A new report by The Joint Commission, Oakbrook Terrace, Ill, furnishes guiding principles and actions on safety for "the hospital of the future" and calls for action in the area of patient-centered care.
As the patient has the greatest stake in their care, he or she should be respected as an equal partner in his or her care, says [removed]Health Care at the Crossroads: Guiding Principles for the Development of the Hospital of the Future[/removed].
Achieving patient-centered care should be driven by the following actions:
* Make adoption of patient-centered care values a priority for improving patient safety and patient and staff satisfaction
* Incorporate patient-centered care principles into the activities of hospital oversight bodies and transparency initiatives
* Address barriers to patient and family engagement, such as low health literacy and personal and cultural preferences
* Eliminate disparities in the quality of care for minorities, the poor, aging patients, and patients with mental illness
* Improve the quality of care for patients with chronic illness through coordinated, multi-disciplinary care
* Use robust process improvement tools to improve quality and safety
The report also recommends action in the areas of economic viability, technology adoption, staffing, and hospital design.
[Source: American Physical Therapy Association]
