The Patient at the Center of the Care Process

LAS VEGAS, NV, August 19, 2010

To drive better outcomes, the patient needs to be in the center of the care process, advises Gary Kolbeck, General Manager - LodgeNet Healthcare. By engaging patients through interactive services, nurses will have more time to spend where they are needed and people will be better informed about the medications they require, thereby reducing re-admission rates. From a solution provider company at the marcus evans National Healthcare CXO Summit Fall 2010 taking place in Las Vegas, October 24-26, Kolbeck shares his vision of how healthcare can be transformed by utilizing interactive services.

What should healthcare organization CEOs focus on?

Gary Kolbeck: Due to the many struggles Healthcare CEOs and CIOs are facing, they are starting to look at Meaningful Use by deploying electronic medical records which will assist in capturing and tracking appropriate patient data. Meaningful Use criteria revolve around transforming healthcare, and the best way to achieve that would be by engaging patients in the care process. Hospitals should share information with the patients, by providing access to their electronic medical records and clinical data. This way, healthcare organizations can maximize the value of their Meaningful Use investments.

In order to drive better outcomes, the patient needs to be in the center of the care process, and physicians should be consultants instead of trying to have full control.

How can this be done effectively?

Gary Kolbeck: When educating a patient in safety or diagnostics, organizations can combine their efforts in video, print and bedside care. To drive comprehension of education, they may provide material in a video format instead of just presenting someone a piece of paper to read; metrics have proven that comprehension increases by 40 per cent through video format. The best way to drive utilization is to provide more information in addition to receiving treatment from hospital staff. We are in an era where websites like YouTube are providing access to video content that is clinically relevant and in some cases healthcare organizations need to embrace this form of learning.

To view the complete news release, please visit:
http://www.healthcare-summit.com/GaryKolbeck

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