A four-part approach to delivering the care patients want and need

The health care market is becoming increasingly competitive. Why? Because patients and families are taking more initiative in steering their health care experiences. In the U.S. alone, estimates show that active patient choices can impact more than 60% of health care spending. The future of the global health care market lies in delivering high-value care that concentrates on the patient experience.

At Siemens Healthineers, we believe patients will become empowered consumers. As consumers, they want options that respond to their personal needs. These options include control over their data, and digital access to educational and medical services that will enable participation in their own care. Patients will increasingly expect diagnostic procedures and treatment paths to be personalized to incorporate their preferences and needs. We support health care providers on their journey toward improving the patient experience, the sum of all interactions influencing patient perceptions, across the continuum of care.

This continuum of care starts with engaging people before they become patients. By creating cohorts of individuals at risk, and proactively promoting preventive care, medical providers can anticipate the onset of disease and take prophylactic steps to avoid it. Large-scale proactive outreach and education to patients and families helps patients make more informed choices about the care they need.

Once in a care setting, patients expect a quick diagnosis with convenient and timely access to appropriate tests. A majority of patients and providers consider diagnostics a key factor in improving the patient experience. Patient-friendly technology actively mitigates anxiety and increases diagnostic accuracy. When the diagnostic experience is positive, missed appointments are reduced, and the opportunity for care increases.

The next touchpoint in the continuum of patient care is treatment. Preferred patient outcomes cannot be predicted and must be aligned between patient and care provider. Outcomes that matter to patients typically include pain-free diagnosis and treatment; faster recovery with fewer side effects, complications, infections, and revisions; and better well-being and quality of life overall. Technology can better patient outcomes by, for instance, leveraging new minimally invasive treatments or imaging-enabled precise robotic surgery.

Finally, once patients are successfully discharged, if health care providers want to impact patient well-being and sustain patient loyalty, they will need to deliver positive interactions repeatedly over the long term. Patients expect reliable access to caregivers for advice and support while also demanding control over the availability of their personal health information to others. If health care providers want to impact patient well-being, they will need to continually support good wellness literacy efforts and encourage healthier behavior.

This four-part approach can lead to transformations that improve the patient experience.

Please find  the report here:  https://www.healthcare.siemens.com/insights/news/mso-hbr-improving-patient-exprience.html?stc=wwhc205418