Question

Healthcare organizations have used "patient-centered evidence-based clinical care process" to convey their transformational strategy, particularly in the context of promoting IT-enabled changes. However, there are no commonly accepted definitions and measures to help organizations assess the extent to which their processes are "patient-centered evidence-based."

• What does "patient-centered evidence-based clinical process" mean to you?
• What are the key dimensions/characteristics of a "patient-centered evidence-based clinical process"? Or in other words, what keywords would you use to capture "patient-centered" clinical process?
• What keywords would you use to capture "evidence-based" clinical process?

Answer 1

With the increased competition in the healthcare industry, healthcare organizations continuously strive to bring out the best and give in the best to its patients to attract more patients to their organizations. So, in order to survive the competition in the healthcare industry, healthcare organizations transform themselves continuously by focussing on the improved clinical care process for the patients. So, for me patient centered evidence based clinical care process means -

• Care focuses on physical comfort as well as emotional well-being.
• Patient and family preferences, values, cultural traditions, and socioeconomic conditions are respected.
• Respecting patient's time and zero waiting - Most of the patients don't like to wait. In most of the healthcare organizations, patients are kept to waiting in queues for longer hours by not respecting their time and efforts.
• Patients and their families are an expected part of the care team and play a role in decisions at the patient and system level.
• Taking patient complaints and concerns seriously - There will be many patients who have some or the other discomfort during any clinical process. Patients complaints and concerns should be taken seriously. This will ensure that patients are taken care of.
• Information is shared fully and in a timely manner so that patients and their family members can make informed decisions.
• Patient care should be collaborative, coordinated, and accessible. The right care should be provided at the right time and the right place.
• Lastly, the health care system’s mission, vision, values, leadership, and quality-improvement drivers are to be aligned to patient-centered goals.

In patient-centered care, an individual’s specific health needs and desired health outcomes are the driving force behind all health care decisions and quality measurements. Patients are partners with their health care providers, and providers treat patients not only from a clinical perspective, but also from an emotional, mental, spiritual, social, and financial perspective.

The keywords that can be used to capture patient entered clinical process are -

• shared decision making
• active collaboration.
• customised comprehensive care plan

There should be shared decision-making between patients, families, and providers. Secondly, there should be active collaboration between the patient and patient entered care by healthcare providers, and finally, to design and manage a customized and comprehensive care plan to patients by the healthcare providers.