Staying Ahead of the Annual Trends

Print this Article | Send to Colleague

• Promoting Patient –Centered Initiatives. The patient-centered model is "here to stay", at least for the foreseeable future. Accountable care organizations, patient-centered medical home, and guided care programs have shown cost reduction through reduced admissions, increased quality, and high satisfaction rates. These initiatives provide and rely on more direct physician involvement and leadership. This team collaboration means we need to develop better communication channels and transparency of information for all members of the care team.
• Enhancing Patient Engagement Strategies. Since the patient, family members and caregivers are at the heart of the emerging patient-centered model, we also need to improve communications between them and the care team. Easy tools need to be developed that encourage patient education, engagement, and self-management. Millions of patients use the internet to review test results, schedule appoints, get health information, and email their physicians. This trend will continue to grow, so we have to find better ways to continually improve the experience.
• Expanding Communication Channels. The rise in social media interactions to support patient health is another communication trend that is rapidly expanding. It will not affect our elderly population in any great numbers now, since they don’t routinely use social media, but it will become increasingly more engrained in the way we communicate with younger patients and their families. Similarly, text messaging, email, online video chat, VOIP-based telephone systems, and other communication channels will increase our ability to stay connected with family, caregivers, providers and others.
• Empowering Remote and Wireless Monitoring. We are seeing more care coordination being done at provider sites and in home visits through wireless connections using laptops, tablets and smartphones. This is creating increased concerns for the IT departments regarding privacy and security. Remote home monitoring is less expensive to provide now and easier to set up and manage, so it is going to be used more in the coming years. The data from these devices needs to be seamlessly integrated into the medical management software, so care managers can be alerted immediately, if potentially dangerous situations arise.
• Expanding Care Coordination Interventions. We are already aware of other key care coordination processes that are essential, i.e. transition of care, medication reconciliation and management, and patient safety. Tracking and analysis of readmissions is another key area. Medical management systems need to include tools to easily manage, document, and report outcomes for these processes. Systems should currently have these capabilities, but they need to be improved upon, as we learn more about which care interventions drive the most successful outcomes.
• Relying on Efficiency and Real-time Feedback Loops. Efficiency and cost reduction remains a key objective for all programs. Real-time dashboard reporting and data analytics are essential to determine actionable areas for improved quality and cost savings. Business process management is another essential component. Systems need to be easily configured, based on unique business logic, to drive automated, streamlined workflows that improve efficiency, increase productivity, and reduce costs.
• Creating Practical Technologies with Elegant Designs. With Steve Job’s recent passing, we are reminded of the importance of merging technology with elegant designs. Job’s vision for combining iPhones with thousands of health applications that can be easily be downloaded from iTunes or integrating the myriad of EMR/EHR apps that can now run on iPads signal much more of what is to come. Technology that is ready out of the box, practical and functional!

Follow us on: