Why Can’t they save my son, if they are ranked Best Hospital?
My cousin (wife’s cousin/big brother) recently lost his battle with AML (Acute Myeloid Leukemia) and other underlying conditions. Painful and still has not come full circle for me. After a decade in healthcare quality improvement, I still get perplexed with the questions I’m asked about why things are retrospectively evaluated and not introspectively evaluated? Why did the primary care physician not recognize the onset of this disease? Do you think they did a good job cross collaboratively clinically? I then ask myself a question from the questions from friends and family. Some are clinically trained, and some are trained by unfortunate circumstances like many of us.
With the amount of healthcare expertise, specialized clinical experts, cross clinical conversations, clinical programs, registries, patient outcomes, patient satisfaction, Peer review, EHR audits, and the insurmountable data both admin/clinical, and lastly the many healthcare companies saying their platform can help you drive better decisions with data and our indicators. Sign up now!!!!!
My aunt asked me a question I will never forget. I won’t name the hospital because every encounter is different based on the landscape of care for each person. Passing culpability does not change that my cousin was sick. Cancer, I forgive you, but I won’t forget what you have done to my family and friends.
I have spent countless hours analyzing healthcare data/measures and working in two hospitals and healthcare establishments to improve their quality of care. While the healthcare industry has made noteworthy improvement in recent years, there is still much work to be done. I want to delve into the current state of healthcare measures, propose ways hospitals and healthcare companies can improve, and include future state strategies that can help improve the current retrospective approach. Mind you, this is easier said then done.
Healthcare measures are crucial for valuing the quality of care provided by healthcare facilities. These measures can include a variety of metrics, such as patient outcomes, patient satisfaction, and healthcare costs. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has implemented various measures to improve healthcare quality, such as the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey, which measures patient satisfaction with their hospital experience. However, despite these efforts, there are still issues with the current state of healthcare measures.
One issue with healthcare measures is that they are often retrospective, meaning that they focus on past performance rather than future potential. While retrospective KPI measures are essential for evaluating past performance and showing areas for improvement, they are not always effective at predicting future performance. Lagging indicators. For example, a hospital may have excellent patient outcomes one year but may experience a decline in outcomes the following year. To truly improve healthcare quality, hospitals and healthcare companies need to shift from a retrospective approach to a more introspective approach. This may be already something in the measures being followed or added to goals of the companies or service lines, however where are the patient advocate type metrics? What does the data tell us upon arrival? What does the data tell us during the patient stay? What do the patients collectively, respectively, relevantly tell us about the encounter? Why use tracers or past care? Process or observation metrics? Real time!? I still don’t know and may be too data driven and might be losing my human volition.
So, how can hospitals and healthcare companies improve their healthcare measures? One way is to focus on patient-centered care. This means focusing on the patient’s needs and preferences, rather than just treating the illness or condition. For example, a hospital can implement a patient-centered care program that includes personalized care plans, patient education, and communication between healthcare providers and patients. By focusing on patient-centered care, hospitals and healthcare companies can improve patient outcomes, increase patient satisfaction, and reduce healthcare costs. PAM? Patient advocate metrics? Come on, you know you smirked when reading that? As if we need another audit or survey. I’m sure most hospitals already have these things in place and maybe its just not presented to the public. I want to be fair in my approach to challenging the status quo.
Another way hospitals and healthcare companies can improve their healthcare measures is by utilizing technology. Technology has revolutionized the healthcare industry, and hospitals and healthcare companies can leverage technology to improve their quality of care. For example, hospitals can improve electronic health records (EHRs) that can provide real-time patient data, allowing healthcare providers to make informed decisions quickly. Additionally, hospitals can use data analytics tools to identify areas for improvement and track their progress over time. Maybe even use bio markers or algorithms to identify potential outcomes for the patient?
Finally, hospitals and healthcare companies can improve their healthcare measures by investing in their workforce. Healthcare providers are the backbone of the healthcare industry and investing in their training and education can have a significant impact on healthcare quality. For example, hospitals can implement a continuing improvement education program for healthcare providers that focuses on patient-centered care, the use of technology, and the latest medical research. Current education on what advanced healthcare looks like in 2025 and beyond? Personalized medicine was once a topic and still may be a topic? Precision medicine? Patient metrics? Patient metrics 24 hour day after metric? Daily operating reviews (Leader Standard work)? Sorry to the one who now has to develop this metric because of someone reading this blog, nonetheless reach out I would love to help. Oh one thing, work on this with an executive sponsor, however work with the frontline clinicians and physician champion to develop this crazy consulting idea I have. I’ve seen more success with the physician champion and a room of nurses and other clinicians and EVS, then I have from a medicine department meeting initiative. Sorry to all my past and current colleagues and friends in the field. No offense.
In conclusion, healthcare measures are essential for evaluating the quality of care provided by hospitals and healthcare companies. While there have been significant improvements in recent years, there is still much work to be done. To truly improve healthcare quality, hospitals and healthcare companies need to shift from a retrospective approach to a more introspective approach that focuses on patient-centered care, technology, and workforce development. By doing so, we can create a healthcare system that provides high-quality, affordable care to all patients. I know, you knew that and we do that. Then my question is, how good are you and are you willing to be the one to share that out loud?
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“Patient care is not just about healing the sick, it’s about empowering the patient to take control of their health and well-being.”
Hall of Fame NFL Coach, Don Shula
HEALTHCARE QUALITY BOOKS TO CONSIDER
