Using enterprise ontology for improving emergency management in hospitals

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Operations Research
• Information Systems

Background:

• Healthcare organizations face intense competition, necessitating improvements for sustainability.
• Inefficiency and resistance to change hinder effective healthcare service delivery.
• Enterprise design and operational alignment are crucial for organizational success.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and demonstrate a method for identifying non-value-added transactions in healthcare processes.
• To simplify and improve operational workflows within healthcare organizations.
• To enhance the efficiency and sustainability of healthcare services.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the DEMO (Design and Engineering Methodology for Organizations) methodology.
• Applied the method to an emergency department setting for process analysis.
• Employed interviews, Moody and Shanks Quality Framework, and Österle et al.'s Four Principles for evaluation.

Main Results:

• Successfully identified specific transactions within the emergency department suitable for improvement or automation.
• The DEMO-based method provided a clear and adequate view of operational processes.
• Demonstrated the reliability of the method in enhancing healthcare operational processes.

Conclusions:

• The proposed DEMO-based method is effective in identifying and redesigning inefficient healthcare transactions.
• The methodology facilitates a better understanding of organizational dynamics and enterprise alignment.
• This approach offers a reliable framework for improving the efficiency and sustainability of healthcare operations.