| |
| |
|
|
|
How to Make Changes in Your Healthcare Organization
For many of us change is a difficult process. In organizations like healthcare it seems to advance at a snail's pace sometimes. There is a need for change in healthcare, most agree, though we would be hard pressed to agree upon the changes needed. One incentive for change is pay-for-performance programs now beginning in several areas. I would like to describe a couple that affect primary care physicians and then give a few suggestions as to how to adopt changes to take advantage of these programs. Even if you are not in a primary care physician program, the methods suggested for change will be helpful, I believe. In 2006 Medicare plans to institute a pay-for-performance program at the primary care physician level. Right now a model is being tested and seems to be doing quite well. In several states Blue Cross Blue Shield organizations are testing pay-for- performance programs. Here in West Michigan, Priority Health, a healthcare insurer, has promoted such a program for over five years. How does this work, you may ask? Priority Health, for example, funds the program for each of its patients a set amount. Doctors who meet a requirement of the program for a patient are rewarded with extra money for that patient. Hence, with many patients the income for the practice can be boosted considerably. The fact is that many are not rising to the opportunity. With planned cuts in Medicare reimbursements over the next few years, this source of income cannot be ignored! Healthcare programs need to change, no matter how difficult. The impetus for change should rest with the leadership of an organization, although the change should not be the sole responsibility of the leaders. Representatives from all parts of the organization should be involved. Once the need for change in a process is agreed upon, either because of extra revenue from pay-for-performance programs or other agents or data that positively affect the bottom line, leaders should convene a task force to plan the change. With input from all, leaders should map the process as it currently exits and then should make a new map of how they would like it to be to incorporate the positive changes. The new procedure should be standardized for all to adopt. How do you go about adopting these changes on a daily basis? This is probably the hardest part. Because humans learn in a variety of ways, it will take a variety of ways to implement the changes. The implementation of the changes should be based upon the learning styles of the individuals involved. Let me provide an example using the Medicare program. A patient who enters the Medicare program is entitled to a paid initial physical. A primary care physician should take advantage of this. Many don't. If I were the manager of such an office, I would remind my staff who set up appointments to be aware of this fact. I would remind them at regular staff meetings. I would post visible reminders in the office. I might even have a message flashed on the computer screen once in a while. Then I would review the appointments of patients who have become Medicare qualified and see how many had their initial physical or were booked for it. I would adjust my methods to remind staff of the need for such examinations and continue to improve on this until the office achieves 100% compliance with the goal. Booking the exam is not the only needed change. Doctors who perform the physical must accomplish examination details and actions laid out by Medicare. Hence, to be paid for the exam, each doctor must adhere to the exam details. I would help the doctors accomplish this in a variety of ways, depending on the doctor's learning style. For example, a checklist of the exam details might be included in the patient history folder when the exam is performed. That way the doctor will not miss any steps. As the leader of the change, I would check with billing to see that all the steps were performed and adapt new approaches or reinforce existing ones to see that the changes are accomplished 100% of the time. Changes such as these should be a part of a continuous quality improvement program at every healthcare provider organization. Let me quickly review the most important steps. First leaders should identify the changes needed. Then, the leaders should convene a committee of all affected staff to develop how to accomplish the change. Once the staff agrees upon the approach, the leaders should develop ways to implement the change on a daily basis adopting methods that incorporate learning styles of affected individuals. Then, they should continually analyze the progress of the changes and make necessary adjustments until the goals are accomplished. They should then audit the changes occasionally to be sure that the organization doesn't fall back into old habits. I believe that adopting such a change process will dramatically help at your site. You will see savings in time, increased patient or client health and satisfaction, as well as an improved bottom line! Donald Bryant, certified quality engineer, writes "Making Good Healthcare Better" a free monthly ezine for healthcare providers who want to dramatically improve patient health, improve the bottom line, and make work more rewarding, guaranteed. To find out more, visit http://www.bryantsstatisticalconsulting.com
MORE RESOURCES: Buy Website Internet Traffic. Website online advertising. Buy full page popunder advertising and increase website traffic to your sites. Bad Credit Loans - Loans for people with bad credit. Access online government grants and financial credit services instantly online. Digital Streaming Radio On Your Mobile Phone - La Vella Mobile Radio. La Vella Mobile Radio Gives You Access To Over One Hundred Of The Hottest Streaming Radio Stations From Around The World And Brings Them To The Palm Of Your Hand, Right On Your Mobile Phone. Get Streaming Radio On Your Cell Phone! Audio And Video Streaming For Multimedia Purposes. This Is A Complete Step By Step Guide To The Beginners Who Want To Install And Setup Audio And Video Streaming For Multimedia Purposes On The Internet.
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Death by Fluoride A wee bit of fluoride makes teeth and dentists happy, we're told. Dr. An Introduction to Irritable Bowel Syndrome Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a very common condition, but in some ways it is still a mystery. There are many different theories about what causes the syndrome, and different doctors will give you different reasons for your illness - anything from stress to bad bacteria to food intolerance. The Right Stethoscope For Your Needs! Just about all health care providers have need of stethoscopes. Whether you're a nurse, respiratory therapist or a medical doctor, the need to auscultate the chest, lungs and heart is a necessary and important part of your work. Rebound Headache - Stop The Cycle You've been getting headaches. Finally, you find some medications that are making a difference. Aleve, Vioxx, Celebrex, and Bextra: What You Need To Know About Arthritis Pain Medications Recent controversy about the safety of pain medications for arthritis has left patients and health care professionals alike confused about which medications are safe to use. In fact, a recent survey by the Boston-based Rippe Lifestyle Institute indicated that many people with arthritis are suffering unnecessarily because they have stopped or reduced their use of pain relievers due to confusion about which drugs are considered safe. Redux Lawyer Discusses Fen-Phen Fad In the early nineties, Redux was the original miracle diet pill. A predecessor to fenphen, Redux was just the "fen", fenfluramine in the form dexfenfluramine. 22 Inside Tips on How You Can Make Your Arthritis Medicines Work Twice as Effectively in Half the.. This report will give you 22 important tips to make sure that you're getting the very best out of your arthritis treatment program.1. Benign Tumors Of The Cervix Endocervical polypsEndocervical polyps are the most common benign neoplasms of the cervix. Please note that the word neoplasm refers to a cancerous growth. Online Pharmacies and the FDA The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) is responsible for overseeing the testing, manufacturing, and distribution of prescription drugs in the United States.Drug companies in the United States operate in a free market and can charge whatever they want for their medications. The True Meaning of Alternative Medicine Alternative medicine is a type of therapeutic practice that is not considered to be a part of traditional or conventional medical treatment. People use alternative medicine instead of using traditional medical treatment. Is Anxiety Ruling Your Life? Anxiety is the most frequently occurring mental health disorder in the United States, according to the US Surgeon General. There are millions of people who are diagnosed with it every year. Dr. Will Horsley, M.D. Dr. Horsley is Cornea fellowship trained and Lasik board certified by the American Board of Eye Surgeons, (http://www. Chinese Medicine Chinese Medicine, over 2000 years old, is an ancient form of medicine. Consisting of acupuncture, moxibustion (moxibustion - using material made up of "moxa-wool," in a form of a cone or stick; moxibustion is used to treat and prevent disease by applying heat to pints or certain locations of the human body), herbal medicine, acupressure, cupping, therapeutic exercise and nutrition, traditional Chinese medicine is notated by its principle of internal balance and harmony, or "chi," (life force) regulation through energy channels. Bextra and Vioxx -- Alternative Medications Have Warnings, Too At the urging of the Food and Drug Administration, the drugs Vioxx and Bextra have both been voluntarily withdrawn from the market by their manufacturers. Studies show that these drugs, part of a family of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) known as COX-2 inhibitors, may be linked to increased chances of heart attack or stroke. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - Steroid Injection for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome What is the role of steroid injection in carpal tunnel syndrome?Injection of corticosteroid into the carpal tunnel has been used as a treatment for some years. But what does the published evidence have to say about whether it works or not?In my own experience, injection of steroid and / or local anaesthetic into the carpal tunnel area is effective in about half of the patients that I see. Drug Interactions: Five Common Dangerous Interactions You Should Know About Prescription drugs can save your life. But interactions between prescription drugs and other drugs or with illnesses or conditions you have can lead to significant consequences. What Not to Tell Your Doctor? For many years since medicine has been established as an ethical profession and gained widespread credence people have believed that they could and should tell their doctor everything even remotely pertinent to their health and that it was held in the strictest confidence. Furthermore, how can the physician make accurate judgments when important or significant information is missing? This system worked very well until relatively recently but there now exists a breach of this confidence that people should know about and this breach has developed from the advent of third party investigations into people's backgrounds. UltraCET: The Dynamic Duo Of Prescription Pain Control Medications Remember the last time you stubbed your toe? OUCH! It's painful. But a stubbed toe usually doesn't send us running to the medicine cabinet, since we know that the pain will pass within a few minutes. Another Cold Sore! Why Me? An estimated 85 million Americans have acquired the herpes simplex (cold sore) virus. And the majority had received the virus before the age of 3. Melatonin, Sleep Enhancement, and ADHD Overview Melatonin is a natural hormone, which is produced and secreted by the pineal gland. Melatonin plays an important role in the regulation of many hormones in the body.
|
