Standards....

Time standards are one of many tools used by managers to control and monitor the effectiveness of their operation.  Standards establish the criteria by which the activity should be completed to achieve predictable and reliable results.  If the activity is completed following the established criteria the manager can expect the activity to be completed in a reasonable amount of time on a consistent basis with predictable results.  The standards are then used to determine items such as patient schedules, staffing schedules, equipment utilization, and the labor costs involved in the completion of the activity.  The KEY to the success of the time standard is “is it reasonable and can it be duplicated to a high degree of accuracy”.

The IMS system uses time standards to determine the number of staff hours needed to complete the volume of work for an Hour, Day, Pay period, Month, or Year. Time standards are developed in each cost center based on the Key Volume Indicator(s) (KVI) established for the cost center.  In cost centers with available detail such as the revenue producing areas that charge for each procedure completed, standards are developed for each procedure.  In areas such as dietary and housekeeping cost centers where specific procedures are not easily identified or data collected, a one “all encompassing” time standard is developed for the KVI.

Time standards are developed using various methods including:

• Direct observation of the activities by a management analyst

• Department self-Documentation by use of tally sheets, and reviewed by the management analyst

• Department specific computer systems that use start and and stop times

Standards are typically developed for two different types of activities:

• Activities that are directly related to the process/care of completing the procedure (KVI) with the patient are referred to as Direct Standards

• Activities that are common and are included in all procedures, but not directly related to the process/care (KVI) are referred to as Indirect   Standards

Example: Direct Standards for CT Scanning