Healthcare services are being shaped by consumer activism.
More than ever before patients are increasingly knowledgeable and better organized. They are more clearly heard by the community they live in.
Today’s consumers are equipped with evidence-based data and fueled by the Internet. Real changes for consumers are taking hold in Health care. Changes in consumer attitudes and behavior are real. Consumers are demanding the tools necessary to achieve greater accountability on the part of providers and payers of services.
There has been a transformation of consumers exercising real choice in defining quality performance outcomes of services.
The consumer is no longer a passive recipient of services, faced with take it-or leave it options. Today’s, consumers are driving service improvements by clearly defining what and when they need services improved.
Checking Managed Care
The entry of managed care in behavioral health has brought with it the recognition that performance outcome indicators need to reflect the perspectives of multi- stakeholder groups.
As managed care has matured, there has been a re-examination of outcomes management systems and assessment protocols. We have seen the implementation of consumer focus groups and introduction of public forums that have helped to form consumer-driven performance indicators which have been built into outcomes management systems.
Managed care organizations (MCOs) are increasingly faced with real public scrutiny, ratings in the form of report cards and contractually required customer satisfaction surveys. These elements are all pro-consumer developments.
In recognition of consumer’s fundamental role in system design, CARF and other accreditation bodies have followed suit. Performance outcomes have changed the way the healthcare business is conducted. Such values are now part of other accrediting body standards as well.
Consumer activism has created a more user-friendly service delivery system that is moving closer to consumers.
