Abstract

Government agencies have suggested that healthcare organisations would benefit from approaches used in other disciplines, such as engineering, to improve the quality of services. Various approaches from manufacturing and industry have been introduced to improve service quality, however it is hard to measure the impact of these, particularly given the different needs of a wide variety of stakeholders. In this seminar Anne will describe an ongoing empirical study into the current use of service improvement techniques in an NHS hospital trust, focusing on issues relating to facilitation of, and participation in, the requirements elicitation process. Topics covered will include project classifications; service improvement methods, tools and techniques; stakeholders and the culture of multidisciplinary working in the NHS . The presentation will conclude with a discussion of issues raised by participants to date. Questions and feedback will be very welcome from attendees from all research groups.