Why this question matters to all of us!
There is so much political babble surrounding healthcare that we have lost the ability to focus on the core business. The patient is the center of our work but we are in danger of the core business being overrun by competing and confounding factors.
Soon it will be 2013 and many aspects of healthcare change will become more apparent, and this is only the beginning. So how do we cope with constant change?
We must accept the essential need for people who seek care to become 21st Century Patients. No longer can one depend on simply following instructions and then “hope for the best”.
The consumer must become a very active participant in the process of care…particularly when in the hospital. Our greatest mistakes and therefore costs in both personal terms and in dollars come during a hospital stay.
What you can do?
Patients and family members can become active participants in care by:
- Being Willing to Learn
- Sharing in the decision-making
- Partnering with the care team
Business offering hospital coverage can help their employees become more active participants in their hospital care.
- For example:
- We know that thorough hand washing is a key factor in minimizing or eliminating healthcare acquired infections which cost 2 billion dollars a year and thousands of people die as a result. Yet, we are still not doing this 24/7 with every patient.
- Give your employees the CDC info sheet with your blessings to remind staff to wash their hands.
This is one example, but there are many other examples where active participation in the decisions and the processes of hospital care can make a difference in the outcomes.
Let us know what you think about patients, families and business taking an active role in driving the focus back on patients.
Take a look at this link from the CDC
http://www.cdc.gov/Features/HandHygiene/index.html
Lisa Sams MSN, RNC
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