Hospitals are responsible for providing the necessary care to their patients. However, in recent years, surveys show that over 1/3rd of health care services lack essential patient care.
There are 303 000 maternal deaths and 2.6 million stillbirths around the globe each year. 2.7 million infants die in the first 28 days of their lives. Better care could prevent many of these deaths. Thankfully, the world is becoming more aware that good quality care is crucial for patient survival.
There are two ways healthcare quality can be improved by making systemic changes in the entire healthcare system and by individual physicians practicing quality care for their patients locally.
The best opportunity to improve the quality of care lies with primary care providers. Primary care providers (i.e., doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals in direct contact with the patients) can serve as the focal point of patient-centered care when healthcare facilities use them correctly.
Physicians provide a medical diagnosis to their patients and, in their supervisory role, better understand their health care needs. Still, nurses are generally more directly involved in administering that care.
On this note, let's take a look at some of the ways we can improve the quality of patient care:
Provide Emotional Support
It is necessary to provide emotional support in patient care, especially in distressing situations. It is specifically valid for healthcare professionals who administer bedside care to patients. Generally, bedside care nurses provide direct patient care in hospitals, residential care facilities, and homes. They are responsible for monitoring patient health, administering medication, performing diagnostic tests, assessing symptoms, observing conditions, and updating records for doctors’ diagnoses.
Nurses treat many patients, and patients may react differently to the same news. However, it would be best if you listened to your patients. It requires a certain amount of psychology. You should be able to pick up on the patient's moods so you may determine how to provide them with the necessary support.
Sometimes, they seek reassurance that they are not alone. At other times, you may need to give an honest response about everything. However, a silent, steady presence may be all that's required in some cases, while a handshake may provide relief in others.
Being respectful of patients and their families
The patient's financial condition, access to transportation, and understanding of medicine all impact what the patient experiences and what the patient chooses.
To be a good doctor or just a good person, you need to understand the basic human needs of a patient in your care. Depending on their needs, desires, and emotional and psychological health, the patient's ability to endure is compromised. However, an optimistic attitude of the medical team can drastically alter the patient's beliefs. Ultimately changing the situation's outcome.
As a result, being open with your patient will improve their recovery process. The first step is always to make the patient feel comfortable, no matter their prognosis.
Expressing Gratitude
When a medical team performs their duties, the feeling of trust patients place in your skill and capabilities is phenomenal; they trust you to do what you do best. It would help if you also conveyed these feelings to your patients. Focus on eye contact, shake their hands, and smile. Having this type of social interaction in any medical setting is crucial.
An ideal patient care program ensures that patients' basic needs are met. Take the time to talk to the patient. As a healthcare provider, you must make an effort to understand their life and the lives of their families and friends. Knowing what they expect, what they prefer, and their life goals is important as it will help build trust. It is more likely that they will trust your medical advice if they trust you more.
Accessibility for all
Everyone should have access to healthcare, regardless of ethnicity, religion, social class, or region. A patient's long-term well-being, such as their social status, income, education, and living environment, can significantly impact their care. It is possible to slow down or prevent certain diseases, but they may be compromised due to the abovementioned factors. It could mean the difference between life and death in some cases.
Access to care isn't solely about getting patients to see their primary care provider frequently or using screenings as a preventive measure. Providing better access to care can also mean improving how and where it is delivered. American health spending is primarily devoted to chronic diseases, but only half of Americans receive preventive care as recommended. Therefore, the entire process should be easy for patients to make appointments immediately, without waiting days or hours for a response.
Keep the Patients' Family Members & Friends in the Loop
It is not uncommon to see worried family members or friends visiting a patient or staying overnight. So it requires you to embrace their presence and realize that it is essential in influencing patients’ decisions in several aspects; any treatment or procedure requiring a decision falls under this category.
It is imperative to consult close family in attendance if a medical condition is causing the patient to become unresponsive. In the case of minors, it is a necessity.
Medical professionals can utilize their limited time and energy more efficiently by listening, facilitating choices, sharing information, and professionally conveying news.
Better Coordination
The flow of medical information must remain uninterrupted to provide patients with the best treatment possible. As a result, sharing patient data and messages is essential to patient care.
No matter where the patient is, whether they are in the emergency room, primary care, or an intensive care unit, doctors need to consider all aspects of the patient's health. It includes information about their eating habits, housing, mode of transportation, pain management techniques, and physical and mental well-being because these all play a role in determining the patient's condition. Otherwise, a misdiagnosis can result in the patient's death.
So to prevent such dire situations, the health care facilities have set up care management platforms, which allow communication between various healthcare providers. They also enable patient access to medical records, help track patient care, and aid in identifying opportunities.
The Way Forward
In short, healthcare facilities and medical teams must work together to ensure that patients receive the best possible care to improve health outcomes for patients in their care. Some of the ways you can achieve this easily are discussed above. We hope that by incorporating these tips, you'll be able to significantly improve the quality of care you provide to your patients.
