Proposal Care Support - Research Paper in Public Health

Many organizations strive to enhance their quality of care. Patient satisfaction is a high priority for most organizations. I believe the quality of care is affected by factors such as infrastructure, competency of personnel and leader or the system of operation in an organization. Organizations should put their patients at the center of their operations. Rao (2002) points out two types of factors which should be considered in the quest to provide high quality care. These factors fall under two broad categories: medical and non-medical factors. Non-medical factors include waiting time, access and communication. For instance, many patients and hospital visitors get frustrated due to poor communication from hospital staff. If hospital personnel adopted better communication strategies, there would be more patient satisfaction. Trained personnel is a medical factor that would greatly improve the quality of care provided. Organizations should come up with more training programs to enable them to attain high levels of patient satisfaction.

Value-based Support

In the recent past, organizations have had to change how they bill for care. Most organizations no longer get paid based on the number of visits a patient makes but on the quality of care provided. I believe the key to transitioning to value-based reimbursement is reducing any extra cost associated with healthcare. Organizations should strive to eliminate any extra costs associated with healthcare. Eliminating costs entails standardizing different procedures and eliminating any unnecessary orders. Brown (2018) suggests that hospitals need to understand their cost structure and work properly. If organizations properly stream their operations, they are bound to experience increased patient volume. In these modern times, patients are drawn to organizations which are top-performing.

Data Evidence

The data gathered from observing different operations in organizations indicates an immediate need for improvement. I have noted with concern that many organizations are battling an overwhelming need in demand for their services. Because of this high demand, patients have been forced to wait for long times before getting assistance. Patients in critical conditions do not often have the luxury of time and are greatly disadvantaged. Also, by observing different organizations, I have noted that most organizations are still using outdated equipment and old technologies. The use of new technologies not only makes the work easier but also improves the quality of work done. My conclusions are based on the fact that long waiting times endanger patient lives and affect the patient satisfaction. My stand on the use of newer technologies is based on the fact that most new technologies are cost-efficient and effective. Organizations, therefore, need to adopt these newer technologies for them to operate more efficiently.

Strategies

There are different interprofessional strategies which can be applied to bring about change in the organization. The most important of them is strong leadership. Proper leadership is one which empowers staff and gets involved in the daily operations of the organization. Leaders in organizations should show commitment and continuously support the workers. Hughes (2008) states that leaders need to be the champions of quality in organizations. Another strategy that can be adopted is to continually collect data and analyze performance standards on a regular basis. This allows organizations to clearly identify areas which need improvement. The other strategy that can be adopted is the use of multidisciplinary teams. Different professionals need to work together in concert to achieve the best results. Working together enables team members and organizations to achieve better results because teams offset each others weaknesses.

Strategy Defense

The importance of proper leadership in any organization cannot be overstated. Good leaders motivate their workers to work harder and do better. An organization with all the modern technology but lacking in leadership is still ineffective. The efficiency of any organization starts with proper leadership. Leaders who are not committed to the organization pose a danger to the organization (Hughes, 2008). Failing to regularly collect performance data prevents an organization from reviewing its performance over time. Organizations which do not regularly review their performance cannot easily improve their quality of care. The use of multidisciplinary teams in an organization is good because it enhances the confidences of the workers. Workers feel more confident because they know they can depend on each other.

Change Theory

The strategic partnerships theory of change emphasizes the importance of developing partnerships and working together in organizations. I believe if health care personnel worked together in concert, the quality of care would greatly improve. The management of organizations should support alliances in organizations and encourage teamwork to achieve better results.

Change Assessment

The strategic partnerships theory can easily be applied to organizations. It only requires the management to create a conducive environment for teamwork. Organizations should not pit healthcare personnel against each other. They should be made to work in teams and also made to understand that they are not in competition with one another. Teamwork is good for any organization because it increases the volume of work done. Individuals might not be able to achieve great results when working alone.

In conclusion, there is a great need to improve the quality of care in organizations. Quality care can be achieved through the use of modern technology and well-trained personnel. Proper leadership is also essential to achieving quality care and patient satisfaction.

References

Brown, B. (2018, January 23). Key to transitioning from fee-for-service to value-based. Retrieved from https://www.healthcatalyst.com/hospital-transitioning-fee-for-service-value-based-reimbursements

Hughes, R. G. (2008). Tools and Strategies for Quality Improvement and Patient Safety - Patient Safety and Quality - NCBI Bookshelf. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2682/

Rao, G. N. (2002). HOW CAN WE IMPROVE PATIENT CARE? Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1705904/