By Christian Kratsas – Patient Centered Medical Home embodies the current trajectory of healthcare in that the patient is the focus of the medical model. The NCQA PCMH program is vastly adopted, with more than 12,000 practices, 60,000 clinicians, and 100 payors participating.
Read More
By Christian Kratsas – Communication between primary care physicians (PCPs) and the specialists they refer patients to is paramount to the overall best outcome for the patient. Much of the communication breakdown lies in outdated protocols and manual workflows that some organizations continue to employ.
By Christian Kratsas – A critical, but often-overlooked, aspect of the referral process is cultivating provider partnerships that facilitate referrals and enhance the continuum of care. The continued emphasis on value-based care will result in increasing numbers of physicians.
By Christian Kratsas – Today’s healthcare model requires that services be patient-centered. Additional challenges arise, though, when care needs to be coordinated among multiple providers. From 1999-2009, the number of primary care visits resulting in a referral increased by 159%.
By Christian Kratsas – Care coordination missteps are damaging to providers across the healthcare industry and one huge, overarching mistake is apparent: not enough information is being shared.
By Jeremy Guttman – Healthcare reform is very real. Only primary care practices who prepare now will be ready for big changes in reimbursement and quality metrics.
By Jeremy Guttman – Healthcare leaders who were once optimistic about value-based reimbursement models are becoming doubtful after seeing the performance of several programs. ACOs are achieving modest gains.
By Jeremy Guttman – Problems with handoffs are a big deal in clinical practice. Defective handoffs lead to patient harm, treatment delays, inappropriate treatment, and longer stays in the hospital.
By Jeremy Guttman – Hospitals and Health Networks Magazine recently championed the concept of primary care physicians and specialists working closely together as partners, rather than continuing disconnected referral relationships.