Implementation Of New Services Research Articles

Using Patient Focus Groups for New Patient Services

This article is intended to illustrate the usefulness of patient input in the strategic planning process and to demonstrate in particular the use of focus groups in concept development, concept testing, and program evaluation. Three areas of patient services were designed partly on the basis of patient input. "Service Teams with Appropriate Resources" (STARs) were conceived as basic organizational units to deliver interdisciplinary care to meet the needs of specific groups of patients. A patient services "menu" was envisioned to allow the patient or caregiver to decide which service would most appropriately and efficiently meet patient needs. The "Service Expectation Program" was formulated to ease entry into the hospital by providing information on what patients should expect from the hospital experience. Focus groups were used again to test and refine the concepts developed during the interactive planning stage. General themes included the need for improved communication, the desire to be treated with respect and dignity (personhood), the need for coordination across the continuum of care, and the desire for more personal choice and control. Sources of patient feedback used in the ongoing evaluation process included a patient satisfaction survey and a telephone survey. Additional focus groups and telephone surveys are planned. The focus group discussions with patients introduced useful data into the quality improvement and interactive planning process. Findings were disseminated to all levels of hospital management and program staff through newsletters, reports, and in-service training sessions. Data were useful in interactive planning, program concept testing, and the development and implementation of new services.

Hardware and software design of the Programmable Displayphone

In order for future telecommunications services to be successful, they will have to be easy to use so that they do not intimidate potential customers. The Programmable Displayphone was designed, built and programmed to serve as a friendly interface between people and network services. The PDP uses the intelligence of a computer, the low profile and versatility of a graphics-capable plasma display and the convenience of touch entry, all bound together by custom, menu-driven software, to provide easy access to a host of services. These services at present include touch dialing from a large personal directory (approx 2000 entries), conference calling, call forwarding, call transfer, and call hold. Furthermore, the programmability of the PDP allows implementation of new services, for experimentation, demonstration or actual use. In this paper, the hardware design of the PDP, including its history and components, will be described. The software that gives the PDP life will also be discussed along with two applications of the PDP that have been implemented. A discussion of potential future applications of the PDP is given.

Problems in development of a community action program for the elderly.

An experimental program of self-help, which encourages the participation of the elderly in the definition of their needs and in the implementation of new services to meet those needs, is based upon a community organization methodology and a unique form of cooperative sponsorship. Both the methodology and the structure of sponsorship have created problems for this innovative program. A constructive evaluation of the program by the body representative of the sponsoring agencies has suggested a need for a shift in programmatic emphasis and a streamlined structure of sponsorship that will maximize the responsibilities of the elderly for the program.