In the United States, there's an exceedingly high cost of healthcare. In fact, it is the most expensive out of all comparable countries. There are a lot of flaws in the healthcare system that need improvements, such as quality of care and costs. A recent study by Johns Hopkins analyzed the death toll for eight years and came up with statistics showing how medical errors were one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. In fact, it ranked third next to heart disease and cancer. There's no excuse for so much error. The study found that medical errors accounted for 250,000 lives a year. One of the most significant contributors to medical mistakes is verbal or written miscommunication. To be precise and accurate when transferring patients' status or the physician's orders is a must and can determine whether a patient lives or dies. There is no room for error when your job is responsible for someone's well-being.
Triple Aim Enterprise:
We are beyond any denial at this point that there are significant errors in the healthcare systems across the country. In recognizing these shortcomings, the IHI or the Institute for Health Improvement established the Triple Aim. What is IHI Triple Aim? And what is their framework?
Introduced in 2007 by the IHI is a body put together to help institutions in advancing care for the population and make the whole experience of care better. There are three significant aspects of healthcare Triple Aim is targeting. The first thing is the quality of care, to make the patient's care as good as possible; the second is to improve the health of entire populations, and finally, to reduce the exorbitant cost of medical care. To have healthier and better care for patients at a lower cost would be the goal of all healthcare facilities through the Triple Aim enterprises.
With an aging population and shortage in healthcare staffing across the nation, there's got to be some changes. Triple aim guides and helps by pushing for policies like the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. The triple aim IHI framework is dedicated to serving the public with better quality care that's affordable to the whole public.
What Does IHI Stand For In Healthcare?
The (IHI) Institute for Health Improvement has been around for over 30 years, promoting better ways to improve health worldwide. Through research and science, the IHI is dedicated to an ever-improving system that serves people with the best healthcare in communities, regions, and nations through learning and education.
Nursa:
This online mobile app gives hospitals and other facilities available on-call nurses. These trained professionals usually work at different facilities and are familiar with working in various environments. This app works with PRN or per diem nurses, keeping the patient-to-nurse ratio at a proper level.
PRN nurses are doing so on an "as-needed" basis. They tend to work at their best to their full potential will ensure they are called back to the job. Having backup nurses keeps patients from being neglected and has saved hospitals from strain across the nation. Hiring PRN nurses saves hospitals money, and as hospitals and other facilities have less overhead, it keeps healthcare costs from rising. These PRN nurses choose their schedule and are there because they want to be; wanting to work as opposed to having to work creates a better attitude toward taking care of the patient's needs. Having the option of using apps such as Nursa has been a major tool in the fight for improving the public's health and meeting the financial objectives of the Triple AIM model.
Having an ever-evolving healthcare system is the only way to improve our current problems. Bringing down healthcare costs, more acute care for patients is not an option. The solutions are being worked on and implemented with dedicated groups such as the IHI. As we move forward and tackle these problems, there are sure to be different obstacles to overcome. Still, progress is made through groups like Triple Aim through determination, education, and new technologies.
