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4 Ways to Improve Patient Care

4 Ways to Improve Patient Care

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4 Ways to Improve Patient Care

Patient care is a top priority for any healthcare organization. To provide the best possible care for your patients, you must constantly look for ways to improve your process. This blog post will discuss four ways you can improve patient care in your organization.

4 Ways to Improve Patient Care

Utilize Technology

The healthcare industry must use technology to improve patient care in today’s ever-increasingly connected and digital world. First, accessibility to technology should be a priority. Hospitals and other facilities should ensure they are equipped with the latest technology, including digital medical records and online consultation options. This will allow patients to access their health information quickly, eliminating time-consuming paperwork.

Technology can also make communication between staff members easier and more streamlined, resulting in improved collaboration and diagnosis. In addition, cutting-edge software can help reduce errors that could jeopardize patient safety. For instance, using a touchless biometric patient identification platform like RightPatient can prevent patient mix-ups, ensure patient data integrity, and improve patient outcomes. Everything from medical imaging systems for diagnostics to innovative tools for tracking vital signs can be incorporated into any practice or hospital facility. By leveraging technology, healthcare providers can minimize risk, improve productivity levels, enhance accuracy, improve collaboration among teams, and ultimately provide better patient care.

Provide Emotional Support

When people are in difficult medical situations and are struggling mentally or emotionally, providing them with compassion and understanding can make all the difference. It’s not only about having someone listen to their concerns or offering practical advice. It can also involve demonstrating empathy, being available as a sounding board, and simply offering reassurance that everything will be okay.

This emotional support may mean the difference between a health issue progressing or healing properly. You can hire professionals from firms such as Absent Answer to always offer live chats and keep the patients connected. It will enable patients to feel safe enough to open up and talk through what they’re experiencing knowing that there is someone ready to listen without judgment. 

Show Respect

This means respecting patients’ rights to privacy and autonomy and respecting them as individuals with unique needs and experiences. Healthcare workers should foster a culture of respect throughout the organization by setting examples, recognizing staff members who show high levels of respect in their patient interactions, and reinforcing respectful behavior.

This means listening to what the patient has to say without interrupting or making assumptions, understanding when the patient is having difficulty communicating their needs, using appropriate language, and avoiding any kind of bias or discrimination. Respectful care also involves giving patients enough time to ask questions and make decisions, being open to feedback, and ensuring that all staff members are treated equally.

Educate Patients

When people understand their health and the treatments they need, they’re more likely to comply with the treatment plan and follow through. This can help prevent medical errors and reduce costs by encouraging patients to take responsibility for their health. Providing educational materials in various formats, such as online videos, printable pamphlets, and even mobile apps can help simplify complex concepts and make them easier to understand.

Additionally, providing patients with information on alternative treatments or strategies can help them weigh their options and make an informed decision about their care. With access to the right resources, individuals can choose the best course of action for their health needs.

Improving patient care involves being compassionate and understanding with patients, demonstrating respect for their rights and needs, and educating them on how to take better care of themselves. When healthcare providers offer this comprehensive care, they can create an environment where patients feel safe, secure, and empowered.

4 Essential Tips for Hospitals to Improve Patient Care

4 Essential Tips for Hospitals to Improve Patient Care

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4 Essential Tips for Hospitals to Improve Patient Care

Providing quality patient care is the foundation of every hospital and healthcare facility. When a hospital works with a patient-centric approach, they end up engaging with their patients by learning about their experiences. The patients are content when they see their input and individuality being acknowledged.

Healthcare workers who value their patients’ well-being above everything else work towards using treatment practices that prioritize the quality of actions over quantity. Every effort they make to care for their patients leads to positive results. These may include treatments that have lasting effects, fewer patients having to check into the hospital, and satisfied patients who are happy with the care and attention they received while at the facility.

4 Essential Tips for Hospitals to Improve Patient Care

The perspective patients form about the health care facility is primarily attributed to the hospital’s success and reputation in the area. This is why it is of utmost importance to design care and treatments that cater to the patients and all their needs. A healthcare facility should be equipped with all the materials and equipment needed to treat patients. The same goes for the staff. You need to have qualified staff and personnel to provide care for the patients who are admitted to your facility. Thankfully, many passionate young individuals are switching careers to the medical side with the introduction of online second degree accelerated BSN programs. This way, you can find and hire the right people who could become a part of your team and add to the overall reputation of your healthcare facility.

Here is a list of ways your hospital or another medical facility can improve patient care practices.

Use the best available equipment and technology

People who work at hospitals make several prompt decisions related to patient care. This continuous need to be quick and vigilant means it’s crucial for a healthcare facility to have the latest equipment, machines, and tools for treatment and diagnosis. This also includes using the latest technology for maintaining patients’ records. Several US healthcare providers are using biometric patient identification platforms like RightPatient to prevent patient data mix-ups and ensure that the right EHRs are used by physicians. 

Incorrect diagnoses are a sign of incapability but can also prove to be hazardous and, in some cases, fatal. When you have the required equipment for treating your patients, you end up winning the trust and acknowledgment of your patients. Your hospital will be known for its responsible ways of providing treatment and care.

Practice Communication that is Efficient and Transparent

Every healthcare worker should possess the right communication skills. They should be clear in their words and compassionate in how they talk. That’s because, in today’s age, patients play an active and vital role in their treatment process. 

Healthcare workers should aim to state the science behind the treatment and the possible experience that a patient will have in the simplest way possible. They shouldn’t make assumptions or have a patronizing tone. Use the language best suited to a particular situation, which is only possible when a healthcare worker has conversations with the patient. This way, you also answer any questions they may have and can gauge their understanding of a treatment or procedure.

When there’s a productive level of communication amongst the staff members, the entire team works more efficiently and well. There’s little chance of mistakes, improper diagnosis, and no gaps in the information.

Work With Patient Advocates

Apart from effective communication among the staff and other related personnel of the hospital, it’s also imperative to bring in patient advocates to a medical team. This can lead to a better understanding of the patient’s needs, feelings, and preferences by the entire team.

These advocates can either be in-house hospital staff or outsourced from a third-party agency. Patient advocates are a means of support to patients during their treatment. They listen to them, comfort them, encourage them and facilitate a conversation with professionals who can further help them along the way.

Since they play a guiding role in these patients’ journeys, patient advocates can bond and connect with patients in a way that other members of the hospital’s team are unable to do. This often results in an in-depth insight into the patient’s mind and can help design an effective treatment plan. 

Follow Up After Treatment

It should be known that a hospital’s care for their patient doesn’t end when the patient pays their bills and walks out of the hospital. There are times when it is necessary for patients to actively participate in programs offered by other facilities or even in the comfort of their own homes. These can be physical therapy or some form of rehabilitation. This is done to stop a situation from getting out of hand in the near future and ensure that the treatment has lasting effects.

Hospitals and other healthcare-providing facilities should continue to maintain relationships with their patients. They can do this through follow-up appointments, where a healthcare provider from the team can pay a visit to the patient’s residence and analyze the treatment plan by addressing any concerns they may have about their health. Patients may also seek advice, helpful tips, reminders, or any necessary guidance regarding their overall health.

The most valuable aspect of any treatment is information. That’s what a patient needs the most, regardless of where treatment might lead. There’s no way to be sure about whether a patient will attend any further appointments in the future, even if a healthcare worker recommends it to them. So, when a patient is discharged, all facilities should provide patients with helpful information. This includes everything about their condition, the treatment, and what might happen in the future. This way, the patient has all the information they need to make a decision for themselves. With the information they have, they can either get readmitted to the hospital, consult with another doctor or facility, or not do anything about their condition.

Conclusion

Running a hospital or any other healthcare facility is not easy. It requires a lot of attention to detail, precision, the right resources, and working with an objective to provide the best possible health care to your patients. The entire team should share this objective, from the chief medical officer and senior surgeons to the cleaners and other support staff. Patients place a lot of trust in a hospital when choosing one for their treatment and their loved ones. It is only fair that they receive the best care in return for their trust.

The Importance of Healthcare Accessibility During a Recession

The Importance of Healthcare Accessibility During a Recession

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The Importance of Healthcare Accessibility During a Recession

In many nations, healthcare is seen as a human right and, as a result, is made available to all citizens in an accessible way. In America, however, this is far from the case and healthcare is seen as a commodity or luxury to be purchased. While there are arguments made that this business-like model results in American medical institutions developing the best treatments and services, it’s hard to see the benefit of having the best medical care in one’s area but not being able to access it due to cost barriers. 

The Importance of Healthcare Accessibility During a Recession

Few things highlight the need for greater access to healthcare better than recessions. If individuals are struggling to pay for shelter and food, paying a substantial portion of their income for healthcare services shouldn’t be a burden they have to carry as well. 

Understanding the many ways that increasing access to healthcare can help individuals during a recession can provide one with a deeper perspective about healthcare in America and its need to evolve into a more humane and accessible system. 

How Recessions Can Negatively Impact People’s Health

Recessions have been shown to negatively impact people’s health in various ways, though it can sometimes be hard to measure this complicated metric. In short, recessions can cause people more stress and, as a result, can exacerbate other health ailments or compromise immune systems to make individuals more prone to developing health problems. 

Recession-related phenomena that can significantly increase the stress levels of the public are job losses and money-related concerns. As these instances become more prevalent during recessions, there will be a greater and greater need for healthcare resources. 

In addition to being at greater risk of developing certain ailments due to stress, adults — particularly older adults — are more likely to forego preventative screenings and treatments for a wide variety of diseases and other impairments. This means that a lack of accessible healthcare resources during a recession may cause upticks in the number of adults developing diseases such as diabetes and cancer. 

Unfortunately, foregoing doctor visits is a dishearteningly common way that individuals attempt to cut back on spending during recessions. What this very clearly highlights is the need for governments, healthcare organizations, and other institutions to widen access to healthcare to ensure that recessions-related financial concerns — or any financial concerns for that matter — aren’t stopping people from getting the treatment and care that they need. 

How Increased Access to Healthcare Can Benefit Society

During recessions, many people may be far more likely to put off getting treatments and getting health insurance than they otherwise would be. This stems from the fact that, in America, healthcare services are oftentimes one of the most expensive bills that people can have. 

Ensuring that healthcare is more accessible during recessions is vital to keeping the public at large healthy. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has left a wake of individuals dealing with a number of complicated issues that make it more difficult for them to receive the proper amount of health services. 

One issue, in particular, is that of increased numbers of youth homelessness in America. Given the fact that schools were forced to conduct school remotely during the pandemic, many institutions lost track of which students were homeless in the midst of the drastic changes. Upon reopening in-person school sessions, many institutions were surprised to find that the number of homeless students had increased. 

The confluence of increased instances of homelessness and a recession indicates that many people are in need of significant help. In addition to what the government considers basic resources, such as food and shelter, greater access to healthcare should be a top priority as well. 

Another facet of society that is in dire need of healthcare resources is immigrants and refugees. Regardless of one’s stance on immigration and the granting of refugee status, it seems reasonable to increase access to healthcare to lessen the chances of these individuals becoming ill and dying. 

Unfortunately, it currently isn’t very easy for many of these individuals to receive the healthcare resources that they need. 

Thankfully, there is hope. The health of all individuals in America can be beneficially impacted by changes in accessibility when it comes to healthcare. The more barriers that are removed, such as exorbitant prices, the more people will be able to receive the healthcare services and care that they require to stay healthy. 

Healthcare Should Be Seen as a Right, Not a Business

While a recession is bad for nations and their citizens, the silver lining is that it may be the wake-up call that America so drastically needs. Rather than treating healthcare like a business that allows private companies to make large profits, treating healthcare as a fundamental human right can greatly improve the lives of many citizens. 

Though a radical shift in healthcare accessibility may not happen in the near future, more and more initiatives are beginning to work toward increasing access to healthcare. Hopefully, as efforts like this continue, an increasing number of minds will change and healthcare will eventually become easily accessible to all individuals. 

The Importance of Accurate Patient Identification

The Importance of Accurate Patient Identification: Ensuring Quality Care and Patient Safety

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The Importance of Accurate Patient Identification

Patient identification is a crucial aspect of healthcare. It involves the process of accurately identifying and verifying the identity of a patient, typically using identifying information such as their name, date of birth, and medical record number. Ensuring accurate patient identification is essential for providing quality care and maintaining patient safety.

The Importance of Accurate Patient Identification

Accurate patient identification is necessary to ensure that patients receive the correct treatment and medications. Without it, there is a risk of medical errors and misdiagnosis, which can have serious consequences for the patient’s health. Incorrect patient identification can also lead to financial consequences for both patients and healthcare providers, as it can result in unnecessary or duplicate tests and treatments being performed in healthcare system.

In this article, we will delve deeper into the importance of accurate patient identification in healthcare and the strategies that can be employed to improve identification processes. By understanding the importance of this fundamental aspect of healthcare, we can work to ensure that every patient receives the highest quality of care.

The consequences of failing to properly identify patients

One of the most significant consequences of incorrect patient identification is the risk of medical errors and misdiagnosis. When a patient is misidentified, their medical history and relevant information may not be readily available to healthcare professionals, leading to a lack of critical information needed for accurate diagnosis and treatment. This can result in inappropriate or delayed treatment, and in severe cases, can even be life-threatening.

For example, if a patient with a severe allergy to a particular medication is misidentified and given that medication, they may suffer a severe allergic reaction that could potentially be fatal. Similarly, if a patient with a serious medical condition is misidentified and not treated promptly, their condition may worsen, leading to serious complications or even death.

In addition to the potential harm to the patient, incorrect patient identification can also result in financial consequences for both patients and healthcare providers. Patients may be charged for unnecessary or duplicate tests and treatments, leading to unnecessary out-of-pocket expenses. For healthcare providers, incorrect patient identification can lead to the duplication of efforts and resources, resulting in wasted time and money.

Implementing biometric healthcare solutions, such as touchless biometric systems, can help to mitigate the risk of incorrect patient identification. These systems use unique biometric characteristics, such as a person’s facial features or iris scan, to accurately identify patients and protect their data. This can help to prevent unauthorized access and the creation of duplicate records, improving patient safety and reducing the financial consequences of incorrect identification.

Overall, it is clear that the consequences of failing to properly identify patients can be significant and far-reaching, highlighting the importance of ensuring accurate identification processes in healthcare.

Strategies for improving patient identification processes

One effective strategy for improving patient identification processes is the use of unique patient identifiers, such as a medical record number or touchless biometric technology. Unique patient identifiers allow healthcare professionals to quickly and easily access a patient’s medical history and relevant information, reducing the risk of errors and misdiagnosis.

Biometric healthcare solutions, such as touchless biometric systems using facial recognition or iris scans, offer a secure and efficient way to identify patients. These systems use biometric characteristics, such as a person’s facial features or iris, to uniquely identify an individual. This helps to prevent data corruption and unauthorized access, as well as avoid the creation of duplicate records.

In addition to the use of unique patient identifiers, it is also important to verify patient information at each point of care. This includes verifying a patient’s identity and relevant information, such as their name, date of birth, and medical record number, at every encounter with a healthcare professional. This helps to ensure that the correct information is being used to provide care and treatment.

Finally, training for healthcare professionals on proper identification procedures is crucial for improving identification processes. This can include training on the use of unique patient identifiers, such as touchless biometric systems using facial recognition or iris scans, as well as procedures for verifying patient information at each point of care. By ensuring that healthcare professionals are knowledgeable and trained on proper identification processes, we can further improve the accuracy and effectiveness of patient identification in healthcare.

What is an effective and safe way to identify a patient?

Identifying patients accurately and safely is essential for providing effective healthcare. Traditional methods such as using identification cards or wristbands can be prone to errors and may not adequately protect patient data from unauthorized access. In recent years, biometric healthcare technologies have emerged as an effective and safe way to identify patients.

Biometric technologies use unique physical or behavioral characteristics to identify individuals. In the healthcare setting, biometric technologies can be used to verify a patient’s identity and prevent unauthorized access to their medical records. One example of biometric healthcare technology is touchless biometrics, which uses sensors to capture a person’s unique characteristics without requiring physical contact. This can help to prevent the spread of infections and promote patient safety.

Touchless biometric technologies can include facial recognition, voice recognition, and iris scanning. These technologies are highly accurate and can prevent duplicate records, which can occur when a patient is registered under multiple names or with incorrect information.

In addition to providing accurate and safe patient identification, biometric healthcare technologies can also protect patient data from unauthorized access. By using unique characteristics to verify a patient’s identity, these technologies can help to prevent medical identity theft and protect sensitive medical information.

Overall, biometric healthcare technologies offer an effective and safe way to identify patients and protect their data. By implementing these technologies, healthcare organizations can improve patient safety, prevent unauthorized access to medical records, and prevent the creation of duplicate records.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the importance of accurate patient identification cannot be overstated. Ensuring that patients are correctly identified is essential for providing quality care and maintaining patient safety. From reducing the risk of medical errors and misdiagnosis to preventing financial consequences for both patients and healthcare providers, the benefits of accurate patient identification are numerous.

As technology continues to advance, there is an increasing trend towards the use of biometric healthcare solutions, such as touchless biometric systems, to improve patient identification processes. These systems offer a secure and efficient way to identify patients, protect patient data, and prevent unauthorized access. Additionally, biometric systems can help to prevent the creation of duplicate records, further improving patient safety.

It is clear that the need for ongoing efforts to improve patient identification processes in healthcare is vital. By implementing effective strategies, such as the use of unique patient identifiers and training for healthcare professionals, we can work towards ensuring accurate patient identification and ultimately, improving the quality of care and patient safety.

Identity Management - Why Should Psychiatric Practices Care

Identity Management: Why Should Psychiatric Practices Care? 

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Identity Management - Why Should Psychiatric Practices Care

The psychiatric care sector is growing rapidly as demand continues to increase. According to U.S. News, mental health care services are seeing a steep rise in the demand for depression and anxiety treatment. Due to this trend, psychiatric facilities are digitizing their services so they can engage patients more conveniently.

However, the growing popularity of telepsychiatry and other recent innovations in mental healthcare also point to increasing risks to privacy and data security. Alongside the growing demand for such services, the psychiatric sector should also consider the latest cybersecurity threats, including social engineering approaches and ransomware attacks. 

Identity Management - Why Should Psychiatric Practices Care

There are several ways for psychiatric facilities to reduce their exposure to these threats, but the first thing they can do is incorporate identity management into their cybersecurity infrastructure. 

What is Identity Management?

As telepsychiatry continues to expand, psychiatric professionals must focus on securing patient information in line with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. With the amount of data psychiatric facilities handle, identity management ensures that such data will not fall into the wrong hands. 

That’s because identity management deals with controlling access to servers and networks where data is transferred or exchanged. It involves authenticating individuals who are allowed access to the software and networks used by the facility. 

Identity management uses various methods and approaches to ensure that only authorized personnel can access patient records without compromising patient outcomes. These include password management, user account management, role assignment, and compliance with HIPAA. Psychiatric staff can easily collaborate within an information system protected by data encryption, strong passwords, multi-factor authentication, and more.  

The main advantage of identity management is to increase a psychiatric facility’s security posture and ensure that patient data is heavily protected from third-party or even internal cybersecurity threats. Equally important are the gains in productivity and a significant reduction in the cost of maintaining a secured network. However, the success of your identity management efforts will still depend on the strategy you are using. 

Tips for Effective Identity Management

If you are a psychiatric practitioner managing a mental health facility, you must use the right approaches that align with your security needs. The first thing you will need is to train your staff about cybersecurity and ensure that they understand their role in HIPAA compliance. Suppose you have nurse practitioners who have obtained a Master’s degree through an online psych NP program. In that case, they should have a good idea of ensuring accountability and using patient data for improving outcomes.

In addition, you will need to work closely with a cloud-based identity management provider so you can access greater security capabilities and improve your security posture. You should also set up an effective onboarding process that automatically assigns roles to new staff members and eliminates vacant accounts once employees leave. 

Identity management requires having the right infrastructure and expertise in tow. Setting up high levels of security could be daunting, but that’s expected considering that you still need to address patient needs directly. Taking the time to understand the importance of identity management in your psychiatric facility can help you steer clear of major issues later on. 

5 Ways Nurses Can Promote a Culture of Patient Safety

5 Ways Nurses Can Promote a Culture of Patient Safety

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5 Ways Nurses Can Promote a Culture of Patient Safety

Nurses are crucial members of the healthcare team, and they have a unique opportunity to promote patient safety in the hospital setting. Spending time with patients one-on-one will help nurses detect and address factors that may increase the risk of medical errors or adverse events. They are also in a position to provide critical education about their medications, checklists for procedural steps, and other key safety measures. Listening carefully to patient concerns and communicating openly with doctors and other providers can help nurses to create a culture of safety in which no harm comes to patients.

5 Ways Nurses Can Promote a Culture of Patient Safety

Promote Teamwork

At a fundamental level, nursing is about teamwork. Nurses collaborate with doctors and other medical staff to assess patients’ needs, set clear treatment plans, and identify potential risk factors that could lead to medical errors. By working together as a team and communicating clearly with each other and their patients, nurses play a vital role in making sure that everyone involved in the care process understands their responsibilities and feels empowered to speak up when necessary.  By focusing explicitly on patient safety, nurses can also help to cultivate a culture where safety is at the forefront of every decision made, from infection control protocols to the choice of hospital equipment.

Verify Medical Procedures

Beyond individual steps taken by nurses to promote safety, there is also a larger cultural shift within healthcare facilities. Programs like online post masters FNP encourage giving a rationale for each procedure which can help verify if it’s appropriate for a patient. This shift involves empowering nurses and other healthcare professionals to raise concerns, offer input, and advocate for the best outcomes for their patients instead of simply following pre-established protocols or routines. 

Through this culture of patient safety, nurses can play an essential role in helping to improve clinical outcomes across the board. Ultimately, it is up to each nurse in particular to stay informed about opportunities to promote best practices and fight back against any underlying biases or shortcuts that may put patients at risk.

Help Patients Understand Their Medication

Nurses can help patients understand their medication by providing them with information about the medication’s purpose, how to take it, and what side effects to expect. Fostering a culture of patient safety helps nurses ensure that patients stay safe and healthy during their time in the hospital. This not only benefits individual patients but also contributes to making healthcare a more efficient and effective system overall.

Use Monitoring Technology

Monitoring technology can help nurses keep track of patients’ vital signs and alert them to any changes. For example, technologies like pulse oximeters can provide accurate information about heart rate and oxygen levels in real-time, allowing nurses to take immediate action if needed. Additionally, monitors for respiratory depression or delirium can alert healthcare staff when patients need extra care. In this way, nurses can use technology to help ensure that patients receive the highest quality care possible.

Grow Your Career Through Education

In order to fully optimize patient care through nursing, it’s important for nurses to continue developing their skills through education. Attending medical conferences, enrolling in specialized training courses or pursuing programs like post MSN FNP online programs, and seeking out opportunities to work with experts are all excellent ways to develop expertise and stay ahead of emerging trends in patient safety.

Nurses are crucial to the success of any hospital or medical facility, and a skilled nurse can play a key role in promoting patient safety. By working closely with patients and understanding their needs, nurses are in an ideal position to identify potential problems before they become bigger issues and by closely monitoring the health of their patients, nurses can help keep them safe from harm or complications.

4 Ways Nursing Practitioners Impact Healthcare

4 Ways Nursing Practitioners Impact Healthcare

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4 Ways Nursing Practitioners Impact Healthcare

In the United States, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been in effect for a while now. One of its key provisions is the expansion of Medicaid, which has helped millions of Americans gain access to quality healthcare. What many people don’t realize is that the ACA also expanded the role of family nurse practitioners (FNPs) in providing care to patients. Here are ways FNPs are making a positive impact on healthcare.

4 Ways Nursing Practitioners Impact Healthcare

High-Quality, Patient-Centered Care

One of the core values of nursing is providing care that is patient-centered and individualized. This means that NPs take into account each patient’s unique circumstances and develop a care plan that meets their specific needs. This type of care has been shown to improve patient outcomes and satisfaction levels. With their deep knowledge of the human body, mastery of modern medical techniques, and understanding of the unique needs and perspectives of each individual patient, these professionals are ideally equipped to provide effective healthcare. 

FNPs are known for their compassion, patience, and dedication to creating positive patient experiences. Whether it’s working one-on-one with patients in a hospital setting or providing support from a distance via phone or email, these skilled medical professionals are always committed to ensuring that patients receive the best possible care.

Experts in Disease Prevention and Management

A family nurse practitioner receives extensive training in disease prevention and management. This makes them uniquely qualified to help patients prevent or manage chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. NPs also play a key role in promoting healthy lifestyles and helping patients make necessary lifestyle changes to improve their health.

Trained to Provide Culturally Competent Care

Cultural competence is the ability to provide care that is respectful of and responsive to the cultural beliefs, values, and needs of patients from diverse backgrounds. NPs receive training in cultural competence as part of their education and are therefore able to provide care that is more culturally sensitive and responsive. They must have a deep understanding of the unique needs and cultural practices of their patients in order to provide effective treatment and support. This involves knowing how different cultures view illness, what health behaviors are considered appropriate, and what issues patients may be facing outside of the healthcare system.

Additionally, nursing practitioners must also have a firm grasp on communication styles and preferences, particularly among socially marginalized groups that may be at a higher risk for experiencing stigma or discrimination. Through careful study, skill development, and ongoing training, these experts can become true champions of culturally competent care.

Address the Primary Care Shortage

There is currently a shortage of primary care providers in America, which is predicted to worsen over the next decade as the population ages and more people gain insurance coverage through the ACA Medicaid expansion. Nurse practitioners are helping to address this shortage by providing high-quality primary care services to patients across the country.

Nurse practitioners play a critical role in healthcare delivery. Not only do they provide direct patient care in clinical settings, but they also work to educate and support patients and families. Through their efforts, nursing practitioners can have a profound impact on the overall health and well-being of the people they serve. They help to bridge the gap between medicine and nursing by advocating for care that is scientifically sound, compassionate, and holistic.

4 Ways to Improve Patient Safety

4 Ways to Improve Patient Safety

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4 Ways to Improve Patient Safety

According to a recent study, an estimated 98,000 people die each year from preventable medical errors. This means medical errors claim more lives than car accidents, breast cancer, or AIDS. Patient safety is something that should be at the forefront of every healthcare professional’s mind, as the wellbeing and well-being of patients are always at risk when it comes to medical procedures and treatments. The last thing you want is for an error or mistake to put your patients in danger, resulting in physical or psychological harm.

4 Ways to Improve Patient Safety

Allow Patient Access to EHR Data

One way to avoid medical record misinformation is to give patients direct access to their own electronic health records (EHRs). This way, they can see for themselves what treatments have been prescribed and what tests have been ordered. Not only does this help patients feel more empowered and in control of their own health, but it also helps them catch any errors that may have been made in their records.

Care for Hospital Environment

Maintaining a hospital environment is crucial for promoting patient safety. Hospitals are busy, bustling places where there is literally no room for error. Every medical team needs to be working together seamlessly in order to ensure that patients receive the best care possible, and maintaining a clean, organized environment helps to facilitate this seamless collaboration. From eliminating clutter on the floors to keeping equipment in proper working order, ensuring a clean and organized hospital environment is a constant task that requires diligence, attention to detail, and an unwavering focus on patient safety.

Robust Patient Identification Technology 

While patient safety is a top priority in any healthcare setting, poor patient identification remains a major barrier to delivering safe, high-quality care. This is especially true in emergency settings, where there are often multiple patients coming through the doors at once and staff members are under great pressure to quickly triage, diagnose, and treat patients as efficiently as possible. Thanks to robust patient identification technology, these challenges can now be overcome. That means using systems that can accurately identify patients by their unique characteristics, such as fingerprints or iris scans. This way, you can be sure that the right patient is getting the right treatment, and not vice versa.

With solutions like RightPatient, nurses, doctors, and other medical personnel can easily retrieve accurate EHRs using patient photos – the platform runs a biometric search to provide the EHR saved with the same patient photo. This information can then be cross-referenced with data from previous encounters with that particular patient or with past tests or procedures performed for that person. As a result, critical errors such as misdiagnosis or overprescription of medications and treatments can be avoided.

Encourage Healthcare Professionals to Continue Education 

One of the best ways to improve patient safety is to encourage healthcare professionals to continue their education on an ongoing basis. The healthcare landscape is always changing, new treatments are being developed, new technologies are being introduced, and new regulations are being put into place. Enrolling in different programs like ABSN programs can help nurses stay up-to-date with their careers.

Encouraging healthcare professionals to take distance learning courses or pursue specialized certifications online like distance accelerated BSN online can help to keep their skills current while also providing them with much-needed support and renewed energy. Not only does education improve patient safety by helping healthcare workers stay up-to-date on new treatments and best practices, but it also helps to boost morale and reduce burnout in an otherwise incredibly stressful profession.

The goal of any healthcare professional should be to prioritize patient safety. By focusing on this simple but important goal, healthcare professionals can avoid medical errors and ensure that everyone receives the treatment they need. This includes making sure that facilities have appropriate safety measures in place, schedules are flexible enough to allow medical professionals to respond quickly in an emergency, and approach each new patient with sensitivity and compassion.

Why Healthcare Advocacy is an Underappreciated Aspect of Healthcare

Why Healthcare Advocacy is an Underappreciated Aspect of Healthcare

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Why Healthcare Advocacy is an Underappreciated Aspect of Healthcare

The healthcare system is not only growing but is also getting increasingly complex. It is common for patients to see multiple specialists, which often makes it harder for them to manage bills and keep track of treatments. 

In fact, about 52 percent of patients cannot correctly navigate the system. Healthcare advocacy can prove to be a savior and help patients deal with the complicated healthcare system.

Why Healthcare Advocacy is an Underappreciated Aspect of Healthcare

Introduction to Healthcare Advocacy

The purpose of healthcare advocacy is to make it easier for patients to manage their healthcare, especially for seniors with cognitive impairment or for individuals dealing with issues such as exhaustion and stress.

Patients often have to spend hours going through documents such as insurance forms that they do not always understand. It is even common for patients to misunderstand options or diagnoses, which can result in major issues such as missed appointments and wrong dosage. This is when healthcare advocates come to play. 

They offer direct and customized assistance to patients and make healthcare easy to access. Moreover, they educate patients and guide them through insurance questions, administration tasks, legal issues, and more.

Companies can choose to hire independent health advocates or work with advocacy organizations. Furthermore, even hospitals often offer advocates in the form of nurses. These advocates offer a variety of services, including:

  • Coordinating with specialists and communicating with providers
  • Explaining patient rights and confusing information
  • Identifying resources and making referrals
  • Clarifying medical conditions and diagnoses
  • Reviewing bills and getting errors corrected
  • Reviewing insurance policies, explaining different terms, and advising on policies 
  • Information about available insurance benefits and technologies such as telehealth
  • Helping people with hospital admissions and discharge procedures
  • Assisting with meals, home care, housing, and more, especially when dealing with older patients
  • Helping with disability filings, legal concerns

The Importance of Advocacy in Healthcare

The best way to understand the importance of advocacy in healthcare is to examine patient support roles and healthcare policy. Advocacy can be on an individual level or large scale, while the former focuses on individual patients, and the latter focuses on the system and ways to improve it.  

Large Scale Advocacy

Leaders and lawmakers sit down to create healthcare policies, but they don’t do it alone. They often get organizations onboard and seek expertise from different corners to ensure the policy is effective and efficient. 

The purpose of large-scale advocacy is to guide these policymakers and support a reliable and well-informed decision-making process. It encourages reforms and changes that improve the system in the eyes of the latest research. The aim is to improve technologies and cultivate better relationships in the industry. Moreover, it encourages policies that take into account factors such as the changing socioeconomic situation of the country. 

Through influencing public policy, healthcare advocacy aims to improve the community and individual healthcare and reduce health disparities. Large-scale healthcare advocacy does not only work to improve the policies but also to ensure they get approved quickly. Furthermore, healthcare advocacy works to secure the finances needed to support the introduction of new healthcare policies.  

A great example of large-scale healthcare advocacy was seen during the pandemic when experts jumped into action to create efficient policies. They shared their expertise with the lawmakers and highlighted technologies such as telehealth. These policies have helped control the pandemic and things are already back to normal in most parts of the world. 

Something similar was seen during the AIDS crisis when advocacy groups came together to start AIDS research, ultimately resulting in the development of treatments that have proven to be highly effective. 

In addition, healthcare advocacy groups are also working to reduce racism in the industry by ensuring all groups get access to healthcare. They’re educating healthcare providers, policymakers, and people to combat discriminatory practices.

Individual Scale Healthcare Advocacy

Healthcare advocacy on an individual level does a very important job of helping individuals navigate through the complex system. The main job of advocates is to ensure patients receive the care that they require without having to deal with unnecessary costs, paperwork, or hassles. They work to improve safety and optimize care delivery and answer all relevant questions a patient may have.

By helping patients, they also help organizations improve their engagement. Reports suggest that about 42 percent of physicians believe that healthcare advocacy has helped improve quality outcomes, whereas 38 percent believe that it can be good for patient experiences. Similarly, about 26 percent agree that it can help save patient costs.

Healthcare advocacy helps all patients, regardless of their background or status. This is very important because not all patients have family members or loved ones to take care of them or to explain the system. As a result, patients often end up delaying procedures, choosing the wrong procedure, or suffering from more pain and anguish.

6 Important Ways to Use Medical Records for Patients

6 Important Ways to Use Medical Records for Patients 

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6 Important Ways to Use Medical Records for Patients

Electronic Health Records (EHRs) have played a major role in the digital transformation of the healthcare industry as a whole. And, in particular, they have helped patients benefit from more accurate diagnoses and higher-quality, uninterrupted medical care. 

But how can healthcare providers make the most of their medical record system to support the treatment and long-term care of patients? Here are just five ways to use EHRs to deliver higher-quality healthcare to patients.

6 Important Ways to Use Medical Records for Patients

Delivering More Accurate Diagnoses

Although advances in screening technologies and healthcare have significantly reduced the risk of misdiagnosis, recent estimates show that, on average, 1 in 20 adult patients seeking outpatient medical care receive a wrong diagnosis. 

What’s more, some long-term conditions have much higher misdiagnosis rates. For example, although neurologists can easily answer questions such as “what is epilepsy?” or “what are the symptoms of epilepsy?” diagnosing this condition remains challenging.  In fact, an estimated 20-30% of people with epilepsy are believed to have been misdiagnosed, according to Epilepsy Foundation. 

Electronic medical records have helped treatment providers in determining hard-to-diagnose conditions like epilepsy by providing access to accurate real-time and historical data, which assists in predicting patient risk, timely addressing risk factors, and reducing human error.

New Telemedicine Opportunities

One of the best ways in which EHRs are helping advance healthcare is through the telemedicine opportunities they provide. 

Telehealth and virtual care are playing a pivotal role in helping the healthcare system cope with the unprecedented pressure stemming from an aging population and the need for more accessible, quality care. What’s more, telehealth services help providers boost care accessibility and reduce burnout.

With EHR systems featuring telehealth capabilities, providers can introduce an additional real-time communication channel to boost provider-patient relationships. Telehealth has also helped providers deliver continued care to those with long-term or chronic conditions, especially in the case of patients with mobility issues or living in remote areas.

Integrations With Health-Tracking Devices

The latest Electronic Health Record systems can integrate with health-tracking devices, such as mobile apps and smartwatches. These wearable devices monitor real-time health data relating to a wide range of conditions, including heart rate, glucose levels, quality of sleep, and seizure intensity and frequency. 

From a patient’s viewpoint, these tools deliver better control over one’s health and allow high-risk individuals to take preventive steps. On the other hand, providers can access real-time and accurate health data about their patients and enhance insights on treatment effectiveness, recovery progress, and condition development. 

Boosting Patient Satisfaction

Medical records are essential for clinics looking to improve patient identity, satisfaction, and care. EHRs and patient portals allow patients to enjoy a direct communication channel with their providers, seamlessly schedule follow-up appointments, and retrieve details of their medical history in no time. 

From a provider’s viewpoint, EHRs provide healthcare clinics with quick access to patient data and a secure information-sharing system. What’s more, EHR systems support clinical decision-making, reduce the likelihood of human error, and deliver clinical alerts and reminders.

Seamless Care Through Collaborative Data Collection 

Interoperable medical record systems allow healthcare clinics and care providers to share collaborative datasets and access real-time information, which is essential to provide patients with ongoing, uninterrupted care. 

This is particularly important in the case of patients who deal with a range of healthcare providers and specialists during their treatment journey, where the communication of patient information is critical. 

Improved Quality of Life Through Risk Management

One of the key roles of EHRs is to reduce the risk of human error to a minimum. Through EHRs, clinics no longer need to deal with error-prone, labor-intensive data transcription processes, and can instantly deliver data to other providers involved in a patient’s treatment. 

Moreover, many healthcare facilities are using innovative solutions to ensure accurate patient identification. For instance, a touchless patient identification platform like RightPatient helps ensure patient data integrity and helps identify the correct medical record each time the patient comes in for a visit using their photos. 

High-risk patients can also benefit from uninterrupted monitoring of their condition and risk factors, thus reducing the likelihood of dealing with more severe health conditions in the future. 

Although the cost of EHR systems and the differences between one system and another are two of the most significant adoption barriers, medical records are already yielding considerable benefits in the diagnosis, treatment, and clinical care of a range of conditions.