The health care system is one of the most strained industries. And things worsened during the covid-19 pandemic when they experienced an influx of patients. Part of the straining comes from the lack of coordination and cross-system alignment between health care, public health services, and social services. These units would yield better outcomes for patients and everyone involved working together. But when they operate independently, it denies the community around them from staying well connected when it comes to health issues.
However, for these units to work together, something must unite them. In this case, experts suggest a cross-system designed to create cohesion among these organizations. Learn more about cross-system alignment and how it can benefit the healthcare industry.
What Is Cross-System Alignment?
On the basic level, it is a process that brings all major healthcare sectors together in an effort to connect and better the health of the community. This process has become crucial after the Covid-19 pandemic.
One example of how it’s been implemented is in a small town in New York that was among the first towns to experience the outbreak. The institutions used a cross-sector coalition to address food insecurity caused by the rising unemployment rate. Volunteers bought meals from local restaurants and delivered them to families facing starvation.
When the healthcare units work together, they can bring change to the health of an individual and even a community. Bear in mind that one’s or the community’s health is influenced by various factors like access to food, transportation, and education. So, these units work together to address challenges that affect community health which can result in better outcomes.
How Can Institutions Implement Cross-System Alignment?
There are many ways of implementing cross-system alignment. But using shared measurement seems to be the best so far. This process uses a set of measured goals shared by the sectors and community members involved. It’s the best because it focuses on a patient-centered approach by including the community members. This process involves:
Step 1: Defining the measurements, where to collect data, and why these measurements are important
Step 2: Choosing the needed data sources, metrics, and methods
Step 3: Incorporating measurements that support cross-system alignment
Step 4: Evaluate measures from the community’s perspective, narratives, and experiences.
Shared measurement encourages cross-system alignment by defining shared goals, monitoring progress, and promoting accountability. This approach benefits the communities as it can change mindsets and influence accountability and sharing of resources.
How to Incorporate Shared Measurements?
The first step is to evaluate the community when designing priorities, shared goals, and success measurements for cross-system initiatives. Your plans should aim at improving the community and how different healthcare systems can work together to meet the community’s needs.
After that, create opportunities for the members to engage in your initiatives so they don’t feel overburdened. But, this will require careful planning on behalf of the systems working together to ensure the members have a voice and fulfill their needs. For instance, systems that choose to host listening sessions might need to compensate attendees for their time. But, it mustn’t only be in the form of money. They can be compensated by being gifted groceries or ride share credit.
It’s also worth mentioning that communities have different experiences. Therefore, you must acknowledge mixed outlooks when launching new initiatives if you want them to be successful.
Why is a Cross-System Alignment Important?
Cross-system alignment allows different units in the healthcare system to work together as a team. And the benefits of teamwork in healthcare cannot be overstated. First, we need to remember that healthcare is becoming more complex day by day. Therefore, the medics and parties involved have been forced to attempt complex solutions and learn new methods to mitigate the situation quickly.
The increase in chronic diseases among older people, like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, has forced the healthcare system to take multi-disciplinary action. Health workers in some countries like the US have to assist patients with multiple health issues. In other countries like Brazil, their primary concern is to offer healthcare to a diverse population.
Working together as different entities will lead to better outcomes. First, it will minimize medical errors and increase safety. Also, it can reduce burnout as several people will be responsible for the health of the patient. Healthy workers mean healthy patients.
Lastly, since working together requires solid communication, community members and patients will feel comfortable reporting and accepting treatments. This leads to overall satisfaction with their healthcare, and health workers will also be more satisfied with their work.
Final Thoughts
Cross-system alignment can be a game changer when implemented correctly. If the teams are willing to work together, it won’t be hard to implement it within the community. What’s essential is to ensure everyone’s participation.
