Top Strategies for Improving Patient Outcomes: Integrative, Patient-centered Care

Florence Nightingale was not only the founder of modern-day nursing, but she was also one of the first people to use patient outcomes to evaluate healthcare as she kept careful records of her patients, their care, and how their conditions impacted their health. (10) 

Since that time, patient outcomes have encompassed the following:

• Clinical endpoints such as symptoms, lab values, and longevity
• Functional status such as physical, mental, and social
• General well-being including health perceptions, energy/fatigue, pain, and quality of life
• Satisfaction with care including access, convenience, financial feasibility, and quality of care (7) 

Improving patient outcomes can lead to better health and a more empowered patient, which sounds like the perfect clinical goal. (2) 

Patient outcomes in healthcare

Many factors influence patient outcomes. “Patient outcomes have several dimensions including the subjective experience of receiving care, relief of functional limitations imposed by medical conditions, and longevity,” explained Klaus Kjaer, MD, MBA, who is Chief Quality and Patient Safety Officer at Weill Cornell Medicine. “Socioeconomic determinants of health such as economic stability, educational level, physical environment, social context, and reliable access to high-quality healthcare play major roles in patient outcomes.”

Despite all of these variables, Dr. Kjaer and other experts in the field agree that the patient-provider relationship is foundational to improving patient outcomes. “A therapeutic alliance between patients and providers is a game-changer,” said Dr. Kjaer, who is also a Professor of Clinical Anesthesiology, Healthcare Policy and Research with Weill Cornell. But it’s not up to just one provider, he says.

“In modern healthcare delivery, one of the big influencers of outcomes is the performance of teams rather than individuals,” he explained. “Team performance is in turn influenced by culture, which is why building a high-reliability culture based on the psychological safety of team members is so important.”

Integrative health pioneer Ronald Hoffman, MD, agrees and says cultivating a solid clinical team is critical. “Don’t skim on support staff that includes paraprofessionals and administrative people to help patients better engage in the clinical practice,” said Dr. Hoffman, who is the founder of the Hoffman Center in New York City and has been in clinical practice for more than 30 years. “It’s also important to create a healing atmosphere in the office that is conducive to achieving better patient outcomes.”

Focusing on the patient’s experience goes hand-in-hand with improved patient outcomes.