The Davis Productivity Awards program is a public-private partnership co-sponsored by the Prudential Financial company, Florida TaxWatch, the Florida Council of 100, and the State of Florida. The awards recognize public employees who have saved taxpayer dollars, measurably improved service, or increased process efficiency.
The Florida Department of Health submitted 48 nominations and all 48 were winners. In all state agencies, there were 553 nominations representing a total of $443 million in cost savings and increased efficiencies.
The Davis Awards are a good example of public sector efforts to recognize and reward process and cost improvements that will improve our healthcare system on a local level.
(Source: orchd.com)
How to reduce hospitalizations and emergency room visits, use less medication and miss fewer days of work? Allow patients to better manage their condition via setting accessible, personal goals in addition to tracking traditional metrics like cholesterol levels or blood sugar levels.
When motivating people to deal with an illness, showing patients how their quality of life can improve greatly improves their chances of following their health regimen. Health professionals are increasingly taught to ask questions like: How is this affecting your quality of life? Are you unhappy? What can be done to improve this?
This treatment goes beyond the standard doctor visits, accompanied by lab tests and a prescription. It is a more motivation-focused treatment, incorporating follow-up and counseling. Showing empathy and a personal interest in a patient’s mental health has led to better adherence to regimens, boosting self-confidence and improving quality of life.
The U.S. currently spends 75% of its $2.6 trillion annual health care expenditure treating chronic illness, and clinicians are starting to see the link between quality of life and successful treatment. More and more, health is seen as not just the absence of illness, but as a holistic approach to living.
(Source: The Wall Street Journal)
