What is the 'Triple Aim' of healthcare?

Ultimately, the goal is to improve the overall health of the population while reducing the costs of medical care. The Triple Aim framework is not necessarily three different goals. Instead, the components should be seen as three steps to approach simultaneously to achieve the same goal. 

In a country with an extraordinarily expensive healthcare system, that might sound unachievable. Triple Aim seeks to address this challenge by breaking down improvements into small, doable steps that are easy to measure. 

The first facet of Triple Aim is to improve all aspects of the patient experience. In addition to emphasizing that organizations have the right skills to bring about positive outcomes, this step calls for systems to be in place that evaluate the experience and implement changes for improvement. 

Sometimes these improvements involve making the healthcare system, which many people have trouble navigating, more user-friendly. Initiatives may include care coordination and communication with patients.

Improvements also focus on compliance with healthcare regulations regarding privacy as medical facilities embrace the convenience of current technology. 

As the population ages and the number of people in need of regular health care increases, reducing costs becomes increasingly important. Among the 11 high-income countries evaluated as part of a Commonwealth Fund analysis of Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development health data, the United States spent more on health care but continued to face significant challenges, such as the lowest life expectancy and the highest suicide rate.

Cost reduction in Triple Aim has two components. The first involves finding ways to decrease the costs of care in medical facilities, of medications and of treatments. 

The second cost-reduction factor is to focus on prevention. By focusing on giving people the necessary resources for good health, Triple Aim works to mitigate the need for health care as people age. 

Improving population health goes hand in hand with health care cost reduction and improving patient experience. The goal of this Triple Aim aspect involves understanding the public health needs of the population as well as the health challenges they face.

For example, social factors can affect health when it comes to mental health, communicable diseases and preventable conditions like diabetes. 

The population health component of Triple Aim calls for improved communication and outreach. It also involves researching the factors causing the illnesses and conditions within a given community. Using public health efforts to help prevent illnesses and conditions prevalent in a community can go a long way toward reducing health care costs and improving care for the people who do need medical assistance. 

Triple Aim has achievable and logical goals that can reduce costs and improve experience and outcomes. However, the challenges associated with implementing Triple Aim have slowed down its popularity. 

Here’s a look at some of the most common pitfalls healthcare organizations encounter: 

• Implementing Triple Aim may increase medical staff burnout. Medical staff burnout is a common issue in the U.S. healthcare system, and some worry Triple Aim would exacerbate it. Today, burnout is caused by understaffing at medical facilities, unrealistic expectations from administrators and, most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to a lack of energy and an increased frequency of mistakes, physician and nursing staff members who experience burnout may develop health problems. 
• Triple Aim doesn’t do enough to address disparities within the healthcare system. Wealthier patients or individuals with comprehensive insurance may receive better care and referrals to specialists without hesitation. Meanwhile, patients with little to no insurance coverage sometimes avoid essential medical care due to the expense. 
• Politics and health care don’t always mix. Some politicians focus on issues such as high prices for medication or insurance premiums during election season, but once in office, they fail to bring lasting changes that solve these issues. 
• Misperceptions about Triple Aim can drive dissatisfaction. Some healthcare workers perceive Triple Aim’s goals as solely focused on patients and the public. A new philosophy, like that of the so-called Quadruple Aim, includes more support for workers. 

Of course, some of these drawbacks are a mixture of actual challenges and misperceptions. Luckily, certain benefits of Triple Aim directly address some of these challenges with solutions.