The Triple Aim starts with improving the patient experience
I’ve noticed that whenever my friends or family members are dealing with the health system, they turn to me as a guide. Either they’re not getting all the information they need to make their own decisions, they don’t trust the information they’re getting so they’re looking for validation, or they’re generally bewildered by the complexity of the system and are having trouble navigating it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been in that position. It’s a symptom that the current system isn’t intuitive nor built around the experience of the patient.
Originally designed to treat acute, episodic illness and injury, our healthcare system is based on an outdated model where the patient is a passive participant and the doctor is the authority. Today, the majority of care needed is for lifestyle-related chronic conditions that require ongoing management. And people expect to have a say in their care—often based on research they’ve done on their own. They also expect the kind of proactive customer service and follow up they’ve become accustomed to in other industries.
No wonder then that the first pillar of the “The Triple Aim” for transforming our health system is to improve the patient experience.
Healthcare needs to be patient centered, not only because it will improve individuals’ experience, but because it will improve outcomes. Patients who better understand their condition, and have the tools to manage their own care, can take ownership of their outcomes. That means that by starting with improving the patient experience of care, we can progress toward the second and third aims: improving the health of populations and reducing per capita cost of care.
So I’m thrilled to see health organizations taking advantage of today’s technologies to engage and empower patients to help achieve the Triple Aim.
For example, they’re reimagining the patient journey at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead (watch this video to see how) and at the University of California San Francisco Medical Center at Mission Bay (watch this BBC video showcasing their patient-centered system). Both are using an innovative patient engagement and clinical workflow solution from our partner Oneview Healthcare.
With the Oneview solution, health organizations can provide patients with a tablet at their bedside that they can use for patient infotainment.
Patients can not only be entertained by watching movies and TV shows, they can view their care team, message them securely, and access multimedia educational content about their condition. Their family members can also log in to get updates. Plus, the system can be used to engage patients before and after care to empower them with information and communication that can help them prepare for their procedure and improve their recovery.
We’ll be discussing more ways the health system is shifting to a patient-centered model during a panel on April 18 at the upcoming Becker’s Hospital Review Conference titled: “How has the patient experience evolved?” Ten years ago, this topic wouldn’t have been a center stage discussion. So to see patient experience being front and center at this prestigious event shows that we’re on the right track.
I’m honored to be participating on the panel and I hope to see you there!
Questions or comments? Or, do have your own story to share about how your health organization is digitally transforming to put patients at the center of everything you do? Let us know via email, Facebook, or Twitter.
