AHA Quality Aims: Part Three

This is part three of my series on the Six Aims set out by the Institute of Medicine and supported by the AHA. Today I’d like to review talent management‘s impact on patient centeredness.

The IOM definition of Patient Centeredness is a focus on the patient’s experience of illness and health care, and the systems that work or fail to meet the individual patient’s needs.

Patients have an expectation that the care they receive will be professional, compassionate, and help them get better, or at least more comfortable. Meeting or better exceeding their expectations depends a lot on the front line care worker(s) at your facility.

Recently, several statistically-valid research studies have proven the strong link between employee satisfaction and patient safety and satisfaction. The research demonstrates that satisfied employees are more effective at their jobs. It can safely be concluded then that a satisfied employee will likely provide more patient centered service than a dissatisfied one.

Halogen has written a white paper on the link between employee satisfaction and patient satisfaction and safety that you might like to read. The white paper explains how automated talent management systems integrate individual HR programs such as performance appraisals, 360 feedback, goal alignment, development planning. All of these contribute to employee satisfaction, which in turn impacts patient safety, patient satisfaction and patient centeredness.

Check back next for part four in the series where we’ll look at the fourth IOM aim of effectiveness and how talent management plays a role.