Decoding Quality Health Care
By Jane A Malkoff MSN RN NP
I asked someone with a great deal of expert experience in engineering to walk me through some of the quality assurance protocols and specifications used in the automobile industry. It was fascinating conversation and it became easier for me to see how ill equipped the health care industry remains with providing consistent high quality experiences in comparison to technologically advanced automated systems.
The health care system is filled with multiple mere human decision makers and representatives at every interface and the chance of mitigating all of the potential quality threats caused by these human interactions would be a near impossible task, not to mention too costly to identify and automate each and every one of them.
This blog is the third in a 3-part series on quality in the health care system. The hope in this final portion is to create the space for considering health care in the same playing field as any other product such as a car or truck for instance. Manufacturers have strict protocols and specifications and thinking of our health care system in this way can be uncomfortable much like a good workout but the stretch is usually worth it later.
I asked the same engineering expert how they would shop for a quality car – a product they actually help to create. Here was the response:
- Pick a car
- Research the value using Kelly Blue Book (KBB) as a reference
- Research Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Highway (IIHS) for car safety ratings (Highlights, seat belt, crash, etc…)
- Research JD Power Car Reliability
- Research consumer feedback in person and on-line
- Research recalls
- Test drive the car
- Talk to friends
Interesting. Straight forward. If I showed up at a car dealership with this list I doubt any dealer would shy away. My guess is they would eagerly and willingly help. If I walked up to a health care dealership like this I would not be considered a valuable customer and could very well be declined. I rarely see this straight forward practical approach in the health care system. I leave you with this; create your list of 8 steps similar to the ones above you would take to make certain you had the best health care product available such as a surgical outcome, a nursing home experience or a primary care provider. Try it out. Can’t find an alternative to Kelly Blue Book or IIHS? Ask around. Give me a call. This can be fun!!