Gold Accreditation to Anadolu Medical Center

Anadolu Medical Center, which provides its services with Person-Centered Care approach is the first hospital with Planetree Gold Accreditation in Turkey, and also 85th hospital in the world.

 

Person-Centered Care Manager Asuman Kuşçu stated that all employees in Anadolu Medical Center have contributed to this achievement in Person-Centered Care and added: "Person-Centered Care consists of multi dimensional works that necessitate a transformation in the corporate culture. Fundamentally, it means that an individual is not only considered as a "patient", but also with his/her past experiences, values, preferences and expectations as a whole and place at the center of health services. Although this seems easy, this could be confusing for healthcare institutions when they need to treat each patient uniquely and form the care accordingly. During providing health care services, it is necessary to leave one-sided perspective behind and to ensure partnership with the patient and his/her family. About 40 years ago, an organization called Planetree introduced the concept of "patient focus" approach and displayed the first example."

Founded in the United States by a patient who had a poor hospital experience in 1978, Planetree started to work on how healthcare facilities can become facilities that have a more healing effect on patients. In this context, interviews were conducted with more than 50 000 patients, relatives and health care workers and their opinion on their expectations for a better healthcare were recorded. These interviews indicated that people's expectations from healthcare services are generally similar. These expectations such as providing more effective information about the patient's health status, higher level of collaboration with the patients and their families, more healing and physically positive healthcare institutions , and placing the individual preferences of patients higher have set the standards that have been established for person-centered care accreditation in healthcare institutions.

In 2017, Anadolu Medical Center has achieved to receive Planetree Bronze Accreditation and it has become the first hospital in Turkey and in nearby region which was awarded with Planetree Gold Accreditation. Auditors from Planetree, which is the authority in Person-Centered Care, performed an audit at Anadolu Medical Center and interviewed a total of 144 people, including patients, relative of patients and employees.

Dr. Hişam Alahdab, Quality and Patient Safety Director of Anadolu Medical Center stated that person-centered care works are groundbreaking: "For example, we have established a patient board consisting from volunteer patients in the hospital. Patients not only provide counseling, but also they give decisions with us to form the future of hospital. Board meets regularly. We present the decisions taken at the hospital to the approval of Board and put them into practice after their evaluation. We also implemented many projects such as open records, patient preferred visits 24/7, care partnership, bedside nurse shift handover. Again, for example, if there are no medical constraints, we plan the care and treatment according to the preferred meal times, meal content, sleeping hours, visit preferences of our patients. Another groundbreaking practice is that we have a kitchen where patients can cook their own meals. We have companionship application in intensive care. We also have many services including prayer rooms, yoga, music concerts and marbling workshops."

Patient relatives can stay with patients during intensive care

Dr. Hişam Alahdab, Quality and Patient Safety Director of Anadolu Medical Center explained that companionship during intensive care was implemented for the appropriate patients. He added: "We let the relatives of patients in intensive care, not only for visiting them, but also to accompany them overnight. Of course, all patient relatives might not be willing and eager to stay with the patient at intensive care. We implement this for appropriate patients."

We focus on employees as well as patients

Anadolu Medical Center Person-Centered Care Manager Asuman Kuşçu emphasized that focusing on employees is one of the issues Planetree gives importance to. She added: "We consider the preferences, expectations and needs of our employees, conduct questionnaires and generate projects, just like we do for our patients. For instance, all employees may not be able to relax by doing yoga. Therefore, we plan the projects after we receive feedback and expectations of our employees".

Our patients expressed our practices in a very good manner

Dr. Hişam Alahdab, Quality and Patient Safety Director of Anadolu Medical Center stated that Planetree disclosed them that institutions over the world which focus on Person-Centered Care faced with challenges from doctors regarding acceptance and internalization of this culture. He also stated: "Our doctors, however, really believe in Person-Centered Care, they internalize it, and they are willing to spread and realize it." Dr. Alahdab also said that auditors had very positive impact from patient groups: "The inpatients have expressed our practices in clinics in a very good manner. They have specifically said that they feel at home.... That when they get here, they really felt like in a family. In addition, patients have stated that the Anadolu Medical Center employees acted compassionately, with smiling and caring manner, different from other institutions".

Person-Centered Care According to Our Patients:

"All the nurses who looked after me are really caring, friendly and helpful. Although I had a heavy operation and my surgery was postponed for 1 day due to some health problems, my nurses' support and motivating words have reduced my anxiety. They also paid great attention to my pregnant daughter who stays with me as a companion. They even ask if she needs anything, whether she wants to do something or not." (One of our Cardiovascular Surgery patients)

"They treat me like I'm the only one in the whole hospital. They help me each time I request help. You feel how sincere they are. They did not make me feel like they were doing this because this was their job." (A patient who had Bone Marrow Transplantation)

"They care about me like I'm the president here" (a patient from Russia)

"The view from our room is spectacular. I just did some marbling art practice. Staff is very friendly and caring. I feel like I'm on vacation, not at a hospital." (Companion of a patient who had Cardiovascular Surgery)