Care Coordination Strategies and Resources

Effective and efficient patient care coordination has long been a challenge in a fragmented healthcare industry, but the need and urgency to solve this puzzle has become more acute with the evolution of population health management and valued-based care and reimbursement.

It’s not surprising that care coordination is complicated, given all of the constituencies involved: healthcare providers, facilities, EHRs, health plans/payers, patients, family members, professional caregivers and more.

The financial impact on healthcare organizations is certainly a driving force in improved care coordination.

What shouldn’t get lost in the focus on healthcare cost savings is the positive impact on improved health, better outcomes and prevention/preemption of serious diseases for patients that is the underlying objective of better coordination and communication.

When the patient health and outcomes improve and when disease is identified and treated early, healthcare costs go down and the providers and payers (increasingly including self-insured employers) benefit as well.

At present, the patients most often must act as their own link, connection and conduit between their clinical providers, including transitions of care from one provider to another in the patient journey. But that old model is gradually giving way to a care coordination model driven by providers, with input from payers.

Care Coordination is a Strategy

The good news is that there are more solutions, tools and resources for improved care coordination than ever before. However, all of the choices of tools and resources often become confusing and daunting without a clear strategy and game plan in place, starting with the care coordination model itself.

Forefront Healthcare Consulting brings strategic expertise and direction around care coordination to healthcare provider organizations, health plans and self-insured employers. We do the heavy lifting of constant research and accumulated knowledge regarding care coordination models, tools, resources and vendors.

Forefront uses its knowledge and insights to guide its clients in the development of an overarching care coordination strategy that serves all constituencies involved with patient care.

Call 800-924-5447 to discuss your care coordination challenges and questions.