HSA 6385 Blog 2

Higher quality equals higher cost…

Hospitals strive to provide a high standard of quality when providing care to their patients. Many hospitals are working to revamp their quality improvement standards by becoming patient centered and advancing the patient experience. Millions of dollars are going into hospital renovations, new technology, training programs for personnel and new treatments for patients suffering from terminal diseases such as cancer, HIV, and heart disease. With the advancements being made to the quality of care patients are receiving, one has to wonder what the effect of higher quality will have on the cost of patient care, after all someone has to foot the bill. For example, heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the United States therefore researchers and cardiologist have made and continue to make advancements in the study of treating, preventing and curing patients suffering from the disease. Over the years the treatment of heart disease has evolved from oxygen and morphine to cardiac catheterizations, angioplasties, and the placement of a medicated stent. The cost of these treatments has also evolved from hundreds of dollars to thousands of dollars.

However, the advancing of treatment is not the issue. The problem lies within the organization where the treatments take place. Two hospitals located in the same city can charge different amounts for the same treatment just because they are ranked higher in quality than the other. Although the service that you receive at one facility is exactly the same as another, hospitals will charge more to cover the cost of the patient experience.

Therefore, one has to wonder if the patient experience is worth the added cost of the service. Does a better hospital experience really help the patient’s recovery process? After volunteering at several locations where patient experience was a priority and facilities where patient experience was not so important, I can agree that higher quality of care does add to the cost but it is well worth it. As a patient, it is comforting to know that the care you receive is centered on you. The healing process is also easier when the environment is comfortable, the staff recognizes the unique needs of individual patients, and the doctors treating you are highly recommended in their field.

Reference:

Brown , D. (2009, July 26). As health-care quality rises, so does price. The Washington Post . Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/25/AR2009072502381.html?sid=ST2009072600012