Orchestrating Care in the New World of Distributive Access – MedCity News

We’re at a fascinating time in healthcare as it relates to patient access and flow

We’re at a fascinating time in healthcare as it relates to patient access and flow. Healthcare is coming out of that period of change and disruption from the pandemic, which made us realize we weren’t quite as ready with our infrastructure and ability to communicate and collaborate as we – and most Americans – thought we were.

The Challenges of Siloed Healthcare

Healthcare professionals try so hard to take care of all of us, and they do an excellent job. But our healthcare system doesn’t make it easier for them because everything is siloed. There are multiple departments, with many steps and hand-offs with varying levels of streamlined communications and data. Along a patient’s journey, without systemness the flow of information could get lost. It’s like an apprenticeship; I’m a nurse, and I pass on what I’ve learned to the next nurse, who does the same, and so on.

The Transactional Nature of the Patient Journey

And while healthcare workers are afforded various tools and technology, providers have done a poor job of streamlining and optimizing the operational flow to ensure a quality patient journey throughout the health system. Rather, the patient journey has become super-transactional. For example, patients who don’t have any place to go end up at the emergency department (ED), where they’ll be treated and then just sent on their way with discharge instructions. Patients end up having to figure everything out from there, including where to go for follow-up, and even how they’ll pay for services.

The Shift to Distributive Access

If you look at our healthcare ecosystem over the course of decades, we evolved from where people had primary care physicians who they knew and trusted and who coordinated their care. Now we have easy accessibility to care just about anywhere; I can pop into a CVS MinuteClinic or a Walmart Health clinic to receive care, or I could schedule a telehealth visit.

The Need for Care Orchestration

The challenge with this emerging model of “distributive access” is that there isn’t any one individual or entity coordinating everything; patients are left to navigate their own care journeys. And while health systems invested billions of dollars in technology, little of it is well-coordinated or well-orchestrated for the health system, for healthcare workers, or for patients.

Barriers to Orchestrated Care

How do we align payers and providers to support care and access and reimbursement in a way that drives better outcomes for the patient? How do we get to where we can coordinate and deliver care everywhere, where we can operate without boundaries, in a world where access to healthcare is so widely distributed?

The Role of Technology and Data

Technology alone is not going to solve the problem. In fact, technology is just the starting point and exists in every one of our systems. We can all talk to each other, and we can share data, however it’s the inability – and sometimes unwillingness – of solution providers that sometimes gets in the way. As technology innovation continues to drive digital transformation, providers will need to implement controls that proactively guide patients to the optimal care setting rather than just dealing with them when they arrive at a facility.

The Burden on Patients

The second barrier to orchestrated care in an increasingly distributed care system is the overwhelming responsibility we put on patients to sort through and evaluate the unlimited options they have for accessing care. That’s bad for patients, and it’s bad for our health system.

The Importance of Partnerships and Trusted Data

Health systems also will need to form partnerships with stakeholders across the entire care continuum. These systems will do more with patients who have chronic conditions, but they’ll still have to partner with Walmart and Walgreens and share information and exchange data when a sick patient leaves the acute setting to go home. Some information about that patient will need to follow along with the patient.

The Role of Access Centers

Access centers can play a critical role in increasing healthcare consumer loyalty by serving as a hub to help providers facilitate patients’ care journeys. When access centers enable and improve their patients’ care access, it allows clinicians and caregivers to focus on treating the patient and to practice at the top of their licenses. This in turn drives more efficiency in our health system, which is better for clinical, financial, and operational outcomes.

Photo: MicroStockHub, Getty Images

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The article addresses the issues related to patient access and flow in healthcare, which are connected to SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) as it focuses on improving the coordination and delivery of care to ensure optimal patient outcomes. It also relates to SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) as it discusses the need for streamlining and optimizing healthcare infrastructure and technology. Additionally, it connects to SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) as it emphasizes the importance of collaboration and partnerships among different stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential healthcare services, and access to safe, effective, quality, and affordable essential medicines and vaccines.
• Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being, with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all.
• Target 17.16: Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology, and financial resources.

Based on the article’s content, the specific targets identified are:
– Target 3.8, as the article highlights the need to improve access to quality healthcare services and ensure financial protection for patients.
– Target 9.1, as the article emphasizes the importance of developing sustainable and resilient healthcare infrastructure to support patient access and flow.
– Target 17.16, as the article emphasizes the need for partnerships and collaboration among different stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem to improve patient care coordination and outcomes.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, there are indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets. These indicators include:
– Patient satisfaction rates: Measuring patient satisfaction can indicate whether access to quality healthcare services is being achieved (Target 3.8).
– Infrastructure investment: Tracking the investment in healthcare infrastructure can measure progress towards developing sustainable and resilient infrastructure (Target 9.1).
– Collaboration and partnership agreements: Monitoring the number of collaboration and partnership agreements among healthcare stakeholders can indicate progress towards enhancing global partnerships for sustainable development (Target 17.16).

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.

Source: medcitynews.com

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