big data in pharma

The US has one of the costliest healthcare services in the world., According to one research done by Peterson and Kaiser organizations, the US spent over $3.8 trillion on healthcare in 2019 and $4.1 trillion in 2020. Unfortunately, life expectancy is relatively low despite these rising prices. To make matters worse, most healthcare providers are still not aggressive in their quest to provide patient care that improves the patient’s health or quality of life. Research also shows that improved healthcare leads to reduced discomfort and pain, faster recovery, and an enhanced mental and emotional state. Let’s expound more on how to ramp up the quality of patient care in healthcare: 

Offer emotional support

When your body is not functioning as well as it used to, you are bound to feel frustrated, downcast, and sad. Emotional support is crucial to patient care as it makes the patient feel like someone empathizes with them during one of the most challenging times of their lives. However, emotional support entails a slight degree of psychology. Before you offer a shoulder to lean on, it would be wise to read between the lines and pick up on the cues they are showing you. Some patients want you to tell them the truth without sugar-coating, while others need a listening ear. 

Don’t overlook your patient’s mental health

Research reveals that patients undergoing health disorders and physical trauma are more susceptible to bouts of stress, anxiety, and depression. Medication such as antidepressants could also alter their brain chemistry and cause them to get into a depressive state. Your patients would feel well taken care of if they knew you have their best interests at heart, especially their mental health. Staff members in healthcare facilities ought to understand how to detect warning signs in patients before they can seek intervention from a mental health professional. 

Show gratitude 

Your patients won’t return if you make them feel like you are doing them a favor. First and foremost, you chose the healthcare industry because you wanted to help people. Secondly, you wouldn’t get a chance to practice your passion if you didn’t have patients to treat. Therefore, it wouldn’t hurt to be thankful that your patients chose you to treat them. When someone comes to your facility, greet them with a smile and thank them for entrusting you with their well-being. 

Be transparent! 

Transparency is key to patient-centered care. In this regard, you ought to help your patients understand treatment options, any corresponding risks and the costs. Get and request feedback from your patients, and always guide them through their treatment plan. Patient-centered care also entails price transparency in healthcare facilities. Your responsibility is to ensure that your patients know how much a service or item costs before receiving care at your facility. 

Allow the patient’s loved ones to participate

One of the best ways to improve patient care in hospitals would be to involve their family members and loved ones. If you were facing a life-threatening illness, you would most likely want your loved ones to have a say in decision-making. After all, they will be most affected if anything terrible happens to you. Allowing the family to make decisions concerning the patient’s health generates trust and makes them feel less alone during these trying times. 

Prioritize their physical needs 

In addition to being sick, your patient must recover in an unfamiliar hospital environment away from home. The best you can do is to make their stay as comfortable as possible to experience a smooth recovery. It would help to address physical needs such as assisting them in taking walks, doing daily exercise, managing pain, and conducting regular check-ups. We couldn’t forget to mention providing a healthy balanced diet to speed up their recovery. 

Respect everyone 

Besides good communication, respect is another crucial aspect of excellent patient care. You will meet people from different walks of life. Each person has a unique set of needs, wants, and desires. Therefore, treating everyone with basic human decency would be wise, and addressing their concerns accordingly. Once your patient acknowledges you respect them, they will accord the same respect to you and become more motivated to stick to their care plan. 

Tap into technology

Times are changing, and we can all agree that technology has become a crucial part of our day-to-day lives. The healthcare industry is one of many that has benefited from digitization. Technology makes record-keeping more manageable, improves communication, promotes access to resources, and improves drug development. We do not doubt that leveraging technology can drastically improve patient care while keeping their records and data safe. 

Wrapping up

The healthcare industry has come a long way. However, there is still room for improvement for many providers in the quest for a pleasant patient-centered care. There are many benefits of improved patient care including growing your reputation as a provider and ultimately earning more in profits.