Making the grade under the spotlight of transparency
While the “A” students happily bask in their public recognition, some “C” players are quick to point out that flaws persist in the data collection and research methodology. Even though most healthcare institutions might agree that the science of measuring patient safety is far from perfect, the reality is that structural flaws are generally applied consistently across providers. Cries from “C” players that “our hospital is different” are tougher to defend when you can find examples of “A” players among all types of institutions; from large, urban, academic medical centers to small, rural, community-based hospitals.
Hospitals, physicians and health systems that accept the reality that transparency is here to stay will be best positioned to effectively compete under increasing payer scrutiny and escalating consumerism. Building a culture focused on continuous improvement and delivering higher value is the only way individual providers will survive – and thrive – in the healthcare fishbowl of cost and quality scrutiny.
