Key Trends in Operations Management

Conditions impacting health care organizations evolve constantly, from the state of the economy, to new CMS policies or regulations, to consumer demand for the latest technology. Operations managers must anticipate how potential developments might impact the facility’s operations.

For this Discussion you are asked to integrate concepts from throughout the course by considering how emergent trends are likely to impact areas within health care operations.

Review Table 1-2 on page 22 in the Langabeer text,Langabeer, J. R. (2008). Health care operations management. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett.,(google) which lists 12 evolving trends in health care operations management, as well as the trends listed later in Langabeer, on pages 362–368. Select one of these evolving trends, and if you wish, narrow your focus to a specific topic within this trend, such as a particular kind of software to improve productivity. Ideally, you should select a trend that will likely impact the area of health care in which you intend to work in the future.

Continue to prepare for this Discussion by reviewing your Learning Resources from this course related to your selected trend. In addition, locate and read at least two recent articles and one or more websites that discuss this trend. The resources you find must help you address the following:

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• Consider the operational issues related to this trend, including the challenges or opportunities that have led to it. What are the causes of this trend? What is the future likely to bring?
  
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• How are quantitative methods contributing to, or likely to impact, this trend?
  
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• Why and how should health care managers prepare for this uncertain, but potential development?

In your posting, support your assertions by drawing on your Learning Resources from throughout the course as well as on the articles and website(s) you located this week.

Post by Day 4 a response to the following:

• Identify your selected trend in the first line of your posting.
  
• Describe the background or causes of this trend, and assess its significancIe.  n what ways do you think this trend will transform health care operations?
  
• What is the role that quantitative methods play, or might play, in this emergent trend?
  
• What should health care managers do to prepare for this uncertain, but potential development and/or to make the best use of this emergent trend? Provide a rationale for your assertions.

must be 250-350 words before references. please include references.