Medical professionals are adopting cost-effective care techniques at an increasing pace. These are designed to reduce costs related to various treatment modalities and organizational functions without sacrificing the standard of care provided to patients. Medical providers need to make wise choices regarding resource allocation in order to deliver care that is both affordable and high quality.
To provide higher-quality medical services at a cheaper cost, physicians and nursing professionals, such as family nurse practitioners (FNPs), frequently investigate new treatments, diagnostic procedures and technological advancements. In order to do this, it is necessary for them to be committed to learning about emerging developments and best practices while prioritizing the basic requirements and health of patients.
If you aspire to become an FNP after completing your Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree, then you can enroll in an online FNP program offered by a reputable institution such as American International College (AIC). The course run by AIC is unique as it allows nursing professionals to achieve their advanced degrees under flexible conditions. Students can complete their coursework online, with only one in-person residency required, meaning that it is ideal for practicing nurses looking to further their careers.
How FNPs can ensure cost-effective patient care
Below are several strategies that FNPs can employ to ensure high-quality and cost-effective patient care.
Preventive care and health promotion
In preventive care, FNPs look for risk elements and try to identify diseases earlier in order to prevent them from spreading. They also collaborate with other healthcare experts to keep everyone healthy and lead a good-quality life. They use several methods in preventive healthcare to detect, inform, manage and safeguard against illnesses in individuals. FNPs often engage in three different forms of prevention: primary prevention, secondary prevention and tertiary prevention.
In primary prevention, FNPs serve as educators by providing individuals with knowledge and guidance to promote healthy behaviors. Programs, ranging from immunizations to seat belt enforcement, are intended to prevent injury and sickness, as well as any additional costs associated with treating the condition. As primary prevention aims to remove health issues before they arise, it is usually the least expensive approach to healthcare.
Secondary prevention is a form of early identification of illness, in which FNPs utilize tests and ongoing treatment to find individuals with preclinical illnesses or high-risk factors, to stop the illness from developing.
Lastly, the tertiary preventive strategy involves treating individuals’ pre-existing illnesses. Nursing professionals are responsible for assisting patients in carrying out a treatment strategy and making any extra behavioral changes required to enhance outcomes at this phase of treatment.
Efficient use of resources
Nurses must properly assess issues relating to safety, efficacy, accessibility and cost when considering the alternatives available to achieve a certain health outcome for a patient. This is the key to using resources appropriately. FNPs possess an in-depth understanding of all the expenses related to the equipment, supplies, technologies, procedures and medications required to treat patients. Having this information at hand, FNPs then combine the most effective methods with the most economical utilization of staff and healthcare equipment. As a consequence, the healthcare facility and the patient can save money, which saves up resources that can be employed elsewhere in the organization to get the best outcomes for the staff, patients and organization.
Chronic disease management
As discussed above, FNPs work to ensure that patients’ illnesses are caught even before they begin, as this is the best way to reduce costs. However, if the illness has already reached a chronic state, it is important for FNPs to manage it in such a way that the patient must visit the hospital as little as possible in order to reduce costs.
Telehealth and remote monitoring
In this era of rapid advancements in medical technologies, telehealth has emerged as a viable new paradigm for service delivery. Through telehealth or remote monitoring, FNPs can help patients who live far away from healthcare facilities to obtain medical assistance, promote the care continuum, satisfy the ever-increasing demand from their patients, and maintain connections with post-acute care patients who are sent home. FNPs who utilize telehealth or remote patient monitoring approaches are also able to lower the overall cost of treatment, such as transportation expenses, for both patients and healthcare facilities.
Patient education on self-management
Patient education is crucial because it can enhance health outcomes, cut down on needless hospital stays and ER visits, reduce medical expenses and increase patient satisfaction. FNPs always educate patients about prevalent acute and chronic conditions so that they can modify their lifestyle to prevent their onset. In cases where patients are already chronically ill or suffering from a serious health condition, FNPs make sure to inform them about their disease so that they can manage their own condition at home. This approach helps to reduce costs that are associated with hospitalization and medical treatment.
Advocacy for affordable treatment options
Patients in hospitals or healthcare facilities can find the environment confusing at times. They may experience anxiety and trepidation, which are frequently caused by their lack of understanding regarding how things function. These patients depend on nursing professionals to speak out for them and keep them up to date on procedures and treatments, as they are unable to do it on their own.
Nurse advocates are necessary in order to preserve patient outcomes, combat social injustice, and remove barriers to high-quality patient care, and FNPs make sure to serve as advocates for all their patients.
One of the many causes they may support for their patients is getting them access to affordable treatment alternatives. Patient advocacy is crucial in helping patients understand the healthcare system and receive assistance with billing, medical treatment, insurance coverage, and legal matters.
Conclusion
It is apparent that there is a range of methods that FNPs can use to provide cost-effective care. Many of these methods can be used in conjunction with one another to provide the necessary high level of care while creating a financial benefit to the healthcare department.
