<0> for MedSynergies, Inc.Ariel Herr, 214-890-7912 x23 </0>
The 2012 HealthLeaders Media suggests the medical staff model of working with independent physicians is in decline. Only 50 percent of hospitals anticipate medical staff as their physician organization model in the next three years, down from a reported 67 percent today.
Among the nearly 300 hospitals and health systems surveyed, 28 percent lack access to population and disease management data in the ambulatory environment. An additional 22 percent reported having access to only population management data or disease management data in an ambulatory environment, and only half have access to both.
“For organizations to take the next step towards true collaborative care – whether that be the ACO, patient-centered medical home or another model – they must focus on data aggregation and conversion,” said J.R. Thomas, chief executive officer of MedSynergies, which sponsored the report. “Being in the position to use existing practice information to reach, direct and manage patient access requires patient navigator processes and agnostic patient scheduling systems. In turn, providers can understand the populations they serve, and whether they’re providing the right care.”
While only 26 percent of hospitals report currently undertaking ACO initiatives, 48 percent plan to pursue collaborative care through accountable care organizations (ACOs) within three years.
“Leaders are looking to a new mix of physician organizational models and increased physician leadership to secure hospital-physician alignment,” added Thomas. “This includes clinical integration, which rose 17 percentage points to 37 percent in the three-year outlook, and clinical co-management, which rose 13 percentage points to 23 percent. Without access to usable data, neither approach can succeed in delivering true coordinated care.”
Following an industry trend over the last three years where hospitals and health systems have been racing to align with physicians, the HealthLeaders report furthers the idea that hospitals and health systems should next focus on data aggregation and conversion. The comprehensive industry intelligence report is available for free .
MedSynergies partners with health care organizations and physicians to align their operations by providing revenue cycle management, practice management, consulting services, business process analysis and software integration solutions. Leveraging its knowledge and experience in hospital-physician alignment, MedSynergies improves processes, optimizes technology and builds on trusted patient relationships, enabling hospitals and physician practices to offer quality health care. Founded in 1996, MedSynergies is privately held and headquartered in Irving, Texas. MedSynergies currently partners with hospitals and health networks and serves 8,000 providers across the United States. For more information, please visit .