Hospitals are one of the most important institutions in the community. When people get ill, get involved in accidents or have emergencies, hospitals are there to help diagnose, treat and manage the different diseases and ailments. One of the ways hospitals have served the community is on improving patient experience and patient safety to serve the needs of the people better (Graban, 2018). Improving patient safety and quality care improves increases the hospital value and makes them in a better position to serve the community.
Hospitals have played a major role in providing employment for the community. Hospitals employ workers that are usually dedicated and also talented. They are hired in both clinical and also non-clinical positions. Clinical positions are those who give direct patient care and include doctors, nurses, physicians, therapists, pharmacist, dietitian, and the medicals technologist (Strömgren, Eriksson, Bergman, & Dellve, 2016). The non-clinical staff, however, are the management or administrative type. This includes the accountant, executives, social workers, environmental services, human resource among others.
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Hospitals have helped the community by managing to reach more patients at a less expensive cost. This is mainly important in high-poverty areas and to individuals with less income. As much as community health centers cannot fully serve the large population with no quality insurance, some hospital institutions care for uninsured patients who cannot afford to pay medical bills. Not-for-profit hospitals also help the residents to afford health insurance at reduced costs.
Hospitals use their resources to reestablish new models of care, finding new ways that will help improve the health of their patients. They work tirelessly to find the social determinants of health which include poverty and violence that hinder individuals from achieving health and wellness. Many hospitals spend their money on different activities such as, transportation and housing, community projects and also the wellness programs (Fraze, Lewis, Rodriguez, & Fisher, 2016). Despite some of the challenges the hospitals face they have managed to improve the needs of the community they serve.
Factors That Ensure Hospitals Meet the Six Aims of IOM
There are some factors that should be done so that hospitals meet the six aims of IOM (institute of medicine). These six aims include patient-centered care, patient safety, timeliness care, efficient care, and equitable care (Connolly, 2016). One factor that should be ensured is that the health system should be effective. This refers to care that is based on research and should be care that benefits the patient. This helps to avoid the over or the underuse of medical resources. It allows patients and providers to engage in conversations that advocate for care that is evidence-based and free from any harm.
The second factor is patient-centeredness and equitability. Health care that is patient-centered ensure that there is sensitivity and also respect for any patient’s cultural background and identity. The patients should be able to receive treatment without discrimination of their race, gender, sexual identity or the socioeconomic status (Haider et al., 2018). Ensuring equality in care without discrimination will be central to realize continual and better improvement in patient care.
Healthcare professions should also make use of strategies that ensure patients can express themselves adequately. One of the strategies that can be employed is motivational interviewing. Motivational interviewing helps in changing behavior that might lead to chronic diseases. Patients should not play the leading role in making decisions for their own care but the main decision should be based on the healthcare practitioner. Berwick (2016) observes the term ‘what matters to you’ which helps in the shared decision making and helps them express their goals and desires for their engagement in the healthcare system.
Healthcare organizations have played a very important role in the community both to the people working there or just the residents. The six IOM aims have ensured that geographical locations cannot limit the access to care and have no unreasonable delays when it comes to testing, appointments and any medical procedure. These factors have made sure that all patients receive the best treatment and care that they all deserve and need.
References
Berwick, D. M. (2016). Era 3 for medicine and health care. Jama , 315 (13), 1329-1330.
Connolly, K. (2016). A Quality Improvement Initiative Aimed at Reducing Complications Related to IV Fluid Administration in the Acute Care Setting.
Fraze, T., Lewis, V. A., Rodriguez, H. P., & Fisher, E. S. (2016). Housing, transportation, and food: how ACOs seek to improve population health by addressing nonmedical needs of patients. Health affairs , 35 (11), 2109-2115.
Graban, M. (2018). Lean hospitals: improving quality, patient safety, and employee engagement . Productivity Press.
Haider, A., Adler, R. R., Schneider, E., Leitz, T. U., Ranjit, A., Ta, C., ... & Vail, L. (2018). Assessment of patient-centered approaches to collect sexual orientation and gender identity information in the emergency department: The EQUALITY Study. JAMA network open , 1 (8), e186506-e186506.
Strömgren, M., Eriksson, A., Bergman, D., & Dellve, L. (2016). Social capital among healthcare professionals: A prospective study of its importance for job satisfaction, work engagement and engagement in clinical improvements. International journal of nursing studies , 53 , 116-125.
