Healthcare Leadership: Leading Organizational Change Management for Radiation Oncology Practices

Main Article Content

Jijo Paul, Ph.D., M.Phil., E.MBA, M.S.

Abstract

Leading the organizational change process in healthcare requires a clear vision, effective communication, and deep involvement. The team leaders effectively lead the proposed organizational changes that begin from the top executive level, involve organizational layers, engage stakeholders, perform assessments, and adapt the changes as a new norm.


Experienced leaders gathered various decision alternatives from numerous communications with the stakeholders and rapidly implemented the workflow adaptations efficiently in oncology practice organizations. They identified multiple attributes of alternatives for cancer patient management in healthcare institutions without compromising treatment outcomes. Good leaders easily recognize and exclude information bias influences to eliminate impacts on decision-making. Healthcare executive members, leaders, administrators, managers, physicians, physicists, and nurses are reliable sources of information for change management in oncology.


Various business analysis models, such as SWOT analysis, Porter's five forces framework, FMEA, etc., can measure organizational strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Conducting detective and preventive actions helps reduce the accepted risks' impacts on radiation oncology practices. An excellent action plan can be used to compare the completed system process to its initial requirements and directly support fostering enhancement efforts by steering actions. Task analysis helps track the follow-up actions to achieve final objectives, and continuous monitoring is considered a valuable feedback tool.

Keywords: Healthcare leadership, Change management, Leader communications, Decision alternatives, Radiation Oncology

Article Details

How to Cite
PAUL, Jijo. Healthcare Leadership: Leading Organizational Change Management for Radiation Oncology Practices. Medical Research Archives, [S.l.], v. 12, n. 9, sep. 2024. ISSN 2375-1924. Available at: <https://esmed.org/MRA/mra/article/view/5786>. Date accessed: 04 oct. 2024. doi: https://doi.org/10.18103/mra.v12i9.5786.
Section
Research Articles

References

1. Øygarden O, Olsen E, Mikkelsen A. Changing to improve? Organizational change and change-oriented leadership in hospitals. J Health Organ Manag. 2020; 34(6): 687–706.

2. Breckenridge JP, Gray N, Toma M, et al. Motivating change: a grounded theory of how to achieve large-scale, sustained change, co-created with improvement organisations across the UK. BMJ Open Qual. 2019; 8(2): e000553.

3. Paul J. Strategies for effective crisis management in healthcare systems: Patient safety and lessons learned. Medical Research Archives. 2024;12(7). https://doi.org/10.18103/mra.v12i 7.5424

4. Errida A, Lotfi B. The determinants of organizational change management success: Literature review and case study. Int Jour of Eng Bus Management. 2021. doi: 10.1177/18479790211016273

5. Fredberg T, Pregmark JE. Organizational transformation: Handling the double-edged sword of urgency. Long Range Planning. 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lrp.2021.102091

6. Teckie S, Koffler D, Potters L. The resilience of radiation oncology in the COVID era and beyond. Int J Radiation Oncol Biol Phys. 2020;108(2); 364e369

7. Kearney M, Coffey M, Rossi M, et al. Future-proof radiation therapist (RTT) practice in a pandemic – Lessons learnt from COVID-19. Tech Innov Patient Support Radiat Oncol. 2021;17:18-24.

8. Xiao H, Liu F, He Y, et al. Unequal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on paediatric cancer care: a population-based cohort study in China. The Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific. 2022;19: 100347

9. Jazieh AR, Akbulut H, Curigliano G, et al. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer care: A global collaborative study. JCO Global Oncol. 2020; 6:1428-1438

10. Hanna TP, Evans GA, Booth CM. Cancer, COVID-19 and the precautionary principle: prioritizing treatment during a global pandemic. Nat Rev Clin Oncol. 2020;17(5):268-270.

11. Ng PML, Lit KK, Cheung CTY. Remote work as a new normal? The technology-organization-environment (TOE) context. Technol Soc. 2022;70: 102022.

12. Maurer M, Mangrum R, Hilliard-Boone T, et al. Understanding the influence and impact of stakeholder engagement in patient-centered outcomes research: a qualitative study. J Gen Intern Med. 2022; 37(1):6–13.

13. Qin X, Wang B, Zhao J, et al. Learn from the best hospitals: a comparison of the mission, vision and values. BMC Health Serv Res. 2023;23:792.

14. Paul J. Navigating strategic change process in healthcare organizations during unexpected crisis. Medical Research Archives. 2024. https://doi.org/10.18103/mra.v12i3.5213

15. Paul J. Innovative healthcare digital transformations during and after the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. Medical Research Archives. 2024. https://doi.org/10.18103/mra.v12i4.5297

16. Combs SE, Belka C, Niyazi M, et al. First statement on preparation for the COVID-19 pandemic in large German speaking university-based radiation oncology departments. Radiat Oncol. 2020;15(1):74

17. Paul J. Role of strategic leaders in unexpected healthcare crisis management. Medical Research Archives. 2024. https://doi.org/10.18103/mra.v12i4.5345

18. Stanz L, Silverstein S, Vo D, et al. Leading through rapid change management. Hosp Pharm. 2022;57(4):422-424.

19. Hussain ST, Lei S, Akram T, et al. Kurt Lewin’s change model: A critical review of the role of leadership and employee involvement in organizational change. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge. 2018; 3:123–127

20. Paul J, Grelewicz Z, Chowdhary M, et al. Quantitative medical physics national job data distribution analysis. Pract Radiat Oncol. 2021;11 (4):e438-e445.

21. Paul J. What do medical physicists do? Leadership and challenges in administration and various business functions. Adv Radiat Oncol. 2022;7(6):100947.

22. Sunmola HO. Evaluation of motivating and requiring factors for milestones in IT projects. Procedia Manufacturing. 2020;51:1469–1477

23. Mohindra P, Buckey CR, Chen S, et al. Radiation therapy considerations during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Literature review and expert opinions. J Appl Clin Med Phys. 2020; 21:5:6–12

24. Marcus DM, Weathers WM, Rossi PJ, et al. Computed tomography in radiation oncology during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Adv Radiat Oncol. 2020;5(4):757-760.

25. Barik SK, Dhar SS, Majumdar SKD, et al. Tweaking of radiation and chemotherapy schedules is the new normal during the COVID-19 crisis: perspective from oncologists at a tertiary care health institute. ecancer. 2021;15:1177

26. Slotman BJ, Lievens Y, Poortmans P, et al. Effect of COVID-19 pandemic on practice in European radiation oncology centers. Radiother Oncol. 2020;150:40-42.

27. Tsang Y, Duffton A, Leech M, et al. Meeting the challenges imposed by COVID-19: Guidance document by the ESTRO Radiation TherapisT Committee (RTTC). Tech Innov Patient Support Radiat Oncol. 2020;15:6-10.

28. Braunstein LZ, Gillespie EF, Hong L et al. Breast radiotherapy under COVID‐19 pandemic resource constraints – approaches to defer or shorten treatment from a Comprehensive Cancer Center in the United States. Adv Radiat Oncol. 2020;5(4):582-588.

29. Guckenberger M, Belka C, Bezjak A et al. Practice recommendations for lung cancer radiotherapy during the COVID‐19 pandemic: an ESTRO‐ASTRO consensus statement. Radiother Oncol. 2020;146:223-229.

30. Yerramilli D, Xu AJ, Gillespie EF et al. Palliative Radiotherapy For Oncologic Emergencies In The setting of COVID‐19: approaches to balancing risks and benefits. Adv Radiat Oncol. 2020;5(4): 589-594.

31. Thomson DJ, Palma D, Guckenberger M et al. Practice recommendations for risk‐adapted head and neck cancer radiotherapy during the COVID‐19 pandemic: an ASTRO‐ESTRO consensus statement. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2020;107 (4):618-627.

32. Zaorsky NG, Yu JB, McBride SM et al. Prostate cancer radiotherapy recommendations in response to COVID-19. Adv Radiat Oncol. 2020;5 (1):26-32.

33. Yazdanian A. Oncology information system: A qualitative study to identify cancer patient care workflows. J Med Life. 2020;13(4):469–474.

34. Rivera A, Ohri N, Thomas E, et al. The impact of COVID-19 on radiation oncology clinics and patients with cancer in the United States. Adv Radiat Oncol. 2020;5(4):538-543.

35. Kang JJ, Wong RJ, Sherman EJ, et al. The 3 Bs of cancer care amid the COVID-19 pandemic crisis: “Be Safe, Be Smart, Be Kind” — A multidisciplinary approach increasing the use of radiation and embracing telemedicine for head and neck cancer. Cancer. 2020;126:4092-4104

36. Noticewala SS, Koong, AC, Bloom ES, et al. Radiation oncology strategies to flatten the curve during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic: Experience from a large tertiary cancer centre. Adv Radiat Oncol. 2020;5(4):567-572.

37. Spencer K, Jones CM, Girdler R, et al. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on radiotherapy services in England, UK: a population-based study. Lancet Oncol. 2021;22:309–20

38. Pendyala P, Goglia AG, Mattes MD, et al. Impact of the coronavirus disease of 2019 pandemic on radiation oncology clinical decision making in a high-prevalence environment. Adv Radiat Oncol. 2021;6(3):100680.

39. Barcellini A, Filippi AR, Mas FD, et al. To a new normal in radiation oncology: looking back and planning forward. Tumori. 2020 Dec;106(6):440-444.

40. Wakefield DV, Sanders T, Wilson E, et al. Initial Impact and Operational Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic by American Radiation Oncology Practices. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2020;108(2): 356–361.

41. Arrizabalaga O, Otaegui D, Vergara I, et al. Open access of COVID-19-related publications in the first quarter of 2020: a preliminary study based in PubMed. F1000Res. 2020;9:649.

42. Suzuki M, Yamamoto Y. Characterizing the influence of confirmation bias on web search behavior. Front Psychol. 2021 Dec 6:12:771948.

43. Wakefield DV, Eichler T, Wilson E, et al. Variable effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on radiation oncology practices in the United States. Int J Radiation Oncol Biol Phys. 2022;113 (1);14−20

44. Pascarella G, Rossi M, Montella E, et al. Risk analysis in healthcare organizations: Methodological framework and critical variables. Risk Manag Healthc Policy. 2021;14:2897–2911.

45. Rony MKK, Akter K, Debnath M., et al. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis of artificial intelligence adoption in nursing care. Journal of Medicine, Surgery, and Public Health. 2024; 3:100113

46. Huq SM, Fraass BA, Dunscombe PB, et al. The report of task group 100 of the AAPM: Application of risk analysis methods to radiation therapy quality management. Med Phys. 2016;43(7):4209

47. Huang J, You J, Liu H, et al. Failure mode and effect analysis improvement: A systematic literature review and future research agenda. Reliability Engineering & System Safety. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ress.2020.106885

48. Koontalay A, Suksatan W, Prabsangob K, et al. Healthcare workers’ burdens during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative systematic review. J Multidiscip Healthc. 2021;14:3015–3025.