What’s the best way to get patients involved in their own healthcare? CMS is launching two new models to help determine what works best when it comes to encouraging shared decision-making between doctors and patients.
The two models from the CMS Innovation Center, which will test patient engagement both inside and outside the doctor’s office, will soon be tested by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, according to a blog post by Patrick Conway, MD, CMS’ principal deputy administrator and chief medical officer, and Andy B. Bindman, MD, director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
The two models are:
The Shared Decision-Making Model will be tested in Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) by integrating a specific, structured four-step process to shared decision-making into the routine clinical practice workflow of practitioners.
The participating ACOs will offer patients that have one of six medical conditions an in-person collaboration with a clinician to help them understand and weigh their treatment options, such as whether surgery or other options are the right choice for them. CMS expects to test the model with over 150,000 Medicare patients.
ACOs that are currently in the Medicare Shared Savings Program or Next Generation ACO Model can participate in the model and must submit an electronic letter to CMS to apply.
The Direct Decision-Support Model (DDS Model) will test an approach to shared decision-making provided outside of the doctor’s office by"Decision Support Organizations," which are not providers but instead offer health management and decision support services. For instance, with this model the organizations will contact patients and provide access to a website or electronic application that give them evidence-based information on their condition and treatment options. Patients can then bring the information to their doctor’s office to consider their options with their clinician.
The model expects to reach 700,000 Medicare fee-for-service patients each year. Decision Support Organizations can apply to CMS to participate, with more information online.
In the meantime, physician practices interested in existing shared decision-making tools can find them at AHRQ, including the SHARE approach model and the Effective Health Care Program that offers online decision aids and plain-language research summaries, according to the blog post.