The components of quality regarding healthcare are: cultural competency, language access, workforce diversity, and health information technology (Key Components of Healthcare Quality, n.d.). There are several ways in which one can create quality within the healthcare organization for a patient. Trying to improve healthcare quality is everyone’s job. Each sector of the healthcare system must partake in trying to improve quality for the patients. Three particular ways of improving quality for the patient include: focusing on the patient, treating the consumer like they are a guest, and managing the complete healthcare experience (Fottler, Ford, & Heaton, 2010). Simply having a mediocre facility is not good enough. Healthcare organizations must be certain that all medical professionals have the skills needed and are up to date with all of the changes in technology and other aspects of healthcare.
The patients are the customers within a healthcare organization. In order to satisfy the patients, the healthcare organization must make sure that they have high quality of workers, and that their services excel the patients’ needs and wants. The healthcare organizations must be able to give the services that the patients need at the correct time and the correct way exhausting the right exams and procedures to gain a higher customer service level.
Patient needs and wants are not the same from one state to the other, one age range to another, and one income level to the other. Patients that have lots of money tend to have lots of expensive tests, even if there really isn’t much wrong with them, while patients who do not have a lot of money try to have only what is needed done. The healthcare businesses must make sure that they are not either under using or over using procedures and tests. This can cost a lot of unnecessary money for both the patient and the healthcare organization. These types of businesses must split the healthcare market into different parts, have an understanding of the needs and wants of each part, and meet those needs and wants.
References:
Fottler, M. D., Ford, R. C., & Heaton, C. P. (2010). Achieving Service Excellence: Stategies for Healthcare. (2nd Ed.). Health Administration Press.
Key Components of Healthcare Quality. (n.d.). Retrieved from APIAHF: http://www.apiahf.org/policy-and-advocacy/focus-areas/health-care-quality
