What is Patient Engagement Really Worth? Patient Safety? Higher Reimbursement? Lower Operational Costs?

Putting patients first – is the ultimate focus of the newly emerged value based care systems – but is it really worth anything to the bottom-line for providers? Currently, healthcare has become patient-centric and patients are having stronger voices in healthcare decisions and ensure that the care that they receive specifically meets their needs and preferences. As quoted by Susan Dentzer, editor of Health Affairs, patient engagement is the “blockbuster of 21st century”. Beyond safety and patient considerations, effective patient engagements means that you can save operational costs to manage patients throughout the continuum of care and also increase your reimbursements.

PATIENT ENGAGEMENT LEADS TO SAFER AND HIGHER QUALITY CARE

Patients are the ultimate care receivers and it is a fact that though the physician is a trained medical practitioner, he is not a perfect communicator nor can he read the patients’ minds. When patients are involved in their care procedures, they are more likely to adhere and respond better to the medications and other treatment procedures and the occurrences of any emergency treatments or complex situations.

Utilizing technologies for visit reminders, treatment reminders, outcome tracking, automating follow-up visits, and collaboration with other patient physicians and caregivers not only help strengthen the patient provider trust relationship — it also leads to higher quality care. Working together with the patients, the healthcare providers foster an environment wherein patients provide better subjective evidence to conversations and understand the need for prescribed medical procedures.

PATIENT ENGAGEMENT LEADS TO HIGHER REIMBURSEMENT

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) has shifted its reimbursement system to patient outcomes. Hospitals are no longer paid for the care delivery without analyzing their success rates. Care providers are financially rewarded or penalized depending on the outcomes of the care.

The trend toward value care or episode based or bundled care pricing is not going away – it is consistently in the top 3 future trends for healthcare. And it’s not just CMS either — when Lifecycle Health is speaking with healthcare providers in the last 6 months, the comments seem to be more concerned around “The pricing and operational challenges for Value Care or bundled episode is not just CMS any more — during our latest contract renewals with commercial payers, they are now desiring the same organization and setup for patient bundles. This scenario is a real problem for healthcare providers as we need streamline our operations for both CMS and commercial patients to track bundles and patients effectively, and there is no real way to do this. This is why we have been impressed with the Lifecycle Health platform – it is tackling this issue.”

PATIENT ENGAGEMENT FOSTERS SELF MANAGEMENT

When care receivers are well-informed about their medical condition and involved in all the decisions relating to the same, they are in a better position to recognize, treat, and manage their own health problems. People suffering from chronic illnesses such as diabetes, arthritis, asthma, need to manage their daily lives and living habits to be able to cope up with the treatment procedure they have undergone and secure the results for a longer duration.

Moreover, as a result of active learning, the complete scenario in the office visit process appears to have changed. Patients are well-equipped with provider-approved information related to their healthcare conditions and they are in a position to optimize office visits only when certain clarification is required.

PATIENT ENGAGEMENT IMPROVES FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONS EFFICIENCY

It is quite obvious. Since patients are involved in their healthcare discussions and are well-informed about what they need to do to take care of them once they get back home, there is little left at the physician’s end. The provider may give them a checklist which ensures that the necessary care is taken rather than delaying discharge of the patient from the hospital, costing more to both the patient and the provider.

The many benefits of patient engagement and healthcare technology have been proven to outweigh the challenges and costs of implementation. Providers and patients are enthusiastically extending their hands for the cause of collaborative, technological healthcare processes that would ease the journey while investing in better population health at affordable prices.

Value based care – as we call it now, is an outcome of a 360 degree involvement in healthcare and has changed the parameters of medical treatment procedures. Patients are empowered with medical knowledge and have the right to participate in their own care. There are patient management and coordination automationsoftware that make it an easier process for you and your patients – and you do not have to break the bank on implementation!

LifeCycle Health is one among those who bridge the gap between all the members involved in a particular healthcare episode by bringing them to a single environment where they can share, interact, discuss, and communicate more effectively regarding the patient’s care path. Get to know more about our multi-provider healthcare methods, care coordination, and easy patient management platform capabilities.

To collaborate your healthcare journeys with us, visit us at www.lifecyclehealth.com and experience immense care satisfaction for your patients, and gain significant efficiencies for your practice.

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Putting the Patient's Experience First

Putting the patient’s experience first – is the ultimate focus of the newly emerged value based care systems. Nowadays, healthcare has become patient-centric and people are having stronger voices in healthcare decisions and ensure that the care that they receive specifically meets their needs and preferences. As quoted by Susan Dentzer, editor of Health Affairs, patient engagement is the “blockbuster of 21st century”. The biggest challenge is “how, if, and when” will the healthcare networks and providers change their business processes to adapt to value care scenarios.

PATIENT ENGAGEMENT LEADS TO SAFER AND HIGHER QUALITY CARE

PATIENT ENGAGEMENT LEADS TO SAFER AND HIGHER QUALITY CARE Patients are the ultimate care receivers and it is a fact that though the physician is a trained medical practitioner, he is not a perfect communicator nor can he read a patient’s mind. When patients are involved in their care procedures, they are more likely to adhere and respond better to the medications and other treatment procedures and the occurrences of any emergency treatments or complex situations. Working together with the patients, the healthcare providers foster an environment wherein patients provide better subjective evidence to conversations and understand the need for prescribed medical procedures.
PATIENT ENGAGEMENT LEADS TO HIGHER REIMBURSEMENT The Center for Medicare and Medicaid has shifted its reimbursement system to patient outcomes. Hospitals are no longer paid for the care delivery without analyzing their success rates. Care providers are financially rewarded or penalized depending on the outcomes of the care.
PATIENT ENGAGEMENT FOSTERS SELF MANAGEMENT When care receivers are well-informed about their medical condition and involved in all the decisions relating to the same, they are in a better position to recognize, treat, and manage their own health problems. People suffering from chronic illnesses such as diabetes, arthritis, asthma, need to manage their daily lives and living habits to be able to cope up with the treatment procedure they have undergone and secure the results for a longer duration.
Moreover, as a result of active learning, the complete scenario in the office visit process appears to have changed. Patients are well-equipped with provider-approved information related to their healthcare conditions and they are in a position to optimize office visits only when certain clarification is required.

PATIENT ENGAGEMENT IMPROVES FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONS EFFICIENCY Since patients are involved in their healthcare discussions and are well-informed about what they need to do to take care of themselves once they get back home, there is little left at the physician’s end - right? But it’s much more complicated than that to coordinate a patience for an entire episode. The provider may give them a checklist which ensures that the necessary care is taken rather than delaying discharge of the patient from the hospital, costing more to both the patient and the provider. It seems quite obvious - but its complicated, and keeping a patient engaged in their care along the continuum is more difficult than it would seem — and that’s if providers could find the time to help.

The many benefits of patient engagement and healthcare technology have been proven to outweigh the challenges and costs of implementation. Providers and patients are enthusiastically extending their hands for the cause of collaborative, technological healthcare processes that would ease the journey while investing in better population health at affordable prices.

Value based care – as we call it now, is an outcome of a 360 degree involvement in healthcare and has changed the parameters of medical treatment procedures. Patients are empowered with medical knowledge and have the right to participate in their own care. There are patient engagement software offerings that make it an easier process for providers and patients.
Lifecycle Health is one among those healthcare patient engagement and patient management solutions that bridges the gaps among the care team members involved in a particular healthcare episode by bringing them to a single platform where they can share, interact, discuss, and engage with each other — providers-to-providers, and patients-to-providers.
Get to know more about our methods of connecting the multiple provider care continuum, care coordination, and easy healthcare application. To collaborate your healthcare journeys with us, visit us at http://www.lifecyclehealth.com/home and enable your organization to provide immense care satisfaction with our proven methods.

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Importance & Consequences of Patient Engagement in Healthcare Solutions

Putting patients first – is the ultimate focus of the newly emerged value based care systems. Nowadays, healthcare has become patient-centric and people are having stronger voices in healthcare decisions and ensure that the care that they receive specifically meets their needs and preferences. As quoted by Susan Dentzer, editor of Health Affairs, patient engagement is the “blockbuster of 21^st century”.

PATIENT ENGAGEMENT LEADS TO SAFER AND HIGHER QUALITY CARE

Patients are the ultimate care receivers and it is a fact that though the physician is a trained medical practitioner, he is not a perfect communicator nor can he read the patients’ minds. When patients are involved in their care procedures, they are more likely to adhere and respond better to the medications and other treatment procedures and the occurrences of any emergency treatments or complex situations. Working together with the patients, the healthcare providers foster an environment wherein patients provide better subjective evidence to conversations and understand the need for prescribed medical procedures.

PATIENT ENGAGEMENT LEADS TO HIGHER REIMBURSEMENT

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid has shifted its reimbursement system to patient outcomes. Hospitals are no longer paid for the care delivery without analyzing their success rates. Care providers are financially rewarded or penalized depending on the outcomes of the care.

 

PATIENT ENGAGEMENT FOSTERS SELF MANAGEMENT

When care receivers are well-informed about their medical condition and involved in all the decisions relating to the same, they are in a better position to recognize, treat, and manage their own health problems. People suffering from chronic illnesses such as diabetes, arthritis, asthma, need to manage their daily lives and living habits to be able to cope up with the treatment procedure they have undergone and secure the results for a longer duration.

Moreover, as a result of active learning, the complete scenario in the office visit process appears to have changed. Patients are well-equipped with provider-approved information related to their healthcare conditions and they are in a position to optimize office visits only when certain clarification is required.

PATIENT ENGAGEMENT IMPROVES FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONS EFFICIENCY

It is quite obvious. Since patients are involved in their healthcare discussions and are well-informed about what they need to do to take care of them once they get back home, there is little left at the physician’s end. The provider may give them a checklist which ensures that the necessary care is taken rather than delaying discharge of the patient from the hospital, costing more to both the patient and the provider.

The many benefits of patient engagement software and healthcare technology have been proven to outweigh the challenges and costs of implementation. Providers and patients are enthusiastically extending their hands for the cause of collaborative, technological healthcare processes that would ease the journey while investing in better population health at affordable prices.

Value based care – as we call it now, is an outcome of a 360 degree involvement in healthcare and has changed the parameters of medical treatment procedures. Patients are empowered with medical knowledge and have the right to participate in their own care. There are patient engagement software that make it an easier process. LifeCycle Health is one among those healthcare providers who bridge the gap between all the members involved in a particular healthcare episode by bringing them to a single platform where they can share, interact, discuss, and fill follow-up surveys. Get to know more about our multi—provider healthcare methods, care coordination, and easy healthcare application. To collaborate your healthcare journeys with us, visit us at http://www.lifecyclehealth.com and experience immense care satisfaction with our proven methods.

Get more info at :  

• Value Based Care is the New Health Care 
• 4 Provider-Patient Communication Considerations for Better Healthcare

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Value Care is the New Health Care - United States Government

Care delivery in the United States is the one of the costliest affairs for the residents of the nation. To put things in perspective, U.S. healthcare costs nearly $2 trillion every year, out of which more than 31% is never presented to the recipients (counts for administration costs). This, undoubtedly calls for an immediate and drastic care transition and Value Based Care (VBC) is a terminology that has been long awaited. The shift from volume-care to value-care is no easier than accepting smart phones/tablets/laptops in replacement of the bulky PCs. This shift from the fee-for-service payment models to value based care compel health systems to blend operational, financial, clinical, and other data to improve quality, control costs and managing provider networks, and providing access. The U.S. Government is building a new payment landscape and creating a new paradigm which undertakes the responsibility of coordinating complete care along with bearing the risks of costs and outcomes.

Value care has emerged as a successful model with the refinement of information technology and application of strategies to the traditional fee-for-service payment mechanism that ruled the healthcare until lately. Value Care is a highly integrated system and includes the medical Shared Savings Program, value based payments to the hospitals, and others. 

Reshaping the healthcare models, a multitude of new payment models have been established, out of which the most important is Value Based Reimbursement (VBR). The Obama Administration introduced and implemented multiple VBR verticals including bundled payments, medical home models, variations of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) and special incentives to physicians for care coordination, giving way to many more innovations. The MACRA’s sweeping payment reform provisions comprise of several steps to facilitate providers to participate in Alternative Payment Models (APMs) for initial bonus payments, exemption from MIPS requirements, and are not expected to meet EHR requirements. The healthcare providers participating in APMs are eligible for higher annual payment updates for their fee-for-service revenue stream beginning in 2026. 

Further, MACRA also establishes a 2-track system for identifying qualifying participants

1) Beginning in 2019, if they receive a significant share of APM revenue in Medicare alone; or 

2) Beginning in 2021, if they receive a significant share of APM revenue through Medicare or a combination of Medicare and other payers.

The Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) aims for converting 30 percent of the fee-for-service Medicare payments to value based care models by the end of 2016 and expects 50 percent of traditional payments undergo this care transition by 2018.

Bundled Payments

 

Also called as episode based payments, this introduces a single payment for services provided under a complete episode of care. Providers including the hospitals, physicians, settings, surveys, procedures and exercises all come together on a single platform and interact closely to make the medical procedure hassle-free and convenient for both – the providers and patients. This drastically reduces the medical expenditure too.

  The VBC initiatives are being appreciated by care-givers, payers, and other stakeholders.

·             The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) estimated a growth at the rate of $10 billion per year for medical reformation efforts like VBC.

·          Aetna invested 15 percent of its spending towards VBC efforts and announced to invest up to 45 percent by 2017.

·    The Department of Health & Human Services aims at tying 30 percent of their payments to value care payment models by the end of 2016 and would increase this to 50 percent by 2018.

The government has initiated the care transition and now is the time for some real change in the healthcare spendings of the United States. Life Cycle Health’s initiatives are in compliance with the government’s take on value based care system and our patterns adhere to treating patients with complete satisfaction and at reasonable prices. We designed a platform where all individuals involved in patient care can interact throughout the treatment episode and invest our innovative ideas so that medical care can prosper with the willingness of care-givers and patients. We accept bundled payments so as to calm down the huge medical expenses.

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1.  Know How Telehealth has Impacted Healthcare Scenario Globally

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Embrace Patient Provider Communication for Better Healthcare

Research evidences state that there is a strong connection between a healthcare provider’s communicating ability and a patient’s capacity to follow his medical recommendations and adopt preventive health obligations. The physician’s communication skills have a profound impact on the functional and biological health outcomes of the patient. Here, our interests are much beyond just a dialogue between the patient and the provider. The intent is to closely monitor patient’s treatment progress and be available whenever the patient is in need. With the introduction of episode-based care, patients are beneficiaries as they themselves participate in their treatment procedures.

It is just not about the initial communication, there has to be a structural approach to the patient provider communication that ultimately improves healthcare delivery. E-Care is the trend of today and even healthcare has gone digital to an extent where patients and providers do not meet in person, still are so closely connected and the exchange of documents, disease summaries and patient history is done virtually. There are software platforms that bring all – the health-care givers and receivers together and allow them have a dialogue, share documents, and schedule virtual meetings.

DIAGNOSIS

Most of the part of the patient-provider relationship is made during the diagnosis phase, which is the initial most interaction between the two. Diagnostic procedures and decisions are usually made after the history-taking component.

E-Portals have made it possible to send images, reports, and other medicine information that is critical for the physician to know before initiating the therapy. It is a critical phase as it is at this time when the patient starts building trust in the healthcare provider. However, studies revealed that patients are often not allowed to share complete details of their medical history; rather the physicians interrupt the explanation, which leads to diagnostic inaccuracy. Apparently, when patients are interrupted, it hinders the relation at the first step.

ADHERENCE TO TREATMENT PROCEDURES

The extent to which patients conforms to the doctors’ recommendations is called as adherence. Certainly, this is one of the most common practice in healthcare – non-adherence. Some disagree with the clinician’s terms, some worried about the cost, some find the instructions too difficult to follow, and some felt that the prescription is against their personal beliefs.

Episode-based care has eliminated non-adherence to medical procedures as it becomes compulsory for the patient to fill survey forms periodically and assess their own progress. Resultantly, the physician also analyses and suggests better medications and physical exercises that are tracked too. Thus, there is least chance of any negligence or non-adherence to the treatment process.

PATIENT SAFETY & SATISFACTION

Communication among the people involved in either side of the treatment procedures plays an active role in strengthening the relationship leading to a better healthcare service. Any kind of miscommunication may lead to dangerous results on patient care. So, when patient-provider communication is proper, patients are expressive and more participative in the treatment procedures resulting in an overall positive therapy.

Patients want to be better informed about their medical condition, care methodology, and care providers so that they know they are in safe hands and are microscopically observed. With innovative care models, patients are becoming more knowledgeable and satisfied with the care transition episodes they come across.

Even though there is a lot of technical expertise, communication barrier may ruin the patient-provider relationship. Here are certain things to be considered for healthy healthcare deliveries :

·        Listen to understand : Most of the times doctors listen to their patients only to respond not to understand. Here, they pre-assume things and start manipulating what is actually said by the patients.

·          Take the time to listen : You cannot just rely on the symptoms about the actual medical condition of the patient. You need to ask some things too.

·         Minimize the sense of threat : Be fair enough to make patients understand the causes of their illness, be honest to what you feel, acknowledge their emotions, and involve them in certain decisions so that they feel an important part of the treatment procedure.

Healthcare is now measurable with the generation of figures and statistical data of how the treatment has progressed. All those are involved including the care provider and patient need to be active in all the conversations and complete their part of the job in order to get a comprehensive care outcome data.

No two people are same. So, it is important to treat every individual patient with utmost care. It is vital to communicate with every patient with a new perspective; rather by understanding their individual medical condition. It is only when you build the rapport that you will be able to invest in better healthcare.

LifeCycle Health Platform empathizes with this important criterion in the healthcare providers and patient’s treatment procedures. To know more about our ways of improving patient-provider communication, visit our website http://www.lifecyclehealth.com/. We take pride in strengthening bonds within the healthcare industry.

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