1. Flowcharting & Force-Field Analysis
NIATx Tools
Reduce Waiting & No-Shows  Increase Admissions & Continuation

2. Flowcharting

3. What is workflow?
“The flow or progress of work done by a company, industry, department, or person.”

4. Why Flowchart? Flowcharting is useful for:
Providing a starting point to understand the process as it is today.
Identifying key problems/bottlenecks
Showing where to test ideas for most impact
Adding interactivity & fun - gets the team together
Creating a simple & succinct visual process overview

5. Setting up a flowchart Where does the process begin? process end?
Customer’s 1st phone
call to intake appointment.
Where does the
process begin?
process end?
START
Customer
calls
office
Intake
appt.
completed
Title the process
you are
flowcharting.
END

6. Key Symbols for Flowcharts
Post-It Notes are great for flowcharting.
A square identifies a step in the process
Action
Yes ?
A diamond is a decision point in the process and asks a “yes or no” question or offers a choice of direction in the process. No

7. Sample Flowchart START END
Process name: Customer 1st Contact (phone call) to Agency Response
START
1 person to answer phone
Receptionist
answers
phone?
Receptionist
able to help
customer?
Customer
phones agency
Receptionist “thanks” customer
Yes
Yes
Website No No
Customer routed to voic
Transfer customer to qualified staff person
Hang up phone
Walk-in
Referral
Other 1st Contact Options
Checked 1x per day
Staff not available
END

8. Barriers to in the Discharge Process
Poor patient instructions
No follow-up plan for meds
No follow-up plan for community supports

9. Why Force-Field Analysis?
A tool to analyze complex problems.

10. Force-Field Steps Defining the problem Defining the objective
Identifying the driving forces
Identifying the restraining forces
Identify change projects or cycles

11. Force-Field Analysis:
Driving Forces
Restraining Forces

12. Assignment (Option #1) Develop a Force-Field analysis of either a) inappropriate admissions (dx within 48 hours), or b) lack of post-discharge follow-up care

13. Assignment (Option #2)
Customer’s 1st phone
call to intake appointment.
Flowchart the process using results from a walk-through
START
Remember to:
Title the process
you are flowcharting.
Identify where does the
process begin? And where does the
process end?
Customer
calls
office
Intake
appt.
completed
END

14. Large Group Discussion
1. While flowcharting, what did you learn
about process steps?
2. Insights from the Force-Field
diagram?