Returning to Orlando as a sponsor for the IHI 28th Annual National Forum on Quality Improvement in health care, we are honored to be associated with more than 5,000 attendees from around the world who share a common commitment to the mission of improving the quality and value of health care.
Perhaps no other organization brings together this caliber of leading speakers and practitioners with a focus on enhancing the quality of care. Because of the scope of the event, picking sessions can be a little overwhelming with outstanding keynotes, more than 100 workshops, 200 quality improvement storyboards, plus an opportunity to meet and network with a dedicated group of sponsors and supporting organizations.
The event concluded with a closing keynote from Dr. Don Berwick. One of the most passionate and articulate voices in health care and a prime mover behind the Triple Aim, Dr. Berwick believes that for health care to adapt in this new consumer-driven world, it must begin shifting power back to the patient. Always one to back up his belief with plans, here is his (abbreviated) 8-step process for doing that:
- First you have to want to. Make a commitment.
- Talk less, ask more. How can we know what matters unless we ask?
- Make transparency limitless. The best way to shift power is to share knowledge.
- Examine and change the silly rules that stand in the way of that shift.
- Equip our homes and our communities every way we possibly can to replace the institutions that disable us. Moving care from hospital to home is a powerful way to restore the balance of power. In hospitals, we keep making the mistake of thinking we’re the hosts instead of the guests in our patients’ lives. Moving care home makes us think twice about decorum.
- Share decision-making. The tools exist to do this, including decision supports, online tools and other new technologies.
- End the habit of designing core systems around hard cases. Good rules for the very few are bad rules for the many.
- N = 1 care. Shifting power implies customization.
We believe that these are solid and practical approaches to putting patients and families in control of their care—especially his second point– Talk less, ask more. At TruthPoint, our company directive is to “Ask, Listen, Get Better.” It is our hope that we can continue this mission and help the health care community meet their goals of an improved patient experience with better quality and outcomes—by truly listening and seeking to understand.