Introduction

(Studer Group, 2023a)

Historically healthcare transformation has largely been focused on government regulations and responsibilities or patient experience (Studer Group, 2023e). However, today’s healthcare system requires more than transforming traditional methods of healthcare delivery with a client-focused experience (Studer Group, 2023e).

 

According to the Studer Group (2023e) there are 5 prerequisites for healthcare executives in developing a client-centric strategy of healthcare:

 

1.   Staff that are engaged, transparent, and willing to embrace the change required.

2.   Technology that will support client-centered consumerism and care.

3.   Collection and use of data to achieve goals in the most efficient way.

4.   Client input on what they need, want, and expect from healthcare providers.

5.   Data of successful client/consumer-centric practices outside of the healthcare industry.

       (Studer Group, 2023e)

 

To follow through on healthcare’s purpose of producing healthy communities’, success needs to be measured by the ability to limit client admissions to healthcare facilities instead of through metrics such as frequency of admissions or length of stay (Studer Group, 2023e).

 

Most experts agree that healthcare can impact all the modifiable determinants of health-at least 70 percent of the factors that contribute to premature death. That is done by understanding what consumers want and providing care that takes those preferences into account. (Studer, 2023e, para 9)

 

To do this, healthcare organizations must completely transform. As put by Craig Deo, Studer Group Senior Leader and Huron Managing Director,


The healthcare industry must be responsive to this wave of consumer expectations and demands for different care, delivered when they want it, how they want it…We have to deliver healthcare in a way that’s part of an ecosystem, not just as monolithic organizations doing episodic care, but as systems that actually support wellness for individuals. (Studer Group, 2023e, para 12)


 

How can leaders ensure they are providing quality care to every patient during each interaction?


1.   Strive to understand what the client needs and wants as part of their care, and not just what the practitioner and organization are set up to deliver.

2.   Commit to provide client focused care experiences and be willing to be innovative and adjust in order to provide this type of care.

3.   Ask yourself the role your clients play. If they are not central to the development and execution of client care plans one should reconsider their care strategy.

(Studer Group, 2023)

 



To properly respond to a client based strategy, organizations should utilize design thinking, which is based upon consideration of end users. Essentially, design thinking organizations keep the client in mind while empowering employees at all levels to be engaged and a part of finding solutions to problems or issues related to the organizations ability to provide individualistic and client-centered care. (Studer Group, 2023e).

 

Including all stakeholders (leaders, frontline staff, clients, community members) in the decision making, problem solving, and execution of these strategic changes creates a process where all members are actively engaged in solutions, which not only creates buy-in but true client-centered care (Studer Group, 2023e).

 

To help guide organizations in these creative change processes the Studer model was developed.