Student: Ethan Terblanche (3020408)
Essay Title: An Agile Approach in Healthcare Project Management
Healthcare is a rapidly changing, highly complex sector that requires project management methodologies capable of adapting to evolving requirements, varied stakeholder interests, and tight regulations. This reflection explores different project management approaches with a focus on Agile methodology's applicability in healthcare settings.
A linear, sequential approach where each step (requirements, design, implementation, testing, maintenance) must be completed before the next begins.
Best for: Projects with well-defined requirements unlikely to change, such as medical equipment installation or facility construction.
Focuses on eliminating waste and optimizing workflows through increased efficiency. Often combined with Six Sigma for data-driven quality improvements.
Best for: Process improvement projects like reducing patient wait times or streamlining discharge processes.
Emphasizes flexibility, incremental progress, and ongoing stakeholder interaction through short "sprints" that deliver working components.
Best for: Dynamic projects where requirements may evolve, such as software implementation or service redesign initiatives.
I chose to focus on Agile methodology based on personal experience and observation of healthcare projects where initial requirements often lack clarity or completeness. For example, when hospitals implement new patient scheduling systems, a traditional Waterfall approach can result in final products that don't meet user expectations. Agile provides opportunities for feedback and course correction throughout the project lifecycle, reducing expensive rework.
Additionally, Agile's emphasis on collaboration and transparency creates a culture of shared ownership that aligns well with healthcare's diverse stakeholder landscape, including physicians, nurses, IT staff, administrators, and patients.
The Agile Manifesto's core values—emphasizing individuals and interactions, working software, customer collaboration, and responding to change—provide an excellent framework for healthcare project management. These principles are realized through various methodologies:
A hospital used Agile Scrum to create a custom EHR system. By developing in sprints and incorporating clinician feedback into each iteration, they achieved a well-adopted system that met user requirements and improved documentation accuracy and clinician satisfaction.
During the COVID-19 crisis, a community health network rapidly implemented telehealth services using Agile methodology. They developed a minimum viable product (MVP) and iterated on features based on patient and provider feedback, successfully bridging care gaps during lockdowns.
An interdisciplinary team used Agile to design decision support tools integrated into clinical workflows. Regular sprint reviews with physicians, nurses, and IT staff ensured usability and regulatory compliance, ultimately improving diagnostic accuracy and reducing medication errors.
These limitations can be addressed through hybrid approaches that combine Agile with traditional methodologies. For example, using a staged Waterfall approach for regulatory compliance in early phases, followed by Agile sprints for iterative development and testing. Cultural resistance can be managed through leadership support, training, and clear communication about benefits.
Digital collaboration technologies (project management software, video conferencing, shared document repositories) can improve communication among distributed healthcare teams, enabling real-time feedback and transparent decision-making while reducing the need for lengthy in-person meetings.
By focusing on high-impact projects aligned with strategic priorities, healthcare organizations can maximize limited resources while maintaining the benefits of Agile methodology.
Below is the complete essay exploring project management theories with a focus on Agile methodology in healthcare settings.
Back to Education