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Special Reports

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Bridget Duffy of ExperiaHealth Discusses How Empowering Patients Can Help Improve Care

In a conversation with California Healthline, Bridget Duffy -- CEO of ExperiaHealth, a company focused on improving patient experience -- discussed the benefits of putting patients at the center of efforts to improve the health care system.

According to Duffy, one way to empower patients is through health navigators, who help guide patients through the health care system, coordinate care and provide support to prevent readmissions to the hospital.

Health care providers seeking to become more patient-centered also should focus on "mapping the gaps in the human experience," Duffy said.

She added that safety-net health care organizations face unique challenges in empowering patients. However, Duffy noted that such organizations have an opportunity to create demonstration projects and serve as a national model on how to focus on patient experience for the underserved (California Healthline, 5/25).

The complete transcript of this report is available as a PDF.

Running Time: 5:41

Reader Comments:
  • 2
  • 06/08/2011
  • glen Miller

Dr. Duffy is correect. Escalating cost of healthcare is a major threat to our ability to continue to provide quality care in the future. The theme of my book, "Empowering the Patient" is that thruogh collaboration between empowered patients and their physician, healthcare costs can be reduced and the Quality of care improved.
Glen E. Miller M.D.

  • 1
  • 06/06/2011
  • Roberta Mikles

Before this can be done, staff, in all health care facilities, must 'buy-into' the concept that the patient is the center of care and should be fully included in their treatment planning and care. Further, there are many staff who resent patients speaking up to ensure they receive safe care (including, families speaking up). This results in staff defensiveness, along with what we often see in dialysis facilities, as overt or covert intimidation. This is alive in dialysis units. Hence, again, staff must first accept such and providers must understand that many staff do not accept being told by a patient that they are implementing a wrong practice, e.g. that pertaining to infection prevention, hand hygiene
Roberta Mikles RN
Dialysis Patient Safety Advocate

'above are opinions of Roberta Mikles'



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