According to the National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ), one of the core competencies of healthcare quality professionals is patient safety, which includes ensuring effective transitions of care and reducing preventable readmissions12.
One of the strategies to achieve this goal is to improve patient compliance with follow-up visits, which can help monitor patient outcomes, prevent complications, and provide continuity of care34.
Among the four options given, the best way to improve patient compliance is to initiate a process where the discharge planners call patients prior to the follow-up visit. This is because:
A phone call can serve as a reminder for the patient to keepthe appointment, as well as an opportunity to address any barriers or concerns that the patient may have34.
A phone call can also help establish rapport and trust between the patient and the discharge planner, which can increase patient satisfaction and adherence4.
A phone call can also allow the discharge planner to confirm the patient’s understanding of the discharge instructions, medication regimen, and follow-up plan, and to provide any additional education or support that the patient may need34.
Theother options are less effective because:
Benchmarking with other facilities in the area to determine the rate of patient compliance may provide some insight into the current performance and best practices, but it does not directly address the specific needs and preferences of the individual patient5.
Including handouts in the discharge documents on the importance of keeping follow-up appointments may increase the patient’s awareness and knowledge, but it may not be sufficient to motivate the patient to act on the information, especially if the patient has low health literacy, cognitive impairment, or mental health issues.
Communicating to noncompliant patients that appointments should be kept may sound authoritative and judgmental, which may alienate the patient and reduce their willingness to cooperate. Instead, a patient-centered and empathetic approach that acknowledges the patient’s challenges and preferences may be more effective. References: 1: [NAHQ Code of Ethics] 2: [NAHQ HQ Principles] 3: The Importance of Patient Follow-Up | MagMutual 4: The Importance of Patient Follow-Up and Service Recovery 5: [The Financial Case for Quality as a Business Strategy] : [Utilization of Improvement Methodologies by Healthcare Quality Professionals During the COVID-19 Pandemic] : [Understanding the Evolving Landscape of Healthcare Quality] : https://nahq.org/about-nahq/code-of-ethics/ : https://nahq.org/products/hq-principles/ : https://nahq.org/resources/the-financial-case-for-quality-as-a-business-strategy-2/ : https://nahq.org/resources/journal-for-healthcare-quality/utilization-of-improvement-methodologies-by-healthcare-quality-professionals-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/ : https://nahq.org/news-media/news/understanding-the-evolving-landscape-of-healthcare-quality/
