Redesign of the Attention Process of Patients with Rheumatologic Diseases: Assessing the Performance with Analytic Hierarchy Process

Abstract

Objective. To compare the Business process management and the analytic hierarchy process as the tools of process performance assessment. Instruments and Methods. Case study of the attention process of rheumatology patients. Business process management and analytic hierarchy process were applied to assess the redesign of the attention process. The two methods were compared. The data were obtained through personal observations, an interview with a Colombian health insurer's senior executive, and retrospective documentary analysis. Results. Both methods assessed the process redesign as an improvement. While Business process management made a qualitative evaluation, the analytic hierarchy process allowed for a quantitative approach. Conclusions. Business process management is helpful in process performance assessment because it offers a conceptual foundation. Analytic hierarchy process is a complement which makes the intuitions based on business process management rigorous.