Patient-centered Healthcare Delivery Model - Essay Example

In a symposium on how to save both money and improve patient care, according to Dentzer, a Health Affairs Editor-in-Chief stated that one could actually improve health care quality and at the same time reduce the costs. The statement by Dentzer, (2009) is indeed the principle behind the fast movement towards a patient-centered care. The physicians who practice patient-centered care usually improve the patients' clinical outcomes and rates of satisfaction by enhancing a quality relationship between a doctor and a patient. At the same time, there is a decrease in utilization of diagnostic testing, hospitalizations, referrals, and prescriptions.

The healthcare systems are becoming more patient-centered to provide efficient and effective care to the patient. Through a new model of the patient-centered medical home, the physician-patient relationship has been strengthened by a replacement of episodic care with a well-coordinated care and a lasting healing relationship. The patient-centered medical home model enables each patient to have an ongoing relationship with a particular physician.

A medical home model intends to result in the provision of personalized, effectively coordinated and efficient care (Abdouch, 2016). Honestly, the medical home does achieve these goals which are effectively coordinated and efficient care through the enhanced high level of accessibility, excellent communication with the patients, staff, and physicians. For better quality and more affordable health-care system, the model of the patient-centered medical home is gradually gaining thrust and attention as an updated tactic to primary care.

The patient is at the center of the healthcare delivery model because the patients' satisfaction or the outcomes of any healthcare services come first. A healthcare center is said to be a good center if the models applied there are patient-centered and aimed at satisfying a patient. A patient-centered healthcare delivery model correlates with better recovery of patients, better emotional health, and less diagnostic referrals and tests. Equally, since patients yearn for a personal relation, empathy, and communication from the physicians, healthcare delivery models should just aim to be patient-centered.

In collaboration with other care providers in the healthcare team, the pharmacists use the patient-centered approach to optimize the health of the patient and the medication outcome. An important step first is to establish a patient-pharmacist relation that boosts effective communication and engagement with the families and caregivers of the patient. The pharmacists continually work in collaboration with the physicians, other health professionals, and other physicians to provide effective, coordinated, and safe care to the patients. The whole process of pharmacists-patient care process is enhanced by the use of the information technology systems that aid in effective and efficient communication between all the involved individuals in the patient care.

Indeed, it is essential for healthcare centers to move towards a patient-centered care delivery. Behind all health care decisions, a patient's specific needs health wise and desired outcome is the driving force, and thus it is vital to have a health care delivery model that is patient-oriented. It is true that the patients are partners with the healthcare providers. The healthcare providers as much as they treat the patients from a clinical perspective, there is also need for them to have a connection with their patients emotionally, socially, spiritually, and financially. The relationships and attachment can happen when there is a patient-centered health care model like the medical home. Eventually, this personal attachment makes a patient trust a physician, they open up about their health, and thus effective and efficient health care is delivered to the patient.

Reference

Abdouch, I. (2016). Patient-centered medical home. In Family Medicine: Principles and Practice. Springer International Publishing.

Dentzer, S. (2009). Communicating medical newspitfalls of health care journalism. New England Journal of Medicine, 360(1).