Transparency is vital for quality care and informed decision making and it begins with accurate medical records provided by medical transcription services.

1. Why It Is Imperative to
Ensure Transparency in the
Healthcare Sector
Transparency is vital for quality care and informed decision
making and it begins with accurate medical records provided
by medical transcription services.
Medical Transcription Services
United States

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Technological advancements in the healthcare industry have led to major
medical innovations and significant change in the way medical processes
are carried out and medical records are documented. This transformation
and sophistication are evident even in the way medical transcription
services are provided. Now, patients are empowered to ask for
treatment options, their risks and outcomes and it is the responsibility of
healthcare providers to respond with appropriate information and ensure
that proper patient care is provided.
To provide quality patient care, developing a strong culture of internal
transparency in healthcare is important. Open and honest relationship
among the team members in healthcare organizations leads to mutual
trust, collaboration and sharing of best practices across disciplines.
According to a report from the National Patient Safety Foundation’s Lucian
Leape Institute, “if transparency were medication, it would be a
blockbuster with billions of dollars in sales and accolades the world over.”
The report states that transparency means the uninhibited flow of
information that is open to the scrutiny of others.
Developing Internal Transparency
There are many challenges in developing a culture of internal
transparency and some of these are very complex. At Virginia Mason
Medical Center in Seattle, every healthcare professional, regardless of
job or title, is considered a safety inspector and all team members are
expected to file a patient safety alert whenever a potential safety risk is
identified. Internal transparency is hindered when lessons learned are not
shared freely across the enterprise. Providers often hesitate to disclose
the mistakes to their patients. According to a study in the Journal of
General Internal Medicine, full disclosure can lead to lower chances of
changing physicians, higher satisfaction and trust.

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The best way to build a culture of transparency begins with healthcare
leaders. The leadership team should build an atmosphere in which there is
a balanced accountability and continuous improvement.
Twenty years ago, Virginia Mason Medical Center started to create a
culture in which the team members could believe zero-defect care is
possible and have the tools to make this happen. They recognized that to
achieve that transformation, they needed a paradigm shift. They had to
get rid of wasteful elements from patient care, and empower their
employees to be guardians of patient safety, regardless of their job or
title. They needed a change in their management approach so that it was
nimble enough to keep pace with the changing healthcare environment.
However, this change did not happen overnight. There were cynics as well
as enthusiasts who wanted to adopt the new system.
Openly sharing information in employee forums helped team members
understand the change that was necessary for the organization. In 2004,
a patient Mary McClinton had died at Virginia Mason due to an avoidable
medical error and this shook the organization and led them to create an
environment that is safe for all patients and team members. To honor
Mrs. McClinton, they created an annual award that recognizes a team that
improves quality and safety through innovation.
According to the Lucian Leape Institute report, transparency among
clinicians and patients, and healthcare organizations ensure better care
outcomes and more trust among all the involved parties.
Accuracy As Important As Transparency
Transparency is essential for quality, safety, accountability and informed
decision making and it begins with accurate medical records. This is
provided by accurate medical transcription services provided by an
experienced medical transcription company. EHR-integrated medical

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transcription is a great support to physicians and hospitals in ensuring
timely and accurate medical documentation. Accurate medical reports are
an essential element for any hospital, clinic or healthcare unit and consist
of all important information from the time of admission of the patient till
his or her discharge. These records become useful for the patients as well
as the healthcare providers for future visits.