Quality of Care
The University of Pennsylvania Health System is committed to providing world-class care to all its patients. In the area of quality of care, this commitment translates into ensuring that our patients receive medical care firmly based in clinical experience and scientific knowledge. Quality of care also translates into patient safety. Avoiding injuries to patients from the care that is intended to help them is also a top priority for every member of the UPHS health care community.
Enhancing a patient’s quality of care is part of the training given to every health care professional at UPHS. Going a step further, patient preferences, needs and values are also taken into consideration as part of the care we provide. We also take pride in providing quality of care that is equitable, not influenced by gender, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status. In addition, UPHS has taken a broad leadership role in improving patient safety and satisfaction, sharing our best practices across the region and participating in national consortia on this vital topic.
An example of our commitment to quality of care is the establishment of a special department whose sole focus is patient safety, clinical best practices, and patient satisfaction. The role of the Clinical Effectiveness and Quality Improvement department (CEQI) is to ensure all our patients receive the safest, most efficient and most timely care possible. We have found that by being able to streamline services, avoid duplication of effort, and promote better communication among patients and their providers, we are able to improve the quality of care for our patients.
We have also designed processes to ensure open lines of communication with our physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals and take seriously their feedback about improvements we can make on behalf of our patients. We also closely monitor the latest advances in data analysis, as well as recommended regulatory requirements and national benchmarks to keep abreast of important developments that are critical to our patients’ quality of care.
And finally, in an effort to continuously improve our quality of care, we encourage our patients and their families to tell us about their care and treatment. We provide all patients with a Patient Satisfaction Survey in the mail and on line. A Patient & Guest Relations representative reviews all messages and responds to questions and concerns.
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