Nellis J A
St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital/Texas Heart Institute, Houston.
Hosp Mater Manage Q. 1992 Feb;13(3):66-71.
In summary, it is the writer's opinion that a healthy bottom line and quality patient care can coexist. With today's economic pressures and with more and tighter controls and regulations being imposed by the government and regulatory agencies, providers (especially hospitals) need to be cost efficient and cost effective. Will the cost-containment measures necessary to maintain a healthy bottom line reduce the quality of patient care? They needn't. In point, such measures might actually increase the quality of care by avoiding wasteful clinical practices. Quality patient care comprises three basic elements: value, service, and compassion. To omit any one of these ingredients is to remove the quality from patient care. Should this happen, no cost-containment measure will be enough to sustain a hospital. Financial accountability is essential; quality care is imperative. Blended together thoroughly, they are the recipe to survival--for the hospital and for the patient.
总之，作者认为健康的财务状况和优质的患者护理可以并存。在当今的经济压力下，以及政府和监管机构实施越来越多、越来越严格的控制和监管的情况下，医疗服务提供者（尤其是医院）需要提高成本效率和效益。为维持健康的财务状况而采取的成本控制措施会降低患者护理质量吗？不一定。事实上，这些措施可能会通过避免浪费性的临床实践来提高护理质量。优质的患者护理包含三个基本要素：价值、服务和同情心。忽略其中任何一个要素都会降低患者护理的质量。如果发生这种情况，任何成本控制措施都不足以维持医院的运营。财务问责制至关重要；优质护理必不可少。将它们充分融合在一起，是医院和患者生存的秘诀。
