Thanks to new reforms at national level, healthcare is undergoing a transition from payment based services to value based services. The need for such a change is very important when you consider the increased prevalence which is given to population health solutions.
Wellness and workforce trends
More organizations are now fully aware and know how healthy staff are the most productive and this is why wellness programs are quickly becoming more prevalent today. More importance is being given to wellness programs in order to enhance efficiency of personnel with a smooth workflow.
In emerging healthcare, as an example, the core competency for managers and leaders who must remain agile and feasible is going to be how to manage patients in a population health model. If you look at value-based contracting, where the incentives are based directly on healthy results, we find different healthcare sectors to unite for providing services in suitable car settings, economically and efficiently, while maintaining a level of care which contributes to the quality of life and health of patients.
Effective wellness management depends on the community resources for other individuals and patients and access to self-actualization wellness programs for people who wish to participate in a healthier lifestyle through changes in behavior. State policies and federal programs were enacted, and the statutory mandates help clinicians and healthcare facilities to set up the necessary IT infrastructure to play an important role in improving wellness and health.
Therefore, cohesive communication is critical to ensure care is continuously provided to patients, and all gaps in care are closed.
The ACA (Affordable Care Act) which came into effect in Jan 2014 made work site wellness programs a part of the national strategy for public health. The new rules suggest a number of standards for wellness programs where workers are financially rewarded for meeting health goals. By 2020, the cost of healthcare in the US is expected to be around $4.2 trillion.
Additional, one should note the health status of individuals are influenced by a number of factors like family history, genetics, hereditary qualities, social forces, personal behaviors, etc. while there is just a small amount of health status which is owed to medical care. This supposed environmental model for health points to upstream elements which influence health to improve the well being of a population. Therefore, an improved outcome of population health is directly proportional with decreasing medical costs which will allow hospitals to eventually put more resources into prevention.
Populace health management is picking up speed as a method for enhancing healthy outcomes and care quality while preparing healthcare organizations for the transition from FFS (fee for service) systems to those based on value. But, there are a few valid concerns with regard to the amount of time this process will require and how well it will be able to scale in order to fit requirements of many providers in the United States. But still, population health management is quickly becoming a must-have for every organization in this new world of healthcare.