Chronic Care Management for Nephrology

As a Nephrologist, you treat a high number of patients battling multiple chronic conditions. For many patients, they are battling Chronic Kidney Disease on top of a host of other chronic conditions related or not. But that’s not where it ends. Nephrologists treat multiple chronic conditions including Glomerular Disease, End-Stage Kidney Disease, Advanced Hypertension, Lupus Nephritis, and much more. In recent years, it has been shown that patients battling chronic conditions benefit greatly from the use of Chronic Care Management. This is defined by the American College of Physicians as “the non-face-to-face services provided to Medicare beneficiaries who have multiple chronic conditions.” Patients who utilize Chronic Care Management for Nephrology report improved outcomes, a higher level of patient engagement, and increased compliance with their care plans. This also has a positive impact on practice revenue. Overall, CCM for Nephrologists could have a positive impact on patients and providers alike.

How does Chronic Care Management for Nephrology Benefit the Patient?

1)    Improved Clinical Decision Making

For patients battling chronic conditions, they rely fully on their specialist to make the most informed clinical decision possible that will not only help them but positively impact their care long-term. For this reason, Chronic Care Management for Nephrology could make a difference. By introducing this, providers connect themselves to every other specialist that the patient is seeing, they gain access to a comprehensive list of medications and patient history that help them to make the most informed clinical decision possible, improving the patient experience as well as their outcomes.

2)    Access to Resources

When a specialist starts to offer Chronic Care Management for Nephrology, they open up a wide variety of resources that the patient might not have known about before, or just didn’t have the resources to find on their own. Care coordination services with Chronic Care Management for Nephrology make getting connected to life-saving resources simpler.

3)    Complaint Care

Research shows that patients battling multiple chronic conditions struggle to remain compliant with their treatment plans, visits, and medications. Nephrology patients who engage in Chronic Care Management for Nephrology are more likely to stay compliant with their complete care plan as everyone involved is working together to make sure the patient understands their next steps and has the opportunity to engage and ask questions.

4)    Care Organization

Prior to Chronic Care Management for Nephrology, Nephrology patients battling chronic kidney disease were left to coordinate their own care. They had to find the best specialists to go to, schedule their own visits, as well as figure out the best places to buy prescriptions or get the support they need. This is difficult for anyone let alone someone battling life-altering chronic conditions. With CCM, patients have someone coordinating their care for them, allowing them to focus on their condition and recovery.

Should Providers Outsource CCM?

Implementing Chronic Care Management for Nephrology may be of great benefit to your patients, but that does not change how difficult it is to integrate and manage in-house. Outsourcing CCM to a quality vendor gives Nephrologists the opportunity to offer these incredible services without sacrificing the workflow and resources belonging to their practice.

1)    Patient Education

A quality vendor of Chronic Care Management for Nephrology offers support to help your patients better understand their care plan and the next steps they need to take. They also provide educational resources to help them better grasp the progress of their condition as well as when to ask for help.

2)    Medication Reconciliation

Due to the nature of chronic conditions, it can be difficult for a patient to keep track of all of the prescriptions they receive from their different providers. If not kept in order, the patients could suffer dangerous reactions and consequences. Outsourcing Chronic Care Management for Nephrology ensures that your patient’s medications are organized and that any contradictions are identified and eliminated.

3)    Care Management

Chronic Care Management vendors should offer Nephrology patients a clear channel to review and understand their care plan. This includes the ability to share their care plan with any caregivers and providers who might need access to that information. This also includes the ability to communicate electronically with their nephrologists when questions arise.

4)    Patient Experience

Outsourcing Chronic Care Management for Nephrology offers Nephrologists the opportunity to improve their patient’s experience by giving them more frequent personalized attention. A quality vendor of CCM acts as an extension of your practice, handling patient interactions just as you would during the monthly phone call and beyond. This helps Nephrology patients feel more connected to their provider, improving their overall experience.

To learn more about Chronic Care Management for Nephrology, click here.