5 things to do post-Supreme Court healthcare reform ruling

The much anticipated Supreme Court decision is in, and the healthcare industry is reacting to what is being called a “landmark” ruling.

 LTPAC organizations, providers, vendors and payers are analyzing what it will mean to them. The main pillars of healthcare reform – reimbursement and payment changes, new compliance requirements, health information technology adoption and increased transparency – are all focused on integrating quality care and payment across healthcare settings. The decision leaves little doubt that big changes are definitely coming to healthcare, and LTPAC providers are not exempt.

5 things you should do now – if you haven’t already:

1. Plan your HIT strategy within the broader organizational strategy. EMR adoption and change management will serve as the foundation for many healthcare reform initiatives.
2. Measure, monitor and report your outcomes to “tell your story.” Re-hospitalization rates, quality measures and resident satisfaction are key performance indicators.
3. Consider your options for enterprise-wide reporting and business intelligence to ensure access to relevant, timely and actionable information.
4. Talk with actual and potential healthcare partners, referral sources, and payers to identify collaboration opportunities.
5. Seek advice from subject matter experts to help you navigate this complex new world.

If you were taking a “wait and see” approach – wondering if healthcare reform would “stick” or possibly be overturned – now is the time to get serious. View it as a call to action, if you will. What is the one key word? Outcomes. Providers must measure, monitor and report their outcomes as the foundation for performance improvement. The success of your organization will depend on your ability to be agile in reacting to a rapidly-changing landscape. Access to relevant, timely and actionable information for strategic and operational decision-making is key!  The VCPI outcomes dashboard will start you off on the right path! 

The Decision Point^TM Outcomes Dashboard provides a comprehensive, high-level view of critical outcomes metrics that matter to you and your healthcare partners:

• Quality measures in the key clinical areas

• Hospital re-admission rates – overall and by key diseases and conditions

• Resident satisfaction measures

Outcomes connect quality to value to show actual or potential healthcare partners (such as hospitals, ACOs and managed care plans) that the facility provides quality care and achieves quality outcomes – and therefore, adds value to a healthcare partnership.

Since so many others will be looking at a facility’s outcome measures as indicators of quality, it is imperative that a facility measure and monitor their outcomes as a basis for process improvement:

• To identify areas for process improvement, set targets and goals, and monitor progress toward them;

• To assist in targeting specific areas for improvement to get the best return on investment for your quality improvement efforts; and

• To demonstrate how the process improvement program has been successful and has had a positive impact on your outcome measures – and therefore, on quality.

Call us today at 414-908-8274 to find out more.