Workflow Models it Is Crucial to Be

¶ … Workflow Models

It is crucial to be able to compile strong visual tools in order to best plan the process steps needed to strengthen any healthcare strategy for individual patients and cases (Stokowski, 2013). This current draft represents a plan for admitting and monitoring a patient. The draft is definitely strong, as it meets the standard content requirements of a traditional workflow diagram. The shapes and directions are sufficient within the standards of workflow charts, making it much easier to read and understand.

The workflow issue or gap being examined is the process of admitting a patient into a healthcare facility with specific skin related symptoms. The process model aims to help the healthcare facility staff to evaluate the patient's condition and take the most appropriate steps to finding the most accurate diagnosis and thus treatment strategy. The model takes a number of process steps and eventually ends with a plan for continuing monitoring of the patient's condition daily.

The draft utilizes an appropriate use of workflow shapes to illustrate the starting and decision points. The oval is used at the start of the process, clarifying where the workflow issues actually begins (Transition to Practice, 2013). The process steps are clearly defined through the rectangle shapes, while decision steps, where there needs to be a yes or no response, are marked with diamonds. This all meets the Visio standards of a workflow diagram, illustrating strong organization within the draft. Yet, there are still some concerns in regards to the appropriate usage of the shapes within the workflow diagram. For instance, the end is labeled with an oval, which signifies the end. However, the actual text is ambiguous, making it seem like the process could possibly continue. The end is marked as "continue daily skin assessments and documentation," but there is not extra room for additional process steps if this cannot be completed or if there is a drastic change within the patient's condition. It does seem to be slightly left open. A more definitive end to the process would help strengthen the workflow draft. Moreover, there is a lack of connector shapes that would help make connections between the process steps more clear and obvious.

In addition, there are clearly marked arrows which allow for an easy read of all the process steps. The arrows all sufficiently show the direction of the process steps in a logical and clear order. The process goes both horizontally and vertically, and thus the clearly marked arrows help define what is the next step in each unique aspect of the scenario presented. As such, the arrows help show the progression of the process definitively. Thus, the draft here is strong in regards to the efficient use of the marked arrows to show the direction of the process as it continues to develop within a multi-tiered healthcare facility.