Assessing the Quality of Patient Centered Care: What to Look Out for in Your Healthcare Provider’s Approach

The quality of patient centered care has become an increasingly important topic in healthcare, as patients seek care that is not only effective and efficient, but also compassionate, respectful, and patient-centered. Patient centered care is an approach to healthcare that places the patient at the center of the care delivery process, and prioritizes the patient’s needs, preferences, and goals. In this context, it is essential for healthcare providers to ensure that they are delivering care that meets the highest standards of quality and patient-centeredness, and that they are continuously striving to improve the quality of care they provide. This requires a deep understanding of the key components of patient centered care, as well as a commitment to ongoing quality improvement initiatives.

In our earlier article in this patient information series on patient centered care, we looked at what is patient centered care, focusing on what we should expect as a patients in a health system where the patient’s values, preferences and choice is at the front, heart and back of care decisions. In this article, we build on these guiding principles by revealing the qualities of patient centered care that characterize health systems where patient centered care is practiced.

Seven Components of High-Quality Patient Centered Care: Key Elements to Enhance the Quality of Patient Centered Care

Jump to: Superb access to care | Patient engagement in care | Care coordination | Clinical information systems | Integrated, comprehensive care | Patient feedback | Doctor and Hospital Network Information

Superb access to care

Superb access to care is a critical component of patient-centered care, as it ensures that patients are able to receive the medical attention they need in a timely and efficient manner. Patients who have superb access to care are able to schedule appointments easily, receive prompt responses to their inquiries, and receive care from qualified healthcare professionals without unnecessary delays.

Here are some of the key characteristics of superb access to care in a patient-centered care setting:

1. Timely appointments: Patients should be able to schedule appointments at their convenience, and without having to wait for long periods to be seen by a healthcare provider.
2. Accessibility: Patients should have access to healthcare services regardless of their location, economic status, or cultural background.
3. Communication: Patients should be able to communicate easily with their healthcare providers, whether it is through phone calls, emails, or secure messaging.
4. Technology: The use of technology, such as telemedicine, can help improve access to care, particularly for patients in remote or rural areas.
5. Coordination: The healthcare team should work together to ensure that patients receive timely and appropriate care, and that all necessary information is shared among the providers.

Overall, superb access to care is an essential element of patient-centered care that promotes patient satisfaction, improves health outcomes, and ultimately leads to better overall health for patients.

Patient engagement in care

Patient engagement in care is a fundamental component of patient-centered care. It refers to the active involvement of patients in their healthcare decisions, including their treatment options, medication management, and overall care plan. In patient-centered care, patients are seen as active partners in their own care rather than passive recipients.

Here are some of the key characteristics of patient engagement in care in a patient-centered care setting:

1. Education: Patients are educated about their conditions, treatment options, and self-management strategies so that they can make informed decisions about their care.
2. Shared decision-making: Patients are involved in the decision-making process, and their preferences, values, and goals are taken into account when developing a care plan.
3. Patient feedback: Patients are encouraged to provide feedback about their care experience, including their satisfaction with their healthcare providers, the care they received, and the communication they had with their providers.
4. Self-management support: Patients are given the tools and resources they need to manage their conditions effectively, such as self-monitoring tools, health coaching, and self-care education.
5. Care coordination: Healthcare providers work together to ensure that patients receive coordinated and integrated care, and that they have access to the services and support they need to achieve their healthcare goals.

Overall, patient engagement in care is an essential element of patient-centered care that promotes patient empowerment, improves health outcomes, and enhances patient satisfaction. By involving patients in their care, healthcare providers can help ensure that patients receive care that is tailored to their needs, preferences, and goals.

Care coordination

Care coordination is a critical component of patient-centered care, as it ensures that patients receive comprehensive, integrated care that is well-coordinated across multiple healthcare providers and settings. Care coordination involves the integration of healthcare services and support to ensure that patients receive the right care at the right time from the right providers.

Here are some of the key characteristics of care coordination in a patient-centered care setting:

1. Communication: Healthcare providers communicate effectively and efficiently with each other, and with the patient and their family members, to ensure that everyone is informed about the patient’s care plan and progress.
2. Collaboration: Healthcare providers work together as a team to develop a comprehensive care plan that addresses all of the patient’s needs, preferences, and goals.
3. Continuity: Healthcare providers ensure that patients receive consistent care across different settings, such as hospitals, clinics, and home care.
4. Referral management: Healthcare providers manage referrals to other healthcare providers and services, ensuring that patients receive appropriate care from qualified providers.
5. Patient-centeredness: Care coordination is focused on the needs, preferences, and goals of the patient, and is tailored to the patient’s unique situation.

Overall, care coordination is an essential element of patient-centered care that promotes improved health outcomes, patient satisfaction, and efficiency in healthcare delivery. By coordinating care across different providers and settings, healthcare providers can ensure that patients receive the right care at the right time, and that their care is delivered in a seamless, integrated, and patient-centered manner.

Clinical information systems that support highly-quality care, practice-based learning and quality improvement

Clinical information systems are an essential quality of patient-centered care, as they provide healthcare providers with timely and accurate information about a patient’s health status, treatment history, and care plan. Clinical information systems that support highly-quality care, practice-based learning, and quality improvement enable healthcare providers to deliver safe, effective, and efficient care that is tailored to the patient’s needs.

Here are some of the key characteristics of clinical information systems that support highly-quality care, practice-based learning, and quality improvement in a patient-centered care setting:

1. Timely access to patient information: Healthcare providers have access to real-time patient data, such as laboratory results, medication lists, and clinical notes, to inform their decision-making.
2. Decision support tools: Clinical information systems provide healthcare providers with decision support tools, such as alerts, reminders, and clinical guidelines, to ensure that they are delivering evidence-based care.
3. Practice-based learning: Clinical information systems enable healthcare providers to learn from their experiences by providing feedback on their performance, benchmarking against peers, and identifying opportunities for improvement.
4. Quality improvement: Clinical information systems support quality improvement initiatives by providing data on healthcare outcomes, identifying areas for improvement, and measuring progress over time.
5. Patient engagement: Clinical information systems provide patients with access to their own health information, enabling them to become active partners in their own care.

Overall, clinical information systems that support highly-quality care, practice-based learning, and quality improvement are essential for delivering patient-centered care that is safe, effective, and efficient. By providing healthcare providers with timely and accurate information, decision support tools, and feedback on their performance, clinical information systems enable healthcare providers to continuously improve the quality of care they deliver to their patients.

Integrated, comprehensive care and smooth information transfer across all providers

Integrated and comprehensive care, as well as smooth information transfer across all providers, are essential components of patient-centered care. This means that all healthcare providers involved in a patient’s care should work together as a team to ensure that the patient receives comprehensive, coordinated, and continuous care across all settings.

Here are some of the key characteristics of integrated, comprehensive care and smooth information transfer across all providers in a patient-centered care setting:

1. Patient-centeredness: All care is centered around the patient’s needs, preferences, and goals, and the patient is an active participant in their care.
2. Team-based care: Healthcare providers work collaboratively as a team, communicating effectively with each other and the patient, and coordinating care across different settings.
3. Comprehensive care: The care provided to the patient is comprehensive, addressing all of their healthcare needs, including medical, social, and psychological.
4. Continuous care: The patient receives continuous care across different settings, including hospitals, clinics, and home care, with smooth transitions between these settings.
5. Smooth information transfer: Information about the patient’s health status, treatment history, and care plan is shared seamlessly across all providers involved in the patient’s care.

Overall, integrated, comprehensive care and smooth information transfer across all providers are critical for ensuring that patients receive safe, effective, and efficient care that is centered around their needs, preferences, and goals. By working together as a team, healthcare providers can provide patients with seamless, coordinated care that is tailored to their unique needs, while minimizing the risk of errors, duplication, and unnecessary tests or treatments.

Ongoing routine patient feedback

Ongoing routine patient feedback is an important component of patient-centered care, as it allows healthcare providers to continuously improve the quality of care they deliver to their patients. Patient feedback can provide valuable insights into patients’ experiences, preferences, and needs, and can help healthcare providers identify areas for improvement and make changes to the care they deliver.

Here are some of the key characteristics of ongoing routine patient feedback in a patient-centered care setting:

1. Regular collection of feedback: Patients are routinely asked for feedback about their care, either in person or through surveys, to ensure that their experiences are being continuously monitored.
2. Feedback is used to improve care: Healthcare providers use patient feedback to identify areas for improvement in their care delivery processes, and take action to address any concerns or issues raised by patients.
3. Feedback is valued: Healthcare providers view patient feedback as an important tool for improving the quality of care they deliver, and actively seek out feedback from their patients.
4. Patient-centeredness: Patient feedback is used to inform patient-centered care delivery, ensuring that care is tailored to the patient’s needs, preferences, and goals.
5. Continuous improvement: Healthcare providers use patient feedback to drive ongoing quality improvement initiatives, making changes to care delivery processes as needed to improve patient outcomes and experiences.

Overall, ongoing routine patient feedback is an essential quality of patient-centered care that promotes continuous quality improvement and patient satisfaction. By routinely collecting and using patient feedback, healthcare providers can ensure that they are delivering care that is patient-centered, efficient, and effective, and can make changes as needed to improve patient outcomes and experiences.

Publicly available information on doctor or hospital network to help patients make better choices on which care is better for them

Publicly available information on doctor or hospital networks is an important component of patient-centered care, as it allows patients to make informed decisions about their healthcare providers and the care they receive. When patients have access to reliable, transparent information about the quality of care provided by different healthcare providers, they are better equipped to choose the providers that are best suited to their needs, preferences, and goals.

Here are some of the key characteristics of publicly available information on doctor or hospital networks in a patient-centered care setting:

1. Transparency: The information provided to patients is transparent, accurate, and up-to-date, and is easily accessible to patients through public websites, brochures, or other resources.
2. Quality metrics: The information includes quality metrics and outcomes data, such as patient satisfaction scores, clinical outcomes, and safety measures, that allow patients to compare the quality of care provided by different healthcare providers.
3. Patient-centeredness: The information provided to patients is patient-centered, meaning that it is tailored to the patient’s unique needs, preferences, and goals.
4. Ease of use: The information is presented in a clear and easy-to-understand manner, using plain language and simple graphics that help patients make informed decisions about their care.
5. Continuously updated: The information is continuously updated and refreshed, ensuring that patients have access to the latest information about the quality of care provided by different healthcare providers.

Overall, publicly available information on doctor or hospital networks is an essential quality of patient-centered care that empowers patients to make informed decisions about their healthcare providers and the care they receive. By providing patients with transparent, accurate, and up-to-date information about the quality of care provided by different healthcare providers, patients can make choices that are best suited to their unique needs, preferences, and goals.