Sharon Williams - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Sharon Williams

Improving Healthcare Services, 2020

This chapter presents a short summary of the key findings from this study which explores how two ... more This chapter presents a short summary of the key findings from this study which explores how two concepts, co-design/co-production and quality improvement can be brought together to improve the design and delivery of healthcare services. In light of the results, we revisit the theoretical framework introduced in Chap. 1 and offer a conceptual model, which provides an integrated approach to co-producing quality improvement using Lean thinking. We consider what implications the study has for healthcare organisations and the key messages for practitioners and academics. The chapter culminates with a number of research propositions to act as a proposal for future research for scholars interested in integrating healthcare/service operations management, quality improvement and co-design/co-production to improve healthcare services.

Frontiers in Public Health, 2021

Introduction: During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic there have been much publicised shortages in P... more Introduction: During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic there have been much publicised shortages in Personal Protective Equipment for frontline health care workers, from masks to gowns. Recent previous airborne pandemics provide an opportunity to learn how to effectively lead and manage supply chains during crisis situations. Identifying and plotting this learning against time will reveal what has been learnt, when and, significantly, what can be learnt for the future.Aims: (i) To identify the temporal trajectory of leadership and management learning in health supply chain management through pandemics and (ii) to identify leadership and management lessons to enable the resilient supply of key items such as PPE in future pandemics.Methods: We undertook a scoping review in line with PRISMA (scoping review extension) searching Business Source Premier, Health Business Elite, Medline, ProQuest Business Collection and PubMed. Search terms were focused on recent airborne pandemics (SARS; Ebola...

Journal of Workplace Learning, 2021

PurposeIt has become accepted practice to include an evaluation alongside learning programmes tha... more PurposeIt has become accepted practice to include an evaluation alongside learning programmes that take place at work, as a means of judging their effectiveness. There is a tendency to focus such evaluations on the relevance of the intervention and the amount of learning achieved by the individual. The aim of this review is to examine existing evaluation frameworks that have been used to evaluate education interventions and, in particular, assess how these have been used and the outcomes of such activity.Design/methodology/approachA scoping review using Arskey and O’Malley’s five stage framework was undertaken to examine existing evaluation frameworks claiming to evaluate education interventions.FindingsForty five articles were included in the review. A majority of papers concentrate on learner satisfaction and/or learning achieved. Rarely is a structured framework mentioned, or detail of the approach to analysis cited. Typically, evaluations lacked baseline data, control groups, lo...

Production Planning & Control, 2017

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 Intern... more This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International licence Newcastle University ePrints-eprint.ncl.ac.uk Wikner J, Yang B, Yang Y, Williams S. Decoupling thinking in service operations: a case in healthcare delivery system design.

Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 2016

Purpose: To identify reverse flows and exchanges that support public service provision. Reverse f... more Purpose: To identify reverse flows and exchanges that support public service provision. Reverse flow literature has focused on manufacturing based supply chains utilising the lens of exchange (Recovery, Reuse, Repair, Recycle) to gain performance improvement in product flows. Limited research is available to support an understanding of customer derived reverse exchange (RE) service processes. We contribute to the service literature through the development of RE antecedents; derive new and revised definitions and the supporting constructs of RE service processes. Design/Methodology/Approach: This paper synthesises literature creating a framework of antecedents for RE. Antecedents reflect differences of service flow (level of service inseparability and 'acting upon'). These antecedents are empirically tested within an illustrative pre-existing UK healthcare case study against the synthesised antecedents and existing RE definitions. Two teams of researchers reviewed the data generated from public service supply chain processes. Definitions of RE were either revised or derived from the empirical data by each team. Findings: The service concept of 'acting upon' for inseparable public service supply chain flows provides a basis for examining the existence of reverse flows and exchanges. Revised and new classifications to the RE model are proposed to stimulate contextual performance improvement and innovation in public service provision. Psychological utility is an additional feature to economic, environmental and social utility in public service RE. RE offers practitioners and academics a strategic operational competence to achieve improvement and innovation in public services and further advance this concept. Originality/Value: Extending the literature beyond the manufacturing derived RE concept to develop an understanding of the customer's role in preserving and co-creating value in RE and flows in public service. New RE antecedents for public services, including the potential of psychological utility, are presented.

International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, 2021

PurposeWorldwide, healthcare systems struggle to sustain the delivery of services at a time of in... more PurposeWorldwide, healthcare systems struggle to sustain the delivery of services at a time of increasing demand, limited resources and growing expectations from users, coupled with dealing with the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic and the threat of other outbreaks. There has never been a more important time to sustain innovation and improvements. Using an illustrative case, the authors assess the application of two existing frameworks to identify the key propositions and dimensions required to deliver sustainable services.Design/methodology/approachThis illustrative case study focuses on a service provided by a chronic disease, multidisciplinary community healthcare team in the UK. Experienced-based interviews were conducted with health professionals, patients and relatives to provide a rich account of a care pathway design. A high-level process map is used to visualise the key touch points.FindingsThe authors identify all seven propositions of the SERVICE framework being present...

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2022

Universally improving healthcare systems is difficult to achieve in practice with organisations i... more Universally improving healthcare systems is difficult to achieve in practice with organisations implementing a range of quality improvement (QI) approaches, in varying and changing contexts, and efforts ranging from project-based improvements to whole system change. This study aimed to identify how organisations overcome the challenges to improving the quality of the services they deliver. Drawing on the eight challenges from the ‘Quality and Safety in Europe by Research (QUASER) hospital guide, we assessed eight cases reported by the UK-based regulator Care Quality Commission as improving their performance. A thematic analysis of these secondary data established that all eight challenges had been addressed or considered in varying degrees. Education and physical and technological challenges seemed less prominent than developments made to address other challenges such as developing leadership, structure, and culture to support improving quality. This paper relies on the analysis of ...

Saudi Journal of Health Systems Research, 2021

Background: The failure of quality improvement projects has been a global issue that exists withi... more Background: The failure of quality improvement projects has been a global issue that exists within different geographical and organisational contexts. The case of this in the healthcare sector is more obvious, given the complex and contingent characteristics of healthcare organisations. For this reason, healthcare settings require more deliberate thought and extensive efforts to sustain the gains of quality improvement. Within the context of Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has long been introducing a number of improvement initiatives and quality accreditation projects to improve hospitals’ performance. These efforts represent precious investments that are supposed to sustain and flourish over time. Summary: The sustainability of the improvement initiatives within the MOH hospitals is still the main struggle. This challenge requires a more holistic analysis that exceeds hospitals’ boundaries by considering the external influences that undermine the capability of these hosp...

International Journal of Healthcare Management, 2020

is a senior research fellow researching leadership, improvement and implementation in health serv... more is a senior research fellow researching leadership, improvement and implementation in health services in Australia and the UK. Dr Iain Robbé is an independent medical education expert. He researches and teaches medical education dividing his time between Canada and the UK.

Journal of Interprofessional Care, 2018

Integrated care has been identified as being fundamental to health and social care reforms. How t... more Integrated care has been identified as being fundamental to health and social care reforms. How this interprofessional working impacts on professional identity is unclear. There is a lack of reviews synthesising this growing body of literature. It is therefore timely to conduct a scoping study of the literature which explores the intersection between interprofessional care and professional identity. The aim of this study is to identify the factors that impact on professional identity when working in interprofessional teams. A scoping review was conducted; Business Source Complete (EBSCO); CINAHL; Proquest; Medline; Scopus and Cochrane Reviews (January 1980 to July 2018) were systematically searched for studies focusing on professional identity and interprofessional teams.

International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, 2019

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate patient perspectives on attending pulmonary r... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate patient perspectives on attending pulmonary rehabilitation (PR). This qualitative case study identifies the benefits and challenges to attending PR and presents areas of improvements as recommended by patients. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative case study of a UK case study based on a PR programme based on undertaking focus groups (n=3) and interviews (n=15) with current and former patients. Findings The findings report patient perspectives of the challenges and benefits of attending a PR programme along with recommendations on how the service could be improved. Research limitations/implications The authors focussed solely on a UK PR programme, so the findings might not be applicable to other countries if PR is organised and provided in a unique way or setting. Practical implications This paper provides valuable insights to patient perspectives offrom patients attending PR programmes, which are useful to those running and d...

BMC Health Services Research, 2019

Background: Healthcare associated infection (HCAI) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. I... more Background: Healthcare associated infection (HCAI) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. In recent years, there have been high profile successes in infection prevention control (IPC), such as the dramatic reductions in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bloodstream infections (which is viewed as one proxy indicator of overall harm) and Clostridium difficile in the UK. Nevertheless, HCAI remains a costly burden to health services, a source of concern to patients and the public and at present, is receiving priority from policy makers as it contributes to the global threat of antimicrobial resistance. Methods: The study involves qualitative case studies within isolation settings at two National Health Service (NHS) district general hospitals (DGHs) in Wales, in the UK. The 18-month study incorporates Manchester Patient Safety Framework (MaPSaF) workshops with health workers and other hospital staff, in depth interviews with patients and their relative / informal carer, health workers and hospital staff, and periods of hospital ward observation. Discussion: The present study aims to investigate the ways in which engagement of health workers with IPC strategies and principles, shape and inform organisational patient safety culture within the context of isolation in surgical, medical and admission hospital settings; and vice-versa. We want to understand the meaning of IPC 'ownership' for health workers; the ways in which IPC is promoted, how IPC teams operate as new challenges arise, how their effectiveness is assessed and the positioning of IPC within the broader context of organisational patient safety culture, within hospital isolation settings.

The Leeds Beckett repository holds a wide range of publications, each of which has been checked f... more The Leeds Beckett repository holds a wide range of publications, each of which has been checked for copyright and the relevant embargo period has been applied by the Research Services team. We operate on a standard take-down policy. If you are the author or publisher of an output and you would like it removed from the repository, please contact us and we will investigate on a case-by-case basis.

Journal of Health Organization and Management, 2021

PurposeThis research examines how knowledge and information are managed within two care networks.... more PurposeThis research examines how knowledge and information are managed within two care networks. We develop a conceptual framework drawing on the notion of brokering and the 3T framework, which is used to describe the relative complexity of boundaries (referred to in the framework as syntactic, semantic and pragmatic) as well as capabilities and processes required to exchange information within the network. Previous research on brokering has focused on healthcare managers and professionals, but this research extends to patients and caregivers. Understanding knowledge exchange and brokering practices in healthcare is critical to the delivery of effective services.Design/methodology/approachFor this case research, non-participant observation and experienced-based interviews were undertaken with healthcare professionals, patients and caregivers within two care networks.FindingsThe findings reveal brokering roles occupied by healthcare professionals, patients and caregivers support the...

International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, 2018

Purpose Globally, healthcare managers continue to struggle with increasing demands for their serv... more Purpose Globally, healthcare managers continue to struggle with increasing demands for their services being delivered with limited or shrinking resources. It is, therefore, clear that systems, processes and practices need to change to meet these challenges. The purpose of this paper is to assess how integrating two improvement technologies, Lean and integrated care pathways (ICP) might help. Design/methodology/approach Lean and ICP in healthcare provide a platform to develop conceptual frameworks for integrating two approaches. Findings A conceptual integrated framework is provided to assist care pathway designers and implementers to consider the synergistic benefits of combining approaches to improvement. Research limitations/implications The authors provide a conceptual framework that requires empirically testing. Practical implications This research provides a conceptual framework to aid practitioners to improve healthcare design and delivery. Originality/value For the first time...

Purpose: Our purpose was to assess failure demand as a lean concept that assists in waste analysi... more Purpose: Our purpose was to assess failure demand as a lean concept that assists in waste analysis during quality improvement activity. We assess whether the concept’s limited use is a missed opportunity to help understand improvement priorities, given that a UK Government requirement for public service managers to report failure demand has been removed. Design/methodology/approach: We look at the literature across the public sector and then apply the failure demand concept to the UK’s primary healthcare system. The UK National Health Service (NHS) demand data are analysed and the impact on patient care is elicited from patient interviews. Findings: The study highlighted the concept’s value, showing how primary care systems often generate failure demand partly owing to existing demand and capacity management practices. This demand is deflected to other systems, such as the accident and emergency department, with a considerable detrimental impact on patient experience. Research impli...

Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 2018

The term Operational Excellence is widely applied to businesses but the meaning is ill-defined an... more The term Operational Excellence is widely applied to businesses but the meaning is ill-defined and is often used as a desired goal. This paper provides a comprehensive review of Operational Excellence and starts to address the criticism of its lack of theoretical foundation. The aim of this conceptual paper it to clarify the meaning of Operational Excellent and to identify the underpinning theories and laws, or rules that guide it. Based on the synthesis of the literature using the term 'Operational Excellence'. writings are reviewed against five criteria for a good theory. Our findings show there has been considerable research into identifying common practices and regularities of Operational Excellence but currently there is no single underlying theory of Operational Excellence that meets the criteria for a good theory. From our analysis of the literature we provide some recommendations to address the gaps found. Further research is required to develop a more robust theory of Operational Excellence that will serve to facilitate learning and innovation in next generation management thinking. Future study is also required to identify research that has been carried out that has tested the laws identified in this study. Ideas and input from practitioners would also be required to develop the theory and underpinning laws. Originality/value:.

International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences, 2016

Purpose Ward rounds in hospitals are crucial for decision-making in the context of patient treatm... more Purpose Ward rounds in hospitals are crucial for decision-making in the context of patient treatment processes. However, these tasks are not systematically managed and are often extended due to missing information or equipment or staff unavailability. This research aims to assess whether ward rounds can be structured more efficiently and effectively from the perspective of patients and staff. Design/methodology/approach This mixed-method approach examines the ward rounds conducted in three units within a haematology department of a major Danish hospital. Baseline measures were collected to capture the value of the ward round described by patients and staff. The information on patient and equipment flows associated with a typical ward round was mapped with recommendations for improvement. Findings Staff aspired to deliver a good-quality ward round, but what this meant was never articulated and there were no established standards. The duration of the ward round was unpredictable and c...

Production Planning & Control, 2016

SI: SS The Change of Production Systems through Consultancy Involved Projects: a Multiple Case St... more SI: SS The Change of Production Systems through Consultancy Involved Projects: a Multiple Case Study in Chinese SMEs Production systems, such as Lean Production System (LPS), have been developed to improve organisational performance. In their application to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), resource constraints mean that business assistance from external agencies, such as management consultants, is often required. Building on organisational learning research associated with knowledge flow across boundaries, this study aims to explore the practical issues associated with consultancy-involved LPS implementation in Chinese SMEs and the possible approaches to deal with them. A multiple case study is conducted focusing on four real-life, consultancy-involved, lean projects in Chinese SMEs. Four key problems that arise from consultancy-involved change of production systems are identified and four relevant approaches to handle these problems are also addressed. The case study implies that to better embed new production systems, such as LPS into SMEs, both consultants and SME clients need to adopt a more proactive approach when engaging with each other.

International Journal of Value Chain Management, 2017

The concept value chain has been promoted by Porter for more than three decades. A value chain re... more The concept value chain has been promoted by Porter for more than three decades. A value chain represents a chain of activities that an organization performs to deliver a valuable product for the market. Porter's value chain assumes that an organization is a system composed of inputs, transformation processes, and outputs. Each activity in the system 2 involves the acquisition and consumption of resources. How the organization carries out value chain activities determines costs and profits. One enhances the competitiveness of a company by improving its value chain structure. However, little attention has been given to developing value chain thinking. This paper examines the emergence of value chain thinking and proposes new value chain thinking that involves a chain of activities linked to one another in order to sustain value. A conceptual model is presented which consists of four steps: value discovery, value design, value delivery, and value capture. A methodology is also proposed in which to operationalize the value chain thinking.