Introduction
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen! I warmly welcome all of you on behalf of the authorities to this session. The current lunch-and-learn session will purposefully explore patient care along with the significance of communication among physicians and hospitals for value-added patient healthcare. As a case manager at the patient follow-up ward in the Hoover Healthcare Unit, it is my routine duty to converse with facility providers about patient care, and I also arrange the respective facilities for the purpose of patient care. However, we intend to focus on operational structure along with primary priorities to accomplish the goals of patient care.
Agenda
- Reviewing the COC (Continuum of Care) among both ends of the healthcare string, i.e., hospitals and physicians, based on the information quoted in a published research article titled “Older people’s views of the quality of care: a randomized controlled study of the continuum of care.”
- Analyzing the care quality by estimating its effectiveness under the framework of COC (Continuum of Care). The main focus will be on the particular integration of hospitals and physicians to ensure quality care for patients.
- Further reviewing the integration of COC (Continuum of Care) in light of the operational approach. For the purpose of enhanced healthcare, the practice of total managed care will be reviewed accordingly.
Continuum of Care (COC)
Overview:
All medical service providers who are part and parcel of patient care are collectively included in the continuum of care (COC). These may include medical practitioners or physicians, rehabilitation facilities, hospitals, or all other medical services required for treatment. The continuum of care may involve several integrated steps or functional units like profound planning, control & coordination, a comprehensive communication system, and financial perspectives. Patient care may involve the services of physicians as frontline providers, with hospitals and outpatient care as secondary and tertiary components. Meanwhile, for maintaining care and preventing drawbacks in treatment services, a streamlined flow of steps under COC is essential. These steps or phases may include medical incidents, rehabilitation prospects, maintenance of the health paradigm, and hospital care along with ambulance care conditions.
Further Reading:
The said research was completed on older people with the purpose of estimating healthcare quality on two parameters, i.e., with COC services and without these services. The results of the research revealed that older patients with COC had enhanced healthcare quality. They had assistance-based awareness and knowledge, as they had case managers’ guidance. These patients also had reduced hospital visits along with improved physician care concerning follow-ups. On the other hand, patients without COC showed little or no progress in their respective treatment and healthcare quality. Overall, they showed no improvement regarding healthcare quality.
Berglund, H., Wilhelmson, K., Blomberg, S., Dunér, A., Kjellgren, K., & Hasson, H. (2013). Older people’s views of quality of care: a randomised controlled study of continuum of care. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 22(19-20), 2934-2944.
Care Quality
Overview:
From a healthcare quality perspective, physicians act as frontline workers to provide treatment plans. A physician mainly evaluates the actual condition of any patient by examining the patient or further recommending any required tests. The treatment plan prepared by such experts has the patient’s complete history as a baseline. In further steps, the integrated utilization of all available resources helps to diagnose properly by adopting a holistic approach. These resources may comprise hospitals, outpatient centers, rehabilitation facilities, diagnostic units, and medical staffing. For the purpose of high-quality patient care, physicians try their level best to provide patient-centered care opportunities to ensure high-level patient care. Meanwhile, healthcare costs can also be lessened by providing follow-up facilities and healthcare treatment whenever needed.
Further Reading:
This research revolves around total quality management with a focus on previous studies. The COC, in alliance with healthcare management implementation, revealed enhanced care quality. Patients received proper follow-up care from their physicians when they were ill under the healthcare management program. In all these patients, care coordination along with disease management was improved. In addition, the cumulative and integrated effect of healthcare facility providers resulted in high-quality patient healthcare.
Talib, F., Rahman, Z., & Azam, M. (2011). Best practices of total quality management implementation in health care settings. Health marketing quarterly, 28(3), 232-252.
Operational Approach
Overview:
The overall treatment planning and post-treatment follow-up require a comprehensive communication channel between medical service providers. Patient treatment outcomes can be improved by streamlining and creating viable communication sources among all the providers. These providers work in a cyclic manner. For example, in the case of an outside examination, the hospital provides treatment outcomes to physicians for follow-up and update purposes. In this context, multiple communication methods can be used, including telehealth services, e-medical records, and computerized orders along with result requests. In other words, intercommunication facilitates enhanced healthcare quality.
Further Reading:
The coordination of care among several units may revolve around the active role of hospitals. In the absence of COC implementation, the patient seeks hospital care, but coordination by providers increases the patient’s involvement in treatment and follow-ups. Undoubtedly, hospitals provide quality care, but they lack follow-up channels and required pieces of equipment. So, the communication channel between hospitals and physicians increases healthcare quality and improves patient healthcare.
De Regge, M., De Pourcq, K., Meijboom, B., Trybou, J., Mortier, E., & Eeckloo, K. (2017). The role of hospitals in bridging the care continuum: a systematic review of coordination of care and follow-up for adults with chronic conditions. BMC Health Services Research, 17(1), 1-24.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, it can be inferred that the continuum of care (COC) ensures improved patient healthcare. The coordination and communication between physicians and other healthcare facility providers improve healthcare maintenance and eliminate gaps in care. In addition, patients with guidance and assistance have comprehensive knowledge and awareness, resulting in better follow-ups, while other patients have lower-quality healthcare. COC is beneficial for both the healthcare industry and patients in the context of a holistic approach. However, as a nurse case manager, I intend to guide and assist my patients in improving healthcare maintenance by involving all concerned parties to improve healthcare progress.
References
Berglund, H., Wilhelmson, K., Blomberg, S., Dunér, A., Kjellgren, K., & Hasson, H. (2013). Older people’s views of quality of care: a randomised controlled study of continuum of care. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 22(19-20), 2934-2944.
De Regge, M., De Pourcq, K., Meijboom, B., Trybou, J., Mortier, E., & Eeckloo, K. (2017). The role of hospitals in bridging the care continuum: a systematic review of coordination of care and follow-up for adults with chronic conditions. BMC Health Services Research, 17(1), 1-24.
Talib, F., Rahman, Z., & Azam, M. (2011). Best practices of total quality management implementation in health care settings. Health marketing quarterly, 28(3), 232-252.
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