Quality and patient experience: A six-dimensional approach for the future of healthcare

Abstract

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has significantly altered the American healthcare system. Through the establishment of the ACA, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) introduced Value-Based Purchasing (VBP), a pay-for-performance program, to the hospital payment system. From a community hospital’s standpoint, a multifaceted approach to quality and patient satisfaction on better managing the health of the community was recognized: what begins in the community ends in the hospital as a valuable indicator for each individual’s well-being. This article depicts the process of utilizing a six-dimensional approach on engaging stakeholders to improve quality of care and patient satisfaction: (1) inpatient, (2) emergency department, (3) employee, (4) physician relationships, (5) outpatient, and (6) community. As the effect of the ACA becomes more prominent, hospitals should maintain their organizational flow and care coordination through the six-dimensional approach to bring patients and their families back to the center of their care.