High Reliability Organization in the Healthcare Industry: A Model of Performance Excellence and Innovation

Abstract

In recent years, the U.S. healthcare industry has been active in responding to major reform initiatives and evolving socioeconomic trends. Also, the U.S. healthcare system is vast, complex, and unique among advanced industrialized countries and at the same time the U.S. does not have a uniform health system and healthcare in the United States is provided by many distinct organizations. As a result, the healthcare delivery system is not as reliable as other industries. There is a strong business and clinical requirements to achieve a High Reliability Organization (HRO) status and to generate reliable performance results in healthcare. In this case study, the implementation and integration of an HRO model in healthcare industry in many of the sub-sets of U.S. healthcare delivery system is examined and investigated through case study approach and measurable improvements in the following outcomes: organizational effectiveness, organizational efficiency, customer satisfaction, compliance, documentation, and organizational culture are attainted. This case study affirms that HRO model facilitates innovation and promotes performance excellence and accountability in the healthcare industry.