Care coordination and value-based care
Care coordination and value-based care July 11, 2017
Now that healthcare has shifted to value-based care and reimbursement, the importance of care coordination has been elevated. How are these two concepts related?
Value-based care focuses on the quality of care provided to the patient, rather than on the number of times a patient is seen by a provider. When a patient is seen by multiple providers, such as a primary care physician and one or more specialty providers, that patient’s care must be coordinated between those providers to ensure that the care provided by all is efficient and effective. Lack of proper care coordination can be costly, both in terms of financial expenses and in terms of patient health.
Value-based care coordination entails proper communication and sharing of medical information. As an independent primary care physician, you need to know which physicians are caring for your patient as well as which lab tests or medications other physicians have ordered. Otherwise, costly mistakes can be made and the level of care you are able to provide your patient can be diminished.
Financially, value-based care coordination can help reduce costs incurred both by the patient and the independent physician. When reimbursement is based on the quality of care rather than the quantity, your emphasis has to be on optimizing each patient visit and ensuring that your patient is knowledgeable, leaving your office with the appropriate treatment plan. Otherwise, time and money can be wasted on unnecessary repeat office visits, lab tests, and even hospital admissions.
Surprisingly, while “the move toward value-based care is gaining momentum in the healthcare industry, many health systems are still in the early stages of implementing this model,” according to a recent article in Becker’s Healthcare. The articles also states that the transition to value-based care involves using technology to support informed decisions.
Elation’s EHR solution offers you the ability to use that technology to coordinate care seamlessly and efficiently so that you can provide the quality of coordinated care your patients need. Explore a sample chart to see how our cloud-based technology can help you and your patients make the informed decisions that are so important to value-based care.
