OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill., Nov. 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A report released today from The Joint Commission offers guiding principles and actions for the hospital of the future to meet the daunting challenges of older and sicker patients, patient safety and quality of care, economics and the work force. As these challenges escalate, hospitals can lead the effort to meet these demands.
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Health Care at the Crossroads: Guiding Principles for the Development of the Hospital of the Future contends that hospitals must respond in new ways as escalating health care costs are hitting record highs and the conditions and care needs of hospitalized patients are growing more complex. The report is the work of an expert panel comprising hospital executives and clinical leaders, as well as experts in technology, health care economics, hospital design and patient safety. The roundtable analyzed how socio-economic trends, technology, the physical environment of care, patient-centered care values and ongoing staffing challenges will impact the hospital of the future.
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"The importance of hospital-based care will not diminish in the future, but hospitals will have to meet the high expectations of the public and all stakeholders in an increasingly challenging environment," says Mark R. Chassin, M.D., M.P.P., M.P.H.., president, The Joint Commission. "As they have been in the past, hospitals must be equally transformative as the future unfolds. The Joint Commission urges hospitals and public policymakers to use the principles in this report to achieve that aim."
"The Joint Commission has brought together broad expertise in health care to point to directions for optimizing health care in hospitals. Hospitals have an enduring role in the delivery of health care and have provided major contributions to enhancing the treatment of disease," says Herbert Pardes, M.D., President and CEO, New York Presbyterian Hospital and New York Presbyterian Healthcare System and roundtable chair. "Looking forward, this white paper describes issues ranging from technology to personnel, patient relationships, and fiscal and architectural design among many other ways hospitals can enhance health care for all patients."
The report recommends action in five core areas:
Economic Viability
While some hospitals today enjoy healthy profit margins, many hospitals continue to be unprofitable. There is a growing gap between the have and have-not hospitals. An aging population and a continuing decline in employer-sponsored insurance means that hospitals can expect increases in publicly insured patients and uncompensated care. This is expected to create more competition for the fewer patients to whom costs may be shifted. For hospitals to be economically viable in the future, the following principles must be pursued by hospitals, health care stakeholders and policymakers:
Technology Adoption
Information technology plays a major role in improving health care quality and safety, and can help to support the migration of hospital-based care into the community and even the home. The technological transformation of health care also invites the redefinition of the hospital, according to the report. To address technology in the hospital of the future, the expert roundtable suggests the following:
Patient-Centered Care
It is the patient who is at the center of care. The patient has the greatest stake in their care and as such, should be respected as an equal partner in their care. The elevation of the patient to partner is not a ceremonial title bestowed for a "feel good" moment, but has significant implications for the quality and safety of patient care. Family members or others to whom the patient is emotionally tied are also part of the health care partnership. According to the report, achieving patient-centered care should be driven by the following actions:
Staffing
Work force shortages have persistently plagued hospitals over the last several years. To address the fact that demand for certain health care professionals outstrips supply and to meet the needs of patients in the future, the report makes the following recommendations:
Hospital Design
Hundreds of studies have revealed hospital design characteristics that work for improving patient safety and health care outcomes, and providing a supportive environment for hospital staff. Yet, most new hospitals are not being built "safe by design." To achieve this goal, the report calls for the following actions:
The full report can be found at www.jointcommission.org.
Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve the safety and quality of care provided to the public through the provision of health care accreditation and related services that support performance improvement in health care organizations. The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits more than 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, including more than 8,000 hospitals and home care organizations, and more than 6,200 other health care organizations that provide long term care, assisted living, behavioral health care, laboratory and ambulatory care services. The Joint Commission also accredits health plans, integrated delivery networks, and other managed care entities. In addition, The Joint Commission provides certification of disease-specific care programs, primary stroke centers, and health care staffing services. An independent, not-for-profit organization, The Joint Commission is the nation's oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Learn more about The Joint Commission at www.jointcommission.org.
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-- Align performance and payment systems to meet quality and efficiency-related goals -- Use process improvement tools to increase efficiency and reduce costs -- Pursue coverage options to ensure patient access to, and affordability of, health care services -- Address how general acute hospitals and specialty hospitals can both fulfill the social mission for health care delivery.
SOURCE The Joint Commission
