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Developing the Infrastructure
Developing the proper infrastructure for your Primary Healthcare Center is key to its on-going success. When developed carefully at the onset, it lays the foundation for a clinic that operates efficiently and is able to serve patients most effectively.This development phase involves three components: defining your organizational structure; educating staff in primary healthcare practices, both theoretical and hands-on; and determining the physical layout of the center itself.
Defining the Organizational Structure
Who will be in charge of your Primary Healthcare Center? How will you make decisions? How can the organizational structure support the primary healthcare model you are looking to implement?
In any effective organization, a clear structure must be set forth that clarifies roles and expectations and defines how decisions will be made. Your Primary Healthcare Center is no exception to this rule. Once a structure is determined, it will help guide you and strengthen the center as you move forward.
In the Primary Healthcare Centers developed by AIHA and its partners for use in the the former Soviet Union, generally a chief physician serves as head of the center. This differs somewhat from the US model where, generally speaking, a clinic administrator, medical director, or chief executive officer leads the organization. However, you may determine a different model better suits your own unique situation.
Although designed as a traditional “top down” management model, input from all levels of your Primary Healthcare Center should not only be allowed, but strongly encouraged. By encouraging staff to voice their opinions, center leadership is in fact mirroring the goals of the center—equal consideration for all, regardless of rank, circumstance, or position. Additionally, by choosing this model for your Primary Healthcare Center you will strengthen the confidence, effectiveness, and sense of value of staff members by soliciting their input.
Training the Staff
Staff training can, and should, begin as early in the process as possible starting with a training needs assessment at this phase of the process. By educating staff early on in clinical practice, management, and communication skills, they will be able to best support the center as it is being established.
Determining the Physical Layout of Your Center
It is important to determine the layout of your Primary Healthcare Center carefully for a number of reasons. Take into account both efficiency of the space, and if possible, try to design it with the patient’s comfort in mind—for example, strive for an inviting reception area and comfortable waiting room that helps put the patient at ease.
There are many simple, low-cost solutions that you may at first overlook as insignificant, but it could be a mistake to do so. Often small, seemingly inconsequential changes can make a significant difference when it comes to saving time and money, not to mention improving efficiency and staff morale. You may wish to have a brainstorming session with all staff to determine ways you could make the environment relaxing and inviting, as well as productive.
It is also important to think of your center not only as a treatment facility, but also as an education center. Recognize that the physical makeup of the space can encourage patient education in a number of ways. Suggestions of ways you can educate patients include:- Displaying educational posters on the walls
- Providing brochures and other educational materials in the waiting area
- Discovering innovative and entertaining ways to present information, including informative videos and displays
- Providing non-written educational materials for children
- Including information about a variety of topics, such as domestic violence, mental health, and substance abuse. Sometimes this will be a patient’s only source of information about these sensitive, often taboo topics.
Click here to read about Developing Clinical Practice Guidelines.
