A few months ago, I was named medical director of a brand new patient experience department for a highly regarded hospital system. I’ve worked there for a dozen years and have always been proud of the medical care we deliver. Staff members across all disciplines pour their hearts into their work. Still, like many others, […]
Two years ago, the percentage of Patient and Family Advisory Councils (PFACs) in hospitals was estimated at 40 percent by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and confirmed by the Partnership For Patients. According to the Beryl Institute, that figure has risen to 55 percent as the case for PFACs gains momentum giving patients […]
Imagine patient-centered care explained as a kind of updated Norman Rockwell painting. What you’d get is a recent PBS documentary, “Rx: The Quiet Revolution,” which, yes, uses a famous Rockwell image of a kindly family physician (Doctor and Doll) to set the stage for what follows. Putting Patient-Centeredness into Practice The 90-minute film, available for […]
I am donating my body to science. Well, to be more accurate, I am donating data about my body, via my iPhone, to some world-class medical researchers. That’s because I am now enrolled in my first-ever medical research study — 3,080 miles from my home. The medical study originates out of Stanford University in California. […]
Today’s chronic disease patient is often inundated with education about his or her condition. Although clinicians and educators have good intentions, and the material provided is robust and thorough, traditional education often fails to drive patients to make needed behavior changes. The Challenge of the Returning Patient Nearly 25% of patients hospitalized with congestive heart […]
A few years ago, I was upgraded to First Class on a flight from California back to Chicago. Not long after I settled in, a tall, muscular man easily four inches taller than me walked up to my aisle seat in the first row and prepared to sit by the window. I envisioned him spending […]
As the American population is living longer, hospitals are experiencing an increase in the geriatric population — both inpatient and ambulatory care. Kings County Hospital Center is no different, as demonstrated by our patients who are admitted for congestive heart failure. Contrary to popular perception, a significant number of our elderly population are awake, alert, […]
It seems we’re all into health tracking these days. It started with weight and calories, moved on to steps and miles and then to sleep (or in most cases, lack of sleep). Now it’s turned to heart rate, blood sugar, cholesterol, oxygen saturation and NikeFuel. The Quantified Self In Apple’s Health app for iPhone, for […]
The process of engaging patients in making care safer should be seen through a Santa Claus lens. It can be naughty or nice, depending not on good intentions but on the specifics of the intervention. Seeking True Empowerment The key question is whether patients are being truly empowered or whether providers are passing the buck, […]
When Helen Haskell lost her son Lewis to medical harm, becoming a medical educator most likely was the furthest thought from her mind. The same, I would imagine holds true for Patty and David Skolnik and Carole Hemmelgarn, patient advocates who also lost children entrusted to healthcare professionals. But when these incredible individuals rose above […]