Earlier this year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed rule CMS-1694-P. According to Administrator Seema Verma, the rule is to “ensure the healthcare system puts patients first” and “rewards value over volume…where patients reap the benefits through more choices and better health outcomes.”
Well, that’s a tall order. But it’s one we’re on board with, and we want to ensure that population health professionals know how to interpret and take action to align with CMS’ value-based care initiative.
So we did some research, and we found four overarching themes within CMS’ initiative:
- Accessibility
- Interoperability
- Data Analytics
- Engagement
Over the next month, we’ll explore each theme and provide our interpretations and recommendations for population health professionals to achieve value-based care.
This week, we’re talking about accessibility. The latest CMS announcement about patient-focused care mandates that healthcare entities provide comprehensive, easy-to-understand data to every patient. This expands the clear communication requirement of the Plain Writing Act of 2010, but there’s more to consider, such as:
- How does literacy affect health outcomes?
- What is the role of socioeconomic status?
- Who should be involved in decision-making?
- Why is integrated population health management important?
In this paper – the first of a 4-part series – we explore these questions and more and offer resources for population health and wellness professionals to succeed.
Want to learn more about the importance of accessibility in the value-based care initiative? Click the link below to get started.
