Dr. Nash sees physicians as the team captains; physicians know how the system works, because they see it up close every day. The team includes key personnel, such as nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, patient navigators, social workers, and patient educators.
“A physician, who might be a hospitalist, ideally will have additional training in both leadership and in population health,” Dr. Nash says.
He also encourages hospitalists to become patient advocates and educators, even though this is not their traditional role.
“They can do a lot to help a hospitalized patient face their challenges,” he says. “Encourage patients to stop smoking, go on a diet, and exercise. When a physician engages in this conversation, it aids in a patient’s ability to tackle challenges.”
For hospitalists who already feel overstretched with demands and overwhelmed with taking on the task of managing population health, Dr. McPherson suggests they learn more about the trend by studying it as part of their continuing education requirements. In addition, many hospitals have a department dedicated to patient safety or quality assurance.
“Ask how they can help the hospital to provide better patient care,” Dr. McPherson says. “Ask patients about their concerns or those of their neighbors. You may start to see trends.”
For example, if you suspect a trend of children who live in a certain housing development having difficulty breathing, try to find out if other hospital units are aware of this. Also try to ascertain whether or not any community groups connected to the hospital are already working to make the housing safer.
Population Health Challenges
The transition to being accountable for the health of a population will most likely be challenging for all providers. It involves significant risk, especially during the transition period, when an organization must live in both worlds (fee-for-service and value-based payment), says Damore, Premier’s vice president of population health management. He says it also requires:
- Enlightened and supportive leadership;
- Information technology to analyze claims and other infrastructure;
- New care management programs to coordinate care across the continuum;
- Agreements that align payment with population health management; and
- Skills and ability to transform a culture to a new value-based model.
To overcome the challenge of incorporating population health, Dr. McPherson suggests hospitals look to their large network of peers and learn from those already doing this, rather than reinventing the wheel. Look for champions to spearhead such initiatives.
“Identify folks who are already oriented in this direction and took steps in this vein,” she says.
Time and money are potential concerns, especially if embarking on a population health initiative will be an additional expense.
“A potential solution would be to look at ways to shift the focus, so that population health becomes integral to proper patient care, from promoting health and well-being to treating illness,” Dr. McPherson says. For example, by minimizing environmentally associated risks, hospitalists might be able to decrease the number of admissions, which will result in a return on your investment and improve population health.
Population health is here to stay, as payment models shift from fee-for-service to the value-based model. Hospitalists should embrace the movement and spearhead initiatives to get others on board. A hospital-wide team approach is advised. And, to save time and money, seek guidance from others who have already been successful. TH
Karen Appold is a medical writer in Pennsylvania.
References
1. Kindig D, Stoddart G. What is population health? Am J Public Health. 2003:93(3):380-383. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.93.3.380
2. Mathews Burwell S. Progress towards achieving better care, smarter spending, healthier people. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website. January 26, 2015. Available at: http://www.hhs.gov/blog/2015/01/26/progress-towards-better-care-smarter-spending-healthier-people.html. Accessed November 8, 2015.