Four steps to succeeding in the coming value-based system

Across the country, the health care system is going through a transformational shift from rewarding volume to rewarding value. This shift, which bases reimbursement on the quality of care provided rather than just the number and type of services, can feel overwhelming. But it may ultimately give family physicians new opportunities to prosper. It may also enable family physicians to offer the kind of patient care that drew them to medicine in the first place — personal, proactive care that provides true value for patients without wasting resources.

What steps can family physicians take now to start practicing value-based care?

1. Identify your high-risk patients using annual wellness visits, a helpful tool for assessing risk and knowing which of your patients need more outreach and chronic care management from you and your staff.

2. Manage that critical juncture when your patients leave the hospital, also known as transitional care management.

3. Monitor the care your patients are receiving outside your office so you can identify major areas of ineffective — or even counterproductive — spending.

4. Manage your referrals, including when you refer, to whom you refer, and what you expect when you make a referral.

Read the full article in FPM: "Finding the Bright Spots in Value-Based Care."