Blogs Help Hospitals Advance Communication Goals

HealthLeaders Media reports that blogs can be helpful in disseminating accurate information and reassuring the public in times of controversy. The article presents the case study of Nick Jacobs, president and CEO of Windbar (PA) Medical Center, as well as tips and best practices for hospital bloggers.

It's nice to see that CCRMC and our own Anna Roth are on the leading edge of this important trend!

Technology Is Changing Physician-Patient Relationships

Following up on yesterday's post, this might be considered the human side of the "patient experience". HealthLeaders Media features an article on "The Physician of the Future", which examines patients' growing reliance on the Internet as a primary source of health information.

New Website for Multicultural Health Care

The National Committee for Quality Assurance (which accredits health plans) and pharmaceutical developer Eli Lilly and Co. have jointly released an online library for healthcare organizations seeking to reduce disparities in care.

Available resources include information for following a quality improvement process, including assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation. Previously, this information was available only in print form.

The Patient Experience - Clinic Design

A new website has been launched to help safety-net clinics learn about the latest thinking in building design.

Developed by The Center for Health Design (CHD), with financial support from the California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF), this site provides guidance for community health centers and other safety net clinics planning upgrades to their facilities via the $1.5 billion in the federal stimulus package to fund facility and infrastructure upgrades for community health centers.

Just as we have come to understand the importance of "user experience" in developing effective software, a growing body of research indicates that the physical environment in hospitals -- the "patient experience" -- can affect patient safety and quality of care.

The Center for Health Design (CHD), formed in 1993, is a nonprofit organization of forward-thinking health care, elder care, design and construction professionals, and product manufacturers working to improve the quality of health care settings and create new environments for healthy aging.