Healthcare from the 1970’s is very different from healthcare in the 1980’s, as that of 2009 and 2019. The healthcare industry has changed in many aspects ranging from what patients are willing to accept, to the way providers and facilities are paid. In the 1970’s the HIV/AIDS epidemic took the U.S. by surprise and devastated may people’s way of life. The Heroin epidemic, what is was believed to be and how healthcare professionals responded to it. The Measles outbreak in the 1980’s because of inadequate vaccination coverage across the country. There was limited research and a large volume of best guess and trial and error in each of these national epidemics. The government and insurance providers were writing blank checks for reimbursement for services provided for poor quality of care.
In the early to mid-2000’s CMS, insurance providers and patients all made a shift to demand quality for the amount of money being paid to facilities and providers. This was the beginning of the patient experience movement. Because of technological advancements and the increase of deductibles and out-of-pocket expense patients now require move for what healthcare cost. This became the perfect way to demand better quality in care and for it to be done in a more cost-effective manner for CMS. This allowed reimbursement to be tied directly to the experience in services patients received. Much like buying a new care, if the price is the same at all dealerships customer purchase where the experience is the best.
Healthcare facilities and providers scrambled when reimbursement began being tied to what patient’s prospective was. Overnight came HCAHPS, 360 Surveys, Language of Caring, ADIET, Studer Group and several other programs surrounding patient experience. Choice has always existed but did not become a real factor until the beginning of the 21st Century. The internet became a primary source of information and questions surrounding healthcare for both patients and providers at the same time, this provided education about care and choice. With some 88 healthcare organizations within 4.93 square-miles in the Texas Medical Center understanding choice is real, most organizations have shifted to ensuring patient experience is a top priority. Understanding that financial performance is not only driven by the quality of care provided, but by patient satisfaction and patient choice.
Helping Healthcare Makes Sense 