Healthcare & Technology7 Crucial Benefits of Agile Project Management in Healthcare

Managing healthcare processes has always been difficult and overwhelming, especially in hospitals and large clinics. Implementing state-of-the-art project management techniques to streamline workflows and have an overall better organization of processes is key in healthcare. Additionally, the rapid spread of COVID-19 showed us how efficient methods of managing medical processes can benefit both physicians and patients. 

There’s always demand for improving healthcare management processes to increase productivity and save time. What makes agile project management stand out is its incredible flexibility, allowing professionals to intuitively plan their day, week, or month, and keep track of processes with the help of backlogs and sprints. Agile was originally made for software developers, but in time, it evolved and became a top choice for project managers across multiple industries, including healthcare. 

What is agile project management? 

Agile project management takes an iterative approach to project management and is specifically designed to boost productivity by delivering work in small increments, known as sprints. Teams leverage this technology to position their products for optimal performance and effectiveness, by incorporating transparency into their project management efforts. 

When it comes to healthcare, the agile approach enhances the dynamic medical environment and streamlines processes to help achieve project milestones, while also improving patient-care efforts. Furthermore, healthcare professionals can optimize their tasks by breaking down large projects into sprints. 

Benefits of agile project management in healthcare 

Agile is one of the most popular approaches to project management. At SMEDIX, we have extensive expertise incorporating leading management technologies in healthcare businesses, and we decided to present you with some of the key benefits of agile project management in healthcare. So, let’s jump right in.  

1. Increased productivity & efficiency 

Agile project management ensures a boost in efficiency and productivity by allowing healthcare professionals to plan their schedules in an effective way, as well as keep track of their tasks. By breaking down large projects, you work more efficiently and it’s easier to meet deadlines on a regular basis. 

2. Better self-organization 

To maintain constant productivity, healthcare professionals should be able to self-organize and not always rely on their managers or supervisors. Having the ability to make important decisions, especially under pressure, is an unspoken requirement for physicians. An agile software allows everyone to log their work, and if needed, it can be reviewed by a supervisor at a later time.  

3. Access to an extensive backlog 

With agile project management, every task is recorded and saved in the system if there’s ever a need to revisit a certain project or timeline. Healthcare professionals can go back and review certain tasks and even figure out better ways of tackling similar situations in the future. Having the ability to access historical data on previous projects is critical in the medical industry. 

4. Improved communication 

Eliminating unnecessary back and forth conversations between parties is important for reducing the time needed to deliver projects in any field, not just in medicine. Agile helps foster clear communication between management, doctors and nurses, making it easier to communicate critical information. 

5. Enhanced patient care 

By having a decluttered schedule and sticking to it, you automatically decrease stress levels and can attend to your patients with more compassion and composure. What’s more, healthcare professionals can leverage the agile system to log day-to-day tasks and check-ups they completed with their patients. 

6. Better access to critical information 

With everyone logging their activity and detailing the progress of tasks, healthcare professionals can extract valuable data each trimester just by examining the logs. Having access to important data can improve future healthcare efforts and gives physicians the opportunity to learn from each other and improve on their processes. 

7. Innovation 

By implementing state-of-the-art project management software, hospitals, healthcare facilities and companies can drastically improve their work environment. Delivering quality care and solutions is at the forefront of medicine, and the growing demand for improved processes in the medical field should empower every healthcare institution to consider upgrading their project management efforts. 

Conclusion 

By looking at all the benefits that come with agile project management, it’s clear that an agile solution can be a critical component in any healthcare institution. Agile project management improves day-to-day operations, ensures better doctor-patient relationships, a more organized medical staff, and ultimately, creates an efficient and productive work environment. 

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At SMEDIX, we are always focused on innovation and we use resourceful techniques to make sure your medical institution is operating at peak capabilities. Our mission is to accelerate innovation in healthcare through genuine partnerships and create custom and high-quality products to improve lives.  

If you’re looking for solutions to connect your systems and devices, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.