4 steps to an integrated approach to population health management

The transition to value-based care has the potential to transform the healthcare industry by taking a proactive approach to manage chronic disease and improve the community's overall health and wellness. But success requires organizations take an integrated approach to population health management, according to a new whitepaper from the Chartis Group.

Two of the major challenges of integrated population health are managing populations via mixed models and increasing accountability for performance, according to the report, and both carry potential pitfalls. For example, providers must be careful not to approach different populations separately without considering the intersection of their respective payment and care models, and even if providers succeed under a performance-based model, they must analyze what drove the success for further reference.

"As providers navigate this evolving and uncertain terrain, they need an integrated approach that is guided by an overarching vision and aligns clinical, operational and financial models," the report states. Developing an integrated approach that mitigates these risks is a multi-part process, according to the whitepaper. The steps require organizations to:

Identify and segment populations: In addition to understanding the specific populations they manage, providers must also understand changes in the market and how population health management factors into their organizations' overall strategies, according to the report.

Develop and implement clinical/care models that promote population health: Healthcare providers must assess how effectively their models meet their population' needs, from cost/health management alignment to managing transitions of care to avoiding unnecessary care, errors or adverse events.

Encourage consumer engagement: As healthcare becomes increasingly consumer-focused, healthcare providers must coordinate care and activity to develop consumer-provider relationships while also maintaining transparency in quality and pricing.

Engage partners within the community and healthcare industry: Providers must make sure both clinicians and any community partners have a clear understanding of their roles to play, and that they have relationships with the right community partners for the specific needs of their population.

To learn more:
- read the report (.pdf)