Thursday, May 16, 2019

Word of the Day: value-based healthcare

Word of the Day WhatIs.com
Daily updates on the latest technology terms | May 16, 2019
value-based healthcare

Value-based healthcare is a business model that seeks to reduce the cost of healthcare services by providing patients with the right care from the right provider at the right time. Under the traditional fee-for-service model, healthcare providers charge patients for each service that is performed. The problem with this discrete approach to billing is that it can inadvertently incentivize healthcare providers to perform too few or too many procedures.

By comparison, under a value-based care model, healthcare providers are encouraged to focus attention on improving patient outcomes rather than delivering services. In this approach, physicians are financially incentivized to collaborate with each other about each patient's care to reduce gaps and overlaps in services. Options for bundling payments or alternative payment plans give healthcare providers added financial incentives to provide patients with both high-quality and cost-effective healthcare.

In many ways, value-based care is at the forefront of future medical regulations and treatments. The U.S. government is using this approach to transition towards medical activities that treat the overall health of a patient rather than reacting to symptoms once a person becomes sick. One strategic way healthcare providers are able to achieve value-based care is by using data analytics to proactively identify members of a population who are at risk. For example, analytics can help healthcare providers identify which patients are not coming in for annual check-ups or haven't received immunizations.

The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has initiated several value-based programs. They include:

 

Hospital Acquired Conditions Program - encourages hospitals to reduce the number of infections or illnesses that patients receive while admitted. This program reduces payments for hospitals that rank the worst for how often patients get hospital-acquired conditions.

 

Hospital Readmission Reduction Program - lowers payments to Inpatient Prospective Payment System hospitals that have too many readmissions. This program incentivizes hospitals to improve their communication, care coordination and how they work with patients and caregivers on post-discharge planning.

Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program - rewards acute care hospitals with incentive payments for the quality of care they provide to Medicare patients. This program is designed to improve the patient experience during hospital stays.

Value Modifier Program - measures the quality and cost of care for Medicare patients. This program determines the amount of Medicare payments physicians will receive based on their performance on certain cost and quality measures.

Quote of the Day

 
"As value-based healthcare becomes more established, payer-provider partnerships can be advantageous because their collaboration can yield a truer view of patient data through the combined use of analytics, strategies, workflows and IT solutions." - Megan Charles

Learning Center

 

Payer-provider partnerships spurred by data, value-based care
Payer-provider partnerships are becoming increasingly common in healthcare in response to the transition to value-based care and greater adoption of EHRs. But trust between the organizations must be established first to make the collaboration work.

March to value-based healthcare results in 'payviders'
As value-based healthcare presses providers and insurance companies to explore options for measuring care quality, some healthcare organizations have opted to create their own health plans -- becoming payviders.

Medical group sees the future in value-based healthcare
The Hatfield Medical Group in Arizona is going all out to become a full-time provider of value-based healthcare. But the move takes time -- not all payers are on board -- and it requires passion and investment in technology and staff.

Can value-based care models cut costs? Yes, they can
Value-based care models have come into their own, according to a new study by Change Healthcare. The cost savings are clear, but the challenges remain.

Hospitals battle duplicate medical records with technology
As the healthcare industry edges toward value-based care, duplicate medical records are not only a burr in the side of health IT professionals, but they also raise questions about the quality of patient care. Learn what to do when patient information doesn't match up.

Quiz Yourself

 
The FDA reclassified sutures as Class II medical devices in the early ______.
A. 1990's
B. 1990s

Answer

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For feedback about any of our definitions or to suggest a new definition, please contact me at: mrouse@techtarget.com

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