Improving Health Care Quality

In a country known for training the best doctors in the world, it is disquieting that patients still need to worry about falling victim to medical mistakes and poor care. But the fact is that people in the United States -- no matter where they live -- receive the appropriate, recommended care only half the time.

This was the major finding of a landmark study released by the RAND Corporation's Elizabeth McGlynn, Ph.D., in the New England Journal of Medicine and, in McGlynn's words, it fundamentally shattered the belief that the U.S. health care system is the best in the world.

McGlynn's findings, widely covered in the news media, are trumpeted by patient safety leaders throughout the country, and recognized publicly by national policymakers. U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton quoted the findings in a New York Times Magazine cover story. The study has added fuel to a growing fire calling for improved patient safety and better quality care.

Burness Communications played a significant role in gaining attention for McGlynn's work and making certain that her call for reform resonated with audiences across the country. We developed key messages and talking points, translated study findings into compelling language, garnered significant media coverage, and helped capture the interest of policymakers who could make a difference.

Our work in the quality field is substantial and growing. We work on projects for groups such as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Commonwealth Fund aimed at improving the quality of nursing care, improving care provided to residents in nursing homes, advancing the quality of life for people needing long term services and supports, and keeping patients safe from medical errors.

When it comes to health care, patients should have better than a 50 percent chance at getting what they need.