Many changes have been introduced in the industry of health care over the recent past. Most of these changes aim at reducing expenditures in health care. This leads to a reduction in the quality of services offered such that the health care consumers may be worse off even with the fall in health care expenditures. Patient health care outcome is an important indicator of the quality of health care provided by hospitals. The outcome can be defined as a patient’s change in health status such as improvement in a disease’s symptoms as a result of the received medical care. The outcome could either be intentional or non-intentional. Knowledge of patient outcomes/quality of care provided to a patient will help the health care consumer choose a safe hospital. In this case, the choice will be where the care given is helpful and not that which can lead to injuries. The patient also benefits from effective services. Thus, the services are based on scientific knowledge meaning that the services provided will be beneficial to the consumer (“Evaluating quality of health care” 2). A hospital that provides quality care also has patient-centered services. In this regard, the care providers are respectful and responsive to patients’ needs based on their preferences and values. The health consumer also benefits from timely services reducing delays that could be harmful to the patient. Quality outcomes provided by hospitals will also help reduce waste of time and energy. This is concerning moving from one hospital to another while looking for quality health care. A hospital with good health outcomes also provides equitable services to all patients with no variance in quality in terms of gender, ethnicity, personal characteristics, geographic locations, or socioeconomic status (“Evaluating quality of health care” 4).
An establishment that offers health care services to the people who require such services is called a health care provider. This may include health care professionals like physicians or nurses or health care facilities like hospitals or clinics. A health care consumer will always look for a health care facility that provides them with quality health care. Therefore, health care providers should ensure quality in the work to ensure a commendable patient turnout. This means that they should provide the right quality health care promptly and appropriately to achieve the best results possible. The care providers will also benefit consumers as they receive accreditation or seal of approval which is a mark of quality given by private and independent groups. This accreditation is a report of the present quality of services by hospitals and other health care facilities (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality 9). The health consumer will always prefer a hospital that is accredited and highly rated by the state, consumer groups, or other organizations. They will also prefer a hospital that can offer quality monitoring of work to improve their quality. The consumer will choose a doctor who has been rated highly for care quality and has the right skills and experience to meet their needs. In addition, a doctor whom consumers can work with to make decisions concerning their health will be chosen. These preferences of care consumers to health providers providing quality health care/outcomes only mean that the providers tend to get other benefits in the form of funds, donations, recognition, and other employment benefits (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality 10).
Works Cited
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality 2005, Guide to healthcare quality. PDF file. 2013. Web.