ACO’s Improving Patient Experience

Obamacare…..now that my premiums are nearly double what I paid two years ago, I’m more focused on what’s happening in healthcare. Are you familiar with ACO’s? The buzz about Accountable Care Organizations is an old idea taking formal root as an upshot of the rapidly changing health care industry. The relationship between hospitals and doctors is becoming tighter to improve quality and lower costs. The patient experience is now rounding out the triad of ACO methodology. Engaging patients to improve outcomes and lower costs is good, common sense strategy.

According to the newly released report by Health Quality Advisory – Building Patient-Centeredness in the Real World, “patient-centered” means that doctors should treat patients as unique human beings with physical and psychological needs, rather than as a bundle of symptoms. You probably never stopped to think about that distinction. Your goal is to care for as many patients each day as possible, at a high standard.

Here are three steps to ensuring a good patient experience:

• The Walking Dead, a zombie drama for the 18 -49 crowd, may be the most watched TV show, but your patients mostly are alive and want to feel good. Take time to listen actively. Make notes on your IPad or with a pen and paper.

• Use your own self-evaluation criteria based on outcomes from each patient encounter. Ask your patient, “do you feel better after our visit; do you have any other questions?

• Manage your workflow in a manner that suits your personality and prevents important detail from being lost. Enter your notes before you leave the room, for example.

So you aren’t in the business of healthcare? You or a family member will be a patient somewhere, someday – the goal is that YOU will be at the center of your experience. Next Month’s Catalyst for Change: Principles for Time/Self Management