A discussion around quality of care included several specific topics at the last meeting of the Huron-Perth Healthcare Alliance Board.
CEO Andrew Williams says it's something that has to be reviewed on a continuing basis as technology changes and as patients become more educated about health care. Williams says there some misperceptions about the relationship between quality and money and the fact is the higher the quality of care you provide, the less you're having to expend because you're doing the right thing, the right way, the first time.
Williams also points outpatients are becoming much more educated and are accessing more information about treatments that are available and that's a moving target as technology improves, so they have to stay on top of that. He says they're seeing more patients, more family members, coming in with information that they have pulled up from websites like Choosing Wisely Canada, where they'll ask their care providers what's going on here, why are are you doing this and why aren't you doing that.
But Williams also points out that statistics show that up to 30% of the money spent does not bring value to the patient from a care and treatment point of view and so we have to be more critical of what we do, why we do it and that's a conversation that needs to happen between providers and patients and family members.