Tampa, FL -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/06/2018 -- ImageFIRST Healthcare Laundry Specialists, providing healthcare laundry services to medical facilities throughout Tampa, FL, and many other cities nationwide, shares observations on healthcare trends that have been in the news for the past year.
As health systems continue to grow, because of both mergers and industry growth, change management is becoming increasingly important.
One emerging trend is the increasing consumerism-like behaviors exhibited by patients. For example, a rising number of patients are using apps to compare and study healthcare providers just as one might review their experience of a restaurant. Elevated consumerism reportedly shows to be increasing the competition among healthcare providers. Thus, providers who present high-quality care at lower prices will be more appealing to potential patients.
High deductible plans are also on the rise and may soon represent the majority of insurance plans. In partial answer to this shift, hospitals are more frequently only treating those who are seriously ill, and pushing non-life threatening procedures to outpatient facilities, which are able to offer more competitive pricing for their services. Plans with high deductibles, which are putting higher out-of-pocket dollars onto patients instead of to insurances, seem to be contributing to increased consumerism and may also motivate patients to look for both quality of treatment and value in their healthcare provider.
These observed trends in the healthcare industry ultimately have and will affect how medical professionals provide care. In order to effectively manage change, a proactive strategy is more effective in reducing staff stress levels, rather than a reactive approach. Research shows that change management on a large scale is most powerful when staff at all levels of the organization are actively engaged in implementing change strategies. The most reportedly effective method involve the use of empowered teams of employees of all levels who can both recommend and implement tactics.
ImageFIRST provides medical laundry management solutions to customers all across America and Puerto Rico. As a provider of laundry services to healthcare centers in St. Petersburg, FL, ImageFIRST aims to assist medical facility staff with linen management, so they can concentrate on providing quality patient care. To learn more, please call 1-800-932-7472 or visit http://tampa.imagefirst.com/.
About ImageFIRST
Founded in 1967, ImageFIRST® is the largest and fastest growing national linen rental and laundry service specializing in the healthcare market. ImageFIRST's 36 locations nationwide serve over 11,000 medical facilities every week providing linen, patient gowns, scrubs and more while managing their clients' linen inventory for cost management. With a customer retention rate of over 95%, ImageFIRST is dedicated to improving patient satisfaction through quality products and remarkable service: their Comfort Care® line of gowns are proven to increase patients' favorable perception of a facility by more than 50%. For more information about ImageFIRST, your cost-effective solution for greater patient satisfaction, please visit http://tampa.imagefirst.com/.