For years, healthcare has emphasized medical delivery, cost control, and operational efficiency, where providers have primarily focused on diagnosing health conditions and offering treatments using established procedures and protocols. Additionally, the system was pretty much provider-focused, with professionals making health decisions for patients based on their expertise. While this traditional method served well in the past, there has been a shift towards holistic care and patient centricity. Patients are increasingly becoming active participants in their health decisions, asking questions and making decisions that align with their values and preferences, thus improving the outcomes of the care.
Furthermore, it has become essential for the healthcare industry to offer patient-centric care and foster collaborations between stakeholders, including providers, payers, pharma companies, and patients, to enhance the overall healthcare experience.
Why is focus on patient outcomes necessary?
In value-based care, patient outcome encompasses several aspects, including the quality of care and treatment received, effectiveness of treatment, and patient satisfaction.
Improving patient outcomes lies at the heart of treatment delivery – the golden trio, before care, during care, and aftercare. To improve patient outcomes, providers can –
- Modify treatment plans to ensure patient care and needs are prioritized.
- Create new treatments and systems where patients can be vocal about their experiences.
- Use patient-reported outcomes and embrace evidence-based practice.
- Prioritize preventative care and empower patients by providing them with accurate and straightforward information about their health, treatment options, and strategies.
- Develop sustainable and digitally powered health plans.
- Work with payer consulting firms to leverage cross-sector healthcare data to find opportunities in implementing preventative care strategies as well as navigating the complex healthcare reimbursement process.
How are payers shaping patient outcomes?
A “Payer” could be anyone – an insurance company, a government healthcare agency, or an employer offering health benefits.
The payer’s role in patient care and the development of health plans directly impact the patient outcome. While payers provide financial cover for medical services and treatments, ensuring this financial cover is used to improve health outcomes becomes necessary. Patient care directly impacts payers when it comes to treatment costs. Unnecessary medical interventions and hospital admissions significantly drive up healthcare spending and patient dissatisfaction.
However, active collaboration between both payers and patients can create a balance that drives better patient health outcomes.
For starters, patients can contribute towards enhancing outcomes by actively participating in their healthcare, engaging with providers, and adhering to treatment plans. By taking ownership of their health and taking preventative care, patients can reduce treatment expenses and improve their health.
At the same time, payers could contribute towards patient outcomes by transitioning towards value-based service.
Invest in health information technology
Health Information Technology (HIT) has been crucial in transforming patient care. From health applications to MRI scanners, radiotherapy and modern software systems such as Electronic Health Records (EHRs), e-prescribing software, medical billing, and other remote patient monitoring tools have not only helped healthcare providers receive unadulterated and accurate information related to patient health, but also improved patient awareness. Payers can leverage HIT to gather insights, identify care gaps, and tailor their services to improve patient outcomes.
Implement alternate payment models
The traditional fee-for-service arrangement has worked for years. However, it only focused on reimbursing providers based on the quality of service rendered and not on the ultimate patient health experience. It led to fragmented patient care, unnecessary procedures, and limited accountability of outcomes. Value-based payment models aim to address these shortcomings by aligning healthcare spending with patient-centered care.
Promote preventative care strategies
Payers and healthcare providers have discovered a newfound interest in preventative care and wellness. The focus here is on keeping people healthy and providing preventative care before the onset of a disease. It involves encouraging individuals to adopt healthy patterns, undergo routine health check-ups, and participate in wellness programs.
Can organizations implement sales effectiveness consulting and strategies to better patient health outcomes?
Sure. Traditionally, in the healthcare landscape, sales effectiveness consulting and strategies were primarily limited to promoting products and services. The shift towards patient-centricity has welcomed initiatives where modern sales strategies are aimed at fostering partnerships, driving value-based care, and understanding improvement zones.
Also, when it comes to health plans and patient outcomes, sales force strategies can ensure providers and patients have access to the latest and most advanced digital health solutions and medical devices.
In the evolving healthcare landscape, one thing that remains consistent is the need for improving patient health outcomes.
