Managing Specialty Care Costs in a Value-Based World
Increasing PCP Adoption of Value-Based Care Strategies
Anne LaNova, Executive Director, Digital Consumer Experience at MemorialCare
An early pioneer in adopting value-based care strategies, MemorialCare is a nonprofit health system that includes four hospitals, two medical groups, imaging centers, surgical centers and more. As one of the leading health systems in Orange County and Los Angeles County, the organization launched its eConsult program four years ago to address specific problems — improving timely specialist care, driving downstream cost savings and increasing PCP involvement in patient care. In this presentation, Anne LaNova, Executive Director of Digital Consumer Experience, discusses how EHR integration and financial incentives for primary care providers contributed to the program’s success.
Anne LaNova
Executive Director, Digital Consumer Experience at MemorialCare
Combine eConsults and Referral Tracking for Successful Value-Based Care
Health plan administrators, ACO leadership teams, physicians and practice staff often comment that the pandemic highlighted existing challenges. Staff turnover, increased patient care delivery demands and changing reimbursement models put pressure on stretched resources at every healthcare system level. As a result, providing appropriate care requires all of us to rethink specialty referral workflows.
The healthcare staffing shortages impact patients, practices and the entire healthcare delivery system. Nearly 1.7 million healthcare workers have quit this year. The remaining 76% of healthcare workers say they are burned out and exhausted.
AristaMD offers a solution to gaps in the specialty workflow. Our platform combines eConsults with referral tracking and management to:
- Reduce the impact of staff turnover and provider shortages.
- Optimize the selection and direction of in-network referrals.
- Improve specialty care coordination and outcomes.
- Manage wait times for specialty care.
Reduce the Impact of Staff Turnover and Provider Shortages
Using a platform that offers both eConsults and specialty referral management enhances care consistency and avoids gaps in patient care when staff leave. By deploying a unified approach that allows staff to track both eConsults and face-to-face referrals in a single location, healthcare providers ensure patients don’t fall through the cracks. In addition, the provider team, whether consisting of new employees or tenured team members, can easily identify the optimal specialty care setting for a patient and the status of that patient in the eConsult or referral process.
eConsults replace more than 70% of face-to-face specialty care visits. While there are other eConsult vendors out there, AristaMD is one of the only vendors deploying a documented eConsult (vs. curbside consultation) where evidence-based care guidance and responding specialist biographies are shared with providers.