Strategies to Improve Healthcare Outcomes Professional Writing

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Patient-Centered Care

The author of this report has been asked to answer several questions relating to a survey that was taken and the conclusions or outcomes that can be drawn from the same. Within this report, the current practice setting will be describe as well as the patient- and family-centered nature (or lack thereof) of the organization. The gaps that exist will be described, there will be an analysis of how business practices and regulatory requirements can impact patient- and family-centered care and there will be a strategy created based on all of the above. While all businesses need to make a profit and while not all feedback is helpful or based on the most good for the most people, cutting out the feelings and feedback of families and patients is less than wise and should never be happening.

State of the Practice

The basic state of the practice at this point is not terrible but it is not great either. For most metrics, the practice is above average but there are some areas that need some improvement. For example, the feedback mechanisms for patients and their families is not nearly what it could or should be. However, it could be a lot worse. Also, there is not enough sensitivity and configuration when it comes to non-traditional situations and people. While this may be something that is a non-issue to many, it is something that can and should be taken seriously in a medical setting. Example would be the interests of LGBT people (and their families) as well as racial/religious/ethnic factors. While many employees in the medical sphere (not to mention many healthcare organizations) are very religiously oriented, this should have no bearing on care and this would include the forms that are created to be filled out and the accommodations that are made. For example, if someone is Jewish and they come to a Catholic hospital, they either need to be catered to as a Jew (if they want that) or it should not even come up. The practice under review here is a little lacking when it comes to the above topics. A lot of it is just ignorance and unwitting insensitivity, but the appearances that this gives off are not optimal to say the least and this needs to be corrected. Also, while some patients and their families are unrealistic (e.g. healthcare should be free…someone has to pay the bill, after all), their feedback should still be listened to and considered nonetheless.

Regulatory & Business Requirements

To zoom out a bit from the gaps particular to the practice under review here, business and regulatory requirements can lead to a conflict with healthcare that is desired to be or designed to be patient-centric and/or family-centric. Most patients and families understand the way things are and they will come to accept whatever outcome that may result so long as everyone involved gave their best efforts. This holds true even in socialized medicine environments as there are still finite amounts of dollars and resources (Sturgeon, 2014). On the same token, government regulatory and legal frameworks are usually intended to give the best outcome to the most people. This is why there are subsidies and other options for people of lesser means. However, some people, such as undocumented immigrants, fall through the cracks even when intentions are optimal and not everyone is playing fair when it comes to analysis and regulatory decisions (Schoeffler, 2012). Similarly, some hospitals and other organizations focus entirely too much on the dollars and cents of a practice when they could and should be more patient-centric (and/or family centric) but some organizations are being hamstrung and attacked, more or less, when they dare to say that they cannot afford to take on Medicare patients due to the money-losing nature that can emerge when doing so. The best outcome is to operate as best as is possible within the legal/regulatory frameworks, make sure that the organization at least breaks even but while also making sure the patient comes away with a glowing review of the efforts, ethics and mindset of the practitioners involved (Lindrooth et al., 2013).

Analysis & Solutions

Patient- & Family-Centric Deficiency

Given the above, there is a strategy that becomes quite clear. This strategy is meant to take the current state of affairs with the practice reviewed (and that review summarized at the beginning of this report) and thus remove the performance gaps that clearly exist. The first deficiency was the presence of patients or family on hospital committees, quality/safety rounds and advisory councils.

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Of course, the proper integration of patient and family feedback could usher in an era of family-centered care that is beneficial to healthcare organizations, their patients and the patients' families alike. However, the dialog would need to go both ways as patients have things they should learn and take to heart from healthcare professionals. As such, the practice reviewed in this report should create a two-way dialog that increases quality of care as well as improving patient outcomes over the short- and long-term time horizons ("Patient and Family," 2009).

Language of Forms

Another deficiency that is much easier to address, at least conceptually, is the lack of support and proper handling of those that are underserved and not cared for properly. This would include those that do not speak English well, those that are poor and feel they cannot afford quality healthcare and so forth. There are a number of ways that this can be addressed. Forms that are created should be translated into any language that is the least bit prevalent in an area including Spanish, French and Arabic. The practice should translate all of their forms, every single one, into at least the top ten languages spoken in the greater geographical area surrounding the practice to as to ensure that at least most people are covered if English is not their first or best language (Brown, 2014).

LGBT-Friendly Forms

Forms should also not be sexuality/gender-specific except when it's directly relevant to the patient or the matter at hand. For example, if someone is born a male but lives as a woman, that is not relevant when they are giving a credit card number. However, it is absolutely relevant when they are getting medical care. Even though they live as a woman, for example, that person does not have ovaries and that is sometimes relevant (although not always). For example, if a child comes in and that child's guardians are two lesbians, using "Parent 1" and "Parent 2" may be the wiser course, although it may be important to decipher who the actual legal guardians are rather than who is simply filling that role on an unofficial basis. This would matter in terms of regulations and legal rights just like only some people can claim a child as a tax dependent while others cannot. Even if the laws are a little dated or backward, they are usually enforced as written (Gendron et al., 2013).

Poor/Under-Served/Minority Shortfalls

As for the underserved and/or the poor, people that are poorer or of lesser means should be welcomed with open arms and they should be told (discreetly) about the many programs and options they have as it relates to paying for their care. This could include community/non-profit groups as well as government support. There is no need to put them on the spot and make it clear they are getting government help. This can all be administered via private and discreet means so that they can get the care they want and need without being embarrassed. Helping the poor and infirm get care they normally wouldn't be able to access is also important (Ahmed et al., 2001). Another clear deficiency that should be fixed is clear disclosure and explanation of errors when they are made. Errors are uncommon and should never be the norm. However, lying to the patient or their family should never happen. Perhaps the best time to handle this is not during the heat of the moment but it should absolutely be addressed when all of the facts are known at least on an interim/current basis. For example, if the wrong dosage is given, this should be admitted because lying about it will just make things worse (Singh et al., 2012).

Strategy Creation

Financial Implications

The financial implications regarding the above are present but are not over the top. Based on the review of the practice and what needs to be done as a result, there will be a cost involved with re-tooling the forms as translators and re-printing of forms will incur an expense. However, unless/until a full revamp is needed, the overall costs should be mostly one-off and non-routine in nature. There will be extra expense in looping in patients that are less prone to be able to pay but the returns on improving preventative medicine as well as the use of government incentives and programs (e.g. Medicare) will offset a lot of the risks involved.

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