I consider the Nuka System of Care’s quality improvement approach to be an external collaborative approach. Despite the local foundation, at the moment, this program has expanded so much that its development and existence, in general, is not possible without the involvement of third-party external resources and feedback. I consider the aspect of patient participation in this approach to be very important since it makes the provision of care more person-oriented and, therefore, of high quality.
Most probably, it was the indication of the collaborative approach that determined my choice since communication between patients and doctors, in my opinion, is in the first place here. Nuka System of Care goes beyond the usual trusting and ethical relationship between doctor and patient. CEO Dr. Katherine Gottlieb and a large group of highly qualified specialists have created the foundation for building a new relationship system; the actor is already the owner-client and not the usual patient. For most doctors, it was evident that the patient’s figure was essentially objectified (Loewenson & Simpson, 2017). The patient endures operations and procedures and obediently follows the recommendations. Nuka System of Care has turned an obedient patient into a responsible actor who monitors his condition and is always free to complain. Nuka System of Care strongly encourages not only responsibility but also creativity in the development of a treatment plan (dal Porto, 2018). Many customer-owners are thus able to communicate their previous experiences and expectations to physicians in detail without relying on outdated treatment algorithms.
External agents provide the Nuka System of Care with the latest information on the development of telemedicine and mobile health (mHealth). As a result, owner-customers cut their clinic visits by more than half and avoid wasting time in queues (Farmanova et al., 2019). In addition, the development of telemedicine helps people with mental disorders (Nuka System of Care aims to support such people), without leaving home, to take part in psychotherapy and receive detailed consultations.
References
dal Porto, L. (Ed.). (2018). Giants among men. Feature Baldrige. Web.
Farmanova, E., Baker, G. R., & Cohen, D. (2019). Combining integration of care and a population health approach: A scoping review of redesign strategies and interventions, and their impact. International Journal of Integrated Care, 19(2). Web.
Loewenson, R., & Simpson, S. (2017). Strengthening integrated care through population-focused primary care services: International experiences outside the United States.Annual Review of Public Health, 38(1), 413–429. Web.