Essay Sample: Improving Patient Management through Better Communication between Health Care Providers

Patient management is a major problem due to the poor information exchange between the healthcare providers and also lack of a platform through which the healthcare providers can be able to share patient information and improve patient care. In some cases, bedridden patients have been mismanaged in the hands of healthcare providers due to the lack of a proper approach to help the healthcare providers after the change of shifts to follow up and monitor the progress of the patients. Creating a patient management program is beneficial to the patients as well as the healthcare organization because it improves the ability of the healthcare providers to deliver evidence-based care. Patients will benefit from reduced cost of care as well as the time spent in the hospitals due to the mistakes made by the healthcare providers out of negligence.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

During shift change, the healthcare providers do not have enough time to carry out an audit and information update on all the patients. Communication errors are to blame for many wrongful interventions and medical errors and the only way to minimize medical errors is to improve communication between the healthcare providers. During daily shifts and rounds by healthcare providers and also family members of the patients a communication system that details the information of every patient, as well as the daily goals, can help improve healthcare outcomes, especially for the bedridden patients. The improved communication and patient management by healthcare providers can be used to increase patient satisfaction and safety. Communication between healthcare providers especially in high profile patients who require close monitoring plays a significant role towards evidence-based patient care. The patient's management plan is an integrated approach that involved all the healthcare providers in contact with the patient as well as the family members.

Components of Patient Management Program

Compulsory healthcare providers shift change meeting

Under this program, all the healthcare providers during shift changes are required to meet to discuss patient information between those that are finishing their shift and those that are beginning their shift. The meeting in every shift change of healthcare providers is very important in ensuring improved communication and information sharing between the healthcare providers to allow the smooth transition of care and intervene in the communication breakdown between healthcare providers which increases preventable medical errors.

Creation of a resident patient daily progress note

The patient progress and milestones should be recorded to ensure that communication of patient information goes beyond the hospital healthcare providers after the shifts. It is important to note that although the healthcare providers in medical ward change the healthcare needs and the need for a professional care approach remains the same. Therefore, a resident patient daily progress note will improve communication between healthcare providers and improve the overall quality of care.

Creating a performance improvement dashboard

A performance improvement dashboard can be used to link the healthcare providers to the hospital reward program by creating a program that can help assess every healthcare providers to ensure quality and professionalism are maintained.

Creating a bedside document with patient daily needs and goals

A bedside note for the resident patients should be maintained to ensure that the patient's information and healthcare needs are available for every healthcare provider to avoid any mistake. The bedside document can be used also to communicate to the patient's family on the patient care plan and progress. The bedside note is of importance to the nurses who multitask during rounds to ensure that there is no communication barrier during care delivery and reduces unnecessary consultations.