack of good communication between the professionals involved in their care. Each team member does their part separately, leading to confusion and gaps in planning for a safe discharge. This plan will unite everyone using daily team discussions called Structured Interdisciplinary Rounds (SIR) to manage patient care better and reduce readmission. Objective This plan aims to launch a regular, simple process where everyone involved in patient care, nurses, doctors, social workers, pharmacists, and therapists, gets together each day for a short meeting. These meetings will focus on high-risk patients and aim to spot any delays or problems that might delay their discharge. If done right, this approach should help lower patients' chances of being readmitted and smooth their discharge process. It is also likely to save time and money for the hospital while making staff communication more effective. The ultimate goal is better patient care and a more organized way for staff to work together. Questions and Predictions One of the first questions that comes to mind is whether holding these daily rounds will reduce readmissions. Based on studies and feedback from similar hospitals, we can expect at least a 15% drop in readmission rates for CHF and COPD patients in about six months. Another thing to consider is whether staff will attend these meetings every day. Participation may start slowly, but once team members notice how it makes their jobs easier and benefits their patients, they will become more involved. A third question is how the workload will be affected. Initially, it might be an extra task in a busy schedule. However, once it becomes a habit and everyone gets used to it, it will likely reduce repeated work caused by missed information or last-minute issues. We should also consider how patients will experience this change. The prediction is that patients will feel more prepared when they leave the hospital because the team will ensure they understand their discharge plan and have everything they need to continue their recovery at home. Change Theories and Leadership Strategies To help make this change a success, I suggest using Kotter's 8-Step Change Model. It is an excellent guide for getting everyone on board with a new idea. First, we can show staff the current readmission numbers and how much they cost the hospital. That can help create urgency and show why the change is essential. Then, we can make a small team to lead the way, help others understand the plan, and support staff as they adjust to the new routine. We can also set small, short-term goals to show that the changes are working, which will help people stay motivated (Engmann et al., 2024). Transformational leadership is the best fit for this plan in terms of leadership style. This style focuses on motivating and encouraging people rather than simply giving orders. Leaders who use this approach make others feel like their opinions matter and often lead by example. If team members feel heard and supported, they will work well together and embrace the changes. When leaders explain the benefits of interdisciplinary work and ensure staff feel respected, the whole team becomes stronger (Hofmann, 2023).
Team Collaboration Strategy The plan involves 15-minute daily meetings with the entire care team. These meetings will happen in a space already available on the unit, like a small conference room, and will start at the same time every morning, most likely around 9:00 AM. During each meeting, the team will review patients who are either close to being discharged or need extra help. They will discuss barriers like missing prescriptions or family transportation issues and determine who must handle them. This process will make it easier for everyone to stay on the same page. For example, if a nurse notices that a patient has not received their discharge instructions, they can bring it up in the meeting and get help from the case manager or pharmacist immediately. Instead of working in silos, the team will be able to make quick decisions together. Research has shown that this collaboration helps shorten hospital stays and improves care quality (Hofmann, 2023). Research by Manias (2020) also highlights how regular, structured interdisciplinary meetings help reduce communication errors and increase patient safety, especially for those with complex care needs. Required Organizational Resources One of the best parts of this plan is that it does not require any significant changes to staffing. The same team members who are already caring for patients will shift their schedules slightly to make time for these meetings. The hospital already has a room that can be used for daily rounds, so there is no need for extra space. Small electronic health record system changes may be needed to share notes from the meetings across departments. This would cost about $5,000. In addition, a one-time training session will be held for all staff members to explain how SIR works and what is expected.
If the hospital does not act, it will likely continue facing high readmission rates, which are bad for patients and lead to financial penalties from programs like Medicare and Medicaid. These penalties can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000 per case. Aside from the money, there is also the risk of losing patient trust and lowering satisfaction scores. Staff burnout could also continue if these communication problems are not addressed.
References Engmann, A., Eluerkeh, E., & Ngwakwe, C. (2024). Leading change by design—Integrating design thinking with Kotter's 8-Step Process. HOLISTICA Journal of Business and Public Administration, 15(2), 127–141.
Hofmann, D. C. (2023). Charismatic leadership. In Encyclopedia of Business and Professional Ethics (pp. 326–329). Springer International Publishing.
Manias, E. (2020). Effects of interdisciplinary collaboration on patient safety and discharge outcomes: A systematic review. Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare, 13, 463–474. https://doi.org/10.2147/JMDH.S250023
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