Four roads to patient-centered care: Achieving the Quadruple Aim– in conversation with Kevin L. Hart

U.S. health care today is guided by four goals, collectively known as the “Quadruple Aim.” These goals are designed to help organizations intentionally deliver on their missions and improve the lives of patients.

We‘re talking with health care industry innovator Kevin Hart, who has extensive experience in implementing and unifying the differing goals of the Quadruple Aim.

The challenge of the Quadruple Aim in health care is one you’ve taken on wholeheartedly. What is the Quadruple Aim? How do we achieve it?

“Simply stated, the Quadruple Aim is meeting four health care goals simultaneously: delivering 1) high-quality care at 2) a lower cost with 3) improved outcomes for patients while creating 4) a meaningful and joyful workplace for the entire health care team.

“We’ve made much progress in the journey toward high-quality care and improved outcomes. But we still have a long way to go in ensuring affordability and improving the health care experience — for the patient and for the patient-serving team.

“Equitable care should also be our focus. How do we get to the point where everyone gets the same care, the same outcome, and the same experience, regardless of color or creed, or economic status? As it is now, if you’re wealthy, you probably get better care and a better care experience than someone who has no money. We need to level the playing field.

“As we deliver care to patients, we need to look also at the consistency of their experience. We’re aiming for just one word to describe this experience: exceptional. The idea is that you know me as your patient and then you make care convenient and easy for me. You figuratively, and sometimes literally, hold my hand and help me navigate the system that delivers my care.

“The care experience must be exceptional also for the provider. Organizations need to focus on creating an enabling environment that supports those in the care delivery system so that they enjoy their work. When they have joy in their work, that joy shows up in interactions with patients or customers or members.”

“Key to this pursuit of the exceptional is incorporating technologies, such as telehealth and remote patient monitoring tools, that enable patients to visit with providers from the comfort of their own homes. Consumers live in a digital world and have come to expect the same experience with their health care.

“Alongside technology, though, health care will always be a business with a human touch. Patients still look for a meaningful interaction with their provider, whether in person or through a computer screen. They want to know their provider cares about them, will genuinely listen to them, and will help them solve their health challenges. Engaging, face-to-face care, coupled with convenient and time-saving digital technologies, is what will make care exceptional.”

Thank you, Kevin, for your insights.

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A seasoned senior executive in the health care industry, Kevin Hart has dedicated the next phase of his career to helping transform the U.S. health care system. He is well regarded as a collaborative leader with a “big picture” vision and the ability to create and implement innovative strategies for the industry’s future.