The value of initiating multiple small variations in long-term effect is ensuring a systematic improvement in an organization like healthcare. Though considering small variations in sustained improvements in healthcare could be resourceful, time-consuming and requires commitment, it is beneficial in offering quality health care to patients. Typically, sizeable efforts are needed in implementing best care practices as they set clinical indicators of quality performance. Also, small variations help in measuring and interpreting other changes required in laying the foundation of conducive environments for implementation of quality long-term initiatives.

Typically, quality and improvements in organizations like healthcare cannot happen only by changing one process. Therefore, due to large size, geographical difficulties and complexities which may be experienced for not considering small variations, it would be hard to achieve success (Robert et al., 2015). Without considering multiple variations, it would be difficult for an organization to create a culture of improvements. To implement quality changes, issues like mindset, administration, patient knowledge, and expectations must be addressed. Usually, the pace f better improvement in an organization is a subject to consider variability. Thus, another importance of initiating small variations is to impact the pace of quality improvements. For instance, studies in the primary care setting revealed that a screening process of colorectal cancer changed steadily from forty-seven to eighty-six in two years. Such an evolutionary change reduced the barriers to breakthrough changes. Most decision makers or organizational leaders anticipate immediate and excellent results.

Both commercial and contemporary industrial approaches to improving quality emphasize the need to rely on small variations. Small variations tell leaders where and what is working, and can know how far from the optimal a healthcare organization is. Small variability plays an essential role in determining and reporting quality indicators. To have clinical variation in medical practice is valued step in measuring the efficiency of an organization and assessing the effectiveness of care.  Having multiple changes in a healthcare setting is valuable because they indicate potential opportunities to reduce cost. Also, they help avoid compromising the concern for the patients by improving the value of care delivery. Small variations in health care industries have values in effecting long-term and sustainable improvement as they help achieve lasting changes (D’Andreamatteo, Ianni, Lega & Sargiacomo, 2015). In initiating multiple variations, initiatives for quality improvements become new ways of working instead of having something added in the routine health care. In many cases, most organization changes are not maintained, and strategic variations enable achieving long-term improvements.

Variations in clinical care should be a call to action so that an organization can optimize decision making. Practice variation is extrinsic to patients and the entire healthcare organization; thus if they are not addressed, they could hinder attainment of long-term improvements (Joshi, Ransom & Nash, 2005). Many organizations today have recognized the importance of reducing variation as a way to improve outcomes. Various interventions to control changes can be put in place to help improve care through the establishment of consistent practices. Organizations with evolving data capabilities are expanding their abilities to reduce variations in delivery. An example of enhancing multiple small variations is emulating new organizational protocols like a bundle of care. Once numerous small changes get identified in the health care organization, it becomes a fundamental breakthrough to improvements. Modifications begin with the ability to spot variations, know when they occurred and determine the root cause. An opportunity to lower health care variations for outcome improvements lies within discovering unwanted variations.

References

D’Andreamatteo, A., Ianni, L., Lega, F., & Sargiacomo, M. (2015). Lean in healthcare: A comprehensive review. Health policy, 119(9), 1197-1209.

Joshi, M., Ransom, S., & Nash, D. (2005). The healthcare quality book (pp. 1-525). Chicago, Illinois: Health Administration Press.

Robert, G., Cornwell, J., Locock, L., Purushotham, A., Sturmey, G., & Gager, M. (2015). Patients and staff as codesigners of healthcare services. BMJ, 350, g7714.