5 Ways Chronic Care Management Makes a Difference

Chronic Care Management (CCM) has transformed care for the chronically ill in the United States. Via a reimbursement program started by The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), providers are incentivized to offer chronic care services to patients who need them most. Chronic Care Management encompasses a comprehensive care plan for the patient that, according to CMS, is established, implemented, revised, and monitored over the course of their care.

Chronic Care Management has proven to be instrumental to the success of these patients, their ability to address life-altering symptoms and improve their chance at a positive outcome. For the 25% of adults suffering from multiple chronic conditions in the United States, Chronic Care Management makes a difference and it can also make a difference in your practice.

The Advantages of Chronic Care Management:

1)   Increased Compliance

With a monthly comprehensive visit and telephone call, CCM helps patients stay on track. The implementation of CCM has proven to help eligible patients zero down on the many different aspects of their care and understand what they need to do to be successful. Partnered with their providers, patients are able to address financial boundaries that prevent them from getting the right prescriptions, plan their care to best fit the life they live, and discuss what is and isn’t working. Chronic Care Management helps patients remain more compliant with their care plans, prescriptions, and appointments through coordinated care access and planning.

2)   Fewer Hospitalizations

Patients suffering from chronic conditions often record frequent emergency department visits alongside hospitalizations due to the nature of their conditions. Chronic Care management works to decrease these numbers for patients in order to protect them from unwanted medical expenses as well as an unnecessary visit. When a patient has access to CCM, they or their caregiver can more easily access their physician regarding the patient’s care over the phone or online messaging. An increase in communication encourages patients to reach out about any symptoms that may be occurring in a way that their physician can better address it, preventing an emergency department visit.

3)   Improved Quality Metrics

It can be difficult to adjust your practice to the ever-changing nature of healthcare alongside patient needs. This is especially true when your patients are battling multiple chronic conditions, seeing multiple different specialists, and losing track of what they have done and still need to do. With Chronic Care Management is in place, providers can help their patients establish a comprehensive care plan, addressing each aspect of their care. Coordinated access allows any specialist that the patient is working with to plan accordingly, track progress, and make improved clinical decisions, better-addressing patient needs and improving quality metrics.

4)   Improved Patient Satisfaction

It can be excruciatingly frustrating for patients battling multiple chronic conditions when they have to keep track of each care plan with each provider and make sure they aren’t missing anything. Now if your patient is extremely meticulous, they might remember every detail, but chances are, they will not. The implementation of Chronic Care Management reflects higher levels of patient engagement for this exact reason. By helping patients with the coordination of services, communicating with them more effectively, and improving their overall compliance, providers are able to improve patient satisfaction.

5)   Refocus Clinical Staff Time

While Chronic Care Management may seem like a hefty responsibility to introduce to your already busy practice, it doesn’t have to be. Providers can introduce a new line of services, improve their revenue, improve patient outcomes, and offer these services to their patients while still protecting and better focusing their staff’s time. By outsourcing Chronic Care Management to a quality vendor, providers can introduce these life-saving services to their patients. Outsourcing enables providers to hand off important details like monthly telephone check-ins to ensure your patients are still being connected to the resources they need most. Your staff can then better focus their time on what needs to be completed in the office.

To learn more about how your practice can implement Chronic Care Management, click here.