Clinical Workflow Analysis, Process Redesign, and Quality Improvement

Healthcare workflow is driven by individual, organizational, and societal factors. The resulting complexity and high variability make it challenging to examine workflow in healthcare delivery settings. In this chapter, the authors introduce relevant theories, frameworks, principles, tools, and techniques to guide both (a) workflow examination and (b) systematic organizational interventions for workflow redesign. These theories, frameworks, principles, tools, and techniques can be applied to diverse settings to improve the quality and safety of healthcare delivery.