In light of healthcare reform, health care organizations (HCOs) are being tasked to better manage the health of the population surrounding their locations and to make certain patients are using services in the most effective and efficient ways. The goal is to help patients stay healthier, avoid readmissions, and to direct them to the appropriate setting for quality care that is cost-effective for both the patient and the provider.
What does this mean?
In the past, hospitals and physicians waited for the sick to come to them. Because of this, frequently patients would arrive being the sickest of the sick and in need of extensive care. Also, the financial health and insurance of a patient was usually reflected in the actual health of the patient. Patients without a financial cushion or insurance would avoid health care until the need for care became unavoidable, and then those patients would use the emergency department as the primary care provider, which is the most costly way for a patient to enter the healthcare system.
Not only is this traditional model of health care expensive for patients, but costly for HCOs as well. Reimbursement for emergency care is frequently much less than the actual cost of care.
Moving into the future, HCOs must identify patients needing care at an earlier stage, when treatment and even prevention are still possible. By doing this, healthcare costs to both patients and HCOs are minimized.
How can we do this?
By using predictive modeling and patient analytic tools, such as ecoSmart Patient Precisioning, HCOs are better equipped to identify and manage patients at risk for certain diseases and chronic conditions. Once these patients are identified, educational programs and screenings can be developed to target the largest concerns within an HCO’s population. Messaging can be designed and communicated to the patients and potential patients through direct mail, traditional media and social media, driving the correct message to the right person at the right time.
Do you need assistance analyzing and better communicating with your patients and population? To learn more about our ecoSmart Patient Precisioning, contact us today and visit out earlier blog post – “Not Just Direct Mail…” or visit us at booth #1345 at HIMSS 2012
-- Rachel Hill Smith, account principal, MEDSEEK
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