Agile project management approaches originated in the software industry but can help anesthesia practitioners address several clinical and operational issues, according to Anesthesia Business Consultants President and CEO Tony Mira.
Agile is an iterative development methodology that entails moving toward a desired goal through a series of short, quick cycles that build on user feedback and lessons learned. It is designed to address complex problems and rapid changes.
Anesthesia practices may eventually use agile methodology to improve quality, safety, efficiency, change management and new system or process rollouts.
Here are four examples of how providers used agile methodology to improve processes:
1. Swedish nurses and physicians engaged in an iterative and participatory process that led to clinically relevant solutions for operating room hand hygiene improvement.
2. By incorporating an iterative review of discharge data, anesthesia researchers at Boston-based Massachusetts General Hospital developed a quality improvement initiative to reduce opioid prescribing after cesarean sections.
3. Seattle-based University of Washington researchers used iterative methods to develop a clinical decision support system for the anesthetic management of pediatric patients undergoing urgent neurosurgery for traumatic brain injury.
4. Researchers at a community teaching hospital leveraged agile methodology and user involvement to create an electronic clinical communication and collaboration platform. The strategy helped them identify software issues, improve user interface design and make necessary project changes.