Communication Improvement at PHH

Problem-related to communication at my workplace, Passionate Home Healthcare (PHH): What practice or process needs to be created or improved to facilitate communication at my workplace? What communication problem am I proposing to solve?

Men and Bowen (2017) state that internal communication is a fast-developing field, with practitioners encountering obstacles and chances amidst the constantly evolving business landscape, workplace, and workforce. Passionate Home Healthcare (PHH) is committed to providing high-quality care to its clients in the comfort of their homes. However, the organization faces communication challenges that hinder the smooth flow of information and affect overall efficiency. As a result, PHH is having trouble meeting the needs of clients, nurses, nurse aides, and visiting clinicians because of the sluggish communication system. This report aims to identify the communication problem, propose possible solutions, recommend a specific practice or process improvement, and outline the expected outcomes. To measure the communication problem at PHH, the following steps must be taken: 1. Review employee responses and feedback, 2. Monitor employees’ engagement with the forms of internal communication; 3. Track the employee turnover rates, and 4. study performance using analytics tools (Walters, 2019).

The transformation at PHH would call for a complete change in the communication system. According to Ilie et al. (2020), in today's world, technology plays a significant role in transforming the way businesses communicate with employees, customers, and stakeholders. However, it is essential to acknowledge that this transformation goes beyond just the method and content of communication. To maintain the numerous social aspects of an office's natural environment, businesses must provide employees with additional opportunities to communicate with each other both formally and informally, ensuring that nothing is missed or negatively impacted. The Cloud platform has opened numerous opportunities for businesses to enhance their communication strategies by utilizing cloud infrastructure technology, the ability to upgrade and modernize the application, and a willingness to adopt a centralized communication platform. According to Fields (1995), a centralized communication system can enhance professional nursing practice and improve the efficiency of healthcare team members. This system enables staff members to make the most of their respective roles. PHH aims to enhance the motivation of its human capital working across various departments through an internal communication tool. This tool will provide information support, enabling employees to understand their work performance expectations, foster collaboration, and create a positive work environment. As per Fahad (2019), this tool will act as a driving force for PHH's workforce.

The old saying goes, "You cannot improve what you cannot measure." So, I will carefully look over the communication system's strengths and weaknesses. I will use a qualitative measuring tool to improve my organization's internal communication effectiveness. This can be achieved by evaluating the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The steps that will be taken are as follows: 1. To assess internal communication and obtain direct feedback, it would be good to look at employee responses. Conducting surveys is a common practice to determine communication effectiveness, and it is essential to guarantee anonymity to ensure accuracy. A well-designed survey that addresses the issue at hand is crucial, and objective questions such as, "On a scale of 1 to 10, how effective is the organization's internal communication?" can provide valuable insight. Allowing employees to elaborate on their answers through comment sections is also essential. Customized surveys segmented by title, job, and location are better than sending a single survey to all employees. Conducting focus groups with employees can generate honest conversations that provide valuable feedback on the effectiveness of internal communication. 2. Monitoring employee engagement with the forms of internal communication is crucial for an organization to become more aware of the importance of employee engagement with information. More than simply sending out updates, monitoring how employees interact with shared information is necessary. While HR personnel and managers may track email open rates and Intranet logins, these metrics only provide a small part of the picture. A more effective way to measure engagement is to monitor click-through rates (CTR) and forwarded emails and shares. By tracking the number of clicks in emails that employees click and the company news they forward to colleagues or share on social media, it is possible to determine the level of interaction with the enterprise's message. For example, if employees receive news via email that the organization is going public, do they share it with others on social media or forward it to colleagues? 3. Track employee turnover rates – Research shows that employees who work in a positive environment tend to stay with their employer longer. In contrast, unhappy people tend to look for other job opportunities. Keeping a record of your company's turnover rate can provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of your internal communication practices. By promoting effective internal communication, companies can strengthen their relationships with their employees, establish trust with company leadership, and increase employee morale and satisfaction. This approach keeps employees informed and connected to management, improving retention rates. Therefore, monitoring the turnover rate is an efficient way to evaluate the effectiveness of your company's communication practices. 4. Study performance using analytics tools – Effective communication is vital to any organization's success, and companies often use various channels like email, Slack, or intranet to communicate internally. However, it is essential to measure the effectiveness of each channel to optimize content accordingly. In today's digital era, mobile apps increase engagement levels compared to traditional channels. It is an excellent starting point for businesses that use the intranet to gather data on its effectiveness in delivering messages. To evaluate the intranet's impact, you can ask questions such as the number of employees using it, frequency of usage, peak usage times, devices used to access the intranet, and demographic representation. You can adjust communication behavior by analyzing employees' responses to achieve optimal results. (Walters, 2019)

Problem: Passionate Home Healthcare (PHH) identified a communication problem: the need for a centralized communication system. Currently, communication among staff members, including caregivers, nurses, and administrative personnel, primarily relies on fragmented methods such as phone calls, emails, and physical paperwork. This decentralized approach often leads to miscommunication, delays in information sharing, and increased potential for errors in patient care.

The Possible Solutions: First, implement a secure, Cloud-based communication platform – By adopting a centralized communication platform, such as a HIPPA-compliant messaging system, all staff members can access and exchange information efficiently. This platform should allow real-time messaging, file sharing, and document management. The second is to establish standardized communication protocols – Develop clear guidelines and protocols for different communication scenarios, including caregiver-patient updates, nurse-physician communication, and administrative staff coordination. Standardized protocols will promote consistency, clarity, and efficiency in communication. Lastly, to provide training and education on effective communication – Conduct workshops or training sessions focused on improving communication skills. This can include active listening, conflict resolution, and appropriate communication channels. Enhanced communication skills will enable staff members to convey information accurately and address concerns more effectively.

The Recommended Solution: The solution is to implement a secure, cloud-based communication platform that centralizes all communication channels within Passionate Home Healthcare. This platform should include the following features: Real-time messaging – Staff members can send and receive instant messages, facilitating quick communication and reducing response times. File sharing – The platform should allow sharing of documents, care plans, and patient records, eliminating the need for physical paperwork and minimizing the risk of information loss. Document management – A centralized repository for storing and accessing important documents, such as policies, procedures, and protocols, ensures consistency and easy reference for all staff members. According to Hynes (2019), when an organization is transparent and trustworthy, stakeholders experience a sense of belonging and a shared vision. PHH recognized the issue of fragmented communication and aimed to solve it. The success of this project primarily hinges on patient/client/customer satisfaction. Therefore, project leaders are committed to keeping stakeholders informed throughout the project, whether through formal or informal conversations. Effective communication with stakeholders is vital to building and strengthening trusting relationships, which is crucial for project success. Mariconda and Lurati (2015) provided insight in their research abstract on the agreement among stakeholders regarding the impact of issues on each other. Their findings also identified the central issues and stakeholders with the most shared opinions on issue relationships. The practical implication of their method is that it can enhance traditional segmentation techniques used by corporate communication and public relations practitioners to gain a more nuanced understanding of an organization's complex environment.

Expected Outcomes: Implementing the recommended solution is expected to yield several positive outcomes for Passionate Home Healthcare: 1. Enhanced communication efficiency – The centralized platform will streamline communication, reducing delays and miscommunication. This will improve staff members’ coordination, resulting in better patient-care outcomes. 2. Increased transparency and accountability – With a centralized communication system, all messages and interactions will be logged, ensuring transparency and accountability for staff members. This will enable supervisors and managers to track communication activities, identify bottlenecks, and provide necessary feedback. 3. Improved patient satisfaction – Efficient and effective organizational communication will result in better caregiver-patient interactions, timely updates, and improved response times to patient needs. Consequently, patient satisfaction levels are expected to increase.
Finally, addressing the communication problem at Passionate Home Healthcare by implementing a secure, cloud-based communication platform is crucial for improving efficiency, coordination, and patient care outcomes. The recommended solution, supported by standardized protocols and staff training, will promote effective communication practices and contribute to the organization’s overall success.

References

_Fahad (2019). Essay-Assignment-communication. dox. Mastermind School HRM/HRM101 IFLA Journal, 2006, 32 (2): 104-112. Scholarly Communication in East and Southeast Asia: Traditions and Challenges Jingfeng Xia Introduction Scholarly Communication.
_Fields, S. (1995). A Centralized Communication System. Springhouse Publishing. Nursing Management/ Vol 26 No 11. Critical Care Edition.
_Hynes, G. E. (2019). Informal Interpersonal Communication. Harvard Business Publishing.
_Ilie, M., Ilie, C., & Martin, R. (2020). University of Constanta, Romania. “Ovidus” University Annals, Economic Science Series Volume XX, Issue 1/2020.
_Mariconda, S. & Lurati, F. (2015). Stakeholder cross-impact analysis: a segmentation method. Corporate Communications: An International Journal. 2015. Vol. 20 Issue 3, p276-290. 15p.
_Men, R. L., & Bowen, S. A., (2017). The Future of Internal Communication. Harvard Business Publishing.
_Walters, K. (2019). Top 5 ways to measure internal communication- Intranet Connections May 29, 2019. https://intranetconnections.com/blog