June 1, 2021; Ian Farquhar, i2i Product Solutions Consultant
Whole patient care is not easy. At its simplest, the idea is grounded in a team approach to care, where a team of care-givers work together to treat a patient. With their varying perspectives and expertise, the team is able to address the patient’s care needs as a whole, addressing any gaps in care rather than each medical concern individually.
There are many challenges to delivering whole patient care, but by utilizing a three-phased strategy, organizations can put the right team members with the right patients to better impact outcomes!
Three-Phased Team Approach
- Create the Care Team – Gather the right clinical and non-clinical team members, and instill an empowered sense of outcome ownership
- Prioritize Patient Groups to Have the Greatest Impact – No one patient group is more important that another, but by focusing on select populations, the entire patient population can more effectively be served, improving quality of care while better managing costs.
- Track Improved Outcomes – Actionable reports identify areas of opportunity and fuel organization-wide excitement as goals are achieved.
We believe now is the time, more than ever, when it is critical to discuss actions and ideas around reducing “provider burden.” During a time of great uncertainty and potentially increasing patient/community need, when health centers and providers – along with our entire healthcare system – continue to be stressed in ways we’ve not historically seen, embracing the whole patient care model has become increasingly valuable.
While managing whole patient care may appear to be a weighty administrative burden on the surface, a three-tiered strategy, supported by insightful and flexible technology tools like i2iTracks, can be easily implemented. Success in improving care – and care efficiency – in a cost effective manner lies in employing a team approach to identify patients with the greatest needs and highest probability for successful outcomes. Software tools that enhance and supercharge your EHR are invaluable in identifying and engaging patients with the most urgent needs, coordinating care and empowering your organization to improve the health of your community.
For more details on an effective strategy for reducing provider burden and managing whole patient care, register for the upcoming webinar hosted by IPHCA.