Date of Conferral
2020
Degree
Doctor of Business Administration (D.B.A.)
School
Information Systems and Technology
Advisor
Meridith Wentz
Abstract
Managing medical device monitoring processes is challenging and lacks a realtime, life cycle tracking strategy to reduce adverse medical events and revision costs for hospital administrators, physicians, and patients. Understanding the malfunctions of medical devices for cardiac and orthopedic patients could save lives and reduce hospital liability. Grounded in the business process reengineering conceptual framework, the purpose of this single qualitative case study was to explore strategies hospital managers used to redesign the implant recall surveillance process at one hospital in Pennsylvania. The 5 participants selected successfully implemented a medical device surveillance process that reduced adverse medical events and revision costs. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and a review of relevant medical device surveillance workflow documents. The 4 themes that emerged from a thematic analysis were effective data communication process, central data repository integration, continuous process improvement, and end-to-end surveillance process. A key recommendation for hospital administrators, physicians, and managers is to use blockchain distributed ledger technology to assess device identification challenges as part of the surveillance process to reduce health risks. The implication for positive social change includes the potential to improve the quality of life for medical device recipients who may spend less on healthcare services.
Recommended Citation
Zack, Gary John, "Strategies for Reducing Adverse Medical Events from Implanted Medical Devices" (2020). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 9318.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/9318
