Cleveland, Ohio (PRWEB) November 17, 2014
In CHAMPS Patient Experience’s most recent blog post, Northeast Ohio Healthcare Leaders Discuss the Shift to Value-Based Healthcare, Carol Santalucia shares her thoughts on the topic.
On November 7, Santalucia had the pleasure of attending a luncheon at The City Club of Cleveland on healthcare delivery featuring Northeast Ohio healthcare leaders discussing the shift to value-based healthcare. Not only was it an interesting and informative panel discussion, it was also very encouraging. The Northeast Ohio healthcare leaders on the panel agreed the Affordable Care Act has forced leaders to think about the delivery of healthcare in a whole new way. For the first time, everyone is really challenged to think about wellness rather than sickness.
The Northeast Ohio healthcare leaders talked about the need to look at the value of healthcare in terms of a mathematical equation, with the numerator being quality and the denominator being cost. When looking at the value of healthcare from this perspective, it is clear – healthcare leaders must continue to look at ways to improve quality and/or reduce cost in order to increase value.
The panel of Northeast Ohio healthcare leaders also stressed the importance of going beyond the hospital walls to look at improved quality. We must look at how the patient does once they are discharged from the hospital and back in their homes. Do they have access to healthy foods? Have they made their follow up appointment, and do they have the means to go to the appointment, or is transportation too large of a barrier for them? Do they understand the different medications they are on, and have they gone to pick them up at the pharmacy? Can they afford their meds?
One way CHAMPS has seen these questions being addressed is with the development and implementation of a patient navigation program. Patient navigators, a relatively new segment of the healthcare industry, are helping to make the shift to patient-centered care a reality.
When everyone thinks about the patient experience, they must consider all of these things. It is not just about the service a patient receives in the hospital. It is about their overall health and wellness, about partnering with them, listening to them, and meeting them where they are, to truly make the care “patient centered.” As one of the Northeast Ohio healthcare leaders said, “This truly is the most transformative time in healthcare, and I am thrilled to be a part of it!”
Santalucia closes her blog by asking readers if they have seen their organization prepare for the shift to value-based healthcare.
###
CHAMPS Patient Experience specialists will partner with you to inspire and sustain a culture of empathy, service and respect by igniting passion and purpose throughout your healthcare organization. Rooted in our services are five essential components. Together, we will create an optimal patient experience by incorporating leadership commitment and development, staff engagement, patient and family involvement, process improvement and sustainability into our customized, outcomes-based services. We believe providing an optimal patient experience not only makes sense intuitively but also leads to improved healthcare outcomes, increased patient loyalty and an enhanced financial position for our clients. Our specialists, who work in partnership with Carol Santalucia, a nationally-recognized leader with more than 30 years of expertise, provide outcomes-based services designed to create an optimal patient experience. CHAMPS is honored to be named as one of The Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Top Workplaces in 2014 and to ERC’s Northcoast99 List in 2003, 2004, 2010, 2012 and 2014. To learn more, visit http://www.champspatientexperience.com.