The Need for Transparency in Healthcare System and How Will it Benefit Health Care Providers

We are living in the eon of information, where we can find the answer to any question within a matter of few clicks. With such instantaneous access to information, there has been a rise of feedbacks via comments on social media, ratings and reviews, and other content sharing platforms. Evidently, enterprises are encouraged to share their data out to consumers in order to facilitate transparency and positive awareness of their establishments. Transparency basically is an open communication between an organization and its consumers, employees, and potential customers where there are no hidden agendas or conditions involved. Additionally, data transparency helps in promoting medical tourism and attract potential investors. It aims to build trust that initiates within, then extends out to the public, enabling them to make a knowledgeable decision.

Defining Healthcare Transparency

According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), healthcare transparency entails providing the public with vital information regarding the healthcare system’s quality, productivity, and consumer experience to influence the decision making of patients, providers, payers, etc. It is important for health care providers to ensure data transparency in order to maintain efficiency, reliability, and credibility among patients, employees, and investors.

Price transparency is one of the important aspects that patients look out for. It includes :-
  • Healthcare centers and practitioners publicizing their standard rates for various medical care services.
  • Government agencies making public the average prices for common health care services
  • Insurance companies being transparent about their rates that they have negotiated with physicians and hospitals.

Importance of Transparency in the Healthcare System

Information is a vital power and by sharing it, healthcare providers can offer personalized, sustainable and up-to-date services. A transparent healthcare system is paramount for patients, employers, health care professionals, and policymakers. In fact, surveys have revealed that transparency help patients make a well-informed decision while opting for treatments, health plans, clinical practices, etc. Additionally, it also encourages trust between the consumers and physicians and the healthcare system. It promotes quality, safety, and efficiency in their operations that allows healthcare centers to effectively achieve clinical benchmarks.

Benefits of Transparency in Healthcare System

Infusing Confidence in the Customer – Optimized data transparency give patients more choices and they appreciate the continued efforts that healthcare units take in order to keep them updated, thereby building trust and reliability. With all the relevant information easily accessible on your webpage, your potential patients will also appreciate the brand for being honest with its consumers. Additionally, with quality data validating services provided by a health care center, it becomes easier to counsel patients to undergo recommended invasive procedures.
Boosting Employee Productivity – Furthermore, transparency in the system clearly exhibits to the employees and the general public about where the company stands and where it is headed. This makes employees (doctors, nurses and other support staff) more accountable, which evidently encourages them to provide better quality services and focus on better patient outcomes. Additionally, when employees are well aware of what’s going on internally, it helps them see the bigger picture and understand the current and expected standards of the company, thereby further enhancing employee productivity.
Encouraging Cost Efficiency – It is certainly challenging for your workforce, for e.g., physicians to cut costs and save money when they are unaware of the expenditures involved in purchasing resources that you as a healthcare provider are shelling out in order to facilitate day-to-day operations. With data transparency, your employees understand the financials better, along with the need to make more cost-effective decisions. This certainly can help your hospital save a substantial amount of administration money.
Strengthening Your Brand Value – Showcasing your data is one of the best forms of marketing especially for healthcare centers. When you exhibit credible data to patients and potential investors, it strengthens your brand value in the marketplace. When consumers search for your healthcare services and come across comprehensive details of your administrations, operations and positive reviews by customers, they will naturally trust you over your competitors, thereby placing you at the forefront.

Establishing data transparency for your healthcare center is certainly a challenging task. However, implementing a systematic approach can help you bring a positive change in your current working model and make your operations more transparent, efficient and productive. 



Dr. Rishab Sharma

Dr. Rishab Sharma MBBS, MD (Internal Medicine) He is associated with Fortis Escorts Hospital, Jaipur. Dr. Rishab has wide experience in managing a variety of diseases, as well as managing critical care units in large government and corporate hospitals.

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