The goldilocks effect: the rhythms and pace of hospital life
Abstract Background While we have made gains in understanding cultures in hospitals and their effects on outcomes of care, little work has investigated how the pace of work in hospitals is associated with staff satisfaction and patient outcomes. In an era of efficiency, as speed accelerates, this re...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2018-07-01
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| Series: | BMC Health Services Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12913-018-3350-0 |
| _version_ | 1819053287132889088 |
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| author | Jeffrey Braithwaite Louise A. Ellis Kate Churruca Janet C. Long |
| author_facet | Jeffrey Braithwaite Louise A. Ellis Kate Churruca Janet C. Long |
| author_sort | Jeffrey Braithwaite |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background While we have made gains in understanding cultures in hospitals and their effects on outcomes of care, little work has investigated how the pace of work in hospitals is associated with staff satisfaction and patient outcomes. In an era of efficiency, as speed accelerates, this requires examination. Discussion Older studies of pace in cities found that faster lifestyles were linked to increased coronary heart disease and smoking rates, yet better subjective well-being. In this debate we propose the Goldilocks hypothesis: acute care workplaces operating at slow speeds are associated with factors such as increased wait lists, poor performance and costly care; those that are too fast risk staff exhaustion, burnout, missed care and patient dissatisfaction. We hypothesise that hospitals are best positioned by being in the Goldilocks zone, the sweet spot of optimal pace. Conclusion Testing this hypothesis requires a careful study of hospitals, comparing their pace in wards and departments with measures of performance and patient outcomes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T12:33:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4989a783d1ff4f51a47a6e275477879c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6963 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T12:33:20Z |
| publishDate | 2018-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Health Services Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-4989a783d1ff4f51a47a6e275477879c2022-12-21T19:03:58ZengBMCBMC Health Services Research1472-69632018-07-011811510.1186/s12913-018-3350-0The goldilocks effect: the rhythms and pace of hospital lifeJeffrey Braithwaite0Louise A. Ellis1Kate Churruca2Janet C. Long3Centre for Healthcare Resilience and Implementation Science, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie UniversityCentre for Healthcare Resilience and Implementation Science, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie UniversityCentre for Healthcare Resilience and Implementation Science, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie UniversityCentre for Healthcare Resilience and Implementation Science, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie UniversityAbstract Background While we have made gains in understanding cultures in hospitals and their effects on outcomes of care, little work has investigated how the pace of work in hospitals is associated with staff satisfaction and patient outcomes. In an era of efficiency, as speed accelerates, this requires examination. Discussion Older studies of pace in cities found that faster lifestyles were linked to increased coronary heart disease and smoking rates, yet better subjective well-being. In this debate we propose the Goldilocks hypothesis: acute care workplaces operating at slow speeds are associated with factors such as increased wait lists, poor performance and costly care; those that are too fast risk staff exhaustion, burnout, missed care and patient dissatisfaction. We hypothesise that hospitals are best positioned by being in the Goldilocks zone, the sweet spot of optimal pace. Conclusion Testing this hypothesis requires a careful study of hospitals, comparing their pace in wards and departments with measures of performance and patient outcomes.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12913-018-3350-0Pace of lifeBusy-nessStaff satisfactionPatient outcomesEfficiencyOptimal hospital performance |
| spellingShingle | Jeffrey Braithwaite Louise A. Ellis Kate Churruca Janet C. Long The goldilocks effect: the rhythms and pace of hospital life BMC Health Services Research Pace of life Busy-ness Staff satisfaction Patient outcomes Efficiency Optimal hospital performance |
| title | The goldilocks effect: the rhythms and pace of hospital life |
| title_full | The goldilocks effect: the rhythms and pace of hospital life |
| title_fullStr | The goldilocks effect: the rhythms and pace of hospital life |
| title_full_unstemmed | The goldilocks effect: the rhythms and pace of hospital life |
| title_short | The goldilocks effect: the rhythms and pace of hospital life |
| title_sort | goldilocks effect the rhythms and pace of hospital life |
| topic | Pace of life Busy-ness Staff satisfaction Patient outcomes Efficiency Optimal hospital performance |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12913-018-3350-0 |
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