The business model for health care in the United States is evolving from a volume-driven model to a consumer-centric, value-driven model. As such, there are new competencies required of hospitals and health systems to effectively manage a population’s health across the continuum of care. Many hospitals and health systems will need to partner with other organizations to gain the capabilities and efficiencies required to provide services under new care delivery and payment arrangements. This article discusses the why, what, and how of creating and implementing a population health project with partners.
As health systems begin to take on financial risk, achieving improved outcomes depends on how successfully that system can deliver “the right care for the right patient at the right time.” Unfortunately, providers often fall short of this goal, resulting in lost opportunity. Today’s complex health care delivery and reimbursement environment requires providers and systems to enact more population health initiatives via partnerships that build on existing resources and tools. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines population health as “an interdisciplinary, customizable approach that allows health departments to connect practice to policy for change to happen locally. This approach utilizes non-traditional partnerships among different sectors of the community—public health, industry, academia, health care, local government entities, etc—to achieve positive health outcomes.”1 Standing alone trying to deliver high-value care is nearly impossible, not to mention wasteful. Systems, providers, and leaders should start by understanding the why, what, and how of population health as a foundation for high-value care delivery.
Source: Journal of Clinicalpathways
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