Blueprint:

How to find success at the intersection of analytics and value

The transition from fee-for-service to value-based payments began as an effort to balance out the United States’ high healthcare spending with its disappointing national health statistics. The New England Journal of Medicine defines value-based care as “a healthcare delivery model in which…providers are rewarded for helping patients improve their health, reduce the effects and incidence of chronic disease, and live healthier lives in an evidence-based way.”

Value-based care ties the amount healthcare providers earn for their services to the results they deliver for their patients, such as the quality, equity and cost of care. Through financial incentives and other methods, value-based care programs aim to hold providers more accountable for improving patient outcomes while also giving them greater flexibility to deliver the right care at the right time.

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated and highlighted the need to focus on these five critical components, as it brought heightened attention to clinician burnout (nearly 63 percent reported signs of burnout at the end of 2021) and massive disparities in access to care, quality of care, outcomes, and affordability. The government and regulatory bodies have also played a key part in pushing the value-based care agenda forward with various initiatives (MACRA rule, Value Modifier program, etc.) incentivizing providers to shift away from fee-for-service.

This value-based performance and payment approach has shown signs of moderate success so far by reducing care costs and improving patient outcomes, as well as driving changes in readmission rates, avoidable ED visits, wellness visits, caregiver satisfaction and access to care.

Providers

Value-based care ties the amount providers earn for their services to the results they deliver for their patients. They need to strive for quality and equity at the lowest cost of care.

Payers

In value-based care arrangements, payers must monitor provider performance and member outcomes to manage provider contracts and negotiations.

Mutual key to success

For both payers and providers, succeeding with value-based care means working together to manage population health to improve clinical outcomes of a defined group of individuals through improved care coordination and patient engagement.

Without robust data—and an analytics engine that can handle it—organizations of all types and sizes have nowhere to start.

Though data collection processes have improved, there are still massive gaps in information needed versus information gathered.

Slow adoption of advanced technology and interoperability capabilities has also hindered healthcare organizations from using available data to inform their value-based care initiatives.

Value-based care initiatives are fighting an uphill battle against the disparities in care that are entrenched in the American healthcare system.

The transition to value seeks to remedy these issues and adopt a more equitable, whole-person approach to care. Though critically important, tackling inequity is no simple pursuit.

For all its problems, the fee-for-service model does offer a level of financial simplicity that providers especially appreciate.

Transitioning to value-based reimbursement fundamentally shifts the way a practice receives payment and adds intricacy to the contract negotiation process with payers.

The switch from volume to value requires commitment and patience, which can feel burdensome to clinicians who are already dealing with staffing shortages, competing priorities, and the threat of burnout. The industry has experienced significant cultural resistance to new reimbursement models.

Value-based care has huge potential—but that potential will only be realized if stakeholders across the industry are willing to work together.

Though the ultimate aim for all healthcare organizations should be health and wellness of patients/members, there are countless other operational objectives and financial pressures that can distract focus, drain resources, and derail efforts to collaborate.

Learn how to overcome challenges and accelerate value-based care

Analytics play a critical role in advancing value-based care for a few key reasons:

Empowers data sharing

To succeed, providers need the ability to exchange information between disparate vendors with different interfaces and components. With this interoperability, they can see the full picture of patient and member behaviors and needs.

Establishes a 360-degree view of patients

When providers and care managers have a full picture of patient/member behaviors, trends, habits actions and socioeconomic data, they can make informed decisions to positively impact patient and member outcomes.

Integrates claims and clinical data

When previously disconnected data is brought together, it provides unique insight into health outcomes and costs of care. For example, it can be influential in avoiding medication errors and enabling an evidence-based approach to treatment.

Below, you can explore real-life applications of analytics to value-based care using the MedeAnalytics platform.

If you’d like a full demo, let us know.

Manage population health and risk

Understand where there are patient care gaps and high-risk groups to help target interventions and programs that improve patient outcomes.

Risk assessment

ACGs, chronic conditions, prevention and wellness

Gap assessments
Social determinants of health reports
Customer satisfaction evaluations

Build high-performing provider networks

Efficiently monitor provider network performance to steer care to select providers, establish tiered-value networks, and improve contracting.

Integration with national rating systems

HEDIS, Star, HCAHPS

Network health management reports
Value-based contracts

Assess provider quality and member outcomes

Measure and monitor provider performance to identify opportunities for improvements in quality, efficiency and costs

Quality measurements

Efficiency, clinical and utilization measures

Cost and utilization trends
Physician performance benchmarks

Explore more on this topic from our experts

Want to Know How to Receive Higher Quality Scores?

May 23, 2017

In our last webinar, titled: Streamlining Your Quality Processes, our very own Bruce Carver, Associate Vice President of Payer Services, addressed the challenges and strategies needed to ensure health plans were succeeding with quality management. The healthcare landscape, especially for payers, has changed. With the introduction of MACRA and now with nearly 500,000 physicians submitting […]

Read on...

Best Practices for Providers Looking to Improve the Quality of Care

May 8, 2017

In all areas of healthcare, organizations are looking for innovative ways to reduce costs and improve quality. According to a new study published in Health Affairs, MACRA could reduce CMS physician services spending from $35 billion to $106 billion. MACRA is also leading the way towards quality healthcare by creating incentives and penalties for providers […]

Read on...

How are you Tracking to Value-Based Care?

April 24, 2017

It’s no secret that today’s healthcare landscape is changing. As costs rise and reimbursement models change, healthcare organizations are continuing to track towards value instead of volume. With this transition comes the rising importance of quality, especially since payers and providers are now dependent on quality measures for reimbursement. According to CMS, these measures are […]

Read on...

Case Study: How one East Coast Hospital Achieved 12% Savings with Population Health Data

January 12, 2017

Due to rising healthcare costs and the shift to value-based care, many organizations are now looking to improve quality and reduce costs. In our recent case study, we highlight how St. Joseph Hospital, part of Covenant Health, was able to leverage our population health solution and consulting services to adopt an innovative approach to population […]

Read on...