Consumerism has been a prevalent movement in other industries for centuries. It's now becoming a significant force in the healthcare delivery system. As consumer-driven healthcare gains in popularity, the shift in healthcare cost may affect the overall system by driving down volume. Because the current physician payment system is based on paying more for increased utilization, the short-term effect may be a further downward pressure on physician income, and cardiologists are no exception.
With decreasing volumes, healthcare organizations will have to increase market share to remain competitive. In order to gain more market share, cardiology practices will have to differentiate themselves based on quality, outcomes, patient services and the desired healthcare experience. Consumerism is actually already changing the way cardiology practices deliver care, as evidenced by the continued decline in volume of high cost imaging studies over the past several years.
Increasingly, employers are shifting to benefits strategies that give more power (and financial responsibilities) to employees, through health savings accounts and high-deductible health plans. As a result, patients now have more control over where and how to spend their healthcare dollars.
Some experts predict that the future healthcare consumer will not spend a dollar on healthcare services unless they feel that they are getting a dollar's worth of value in return. As more employers move to these types of consumer cost shifts, cardiology practices will have to show the value of healthcare services. Cardiology practices that seek to attract the more affluent and informed consumer are beginning to institute patientcentered systems designs that invite patients to actively participate in their healthcare through price transparency, satisfaction surveys and provider report cards.
Although many cardiology practices today have some type of patient-centered slogan in their mission statement, not all practices excel in this area. Below are five areas for cardiology practices to consider as changes toward becoming a more patient-centered organization.
1. Measurements. Medical practices should seek feedback from patients as well as employees. Develop measurements for patient-centered care to analyze the organization's effectiveness, and hold staff, as well as providers, accountable when deficient. Today groups can start participating in the Clinician and Group Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CG-CAHPS) standardized survey tool to measure patient perceptions of care delivered by a provider in an office setting.
2. Technology. Consider technology that allows the clinical and front office staff the ability to assess the patents responsibility as well as give treatment plan price estimators. For cardiology practices, the ability to deliver price transparency will be a differentiator for the consumer.
3. Process redesign. Design a reception area that allows front desk personnel (responsible for friendly one-onone communication with patients) to focus on the patients by freeing them of other distractions, such as telephones. Create an environment that makes each patient feel as if he or she is the most important person entering the facility. Design telephone systems that are easy to navigate for patients and make personnel accessible. Accessible staff will reduce the number of messages and increase efficiency, as well as patient satisfaction.
4. Continuous improvement. Form focus groups by inviting community leaders, caregivers, employers and patients to provide feedback on current patient needs, as well as organizational improvements. Develop regular staff training on the importance of patientcentered care. Practices should create a patient-centered care culture to become part of the everyday practice structure.
5. Quality. There is a lot of talk surrounding pay-forperformance; however, the time to measure practice clinical quality may be now. The new healthcare consumer is more educated and connected. Practices that measure clinical quality can differentiate themselves and will be ahead of the curve when pay-for-performance is more widely adopted.
The journey into consumer-driven healthcare has just begun, and there's a lot we do not know about the effects it may have on healthcare industry. One thing is certain, though: The healthcare system cannot survive in its current state. The opportunity to prepare for the future is now. Those that embrace patient-centered care, and deliver a better patient experience, will be much better positioned for the future.
Jeff Ozmon has more than 20 years of healthcare industry experience serving health systems, hospitals, medical groups and academic institutions. For the past four years, he has served as the VP at Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute, an integrated 85 member cardiology and CT surgery group at Carolinas Healthcare System. Previously, he spent 3 years with LarsonAllen, LLP as a healthcare consultant and as a large group administrator for primary care, multispecialty and specialty group in both private practice and integrated health systems including Sentara and Columbia/HCA.