(Management Case Study) Design and Utilization of Operational and Clinical Dashboards to Strategize Hospital Growth

Purpose: Following the announcement of a 200-bed hospital expansion, the pharmacy team recognized the necessity for detailed information of current state as well as the visualization of historical trends to evaluate and support the expansion. This case outlines the methods employed by the pharmacy team to create and implement operational and clinical dashboards, which built on the initial team focus to understand the trends of hospital census and volumes. These dashboards enabled the team to assess the current state and predict future requirements for the increased capacity.

Methods: A dedicated workgroup conducted an evaluation to determine the necessary information to be included on potential dashboards that would aid in decision making and preparation for the hospital expansion. This workgroup consisted of the pharmacy director, a project manager, a pharmacy manager, and a data analyst. The dashboards were developed based on prior operational reports and workload evaluations, along with input from the broader team. Significant effort was invested in refining the dashboards to ensure they provided useful information in an efficient format for decision making. The dashboards have been used to supply essential information for FTE request and to plan for additional space needed to support the hospital expansion.

Results: Several dashboards were created, focusing on both the operational and clinical aspects of the inpatient pharmacy. Two operational dashboards were created: one focused on the information needed for daily workload assessment and the other on information needed for longer-term forecasting. These dashboards included data on types of medications dispensed, categorized by dispense locations, time periods and hospital units. Additionally, two clinical dashboards were developed: one tracked overall workload trends of decentralized pharmacists, while the other provided detailed information on pharmacist interventions. These clinical dashboards contained details such as order verification, pharmacist interventions, consult notes, and response to nursing and provider communications. All of the developed dashboards have been used to address daily workflow challenges and to support FTE and space requests.

Conclusion: Operational and clinical dashboards can effectively support daily workflow management and facilitate planning for future challenges.