adminOK, we’ve all heard the news: value-based care is here. However, there’s still confusion and uncertainty about the transition from volume to value.
In a health care environment of constant change in which fee-for-service reimbursement is declining and physician burnout is on the rise, it can be difficult to have a discussion with physicians about yet another change.
What’s the best way to encourage the physicians on your team to adopt and embrace the transition to value-based care? Becker’s Hospital Review hosted a recent webinar that addressed the issue of physician engagement. Three foundational principles were suggested as ways to help drive the discussion about value-based care:
- Increase efficiency by making the most of data and tools—Tools like monthly scorecards on population health initiatives, benchmarking, and quality dashboards can make it easier for physicians to identify areas for improved efficiency and patient care.
- Reward top performance through incentive redesign—During the beginning process of implementing a value-based system, it may be helpful to start with simple and measurable activity incentives, according to the webinar. After physicians are comfortable with activity incentives, they can move to outcomes-based incentives or profit-and-loss sharing options.
- Elevate patient care with technology and efficient workflows—The webinar identified a “tool-people-technology” solution in which a workflow allows physicians to access a specialized health care team and a population health technology platform that will allow for coordinated care.
The key to engagement is using value-based care principles to help physicians reduce paperwork and other responsibilities that can take time away from patient care. When used well, these quality tools can help enable physicians to spend more time with patients and improve both professional satisfaction and the physician-patient relationship.
PAMED’s Volume to Value Online Courses Can Help with the Transition
The use of tools like benchmarking and patient scorecards can be helpful quality measures. The challenge most physicians and practices face, however, is how to develop and start using those tools.
Through a series of six online, on-demand courses, the Pennsylvania Medical Society (PAMED) offers an educational program to help ensure physicians have the skills necessary to succeed in the transition from volume to value. This series is facilitated by PAMED member Ray Fabius, MD, a nationally respected expert in quality and population health.
The courses will provide physicians and members of the health care team practical skills like using health care informatics to improve patient care, developing patient scorecards, and creating peer-support programs for patients with high-risk health issues like diabetes. CME is available for the courses.
More Ways to Engage Physicians
Frustrated by lack of engagement from your physicians? Gus Geraci, MD, says you’re not alone. The consulting chief medical officer at the Pennsylvania Medical Society (PAMED) regularly talks with hospital/health system administrators and hears many common challenges.
A one-hour webinar held on Oct. 20, 2015, offered solutions to these challenges. In “5 Things You Can Do to Improve Physician Engagement,” Dr. Geraci discussed critical elements of physician engagement and offered practical solutions.
View the presentation.