#4 care coordination final care
Health care policies are essential to the delivery of patient-centered care. These policies provide guidelines and direction for healthcare providers, setting standards for quality in the provision of health services. Health care policies can affect patient-centered care by influencing how healthcare services are structured, how they are implemented, and how providers interact with patients.
Policies that promote shared decision making between clinicians and patients help ensure that individuals have adequate access to information necessary to make informed choices about their own health. Health policies also help protect the privacy of individual’s medical information by establishing rules concerning who has access to confidential data such as test results or diagnoses. In addition, regulations mandating minimum staffing levels and qualifications for staff members can help ensure that healthcare teams have the necessary skills and training needed to deliver high quality services.
Moreover, many health care organizations have adopted policies designed specifically with a focus on patient-centered approaches. These include initiatives such as providing convenient appointment times and same day scheduling; increasing communication options between providers and patients; or offering more flexible payment plans. Such measures demonstrate an organization’s commitment to placing patients at the center of their approach while simultaneously strengthening relationships between those individuals receiving treatment and the people providing it.