Quality improvement plan Prof Davidson

The answer is for the consumer to become more educated and take a more active role in their health care.  Gone are the days when the provider's office caudle the patient with the budget cuts and declining reimbursement, providers are cutting back the staff and the responsibility of the staff to hand hold the patient.  I know of several offices here in Wichita, who are making the hospital and/or the patient responsibility to obtain authorization for a surgery or procedure.  The patient calls the insurance company with no idea about ICD 9, ICD 10 or diagnosis codes let alone the clinical findings of the provider.  The patient only understands for example they have pain and need to have a surgery to help fix or resolve the problem.  

 

I tried researching for articles that discussed the consumers' understanding of accreditation, but instead found several articles which discussed the consumer's health care literacy.  Communication period seems to be an ongoing issue in health care.  Poor understanding and communication leads to several problems:

· Inability to understand medication labels and health care instructions

· Inability to select and enroll in a suitable health insurance plan

· Under use of services provided by the health insurance plan

· Noncompliance of medications

· Increase number of hospital admissions and readmissions

· Increase use of ER care

· Poorer outcomes and even death

(Moeller, 2012)

 

The article went on to discuss a pilot program in which more clarity and increase amount information was provided to patients.  The findings from the program was a reduction in health care expenses as well as reduction in readmissions.  What this means to me?  The providers have to take the time to explain more and the consumer has to ask questions and make the provider take the time to explain it until they understand.

References

Moeller, P. (2012). Why consumers struggle to understand healthcare. Retrieved from http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/the-best-life/2012/01/27/why-consumers-struggle-to-understand-healthcare

Spath, P. (2013). Introduction to healthcare quality management (2nd ed.). Chicago, IL: Health Administration Press.

I found an interesting article online which discusses the definition of quality and factors impacting quality in healthcare.  Although the ideas presented in this article seem to be common sense, I still learned the importance of understanding what the patient and the provider bring to table to accomplish a common goal of making the patient healthier by providing quality health care at a lower cost to both parties.

It is difficult to define quality and even more difficult to define quality in the field of health care.  Unlike other industries, health care services are "...an intangible product and cannot physically be touched, felt, viewed, counted or measured" (Mosadeghrad, 2014, p. 78).    Therefore quality in health care is dependent on consumer and provider relationship, as well as the service process (Mosadeghrad, 2014).  The article identified factors that influence the quality of health care: patient related factors, provider related factors, and environmental factors.  The author further identified common themes with each of the factors:

    Patient related factors

· Socio-demographic variables

· Cooperation of the patient

· Patient illness-severity

(Mosadeghrad, 2014)

    Provider related factors

· Socio-demographic variables

· Competency

· Motivation and satisfaction

                                        (Mosadeghrad, 2014)        

    Environmental factors

· Healthcare organization

· Available resources and facilities

· Leadership and management

· Development of cooperation and partnership

                                                (Mosadeghrad, 2014)         

References

Mosadeghrad, A. M. (2014, July 26). Factors influencing healthcare service quality. International Journal of Health Policy and Management, 3(2), 77-89. http://dx.doi.org/10.15171/ijhpm.2014.65