Evaluating Quality Patient Outcomes
Improving the health condition of the patient is a continuous process that needs assessment with time to determine the level of improvement and note if any changes need to be made. For this to happen, data on the progress of a patient is recorded and analysed with time. Information may be stored electronically or hardcopies in files in a specific order to allow easy access whenever information about a particular patient is required. This is of great help to the physician to know what to administer to a patient at a particular time to ensure continuous improvement. Investors also use this data to know the necessary improvement required in a specific medical facility.
Some data prove to be difficult to analyse and has is of no significance to the patient or the physician. Language barrier is an example of a hindrance that can occur. Information can only be analysed by specific people understanding the language reducing the efficiency of the services provided. Hardships in retrieval of data also prove to reduce the quality of services provided in health care. Wastage of time and inconsistency in analysing the progress of a patient pulls down the quality of service provided.
Quality improvement in the medical industry should be an aspect to be looked into on daily basis and measures put to ensure continual improvement. Training and updating of the personnel will ensure good record keeping and convenient access of this information whenever it is needed. Using updated and maintained equipments will ensure good quality of services provided. The improvement of services provided should be associated with change as the population expect advanced provision of services due to the upcoming better technology
References
United States (2007). Registries for evaluating patient outcomes: A user's guide. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
