Patient center care has been a very hot topic in the last ten years (Capko, 2014). At this time Medicare reimbursement is based thirty percent on the patient perceived experience (Capko, 2014).  The goal of patient centered care is to give care to patients from their own cultural context or world view (Capko, 2014). The care provided should educate, involve, provide choices, as well as create a partnership between the patient and the health care team (Capko, 2014). The partnership between a patient and a health care provider can be life saving. Patients that maintain consistent health care providers have better preventive care, management of chronic illness and less hospitalization (Betbez, 2012).

Currently in my practice this is where I see a major gap in care. The reason for the changes in health care laws is to reduce health care cost and make it available to the entire population. The laws that have made health care more available to the underprivileged have increased the hospital census greatly over the last few years. The problem that I see is that many of the individuals are using the hospital as a primary care provider. Many of the illness are chronic illness, if managed correctly would prevent hospitalization. Common complaints include benefits are on a month to month bases. Providers are changed each month. Patients can’t afford the cost of their medication for the whole month. I could not tell you how many patients; I have treated this month with hypertensive crisis alone, because they stated they could not afford their medication. Other times people do not have transportation to obtain their medications. Many times self management of chronic illness in collaboration with a health care provider is difficult due to mental illness, substance abuse, and poverty.

Many health care workers lack empathy in this matter because; they say that if they would stop buying so much beer (fill in the blank) they could afford their medication. The truth of the matter is that most Americans are one paycheck away from being in the same situation. . But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? (John 3:17).

Without a transformation in society current health care changes are a band aid to a much greater problem. The fact of the matter is that the healthier the world the better health that we all have. I believe this is the essence of population health.  It is my assertion that as Christians we have the principles of healthful living in the Bible. As nurses we have been given a great privilege and duty to protect his children.

References

     Betbeze, P. (2012, January). Keys to Process Improvement. ROUNDS, 56-58.

Majid, S., Foo, S., Luyt, B., Zhang, X., Theng, Y., Chang, Y., & Mokhtar, I. A. (2011, July). Adopting evidence-based practice in clinical decision making: nurses’ perceptions, knowledge, and barriers. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 229- 236.

 

     Capko, J. (2014). The patient-centered movement. The Journal of Medical Practice Management : MPM, 29(4), 238-42. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1524878157?accountid=12085