Patient Safety

We recently discussed how often hospitals should run background checks on employees, but what about healthcare organizations in general? Even for non-hospital care organizations, patient care is still a concern. In fact, in its most recent work plan, the Office of Inspector General (OIG) stated it would continue to focus on the safety of long-term healthcare facilities in 2014 and beyond.

This is a guest blog by Meghan Doherty, Content & Digital Marketing Specialist at HealthcareSource, a PreCheck ATS integration partner and a leading provider of talent management solutions for the healthcare industry. A graduate of Simmons College, Meghan has spent that past several years developing educational resources to help healthcare professionals recruit and retain top talent.

As patient satisfaction becomes more closely tied to healthcare organizations’ reimbursement from Medicare, Medicaid and health insurance companies, it’s more important than ever to ensure everyone on the team is working together so patients leave satisfied with the care they’ve received. Motivating physicians is one way to improve patient satisfaction; it’s vital that your physicians are on board and working toward that common goal.

Here are five ways to motivate physicians to improve patient satisfaction:

It’s no secret that the healthcare industry has a drug and substance abuse problem. Doctors and nurses with addiction issues have made news headlines recently. In a July 2014 report for KTUU, Lacie Gorsvold explains how a nurse that admitted to drinking while at work and a physician that prepared for surgery under the influence are both still practicing medicine in Alaska. The problem, however, is not just unique to Alaska.

With Medicare placing a higher level of importance on quality of care when it comes to reimbursement payments, improving patient care has never been more critical for healthcare organizations. Despite these changes, it seems that patient care hasn’t improved significantly over the last years according to research.

Last week we discussed some of the challenges and concerns facing nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities regarding quality of care and patient safety. According to a USA Today article from December 2013, several states are considering bills aimed at increasing oversight and requirements for the home healthcare workforce.

According to a recent report by the Department of Health and Human Services’ (DHHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG), around 22% of Medicare beneficiaries admitted to nursing homes experienced preventable injuries. In fact, in the 2014 OIG Work Plan, the OIG declared it will place a key focus on the quality and care of nursing homes and how often beneficiaries are harmed during their stay.

If you’re familiar with PreCheck, you’ve probably heard this before, but ensuring patient safety is what drives everything that we do. During last year’s HealthStream Summit conference in Nashville, HealthStream’s Chief Executive Officer Robert Frist, Jr. cited a research study during the opening keynote presentation that referenced some alarming numbers concerning patient safety. Dr. John T.

Healthcare professionals play a significant role in providing answers and resources to the injured and chronically ill. These doctors, physicians, nurse and health professionals have dedicated their lives to protecting those in need. They are often placed at the forefront during life-threatening situations. Thus, having clear communication performing thorough examinations, and offering proper guidance is imperative.

The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems is a standardized database that tracks patient satisfaction. While it’s been in place for several years, under the Affordable Care Act, HCAHPS data now figures into the calculation to determine the payments health services organizations receive.