3 Reasons Patient Relationship Insights Matter

Health care delivery is complicated. This is partially due to the fact that no single factor – providers, health plans, patients, government regulations – can bear the blame for inefficiencies and overspending.

Yet the heart of the issue always seems to stay the same: we need to be able to deliver better patient outcomes more efficiently than ever before. Value-based care, patient centered incentives, and even HIPAA regulations all revolve around this principle.

However, many medical systems are already overtaxed. Physician to patient ratios are constantly low, often leading to patient conditions that worsen under the radar. Plus, as chronic disease continues to rise, patient populations have greater needs that require more time from care teams.

Needless to say, delivering better patient outcomes more cost-effectively is more challenging than it seems at first glance. As health care systems try to keep pace with the evolving medical environment, many are spread thin, chasing the sometimes illusive PROMs.

That’s why patient relationship insights matter so much. If medical establishments are going to adjust and thrive in this ever-evolving health care ecosystem, these metrics are one of the most important tickets to get them there, and here’s why.

Proving That the Program Works

Partnerships are vital for sustainable growth at this point in medical history. Not only do care teams need to combine forces with patients to improve outcomes, but organizations, health plans, and government regulations need to work together to improve population health and outlast the current challenges within medical systems.

However, to establish consistent revenue streams with payers, for instance, care teams need to be able to prove that their program works, and they need to be able to show how care plans advance scalable health care systems.

By collecting this data, teams can boost their support from payers such as Medicaid and other capitated payment models, thereby achieving sustainable funding for future growth and patient progress.

Understanding What Improvements Are Needed

Patient relationship insights also matter because they provide a foundation for further financial expansion and contact with different population sectors. Metrics that show how patient relationships are developing can also reveal weaknesses within the program. And while, to some, this may seem like a disadvantage, the opposite is actually true.

If, for instance, program directors can identify the causes of patient drop off, they and their care teams can take steps to prevent similar circumstances from reducing positive patient outcomes in the future. In this way health care systems can improve the quality of the services they offer so that reimbursements from payers like Medicaid aren’t reduced.

Another advantage of assessing weaknesses is that care teams may be better able to reach commonly misunderstood population sectors such as those with socioeconomic or geographic challenges. Since patients with difficulties such as these often have poorer outcomes, care teams can systematically hone in on risks and improve outcomes metrics.

By highlighting these patient relationship insights, care managers can take more active, preventative steps in the care plan. As a result, patients can avoid health risks and care programs can improve the overall value of care plans, leading to better revenue streams in the future.

Identifying What Influences Better Patient Reported Outcomes

In addition, patient care reports also fuel better future interactions between the patient and their care team. These health care metrics, for instance, can show correlations between action taken by care managers and the ensuing patient outcomes.

What this means is that program directors can set up better automated systems that incentivize similar outreach in the future. Let’s consider one aspect of patient care – phone calls. Do more phone calls make a bigger difference in patient reported outcomes (PROs)? Or does the length of phone calls make for better patient relationship management?

By determining what health care data makes the biggest impact, program directors can help care teams consistently interact with patients in ways that get maximum results. Patient relationship insights can also give program directors real time awareness of the factors that really change health outcomes for the long term.

Actionable insights like these allow program directors to maximize systems that work well while decreasing an emphasis on procedures that don’t positively impact patient relationships. Plus, since teams can know what makes the biggest difference in patient outcomes, they can then establish better procedures for care.

Patients can then receive consistent care regardless of which care team member reached out to them. As an added benefit, these automated systems and procedures also reduce the amount of time it takes to train new staff members. All this to say that care teams can be more productive and more cost-effective for the long run.

Making Predictions For Better Patient Involvement

While PROs will never be able to dictate the future, they can be helpful in forecasting further health challenges for patients. For instance, if health care data shows that patients living in urban deserts (limited healthy food choices or grocery stores options) are more likely to develop heart disease, care managers can be more proactive and intentional with care plans, thereby improving PROs.

These analytics also allow care teams to see the long term effects of interventions on diverse patient groups. For instance, they may be able to observe the effects on different age categories over time. As a result, care teams can also give patients meaningful data that can help them make the right choices for their future health.

All this to say, in the current health care climate, patient relationship insights matter more than ever before. And for some establishments, these metrics may be the difference between simply surviving and thriving.

Discover how to leverage patient relationship insights. Download our guide “5 Questions to Diagnose if Your Patient Relationship Management Is Working” today!