11/07/2018
Marta Sylvia, MPH, Quality Improvement and Outcomes Program Manager
In the original Bundled Payment for Care Improvement (BPCI) initiative, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) did not require participants to meet quality components in order to receive the full benefit of the program. Now, in the newest version, BPCI Advanced lists seven quality measures that require systems to meet minimum quality standards in addition to balancing cost. Two of these quality measures apply to all clinical episodes of care, and five specifically apply to select clinical episodes.
Providers’ success in value-based care depends in part upon patient engagement, and patients are more engaged in their health before, during, and after an episode of care if they receive patient education. Print and video content that meets patients where they are in their care can enhance patient-provider interactions, increase understanding of procedures and treatments, and encourage patients to follow treatment plans. And patients want this type of communication from their care teams.
Patient education is an asset to organizations in both reducing costs and improving quality scores in any of the 32 clinical episodes available under BPCI Advanced. By tying payment to performance on quality measures, CMS aims to incentivize providers to improve quality of care and efficiency.
For the two overarching quality measures—All-Cause Hospital Readmission Measure and Advanced Care Plan—patient education can help organizations and providers engage patients and meet these quality goals.
Not only is avoiding unnecessary readmissions after a clinical episode key to great patient outcomes and reducing costs, but it’s also one way to meet that quality mark for BPCI Advanced and many other value-based payment programs.
In satisfaction surveys, patients and their caregivers say that they want information—especially at discharge. But patients are often not well enough during their hospital stay to comprehend educational content. Communication is enhanced through technology-enabled patient education so patients can review the information anytime, anywhere, understand it better, and share it with caregivers. Better communication improves the patient’s experience, and those who receive education report higher satisfaction.
Having conversations with patients about their preferences and values concerning end-of-life care can be difficult. Patient education tools can create opportunities to talk about these topics and lead to more thorough discussions between providers, patients, and their caregivers. Also, these tools can help document the discussions.
A study by the Kaiser Family Foundation reports that among all adults who said they had not had a discussion with their doctor about end-of-life care wishes, half said that they would want one. Providers who discuss topics like palliative care, hospice, and living wills help their patients learn about their options and make personal decisions about their wishes for the future. These conversations strengthen relationships and keep patients engaged in their care. They’re especially helpful when patients have materials that can aid them in their discussions with family members or other caregivers. Considering that patients may frequently change their minds about their preferences, providing reference material about their options is crucial.
Consistent, high-quality patient education is a critical element in reducing variability linked with high costs and improved quality under BPCI Advanced. Whether in hospitals, provider groups, or large health systems, providers need a single solution that lets clinicians deliver health education interventions across the continuum of care, including during the hospital stay, at discharge, and at home. BPCI Advanced participants who incorporate education into the standard workflow of clinicians are choosing a high-impact, low-cost option to lower their financial risk and increase the chance of overall success in the BPCI Advanced program.
Find out from our chief medical officer about how a robust patient education strategy provides a great opportunity for providers to succeed in BPCI Advanced. Register now and join us for our webinar, Strategies to Maximize BPCI Reimbursements with Patient Education, on Thursday, November 15, 2018.
1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21849873 2 https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/healthcare/hospital-discharge-instructions-boost-patient-satisfaction 3 https://www.kff.org/health-costs/poll-finding/kaiser-health-tracking-poll-september-2015/