Five Ways to Improve the Quality of Health Care
Physician organizations are always striving to improve the quality of care delivered to their patients, and the Proactive MD model emphasizes what they call “care outside the walls.” They assert that primary care physicians are best positioned to connect to their patients and provide truly patient-centered care.
- Data Collection and Outcome Analysis
Physician, heal thyself. Medical practices that are committed to improving patient care must analyze the patient population and internal operations to identify areas where improvement is needed. Then, they must establish metrics for patient outcomes. Cloud-based electronic health record platforms hold a wealth of data, and healthcare practices should make the most of it to deliver better and more connected care to their patients.
- Setting and Evaluating Goals
As described above, it’s essential to set metrics and goals related to patient outcomes, which should also include patient satisfaction. Those metrics can’t be static, either; as the patient population and current healthcare climate evolve, the goals should as well. Evidence-based guidelines are published by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the National Quality Forum, and they can serve as a model.
- Improved Access to Quality Care
The first step toward treating patients successfully is getting them into care in the first place. Fewer than half of Americans get the preventative care that they need to remain healthy, and this is something that has to change. Healthcare providers who want to improve patient outcomes should be concerned about access to health care, which is largely driven by insurance coverage.
- Patient Engagement
Healthcare providers need to actually engage with patients, which includes meeting them where they are. Doctors and nurses should be able to communicate and empathize with patients. This includes strong verbal and nonverbal communication skills as well as an awareness of cultural diversity and norms.
- Connection and Collaboration with Other Organizations
There are many healthcare organizations actively working to improve patient care and the industry as a whole, and healthcare providers should not hesitate to collaborate with other facilities that are hosting conferences, publishing research, and more. Working together can only help patients and practices improve.
