Hospitals are wellness centers at their best, yet more patients today have comorbidities when they engage initially with a physician. The goal is as one long time CEO framed it, transition over time from Downstream to Upstream medicine to prevent disease.
The pandemic confirmed America has a significant wellness deficit and now faces 3 realities:
- There is an acute shortage of physicians, plus many physicians have burnout
- There is also a critical shortage of RNs and other caregivers
- The experience of the pandemic caused many citizens to not trust their government and by proxy health care
The pandemic forced hospital senior leadership to streamline the decision-making process on the fly. Lessons learned are being applied every day in hospital systems small and large, solo medical centers, stand-alone community hospitals, and Rural Health.
Yes, the reboot from the pandemic has been uneven and a difficult climb, but the outline of a new paradigm in health care is emerging:
- Care teams are refining Patient Experience by streamlining access, strengthening weaker patient touch points in the patient journey, and communicating effectively with patients via the EMR
- Providers are enriching Patient Experience by power-partnering with patients, nurses, and physicians
- New community wellness programs align consumer interest with cutting-edge wellness research
- Providers are launching upstream wellness initiatives for younger consumers identified as at-risk of a cardiovascular event, Type 2 diabetes, or cancer
- Care teams are incorporating more holistic healing into community wellness outreach programs
- Some providers are opening walk-in clinics staffed by professional peers for those with a mental illness or addiction
- Providers have initiated partnerships with medical schools to fast-track training
- Providers have formed partnerships with nursing schools to train more future nurses
- Some providers are setting-up a Concierge Medicine study with select PCPs and payers
- Providers are actively seeking partnerships with industry entrepreneurs to develop new technologies or products for patient care
- Most providers who use the EMR to communicate with patients also provide disease-specific video education
- Providers are weighing different machine learning and AI products to streamline the patient process and reduce operating costs
Effective wellness outreach will ensure:
1. More consumers actively engaged in their own wellness
2. Fewer patients needing to be hospitalized or sent to a nursing home
3. Patients having a renewed confidence in the physicians, nurses, and caregivers who partner with them in pursuit of their physical and mental wellness
4. More healthy communities
5. A more productive citizenry with a greater sense of community
Our Strategic Advisory is based on experiential knowledge. We specialize in conceptualization, problem-solving, and old-fashioned needs-based consulting.
Whether you seek an enhanced Patient Experience program, a more effective wellness initiative, a multi-level community outreach program, an operational change that will produce a significant ROI, or an informed second opinion, we can help.
See what ‘Q’ can do for you!!