321327
Work Flow and Timeliness in Task Distribution and Response Collection for a Public Health Clinical Research Liaison Office
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Susanna Weiss, Ph.D., J.D., CEP,
Office of Clinical Research Policy and Regulatory Operations -- Division of Clinical Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases -- National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD
Yin Li, B.Sc.,
Office of Planning and Operations Support, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD
This poster will offer an overview of the workflow of the Liaison Office in the Division of Clinical Research, at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland. The office handles approximately 300 complex inquiries a year requiring document and policy review, and factual information-gathering from more than 40 subject matter experts in some 14 operational silos followed by clearance from two levels of management. With the help of a workflow model and other charts and graphs, we offer insights into the process of daily activities of the office, including the very tight deadlines that often accompany the inquiries we receive, and suggestions for operationalizing and assessing quality, timeliness, and satisfaction of our work product. We have gathered a body of data over 5 years to illustrate patterns and trends over time, reveal elements that influence the system, and pin-point issues affecting optimal deployment of resources. Our model highlights interconnections among the various elements that contribute to the flow of information, and produce efficiencies and timeliness that are the desired outcomes of the office. A systems approach to evaluating the busy and complex dynamic of this office may help other similarly-situated employees and managers understand, critique, and evaluate the multiple service relationships that govern the inflow, distribution, collection, and outflow of their work-product.
Learning Areas:
Administration, management, leadership
Program planning
Learning Objectives:
Describe how elements of systems theory, quality assessment and customer satisfaction models can be utilized in a holistic approach to enhance the flow of information among and between various public health administrative offices, with specific attention to a clinical research liaison office.
Explain how a "standard operating procedures" flow chart and a 5-year analysis of data can help administrative offices evaluate quality, timeliness, and customer satisfaction regarding the flow of information, and illustrate trends, highlight successes, and pinpoint areas requiring further examination or remediation.
Discuss how work-flow analysis provides an integrated picture to help assess efficiency, improve accountability, and lead to improved quality and satisfaction among clients and stakeholders.
Keyword(s): Evaluation, Performance Measurement
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Among my scientific interests and areas of scholarship and practice are program development, performance measurement, and evaluation practice. I am the lead author of an evaluation protocol for the development of performance measures for diverse clinical research programs and networks in domestic and global settings. In addition to my Ph.D., and J.D., I hold a Certificate in Evaluation Practice from The Evaluators' Institute at George Washington University.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines,
and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed
in my presentation.
