Ireland Medical Device Registration

By Neha Deshpande

The famous North Atlantic island is Ireland.Ireland is third largest island in Europe, North Atlantic. As compared it's European neighbors Ireland is economically strong and in next few year medical equipment market will humbly finished. Ireland is one of the top the medical device exporters in Europe.

The medicines, healthcare diagnosis product, prevention, other product used in healthcare by providers and patients, in-vitro diagnostic (IVD) test kits, reagents, laboratory analyzers and related software, etc. is comes under the medical devices.

For Medical Device in Saudi Arabia the national regulatory authority agencies are responsible for the regulation. 

Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) (formerly the Irish Medicines Board).

European Medicines Agency (EMA).

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA): 
It is an European authority body responsible for regulation and authorization for Medical Device.

European Medicines Agency (EMA): 
Every single medicinal products for human utilize is derived from biotechnology and other high-technology processes must be centrally approved by the EMA.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): 
In Ireland, for the implementation of regulations on the contained use or deliberate release of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), EPA is responsible.

Registration Procedure: 

Step 1: Organization Registration

Step 2: Product Registration

Step 3: HPRA document verification

Step 1: Organization Registration: 
There are two way to registration:

1st: Online Mode 
You can register for HPRA on their website with respective fees.

2nd: Manual Mode 
In this case you need to download the form 'Publication and Forms 'section of http://www.hpra.ie then filled it and also attached required attachment and submit to HPRA.

Step 2: Product Registration: 
The Product Registration is online process for that you have to go on https://access.medicaldevices.ie and login with the help registration id and password of HPRA. After that you have to fill all product related information and take print out of it.

(Important note: Kindly provide Global Medical Device Nomenclature system (GMDN) for medical device which is to register during the registration. You can contact to GMDN agency through their contact details present in their website if GMDN is not available for particular device for nomenclature.)

Documents attached: 

If you are the authorized representative making application on behalf of a manufacturer then you need "Notarized Letter of designation from the manufacturer. "

Class wise document required: a.For Class I EC declaration of conformity and technical documentation (Reference Directive 93/42/EEC: Article 11(5) and Annex VII part 3 S.I. No. 252 of 1994: Article 7 and Schedule 7 ) b.Custom-made general medical device Documentation A statement and documentation allowing an understanding of the design (Reference Directive 93/42/EEC: Article 11(6) and Annex VIII S.I. No. 252 of 1994: Article 15 and Schedule 8 ) c.System or Procedure Packs Documentation EC declaration of conformity and technical documentation (Reference Directive 93/42/EEC: Article 12 S.I. No. 252 of 1994: Article 11 ) d.Custom-made Active Implantable Documentation A statement and documentation allowing an understanding of the design (Reference Directive 90/385/EEC: Article 9(2) and Annex 6 I. No. 254 of 1994: Article (9)1 and Schedule)

If you want to register your medical device for the European Market you fill free to contact us on info@operonstrategist.com and +91-9325283428. Also visit us on https://www.operonstrategist.com

Ireland Medical Device Registration

By Neha Deshpande

The famous North Atlantic island is Ireland.Ireland is third largest island in Europe, North Atlantic. As compared it's European neighbors Ireland is economically strong and in next few year medical equipment market will humbly finished. Ireland is one of the top the medical device exporters in Europe.

The medicines, healthcare diagnosis product, prevention, other product used in healthcare by providers and patients, in-vitro diagnostic (IVD) test kits, reagents, laboratory analyzers and related software, etc. is comes under the medical devices.

For Medical Device in Saudi Arabia the national regulatory authority agencies are responsible for the regulation. 

Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) (formerly the Irish Medicines Board).

European Medicines Agency (EMA).

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA): 
It is an European authority body responsible for regulation and authorization for Medical Device.

European Medicines Agency (EMA): 
Every single medicinal products for human utilize is derived from biotechnology and other high-technology processes must be centrally approved by the EMA.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): 
In Ireland, for the implementation of regulations on the contained use or deliberate release of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), EPA is responsible.

Registration Procedure: 

Step 1: Organization Registration

Step 2: Product Registration

Step 3: HPRA document verification

Step 1: Organization Registration: 
There are two way to registration:

1st: Online Mode 
You can register for HPRA on their website with respective fees.

2nd: Manual Mode 
In this case you need to download the form 'Publication and Forms 'section of http://www.hpra.ie then filled it and also attached required attachment and submit to HPRA.

Step 2: Product Registration: 
The Product Registration is online process for that you have to go on https://access.medicaldevices.ie and login with the help registration id and password of HPRA. After that you have to fill all product related information and take print out of it.

(Important note: Kindly provide Global Medical Device Nomenclature system (GMDN) for medical device which is to register during the registration. You can contact to GMDN agency through their contact details present in their website if GMDN is not available for particular device for nomenclature.)

Documents attached: 

If you are the authorized representative making application on behalf of a manufacturer then you need "Notarized Letter of designation from the manufacturer. "

Class wise document required: a.For Class I EC declaration of conformity and technical documentation (Reference Directive 93/42/EEC: Article 11(5) and Annex VII part 3 S.I. No. 252 of 1994: Article 7 and Schedule 7 ) b.Custom-made general medical device Documentation A statement and documentation allowing an understanding of the design (Reference Directive 93/42/EEC: Article 11(6) and Annex VIII S.I. No. 252 of 1994: Article 15 and Schedule 8 ) c.System or Procedure Packs Documentation EC declaration of conformity and technical documentation (Reference Directive 93/42/EEC: Article 12 S.I. No. 252 of 1994: Article 11 ) d.Custom-made Active Implantable Documentation A statement and documentation allowing an understanding of the design (Reference Directive 90/385/EEC: Article 9(2) and Annex 6 I. No. 254 of 1994: Article (9)1 and Schedule)

If you want to register your medical device for the European Market you fill free to contact us on info@operonstrategist.com and +91-9325283428. Also visit us on https://www.operonstrategist.com

Understanding Population-Based Health Care to Engage Physicians

Wow, just writing this title excites me. Partly since I have such a passion for bringing together practitioners and patients for better health outcomes. But mostly because when we add a powerful mission that inspires real action that is based around population health management, I believe we can make some real progress in creating healthier and happier lives. To me, that's exciting because what it takes is us working together to implement a system that engages patients to become participants in their health. And this, my dear heart-centered friends, is where you as a holistic and wellness practitioner enter the traditional health care scene with your subset of skills and heart-centered characteristics that can lead health care teams toward new clinical benchmarks never before experienced in a clinical setting. Yes, that's a bold statement but one that I am convinced is not just possible but necessary.

So how does one undertake such a task? How can integrative practitioners not only be viewed as a viable part of the health care team but as a real contributor to the patients' health outcome?

I see population-based health care as a type of stone soup. If you remember the original folktale, villagers are tricked out of their greed and fear and into sharing and enjoying life with their neighbors. All thanks to a soup that didn't even exist... until everyone, unsuspecting even to themselves, contribute their one and only ingredient; that alone wouldn't amount to much. If each of us is truly interested in spreading our mission in which we all share the same outcome goals of healthier and happier people, then we must be willing to participate as a team. We must be willing to see, not only how our own "ingredient" brings value but how each member of the team brings value to the ultimate outcome of restored health and happiness. We must move past the "we against them" mentality that has plagued our health care system. We can no longer afford to see the split between social determinants of health and the physical manifestations of disease. The lifestyle medicine movement is already verifying the need to include what many holistic practitioners have known for decades, that individuals are not separate from their thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and habits which have a direct impact on health outcomes. We are not so different and clinicians are more open than ever to understanding all determinants of health.

There are several things that we must take into consideration first before we take on such a task and one of the biggest challenges I see from holistic and wellness practitioners is the willingness to speak and understand the same language as our clinical colleagues. It would be like moving to a foreign country without knowing the language. This most often happens because in our passion and excitement for giving witness to our mission, we tend to hyper focus on the techniques of our modalities rather than on the intended health outcome. Can you imagine a surgeon giving the details and methods of using a scalpel to cut into our flesh? Ugh, who wants to hear that but another colleague? All I want to know is if I'll get better and how! Not the details of the technique. Focus on the health outcome that your modality offers which in turn is your mission!

The next thing is that we must step up and position ourselves and our scope of practice so it's aligned within the standards of care for a specific disease state. For example, if you are a certified or licensed massage therapist and you have additional certification in lymphedema treatment then you would focus on chronic conditions that are known to cause lymphedema such as cancer treatments or diabetes among others. Obviously, your scope of practice must align with the chronic conditions in which you are certified. I'll be discussing in greater detail how to position your scope of practice to build stronger relationships with clinicians in future postings. But for now, it's important to know that not being clear on how your scope of practice aligns with standards of care for a specific disease state, may be the reason for your difficulty in getting clinician referrals or collaborations.

Lastly, we need to get a clear understanding of the "lay-of-the-land," of not only within the clinical health care setting but the new payment system that rewards doctors and hospitals for improving the quality of care. Pay-for-Performance is a term for initiatives aimed at improving the quality, efficiency, and overall value of health care. These arrangements provide financial incentives to hospitals, physicians, and other health care providers to carry out such improvements and achieve optimal outcomes for patients.

Pay-for-performance has become popular among policy makers and private and public payers, including Medicare and Medicaid. The Affordable Care Act expands the use of pay-for-performance approaches in Medicare in particular and encourages experimentation to identify designs and programs that are most effective. I see this as another opportunity to expand your mission by demonstrating how you can help increase quality measures, efficiency in care, diminish gaps in care, and provide value in optimal health outcomes.

Therefore, in part 2 of this posting, I will clarify what we mean by population-based health management within the constraints of an integrative health practice. In fact, we may need clarification on several terms that are now being used in the health care settings such as integration, quality measures and how understanding these key components within clinical settings can help establish you as a viable member of the health care team and secure your position as the expert in your field.

Until then, be well my friends as you help move people towards the truth of well-being with hope, love and laughter!

If you or someone you know is a lifestyle practitioner such as a personal trainer, nutritionist, massage therapist, chiropractor, etc you can add your listing to our new consumer site for free. http://www.mylifestyle.guru No catch, no up-sell... we are looking to partner with corporations and we need more lifestyle providers to serve all of our new corporate clients. Great new way to get client referrals from corporations and primary care physicians. Please pass this on! Thanks!


 By Dee Campbell


Article Source: Understanding Population-Based Health Care to Engage Physicians

How Intelligent Care Improves the Patient Experience

Sam is in the hospital recovering from surgery. On his wrist is a high-tech remote wristband that can monitor his blood pressure, pulse oximetry, respiration, and temperature, and also send an immediate alert to his nurse if a problem arises. Suddenly, his nurse's smartphone app beeps, advising her that Sam's temperature just spiked to 101 degrees Fahrenheit, a sign that something might be wrong.

Meanwhile Debra, an at-home patient, receives a cell phone message that it's time to breathe into her respiratory training device (spirometer). The care coordinator at her doctor's office views the dashboard of data on Debra's results and is alerted if the result falls outside the safe parameter, instructing her on treatment.

And Linda, an elderly patient with mild dementia, has just woken up, and her alarm device reminds her to take her morning medicine. A sensor in her pill dispenser confirms this and the alarm says: "We'll make sure your daughter knows you took your medicine this morning. By the way, have you had breakfast?"

What is Intelligent Care? The emergence of leading-edge, patient-centered technologies and the innovative integration of those technologies are at the center of intelligent care.  "To me, intelligent care means going beyond simple rule-based solutions (like crosschecking for allergies, or alerting patients when their medications are due), to actively integrating traditionally disconnected sources of data to take care of a patient," says Naresh Ramarajan, MD, founder and chief medical officer of Navya, an organization that helps patients make cancer-treatment decisions using a step-by-step intelligent care system.

For example, smart-decision systems should be able to take into account a patient's preferences for a therapy with fewer side effects, as well as the best outcomes and potential costs. They should be able to integrate the best clinical-trial results and the most current international guidelines.  "An intelligent care system might even search a database to find similar patients for whom treatments have been successful," says Ramarajan. "It would then synthesize all of these to come up with a ranked list of options with reasons behind each option."

That data can then help patients make smart, informed choices. "As mobile app developers, we are often getting more requests from doctors and hospitals that include the need for ways to make their patient care more intelligent and innovative," says Dulio Denis, a mobile program manager at Blue Label Labs, an industry leader in mobile, tablet, watch, and TV app design.

App developers work with healthcare clients who recognize that the alignment of consumer technology in mobile phones and the advance of new applications in what a hospital can do with cloud computing have reached a crossroads, where the providers can be more patient-centered.  "I wouldn't be surprised if we get to a place where medical care is functioning as seamlessly as the communication systems in social media function," says Denis.

The Internet of Medical Things?

Just as the Internet of Things is now combining technology with life (turning on your thermostat, alerting you when the milk is gone), the Internet of Medical Things can do the same for healthcare. After all, women have been diagnosing their own pregnancies for three decades, so patients using our latest technology should certainly be able to swab their throat and send in the sample for a strep test without having to visit a doctor's office-thus saving both the patient's and doctor's time and money. Intelligent care can also bring safer, more efficient patient care by streamlining procedures that produce smarter evidenced-based guidelines and provide improved safety, education, and service.

Roy Smythe, MD, cancer surgeon and founder of Valence Health-a company empowering healthcare providers with complete turnkey solutions for value-based care -says that  "the devices we are going to be placing on and in our bodies in the future are going to be much more sophisticated and will be giving us insights that we never thought we would get."

According to Orbita, a leader in innovative cloud-based technology for connected home healthcare, the intelligent health industry will soon feature ubiquitous wireless connectivity. The widespread use of smart phones and a growing array of connected, sensor-enabled devices that measure and track personal wellness data, test results, and healthcare reminders now enable health scenarios that we never dreamed were possible a few years ago.

Intelli-health optimizes both social computing and data analytics, as well as content and experience management, improving the outcomes for patients globally.

Technologies include:

• In-hospital remote wristbands that monitor vital signs and alert staff to changes immediately
• Interactive systems that respond to hospitalized patient requests more quickly using smartphones and apps rather than the old-fashioned "call button"
• Smartbeds that can monitor position and comfort and alert staff to problems Hand-hygiene systems that can improve infection-control practices and alert clinicians to sanitize before entering every room
• Digital delivery of tailored patient-education information
• Apps enabling patients to fill prescriptions from their hospital bed before discharge
• Handheld ultrasound devices that allow patients to scan their own bodies and send results to a radiologist
• Self-tests for medical conditions such as strep throat, STDs, and elevated cholesterol.

eviCore's   intelligent care solutions are built on the capabilities of our analytics, IT platforms, and domain expertise. eviCore effectively connect patients, providers, and plans by gaining valuable insight from healthcare data and developing evidence-based guidelines. Based on those guidelines, eviCore ensures that quick, safe and intelligent care is provided to that patient.

Envisioning the future of healthcare, Smythe cites "Moore's Law" as it applies to the digital revolution: "Moore's law, of course, refers to digital technology becoming faster, smaller, and cheaper-which means we ain't seen nothing yet." In other words, as the capabilities for innovation in technology and its enhanced application grow, so will the reach of intelligent care.


 By Gregg Allen


Article Source:  How Intelligent Care Improves the Patient Experience

Changing the Face of Medical Images Through PACS

PACS stands for radiology picture archiving communications systems and lately, you might have seen lot of PACS system installed in the health radiology departments across the country. This system comes very handy to the medical professionals as one can capture, store, send and display medical images from one workstation to another workstation.

It has totally transformed the working of the radiology department as it has simplified scheduling, patient tracking and generation of reports and that too in time. It also allows X-ray and CAT-scan images to be electronically stored and then view them on the computer screen. PACS not only creates film less images but also improves the diagnosis methods as doctor's get full access to compare multiple images by the click of the button through PACS.

PACS has improved the working of the hospital by increasing the efficiency of diagnosis and reporting. Every hospital and healthcare centre wants to deliver best services to their patients, to simplify the process, and to meet the demands of the patients; hospitals have opted for PACS.

There are various reasons why in these days medical centers are going for PACS, but one out of them is speed as we all are aware that earlier, images were taken on the film and then they were developed and this was very time-consuming process. Moreover, if consultation was required, then these films were sent by post to the physician for consultation. But now images can reach a physician who is far away in seconds through PACS.

Why every radiological department needs PACS:
• It's affordable and images are in digital form therefore, it eliminates the possibility of losing the images.
• Image is much clearer, and this helps to improve the diagnosis methods.
• Doctor's can easily manipulate the images and get full detailed image on the screen.
• Multiple clinicians can view the images simultaneously.
• PACS has helped a lot in training process and has provided better teaching experience to the medical students who got exposure to the various digital images through web.

Once you have decided that you want PACS for your healthcare and center then the first question that strikes will be where you will get it then, let me tell you can trust Allengers. It has 30 years of medical experience, and its PACS system is highly effective and easy to use and its been installed is many hospitals and eventually improved the working of the various departments.

Gurpreet Singh is a blogger, who has discussed about PACS
and why picture archiving and communications system is highly effective for hospitals.


 By Gurpreet Singh


Article Source: Changing the Face of Medical Images Through PACS

ESR Blood Test - The Detector of Causes of Inflammation in a Human Body

An ESR Blood Test or Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate Test aids in the detection of reasons behind the cause of inflammation in a person. The test doesn't really helps in diagnosing the existence of a specific disease or infection in the body but complements other tests ordered by a physician to understand the cause of inflammation. The tests ordered depend upon the types of symptoms experienced by an individual.

What does an ESR Blood Test Monitors?
The test helps in screening inflammatory conditions in the body, such as rheumatoid arthritis or systemic lupus erythematosus. It can be useful in detecting conditions that are a cause of inflammation, such as autoimmune diseases, infections and some types of cancers. A physician may also order this test if an individual suffers from fever, has some type of arthritis, or experiences certain muscle problems.

How is an ESR Blood Test Performed?
As the name suggests, it's a kind of blood test wherein a sample of blood is drawn from one of the veins of the body, normally those nestled near the elbow or the back of the hand. Post the collection of blood in a test tube, the sample is sent to the laboratory for testing and analysis. In the case of an ESR Blood Test for cancer, it's quite possible that the patient may have to spare more blood samples than usual.

It's important to note that there are certain medications which can hinder with the tests results and hence, must be stopped temporarily, but only after the consent of the doctor. Medications include:-



Androgens, such as testosterone, estrogens, etc.

Aspirin, when taken in high doses

Divalproex sodium

Phenothiazines

Valproic acid

Methadone

Prednisone

Phenytoin

Heroin

ESR Blood Test Results

The ESR blood test normal range majorly depends upon the age group an individual belongs to.



Women below 50 years - less than or equal to 20 mm/hr

Women above 50 years - less than or equal to 30 mm/hr

Men below 50 years - less than or equal to 15 mm/hr

Men above 50 years - less than or equal to 20 mm/hr

New born babies - less than or equal to 2 mm/hr

Children who have reached puberty - between 3 and 13 mm/hr.

Abnormal ESR Blood Test range, however, may be due to the prevalence of the below-mentioned diseases, conditions or infections in the body.

An Individual may have a high ESR level in case of:-



anemia

thyroid disease

disease in the kidneys

lymphoma

multiple myeloma

pregnancy

temporal arteritis

old age

Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia

certain types of arthritis

On the contrary, a person may have lower levels of ESR in the blood because of the presence of conditions such as:-



hypofibrinogenemia

low plasma protein

congestive heart failure

leukocytosis

sickle cell anemia

polycythemia

How to reduce ESR in blood?

There are certain essential things that one can do to reduce the levels of ESR in the blood. This typically involves quitting smoking, taking up exercise on a regular basis, shrinking one's waist size, sleeping enough, steering away from stress and eating a healthy diet that certainly excludes foods that aid in escalating levels of ESR in blood.

The author is a senior writer with over 6 years of experience in the field of medical content writing. He has immense knowledge about various diseases, tests, and treatments. His latest in-depth analysis on ESR Blood Test was published by one of the leading Journals of the nation.


By Tarun Yadav


Article Source: ESR Blood Test - The Detector of Causes of Inflammation in a Human Body

Model the Process

Cooking is a process that involves specific, orderly steps with well-defined inputs. For some recipes slight variations are allowed but the basic steps and ingredients must be maintained for a good product. For instance, when my wife makes a marinara sauce, she uses crushed tomatoes, salt, onions, garlic, basil, red wine, fennel and parsley. I, on the other hand, use the same ingredients except the fennel but add a bit of sugar and oregano. The steps in making it are the same for both of us: brown the garlic and onion in olive oil and then add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for about a half hour to an hour.

In business, manufacturing and service industries such as healthcare most activities are performed with well-defined processes. In manufacturing there is no room for variation in order to produce a best quality product. In service industries, there may be some variations as in the slight variations of making marinara but the best outcomes are achieved if each task is performed essentially the same. There is more room for variation in the clinical side of healthcare as an orthopedic surgeon may choose to use tissue from the patellar tendon or hamstring to repair a ruptured ACL. Nevertheless, using standardized processes generally results in best outcomes and these processes should be modeled, according to the structure of Business Process Management, which I have been discussing in previous newsletters.

Modeling a process allows for standardization and identification of best steps to use. If each person in a process adopts the standardized process then outcomes will be predictable, thus pleasing the clients and patients. It also eliminates waste, thus producing savings for the business or provider.

Modeling a process can involve paper and pencil or computer software. Most is done with software now. Two common ways to model a process are to use flowcharts or value stream maps, which are used in Lean process management. I have created a simple flowchart which models the process that I use to analyze data that has already been collected for a client. You can find an image of this map by clicking here.

Since I am the only one who employs this process there is no variation; I am consistent from one application to the next for different clients.

What are the components found in process models? Generally, there should always be a definite beginning and end point. Besides the physical steps you may want to include some are all of the following: people involved in the process, information and data, materials, tools, and environmental factors. These are always used in value stream maps.

You may believe that the processes at your site are fairly standard but the 'present state' of a given process may be quite variable. This is especially true if a process has never been documented. For instance, when a medial assistant is escorting a patient to an exam room at an outpatient clinic, she may stop and take the patient's weight and measure her height before proceeding to the exam room. Another MA may take the weight and not measure the height.

To see if there is wide variation in a process that is unacceptable because it leads to errors or poor outcomes, a team of those involved in a process should work with a process champion (a person designated to own a process and optimize it) to 'map the current state' of a process. It is during the mapping of the current state that the variations will appear. In fact, it may appear that there is very little standardization occurring at all.

I was working with a hospital group once and we were mapping the check-out process. In working with the administration and nurses we found that there was a wide variation in how the check-in staff was notified that there was an empty bed available. In fact, there were many workarounds for this process that had been developed by the floor nurses as the standard process did not work well. So, we made a present state map that represented the steps generally used by most staff. Then, we created a 'future state map' that represented the steps that all should use and that was best in notifying the check-in staff of the availability of beds on a unit. After creating the future state map, the process champion worked with the team to develop a plan to implement the new process and make sure that it was consistently followed by all involved staff. This included identifying indicators that could be measured to indicate the success of the implementation.

One of the important steps that a process champion must do before meeting with the process improvement team is to take a gemba walk. This involves the champion going to the place where a process occurs and patiently watching it unfold. She should do this several times and with different staff involved. By observing the process unfold she will be able to assess the amount of variability in the current state. The champion should also observe a process after it has been successfully implemented to be sure that there is no backsliding to the previous state of the process which was probably highly variable and unsatisfactory.

As you can see, to get best outcomes, a process should be explicitly mapped. From this map, a standardized future state map can be created so that all will carry out the process in the same way, thus providing predictably good results. Patients and clients will be happier, staff will be pleased and the providers will be rewarded with increased income.

Donald Bryant helps healthcare providers meet their challenges. Go to http://www.bryantsstatisticalconsulting.com to get the free article "7 Challenges in Healthcare and How to Solve Them" with tips you can
use to start improving patient health, improving the bottom line, finding more time to get things done and to learn more about Lean Healthcare.


 By Donald Bryant


Article Source: Model the Process

Voice of the Patient

Can you imagine having a farmers supply store in downtown San Francisco? It seems highly unlikely to me. There would be few sales. Having such a store there is an example of a business out of touch with its market. To be successful, businesses must supply the right product or services to the right customer in the right place and at the right time.

Should healthcare providers worry about such? Do they need to focus on the customer, the patient? While location is important for providers, does the delivery of services matter? After all, healthcare providers provide a service that is universally needed.

It so happens that the way services are provided makes a difference. With the right services provided in the right way providers will reap many benefits, including patient loyalty, better outcomes for the patient and better income for the practice. I believe that we can all agree that better patient engagement is one of the key factors to better health outcomes. But there is more than engagement between patient and clinicians that drives outcomes for patients and that improves loyalty.

In a recent survey members of the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) stated that several services helped improve patient satisfaction and engagement. Among them were flexible hours so that patients could have better access to clinicians, variety of communication styles, help with cost containment and management, and care management. Members stated that patients wanted other ways to communicate with physicians and staff, such as electronic patient portals and secure email. Since many more patients have high deductible policies they appreciate help in managing their copays and deductibles. Letting a patient know before services are provided what their costs will be and helping with making arrangements for paying their share if need be puts them much more at ease. Patients also like help in changing their lifestyles if chronic conditions make it necessary.

I am not advocating that providers supply everything that patients want, even if saying 'No' to a request can be difficult. My own physician has said 'No' to some of my requests because it makes good financial sense to do so for the practice; his group is part of an ACO. For instance, recently when I asked if I could be tested for allergies to see which bees and wasps I was allergic to, he said 'No'. My reactions to stings was not severe yet and I should carry an epi pen with me when I am outside in the summer and spring in case I was stung and began to have a reaction. There are many instances when physicians should deny patient requests. For instance, recent research shows that 84% of physicians still prescribe antibiotics for runny and stuffy noses in spite of the fact that research shows this is the wrong thing to do, as it builds up antibiotic resistant bacteria.

It is important that medical providers find out what their patients want that will lead to better outcomes for all. It would be a waste of time and resources to provide services from a list such as those from the MGMA survey above if patients do not want some of those services. Perhaps almost all of the patients in your practice have easy access to services; they do not need more flexible hours. How, then, can you find out what your patients want that you are willing to provide?

There are several good ways to find out from your patients what new services they want or what services you provide that could be improved. Working with a team made up of various office and clinical staff, providers can use focus groups, advisory groups, surveys and patient feedback to staff to find ways to satisfy their patients. It is necessary to use teams to develop and implement these strategies to get patient input so as to get a good variety of ideas and questions.

A focus group is a good way to get ideas to improve your practice which you can then test to see if the suggestions are good. You can conduct a focus group using your own staff as leaders or you can hire a professional to help with this. A professional will definitely get better results but you can certainly conduct one yourself if you follow a few simple steps. One, have a goal for the focus group, such as, "How can our group help improve our services so as you (the patients) believe your needs are better met?" Then, your staff team can help create a set of questions and inquires that can be used while conducting the session. Then, choose a moderator to move the session along and a recorder to write down the response of the patients. Finally, invite some of your patients to be a part of the focus group. I would use no more than 8 or 9 in the session. You may want to provide a reward for their participation.

Another way to find out your patients needs is to create a survey. Your team should help develop the questions for the survey. You may have your patients fill out the survey when they come in for a visit. If you want a broader group of responders, you may take time to do a phone survey of your patients. One member of the MGMA reported recently that his group has staff members call several patients each day over a period of time to collect responses to a survey.

Another effective way to get some insights is to collect feedback from patients during their encounters with your staff. Patients will sometimes let members of your staff know what could be better at your practice. Staff should be trained to write down these suggestions or have the patient write down the suggestion and hand it back to the staff. These suggestions can then be reviewed later at a staff meeting so that the suggestions can be further explored and the staff member who collected the suggestion can add further details. Such suggestions can be used in focus groups or in future surveys.

Changing your services, adding more services, will help satisfy your patients which will lead to better outcomes and improve patient loyalty. Loyalty is important as it is easier to treat a returning patient than a new one; it is also more cost effective to treat returning patients as it generally takes less time to treat them. Further, loyal patients will recommend you to their family and friends as well as provide good feedback on sites that measure patient satisfaction and on social media web sites. Using some of the tools that I described will help you find out what your patients want.

Donald Bryant helps healthcare providers meet their challenges. Go to http://www.bryantsstatisticalconsulting.com to get the free article "7 Challenges in Healthcare and How to Solve Them" with tips you can
use to start improving patient health, improving the bottom line, finding more time to get things done and to learn more about Lean Healthcare.



 By Donald Bryant


Article Source: Voice of the Patient