Patient Centered Care
Dr. Nikhil Verma and his partners at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush strive to provide patient-centered care through evidence-based medicine and outcomes tracking. This care philosophy focuses on selecting the best course of treatment for an orthopedic injury to the given individual patient’s specific case and desired outcome.
The Importance of Patient-Centered Care
Patient-centered care is defined by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) as, “Providing care that is respectful of and responsive to individual patient preferences, needs and values, and ensuring that patient values help to guide all clinical decisions.”
This form of care is important to all patients, no matter the degree of injury or available treatment options. Listening to a patient’s desires, needs and values helps Dr. Verma improve patient outcomes and strengthen his relationship with each patient. One of the most effective ways to provide patient-centered care is to utilize outcomes tracking and an evidence-based approach.
Patient Centered Care
How Evidence-Based Medicine and Outcomes Tracking can Improve Patient-Centered Care
Dr. Verma actively utilizes outcomes tracking as part of his overall evidence-based approach to help return patients to an active and healthy lifestyle. Clinical outcomes and data have the ability to improve patient care in various ways, including:
- Providing a positive patient experience- Physicians and patients often have different interpretations of doctor visits. Dr. Verma takes the time with each patient to ensure they understand treatment options and have ample time to ask any questions.
- Decreasing healthcare testing- More face-to-face time with a patient-centered care approach often leads to a decreased amount of expensive medical tests and referrals. Eliminating the usage of certain tests and performing outcomes tracking allows Dr. Verma to gain a better understanding of what tests may be a waste of time and money for the patient.
- Improving the overall medical outcome- A combination of patient-centered care and evidence-based medicine is one of the best ways to improve a patient’s outcome. By collecting data on outcomes and utilizing evidence-based medicine techniques, Dr. Verma can deliver a more individualized and personalized treatment plan. This approach to patient care also allows him to develop a treatment plan that a patient will truly follow since he has taken time to understand his or her values, goals and expectations.
- Providing data for translational clinical research- The academic mission of Midwest Orthopedics at Rush and Rush University Medical Center has been a driving force in assembling the one of the best orthopedic clinical care teams in the country. Many of the current minimally invasive surgical techniques have been developed or refined by physicians at Rush. In addition, clinical data can be used to refine surgical indications and provide an evidence based approach to orthopedic medicine.
An evidence-based medicine, patient-centered care approach validated with outcomes tracking, results in improved patient care, reduced healthcare costs and consistent selection of an appropriate treatment plan.
For additional resources on patient-centered care with the use of evidence-based medicine and outcomes tracking, please contact the Chicago, Westchester, Oak Brook and Hinsdale, Illinois area orthopedic office of Dr. Nikhil Verma.
