How Serviceline Management Can Improve Our Healthcare Systems

Serviceline management is any specialized care system a hospital or clinic has aligned to span across most departments, and is directed by a business manager measured by quality, safety, and ultimately Profit/Loss results.  Examples of servicelines are: womens’ health, cancer oncology, cardiology, etc. Proponents of serviceline management argue that it improves clinical, operational, and financial performance and results in greater patient satisfaction.

First, we need to know if serviceline management actually improves quality of healthcare delivery and makes it more efficient. The answer to this question is an unequivocal “yes.” According to Joe Tomaro, PhD, the senior vice president of Accelero Health Partners, “Serviceline-focused organizations are consistently improving care, increasing margins, and building volume.”  He has found that hospitals that engage in serviceline management practices are typically more efficient than their counterparts.

While it is clear that serviceline management is beneficial, we still need to understand how serviceline management can improve our healthcare systems.

The more successful models for servicelines include the element of collaborating with the clinicians regarding the development of services and the technologies utilized. Managing care via a serviceline model can improve the services delivered and, in the end, give patients a better experience.  Hospitals that have implemented serviceline management report a variety of benefits, including reduced patient wait times, shorter hospital stays and fewer hospital-acquired conditions.

Possibly the greatest benefit offered by serviceline management is that it gives hospital staff and clinicians a greater sense of ownership and a more focused mission regarding the services they provide.  Hospitals that have implemented serviceline management indicate that their staffs have higher morale and are more motivated to work for the system’s benefit and mission.  In addition, they report that their staffs are more focused and committed to their units and to their colleagues.  These are very special benefits to the system, in this era of high value expectations.

Answering the question,”How does serviceline management improve our healthcare systems?” SLM focuses on the elements of clinical, operational, financial into one specialized line of services to yield higher quality, lower costs, and a better patient experience.

How could serviceline management improve your heathcare system? Comment Below!