Healthcare Resolutions

About

The Healthcare Resolutions Program can help you resolve patient issues in a confidential and neutral setting.  

Patient Issues

Healthcare Resolutions can help resolve issues with health care, such as:

• Dissatisfaction with treatment outcomes or quality of care
• Unexpected/adverse outcomes of care
• Sentinel events
• Medical errors
• Misdiagnosis or delays in diagnosis
• Unexpected death
• Inability to communicate effectively with providers

Goals
The goals of Healthcare Resolution Specialists are to: 

• Resolve complex health care disputes, issues, and concerns at the lowest level, directly, and at the earliest opportunity. Ensure a fair resolution process for all parties - patients, health care providers, and the military treatment facility.
• Incorporate patient, family, and provider input into process improvement initiatives and enhance patient-provider partnership in care delivery.
• Promote organizational transparency and integrity, including training providers in disclosure techniques.
• Openly and honestly share any unexpected outcomes of care with patients and families. This includes system vulnerabilities and, if recognized, a commitment is made to assign improvements to process owners in the interests of improved and safer functioning consistent with operating as a high-reliability organization.

 Guiding Principles 

• Confidentiality. Your identity is never shared without your permission.
• Neutrality and Impartiality. Healthcare Resolutions does not take sides in a dispute. Healthcare Resolutions aims to achieve the best possible outcome for all.
• Independence. Healthcare Resolutions operates throughout all levels of the MTF and will address any party regarding issues that require their attention.
• Informality. Non-adversarial, problem-solving processes are used to resolve disputes. However, using the Healthcare Resolutions Program does not limit your right to pursue a formal or legal process.

How does the the Healthcare Resolutions Program help resolve issues?

• Conducts informal fact-finding, facilitates open communication between parties, and offers fair and equitable solutions.
• Liaises between patients and providers regarding quality of care issues; may facilitate mediation sessions with patients and providers.
• Negotiates and reasons to analyze the situation and recommends appropriate actions for solutions, while ensuring that all parties understand their options and the processes involved.

In some cases, the MTF leadership is informed of emerging issues while maintaining confidentiality and neutrality.

Who can use the Healthcare Resolutions Program?

The Healthcare Resolutions Program is available to all beneficiaries, next of kin, and health care personnel assigned to the facility. Referrals are accepted from any beneficiary or staff member who has patient care issues. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call the Healthcare Resolutions office.