Techniques for Problem Solving and Decision Making

Extreme persons carry out to determine difficulties to contain an option. Most of the time, those people work better without any pressure and can make decisions in a short time.

Those tactics are created simply to achieve the goals in the short and quality way within the hoop and give the ability to solve fast similarity problems within the organization.

Every modification could be resolved via choice-making and brainstorming activities within the staff with leadership skills.

Problem solving and decision-making are considered to be effective and important skills, which in turn help in improving the quality of the decision-making. This helps in fixing various sets of issues, which helps in finding the best solution to the problem. Use of effective problem-solving tools like PESTLE analysis, SWOT analysis, brainstorming, etc. to solve various specific problems within the organization. In this report, I will explain what the problems within the Honeypot Medical Centre are, which were taken by interviewing some of the staff and seen by my personal experience. Also, I will try to apply problem-solving tools and techniques to solve these problems. The problem-solving tools and techniques will be explained (when possible); some suggestions are given, plus what are the benefits if those problems are solved?

HONEYPOT MEDICAL CENTRE

Honeypot Medical Centre is a small GP surgery and NHS organization with 8 GP’s, nurses, health care assistants, pharmacists, and receptionists. There are 8 General practices: 1 Nurse, 1 health care assistant, 1 pharmacist.

The services which the Honeypot Medical Centre provides are: Cancer Screening, Children’s Health, Managing Chronic Diseases, Men’s Health, Planning a family, Vaccinations, and women’s Health. Honeypot Medical Centre is located at Queensbury, Stanmore and is one of local GP surgeries in Harrow Council. Honeypot Medical Centre also provides same-day appointments, which is one of the issues mentioned in this report.

(Honeypotmc.co.uk);

The location of the medical center is at Hight Street in Queensbury and the local busses 114 and 79 stop near by the surgery, therefore is easy to visit.

The technology which is being used in the Honeypot Medical Center is modernistic, but the software’s are much more complicated for the computers that the surgery works with. Like example: The appointment booking system needs a much larger processor that the one which the surgery computers works with.

The Honeypot Center works together with few local clinics where appointments can be booked if the Honeypot Medical Centre run out of day appointment availability. The clinic is open from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m.

(Honeypotmc.co.uk)

SHARING EXPERIENCE WITH ORGANIZATION

I have been a patient within Honeypot Medical Centre where I was effectively treated with various medical services in order to gain better care results and outcomes. It was a great experience to gain quality set of treatment as a patient in this Honeypot Medical Centre. I have been treated by health care practitioners who has skills, knowledge and experience to treat me effectively. I have faced difficulty in managing my health problems. I have also faced difficulty in managing my health condition but professional care practitioners of Honeypot Medical Centre has helped me provide the best possible care. I have gained immense degree of care from top health care doctors which helped me in recovering and carry out all the task by myself.

PROBLEMS WITHIN HONEYPOT MEDICAL CENTRE

From primary research was found that in this surgery have a couple of complex problems. In first time the patients complain about waiting time.  The key problem associated with the Honeypot medical centre is that, they do not have an effective management system to lower the queue in order to provide better are results within the stipulated time frame. The doctors delay for shifts and the appointments time delaying automatically. Usually there limit of the appointments for the working day that is why every appointment should take not more than 10 minutes inside the room. The staff remember every time to the patients they should explain one problem in one appointment, if they have more than one should book a double appointment. This means lack of health care specialist which in turn puts immense pressure and load on few specialized doctors.

The receptionist dealing every day with test result delays complain. There are not enough train persons to read a test results (only one of the General Practices could do this). The waiting time for test results could increase to few months. This could cost life’s and late treatments which will be the worst scenario for Honeypot Medical Centre especially if cancer is getting worst. Not enough trained persons for examining test results in turn increases the waiting time to attain test results. This in turn also increases the risk of the worst scenarios associated with the late delivery of care treatments.

Apart from this problem is coming another which is about the computers which are using it for booking appointment system. The staff mentioned that the computers are slowly and the system not enough strong for the software for the booking system.

Another problem from personal experience is lack of communication. The staff does not ask for repeating if they do not hear something. When you book appointment and they do not hear properly the date of birth or the name somebody else gets appointment instead of you. This in turn largely affects the way care is delivered to each patients in Honeypot Medical Centre.

Some staff come with the point that they are working with old and functional examination beds. This is another problem within the Honeypot Medical Centre. Some of the beds are not changed for years and still there to be in use.

The Medical Centre refurbished the building, but not change the facility to build more examination rooms, not change the furniture’s, not thinking for Information Technology process or to provide any easy way to help with the appointment bookings.

LITERATURE RELATED TO THE CHOSEN PROBLEM

Kuziemsky, (2016, January) sought to determine the fact that, problem solving in turn is considered to be an effective technique as it helps in examining a difficult matter which in turn requires a specific solution. Problem solving helps in ensuring that the individual deals with the specific real problems. Decision making in turn helps in finding the best solution to the problem which in turn eventually leads to higher efficiency. Problem solving and decision making helps in improving the quality of the decision making.  It is useful in fixing various set of issues which helps in finding the best solution to the problem. Patel & Dave, (2019) argued that, the rational decision making process mainly comprise of problem identification, criteria definition, alternative generation and evaluation and effective implementation of the plan.  Monitoring and seeking feedback in turn is considered to be an effective measure which in turn eventually helps in delivering the best results and outcomes. Miller, Singh, Arnold & Klein, (2020) investigated that, use of effective problem solving tools and techniques such as PESTLE Analysis, SWOT Analysis, Brainstorming, fish bone, Porter's five force model, PMI, etc. in turn are considered to be very useful in analysing the solving the various set of problems associated with the medical centre. This in turn helps in providing better care results and outcomes. Lack of proper trained staff, lack of communication, old equipments, long waiting time, lack of quality staff, etc. are considered to be the key problems of the medical centre.

SEARCH

This report will use primary research which has been done by interviewing some of the staff at Honeypot Medical Centre. The problems are explained and used different problem-solving tools and techniques. The research has been carried out and it has been analysed that, Honeypot medical centre requires funds from the NHS and government in order to improve the reasons associated with the complaint time.

Like every NHS organization the Honeypot Medical Centre need more finance for changing the operative system, to change the facility, for refurbishment etc. For all those changes there need to come money from the Government and NHS, which is happened not very often.

The common reasons for complaints are:

• The appointment time taking long and is some happens mistakes from the system;

• Lack of quality staff;

• Lack of training;

• Lack of Communication;

• Old furniture’s

These in turn are considered to be one of the key problems, which in turn has to be resolved in order to provide the best quality care services and attain better care results and outcomes.

All of this information was taken by private discussions within the Honeypot Medical Center's General practices, nurses, and some patients and was given based on personal experience.

PROBLEM SOLVING TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES

The Honeypot Medical Centre tends to focus on effectively applying range of problem-solving techniques in order to provide the best quality care services and attain better care results and outcomes within the health care sector.

PESTLE ANALYSIS

Know it also, like PEST analysis, is an idea in trading rules. Besides, these rules are used as an implement by companies and factories to check productivity and profits. (PESTLE Analysis,2019)

Political factors

which play role for the normal function of Honeypot Centre are: Brexit, tax increasing, Government decision, NHS restrictions, Small budget. The key factors, such as government laws and legislation, tax policy, funding grants and initiatives from NHS and government, political stability, etc. influence the operations of the Honeypot Medical Centre.

From Ecological side, there are

Cuts form NHS, Small salaries, poor facility. These factors, comprised of increase in interest rate, higher inflation rate, lower disposable income of the individuals, poor economic conditions, etc. influence the operations of the Honeypot Medical Centre.

Social factor

The key factors such as age population, improvements in healthcare service, increase in the growth of the population, health consciousness, demographics, etc. in turn largely influence the operations of the Honeypot Medical Centre.

Technology

New software for the computers or for the appointment booking system, examination by the phone or phone appointments, proper communication within the target markets, an increase in the number of trainings because of the integration of innovative technology, etc. in turn largely influence the operations of the Honeypot Medical Centre (Laukkanen, Suhonen, & Leino-Kilpi, 2016).

Environmental factor

The key factors, such as ethics and suitability, climate change, environmental pollution, reduction in the carbon footprint, accessibility to medical care, etc., are considered to be the most influencing factors, which in turn largely influence the operations of the Honeypot Medical Centre. 

Legal factor

The key factors, such as various legal laws and legislations associated with employment law, health and safety law, safety standards, competitive legislation, equal opportunities, consumer laws, etc., are considered to be the most influencing factors, which in turn largely influence the operations of the Honeypot Medical Centre. 

The expression PEST is routinely practised for long time and is not easy to organize. Primitively has been remark to instrument and styles for checking the trade conditions. Aquilar (1976) talk about ETPS- the four areas important for circumstances- Ecological, Technology, Political and Social. Upon the time was recognize just a PEST accompanying of extra lines-Ecological and Legislative for commerce investigation (Aguilar,1976)

PESTEL

It is also called a business investigation. The outside elements of order could be valued by going it to pieces and seeing the changes through all five positions (Political, Economic, Social, technological, environmentaland legal).

Similar inspect list could take place within the company (Health Knowledge,2017)

SWOT ANALYSIS

Swot Analysis is a business investigation system that assures the fairs for purpose are fully explained and all the points communicated to the assure are rightly named.

Swot Analysis investigation signifies four areas:

Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Treats.

The Inward and outward ingredients reflect to the Swot Analysis when is in action and both plays important role for triumph of the purpose. (Notredameonline.com,2017)

SWOT ANALYSIS FOR HONEYPOT LANE

The strengths of the Honeypot Medical Centre are:

The good location—easy for access—is free for NSH users; they have computers and operative systems, using telephones to contact patients, and patients can use the telephones to contact the surgery. The major strength associated with the Honeypot Medical Centre is that it is located in a good location which is very accessible for the patient to visit the medical centre. They also offer wide range of medical services to the patients in order to attain better care results and outcomes.

Weaknesses are coming

There is not good communication between the staff and between staff to patients; there are not enough general practices, but the building does not have much space for extra examination rooms; there is not enough budget for refurbishment. The major weakness associated with the Honeypot Medical Centre is that they tend to have a lack of finances and funds in order to carry out business operations (Arocha & Patel, 2017). Deficit of GP's and lack of communication in turn are considered to be one of the major weaknesses for Honeypot Medical Centre.

Opportunities

Train the staff, new booking system, more employees, extension to the building for updating the room examinations. The key opportunity with the Honeypot Medical Centre is to hire trained and specialized staff, which in turn helps in properly examining the workings of the company. Integration of the effective online booking system and software in turn helps in effectively managing the various business operations.  Creating more examination rooms and creating more general practice in turn helps in creating a wider set of opportunities for the business.

The Threats

can be taken are providing training to the staff, updating the software systems and changing the technical, employing more general practice’s, and building more examination rooms.  The major threat associated with the Honeypot Medical Centre is associated with more staff meetings and proper training for the health care practitioners, which in turn leads to higher costs for the business. Building extensions for more rooms and employing more general practices in turn are considered to be the major threat to the Honeypot Medical Centre.

This analysis shows that the Honeypot Medical Center is not in perfect condition compared with the other medical centers within the Harrow council.

There needs to be a huge change within the surgery. The staff needs to be changed as well; we need people with strong leadership skills to solve the problems.

This analysis shows that the Honeypot Medical Center is connecting to the government and Harrow Council, and if both of them reduce the budget for the local medical centers, it will not be possible to improve the quality and the way of communication.

BRAINSTORMING

Brainstorming blends a reduced, simple way to problem solving among indirect believing. Stimulate humans to suggest conceptions along with abstractions, which can be difficult for understanding. These conceptions could be cleverly designed and can be original answers to dilemmas when separates could stimulate extra conceptions. This lends a hand to the humans and motivates them to produce more conceptions.

Whence, over a brainstorming session, the humans escape with disapproving or returning the conceptions.

Arbitration and investigation in this level exploits the concept originality and extend the imaginability.

All the staff in Honeypot Medical Centre could make meeting every weeks or every two weeks to discuss what going wrong and how could be resolve. Everybody will have a chance to say what will be better to be change and how, what must be removed from the service list and together to think about budget and new staff.

The meetings will help to arrange a training for the untrained personal, to discuss with the manager the day complains and what is the reasons for them.

FISHBONE DIAGRAM

This source investigation instrument related to one of seven primary characteristic instruments.

The Fishbone diagram recognize numerous imaginable sources for outcomes or difficulty. (Asq.org,2020)

Fishbone analysis stock a span table to split additional classificatory potential reasons for a trouble along authorizing groups ability to point the dilemma. It is advantageous within the search breakdown which is actually practised within well-being attention status.

The triumphant manner to practice the fish bone investigation is to comfort the teams within the organization to operate in collective and to recognize the potential sources of the dilemma. Those sources are ranked in clusters like a circumstances, process, humans and tools.  To finish the work out, the answer will come and operations which have to be taken in the next step will showing up.

(Contributor,2013) 

This analysis shows that the Honeypot Medical Centre need have problem with the rules of the examination appointments and there must be explained that one appointment should take not more than 10 minutes. If the patients need more time or coming with more than one issue, they must book a double appointment.

There coming an option for building extra examination rooms and employs more General Practice’s.

PORTERS FIVE FORCES

Porter’s Five Forces is an easy, however strong instrument for considerate the competitiveness of trade circumstances also for recognizing tactics. (Chappelow,2019)

This tool is used to be analyses the ability to be employed more GP’s. If this happened the complains will stop about there are delating with the appointments time. Every patient will be seeing when that is needing and will receive treatment if there have any needs for.

Not really clear how this tool is used to analyze particular problem, but the idea is that there are several factors which influenced to the Honeypot Medical Centre improvement.

There must be have enough finances for renewed the building, but those financed come from the country budget. From this budget the Government deicide how much to be invested to the health faciality. From those money coming the decision how much will be needed for healthcare improvement, how much the local clinics and surgeries with be taken for their needs.

The patients are a factor which plays role for the organization feedback. When they complaining there is coming signal that the organization doing something wrong and this must fix. From the patient’s complaints the management will be clear what must be change and what action have to be taken for improvement.

With few words Honeypot Medical Centre can solve the problem with the communication and this can be solved by team building, staff meetings where everyone can suggest ideas and how they can be putt in action.

ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS

Every problem within Honeypot Medical Centre can be solve by logical way.

The lack of communication can be solved by team buildings. Need to be arrange some holidays or just day travel time to take the staff out of the city, to be provide some food and drinks. The staff will start to communicate each other and will start to know their characters and interests. This step makes everyone to relax and stop thinking about the stress during the shift and is helping to build teams within the organisation and they will work to achieve the same goals- No complaints and better care. Another way to solve the lack of communication problem is by integrating subordinates to participate in the decision making process. This in turn eventually helps in making better care decision in order to attain the best results and outcomes.

Research also could be useful for solution about complaints. Managers could search and collecting data what the other Medical Centres improve their facility and care service.

The problem with the waiting time is coming for not clear policy how long is the duration of one appointment. There should be remained to every patient that the appointment time is 10 minute per patients and if they need more time for discussion or just to chat about their condition, they need to book double appointment (20minutes). Also, there can be putted a leaflet which explain about the duration of the appointment.

The other way of solving this problem is to employ more GP’s and to build extra examination rooms. This will reduce the waiting time in drastic way, there will be perfect if this happened soon. If this step is taken many people will be able to use daytime appointments and is not will need to wait extra half an hour or more

The problem with the technology system will be resolved if the manager ask the IT (Information Technology) department could change the operative system of the computers and the booking appointments start to functional normal. The new operative system of the computer will be facing the exact need of appointment booking system and not will meeting any more the same mistakes and delays.

About the test result delays there will be need a training and time to teach a some of the staff. The better solution is to Employ the qualitative GP’s which are already trained to read a blood or urine test. Sometime delays in the results could be fatal and the Medical Centre must close the doors forever (personal opinion).

Another solution could be if the laboratory sending the results with explanation. This is will safe time for patients and money for the surgery.

The furniture will be change if the Honeypot Medical Centre have finances for it or the NHS is prepared to invest in them.

To change all the beds in the building the surgery could use local charity or to create one. Also, could ask to be part of foundation trust and the patients could make donation to help with there needs.

EVALUATING BOTH OF YOUR PROSED SOLUTIONS

Problem associated with the lack of communication

Team-building capability is considered to be more beneficial in order to resolve problems associated with the lack of communication. This helps in collaborating people and helps in better decision-making associated with certain care problem.

The problem associated with the waiting time

Building an extra examination room and employing more general practice in turn helps in reducing the waiting time drastically. This in turn helps in checking more patients within a day, which helps in better care results and outcomes within the Honeypot Medical Centre.

The problem associated with the technology system

The best solution associated with the problem is to integrate an effective operative system and integrated technology, which in turn helps in assessing mistakes and delays associated with booking an appointment. The new operating system of the computer will be facing the exact need of appointment booking system, which helps in delivering effective services.

Problem associated with the test results delay

Giving effective and proper training to the health care practitioners in the Honeypot Medical Centre, such as staff, doctors, nurses, etc., to read a blood or urine test. This helps in solving problem associated with the delay in the test results of the patients. This in turn helps to provide timely care to the patient without any delay.

Old furniture

Raising funds from the NHS and government in turn helps in changing the beds in the building. This also helps in refurbishing the building, which in turn helps in better care results and outcomes with positive care environment.

DISCUSSING IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROPOSED SOLUTION

Implementation plan in turn is considered to be an effective strategy which in turn helps in turning strategies into the desired action. This in turn helps in accomplishing strategic goals and objectives.

Implementation plan for lack of communication

The management team of the Honeypot Medical Centre must focus on creating a team and must focus on carrying out group meeting activities like holidays, hangouts, etc., which helps in better collaboration of the team members. This helps them in better interaction and helps them know each other.

Implementation plan for reducing waiting time

Raising funds from the government and NHS in order to build an extra number of examination rooms and hiring a number of specialized staff helps in reducing waiting time and also results in better care outcomes within the stipulated time frame.

Implementation plan for integrating technology system

Selecting an appropriate IT team in order to create software and develop an effective website which helps in integrating the online booking system.

Implementation plan for test result delay

Selecting the group of health care practitioners who need to specialize their skills associated with the test results. This helps in timely examining the test results of the patients.

Implementation plan for changing old furniture and beds

Raising fund from the government and NHS of around $2600 in order to change the old furniture and beds of the  Honeypot Medical Centre.

COMMUNICATE THE PLAN TO STAKEHOLDER

A stakeholder communication plan in turn is considered to be very crucial because it helps in outlining the plan and discussing the plan with the stakeholders. This in turn eventually leads to long-term sustainable growth and efficiency within the health care sector and medical centre.

This implementation plan associated with the medical centre problem can be effectively communicated to the stakeholders by scheduling a meeting or a conference call. This in turn helps in effectively addressing all the problems associated with the Honeypot Medical Centre. project summary report must be sent to the key stakeholders of the organization in order to make them aware about the various changes that, in turn, have been carried out within the Honeypot Medical Centre.

The which can be taken Is one step for improvement.

The manager of Honeypot Medical Centre is responsible for writing action plan and putting this plan in action.

Goals:

The goals of Honeypot Medical Centre are to refurbish the building, to build more examination rooms, updating the operative systems, reducing the waiting time.

PMI

+	-	Interesting
Updating of the technology will help for time delating (+5)	New Cost (-2)	Waiting time will be not issue (+5)
Quality staff will help with test results (+5)	More money for salaries (-3)	The Cancer treatments will be on time (+5)
More examination room will help the complaints to be reduced (+5)	More money for refurbishment (-5)	10 minutes per appointment (+5)
Total: +15	Total: -10	Total: +15

From the PMI tool, I see that the updating of operational computer system will reduce the waiting time to be seen by the GP, and training staff will help to reduce the test results time and not be an issue and will cost money. Also showing that the Honeypot Medical Center will be able to meet patients needs without long waiting time. More General practices will be able to see more patients on same-day appointment without any rush or complaining about waiting time. Yes, they need bigger budget to do all those steps, but the complaints and bad feedbacks will be reducing to the minimum.

The Honeypot Medical Centre can employ quality staff which is already trained; those staff could be General practitioners, nurses, receptionists, pharmacists, etc. This step could save money from training and the health care within the Honeypot Medical Center will be improved.

CONCLUSION

There are some factors which are barriers for Honeypot medical Center to achieve all the planning changes for improving the quality of care that they provide.

abstractions,Some of the factors are financial (government deciding how much money from the national budget can be spent in the health sector). I believe there are options for council to help to local surgeries and clinics meet there needs. Somehow Honeypot Medical Centre needs finances to build extra examination rooms and the ability to employ more general practitioners. Another reason to receive more money is to update the technology system and that will be helpful with properly working on a booking system.

In conclusion, it can be said that the Honeypot Medical Centre has to identify the problems, break them to peace’s, find out what cost this problem, and after that, think of solutions to these problems.

Honeypot Medical Centre must employ more quality and experienced staff to reduce complaints and bad feedback. Building a new examination room will be helpful to reduce the appointment waiting time.

You May Also Like To Read :

Organisational Structures and Culture

Problem Solving and Decision Making