The role of the patient in healthcare quality

Healthcare is changing rapidly, and so is the need for continuous improvement in healthcare quality.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the six domains of quality interventions are: Leadership, Information, Regulation & Standards, Organizational Capacity, Models of Care, and Patient & Population Engagement.¹

Maintaining quality has been linked to better infrastructure and processes, cutting the cost, and increasing delivery efficiency. Focus has been on what the hospital can provide to the patient.

However, the patients also play a vital role in improving healthcare quality.

It has been stated that “Patients are the most underutilized resource [in healthcare] and they have the most at stake. They want to be involved and they can be involved. Their participation will lead to better medical outcomes at lower costs with dramatically higher patient satisfaction.”²

An emerging literature indicates that patients actively involved in their own healthcare experience better outcomes, are more satisfied with their choices, and may make more cost-effective decisions.³ On the other hand, a non-engaged patient is more likely to suffer poor clinical outcomes, is less satisfied with his or her providers, and is more likely to file malpractice suits.² A patient who is not actively engaged may lead to the failure of process improvements or other efficiency measures taken by healthcare providers.
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