Healthcare NOW Radio’s Post

𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 - 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗤𝗜 A relentless tide of patients. Among them, a growing wave of frail older adults, often with complex medical and social complexities. It's a scenario familiar to every ED. We knew this struggle all too well. • Bed shortages, long waits, and the constant pressure to make the right decisions quickly. • Siloed working, with limited communication between the ED and community resources. • Missed opportunities to provide the comprehensive care these vulnerable patients deserve. ....𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘭 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴. 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘄? We didn't call it "strategic planning" at the time, but looking back, that's exactly what it was. We took a step back from the daily chaos and embarked on a journey of discovery and transformation. Here's how it unfolded: - We Faced the Reality: We acknowledged the challenges head-on. The high volume of frail patients, the fragmentation of care, and the missed opportunities for collaboration. - We United as a Team: Through facilitated workshops, we fostered open communication and a shared vision for improving care for this vulnerable population. - We Embraced a Problem-Solving Mindset: We dissected the issue using proven methodologies: 🎄 𝑴𝑬𝑪𝑬 (𝑴𝒖𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝑬𝒙𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒗𝒆, 𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝑬𝒙𝒉𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆): This helped us break down the complex problem of frailty into its core components, ensuring we addressed all aspects without overlap. 🐟 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑰𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒌𝒂𝒘𝒂 𝑫𝒊𝒂𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎: This visual tool illuminated the root causes of the challenges we faced, revealing hidden connections and potential solutions. The outcome? A clear, actionable, 𝟯-𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻: A. Improved Identification: Streamlining our processes to recognize frailty early in the patient journey. B. Increased Assessment Capacity: Expanding our ability to conduct comprehensive geriatric assessments, ensuring holistic care. C. Shifting Admission Thresholds: Re-evaluating risk tolerances and leveraging community resources to facilitate safe discharge whenever possible. Looking back, we realize that what we did was, in essence, strategic planning. And it made all the difference. If your ED is grappling with complex challenges, don't underestimate the power of strategic planning. It's not just for boardrooms; it's a practical tool that can transform your team, your processes, and ultimately, the lives of our patients. #qualityimprovement #strategicplanning #leadership #frailty

1. I can't get my login to work and have to contact IT and be on hold for nearly an hour just to use my EHR. But somehow AI will save healthcare. 2. Testing makes money but won't change your health outcome in 90% of cases. 3. The extensive pre-op testing we do isn't to protect the patient but to protect the physician. 4. When you're accompanying your young teen at a doctor's visit the least you can do is let them speak for themselves. I assure you they are able to express all the necessary points. 5. No, I can't ask your young teenager if they are sexually active in front of you because the answer is useless. 6. 90% of what I see can be managed virtually. And if efficiency isn't prioritized in a system it's only because there is too much profits at stake maintaining a legacy system. 7. Health literacy is rapidly declining in the US. And if you're reading this believing otherwise, it's because you don't know what you don't know. 8. As a physician I'm more confused than ever as to which interventions are useful and which are useless. 9. Working side by side with NPs and PAs makes me appreciate the camaraderie in medicine. Though it's usually them asking me a clinical question, I learn a lot from the conversation. Thank you. 10. Polypharmacy is becoming a thing again. 11. I'm seeing more and more obese patients on GLP1s. 12. Nobody can get in to see their PCP timely. And this statistic is getting worse. 13. "My specialist won't see me anymore because they moved to a cash-only practice." 14. "My primary care doctor of 50 years would sit there and just listen. He'd manage all of my conditions. He worked up until the day died of pancreatic cancer and none of his patients knew. I miss him." 15. I don't feel that I have enough autonomy to refuse amoxicillin to all the patients coming in for antibiotics for a cold. That's not a me-problem. 16. Even if I follow all the most current clinical guidelines I can be sued for a bad outcome. That only means that we're majorly wasting our time on clinical guidelines. 17. Those patients who wait up to 2 hours to see me, I genuinely appreciate you, and I'm really sorry for being late. The least I can do is be present and listen. 18. A caring medical assistant and the front desk staff are 5x more effective than your best clinician when it comes to good patient care. 19. "Hold on, I'll just call my surgeon and ask him?" I had to do a double take. What? Sure enough, he called the surgeon's office who immediately recognized the patient and got the doc on the phone. 🤯 And the patient wasn't VIP but the practice treats each patient as though they are. 20. I won't be a better doctor by reading more research articles. I need to listen more, judge less, ask better questions, understand the patient, and go the extra mile when they hit a roadblock. 21. Our prescription ordering system and medication supply is from the era of horse carriages. eRx's disappointment is only overshadowed by the inept EHR I use.

#FixPriorAuth Interested in the topic of prior authorization and its negative impact on patients, providers, and health outcomes? Then check out the powerful results of the latest physician survey from the American Medical Association: https://lnkd.in/gex3Ywm4 New this year is the inclusion of a section on "Health Plan PA performance" and ranking of the payers with the highest burden of prior authorization. UnitedHealthcare and Humana achieved that dubious distinction. Other highlights include: * 94% of physicians report that prior authorization process delays access to necessary care for patients * 78% report that PA can often/sometimes lead to treatment abandonment * Nearly 1 in 4 (24%) physicians report that prior authorization has led to a serious adverse event for a patient in their care. * 73% report that the number of PA denials has increased over the past 5 years * 35% of physicians have staff who work exclusively on PAs (talk about driving up healthcare costs!) Lots of valuable information to unpack in this latest survey and thanks to all of the many CV organizations that are actively engaging to ease the burden of prior authorization on patients! Family Heart Foundation American Society for Preventive Cardiology (ASPC) Association of Black Cardiologists, Inc. Partnership To Advance Cardiovascular Health Alliance for Patient Access American College of Cardiology The Mended Hearts, Inc. WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association National Forum for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention

🎙️ New Episode Alert: "Ditch the Labcoat" with Dr. Roy Eappen 🎙️ In our latest episode, Dr. Mark Bonta engages with Dr. Roy Eappen, a distinguished clinical endocrinologist, to delve into the intricate world of endocrinology and gender-affirming care. This insightful discussion addresses critical issues impacting both children and adults in today’s society. 🔑 Key Takeaways: • Hormonal Impacts of Anabolic Steroids: Discover the serious effects of anabolic steroids, including infertility, testicular wasting, and aggressive behavior. • Concerns About Gender-Affirming Care: Hear Dr. Eappen's perspectives on the current approach to gender-affirming treatments, emphasizing the need for comprehensive psychological evaluation and caution regarding potential long-term harm to children. • Navigating Parenting in the Digital Age: Gain practical advice on how parents can stay engaged in their children’s lives and manage the effects of social media and internet exposure. This episode is packed with valuable insights that challenge conventional views and enhance our understanding of these pressing healthcare topics. 🎧 Listen now to deepen your knowledge and stay informed on these important issues. https://lnkd.in/dYNjpAKs #Endocrinology #Healthcare #GenderAffirmingCare #Parenting #AnabolicSteroids #Podcast 🩺 Stay Curious, Stay Informed. Tune in to "Ditch the Labcoat" today!

Today is World Parkinson's Day. Parkinson’s is the fastest growing neurological condition in the world. It can affect young or old, and in the UK, around 153,000 people are living with the condition. In the Top Picks article below, we highlight eleven useful resources about Parkinson’s shared on the hub. They include guidance for patients and their families about hospital stays and medication, and awareness-raising resources for healthcare professionals about the patient safety issues people with Parkinson’s face. This article features blogs and resources from Sam Freeman Carney, Laura Cockram, Dr Rowan Wathes, Parkinson's UK, Parkinson's Ireland and Parkinson's Europe: https://lnkd.in/eYjY_skH #pslhub #patientsafety #avoidableharm #medicationsafety #medicinessafety #parkinsons #WorldParkinsonsDay #WPD2024

Over 400 rural hospitals nationwide are at risk of closure today. Learn how regional health systems can step in to keep care local with our latest blog "Rural Hospitals in Crisis: Opportunities for Transformation and Improved ViabilityThrough Partner Referral Networks". Discover how ViTel Net's partners are creating innovative models to: - Increase access to specialized care - Generate new revenue streams for partners - Improve efficiency - Reduce operating margins https://lnkd.in/evmnKiG7

Public Health Matters: Pharmacists as Frontline Health Providers: Collaborating for Better Patient Outcomes: In this episode of Public Health Matters, Christina Madison discusses pharmacist-physician collaborations with Amina Abubakar and Stephen Lewis. #finance #pharmacy #lifesciences

Our research highlights the crucial role that patient-provider relationships play in determining patient satisfaction in gastroenterology care. A study involving 173 patients across six clinics revealed that specific aspects of the patient-doctor relationship significantly influence satisfaction scores. Through a robust analysis, five key factors emerged: Competence, Connection, Professionalism, Considerateness, and the Willingness/Ability to make necessary referrals. These insights led to the creation of the Patient-Physician Relationship Scale Short Form (PPRS-SF)—a streamlined 12-item questionnaire that explains 63% of the variance explaining patient satisfaction, highlighting the relationship's quality as the primary driver of satisfaction. This study underscores the importance of nurturing strong patient-physician relationships to enhance care satisfaction. The PPRS-SF offers a valuable tool for clinicians and healthcare systems to assess and improve these essential relationship factors. https://lnkd.in/eKmtdZpd #Neurogastroenterology #GastroHealth #PatientCare #Healthcare

In what is arguably the biggest finding from our team to date, compassion was recently identified as the greatest predictor of patients’ overall quality care ratings across 14 Emergency Departments. Check out our open-access results from our study, in partnership with the Health Quality Council of Alberta, here: 👉 https://lnkd.in/dPBKzepd 👈 What this means is that we now have, for the first time, convincing evidence that compassion lies at the heart of quality care and the patient experience.  In fact, compassion, as measured by our compassion measure, the SCQ, was the greatest predictor by a long shot, explaining 19% unique variance beyond all other factors including clinical communication, pain and symptom management, and wait times.  In other words, if we want to improve quality care, compassion is no longer an optional extra, it is paramount.  While increasing funding to decrease wait times and enhancing biomedical treatments remains important, recognizing and supporting the compassion being delivered by our healthcare providers in the trenches everyday, measuring compassion on a routine basis, equipping frontline workers and senior leaders with evidence based training, and last but not least—making compassion a system and organizational priority (beyond the vision statement!) is essential. What would it mean if compassion was considered a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) within our healthcare systems?  What would it mean if initiatives to enhance compassion in our clinics, hospitals, and organizations were equitably funded alongside other pillars of quality care? What would it mean to patients and families? What would it mean to healthcare providers who deeply desire to provide compassion, but often are unfairly blamed when compassion is lacking in the healthcare system? If Compassion Is Action than join the call to action by sharing, posting, tweeting, spreading, these important findings about compassion to those in your network, including policy makers and senior leaders. We all need compassion to flourish. #compassion #compassionatecare #medicine #nursing #patientexperience #qualitycare 

Important findings on the role of #compassion in delivering #quality of care. Findings from #canada with implications for #healthservices and #healthsystems across the world. Do take a glance at this from a great colleague - Shane Sinclair ⤵️