Six Healthcare Priorities

The National Quality Strategy outlines six healthcare priorities. Ranking these priorities establishes their vitality in healthcare. Prevention is better than cure; therefore, the top priority list should be Effective Prevention and Treatment. Healthcare facilities should have running programs that promote effective prevention of diseases and treatment of the same and more so for those that are known to be the leading causes of mortality, such as diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, among others (WHO, 2013). These should be followed by the promotion of healthy living, where communities are involved in promoting best practices that enable better living. The city councils and urban planning departments should work together to ensure that the environment within which the community lives has amenities such as recreational parks, cycling tracks, basketball/ball game courts, health check checkpoints where persons can go for quick blood pressure and other vitals sign checkups, among others (Rydin et al., 2012).

The other priority should be person and family-centered care, where the responsibility of taking care of the patient is partly delegated to the patient and their family. By so doing, the burden in hospital facilities will be reduced, and in addition, the patient and the family can meet goals regarding preferred health outcomes. It also acts as a tool for educating family members on how to take of themselves and possibly avoid being in the same health position as the patient (Luxford et al., 2011). The next priority should be care affordability for all persons. Because disease and illnesses are unavoidable occurrences, all persons should be in a position to indiscriminately access care if the current disparities are to be totally eliminated (Stoto, 2013). When patients do afford to access healthcare, their safety should be prioritized, and affordability is one step in ensuring safety. Additionally, the staff at the healthcare facilities should follow policies and guidelines to ensure the best possible care is given to the patient for better outcomes and to avert malpractice lawsuits (Smith et al., 2009; Long et al., 2009).

Finally, the coordinated care of a patient is the last but not least of the priorities. It will mean little if a person and community have done their part to improve a patient’s health; the government affords accessibility to the patient, only for the patient to receive uncoordinated care that can result in their death. The use of technology should be embraced fully, along with frequent and open communication, for coordinated care to be effective (Singer et al., 2011).

References

Long, L. E., Burkett, K., & McGee, S. (2009). Promotion of safe outcomes: incorporating evidence into policies and procedures. Nursing Clinics of North America, 44(1), 57-70.

Luxford, K., Safran, D. G., & Delbanco, T. (2011). Promoting patient-centered care: a qualitative study of facilitators and barriers in healthcare organizations with a reputation for improving the patient experience. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 23(5), 510-515.

Rydin, Y., Bleahu, A., Davies, M., Dávila, J. D., Friel, S., De Grandis, G., … & Lai, K. M. (2012). Shaping cities for health: complexity and the planning of urban environments in the 21st century. The Lancet, 379(9831), 2079-2108.

Singer, S. J., Burgers, J., Friedberg, M., Rosenthal, M. B., Leape, L., & Schneider, E. (2011). Defining and measuring integrated patient care: promoting the next frontier in health care delivery. Medical Care Research and Review, 68(1), 112-127.

Smith, P., Pearson, P. H., & Ross, F. (2009). Emotions at work: what is the link to patient and staff safety? Implications for nurse managers in the NHS. Journal of Nursing Management, 17(2), 230-237.

Stoto, M. A. (2013). Population health in the Affordable Care Act era (Vol. 1). Washington, DC: AcademyHealth.

World Health Organization. (2013). Global action plan for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases 2013-2020.

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Six Healthcare Priorities

Rank the six priorities outlined in the “National Quality Strategy” according to what you think are the most important. Include your justification for the rankings.

Six Healthcare Priorities

Write 300 words. 

Reading:

• Nash, D. B., Clarke, J. L., Skoufalos, A., & Horowitz, M. (2012). Health care quality: The clinician’s primer.