The Patient Access Imperative: A Potential Triple Win For Payors, Providers, And Patients

Long patient wait times, frustratingly high no-show rates, lack-luster call center performance, and under-utilized physicians. Does any of this sound familiar? Although a small set of health systems have boldly declared that their physicians guarantee their outpatients same- or next-day appointments, across the United States patients more typically face long wait times to both make and get appointments, as well as poor access to care. To succeed in the future, health systems will need to have the customer orientation of a five-star hotel and the operational discipline of a factory floor. Our experience suggests that many systems can achieve substantial improvements with their existing resources and generate a 10 to 20 percent improvement in outpatient profitability within 6 to 12 months — and improve patient satisfaction too. What Do We Mean By “Access”? What Does “Good” Look Like? We can book flights and hotels at the touch of a button, conduct complex banking transactions from the comfort of our homes 24/7, and have almost anything delivered to our doorsteps within days, but making and getting a timely doctor’s appointment is often still an onerous, murky process. When we talk about access, we’re referring to all the things patients have to deal with before they can engage with their clinicians. These include scheduling, working with the care options that are presented to them, and navigating the pre-encounter process. Each stage of this three-part journ...
Source: Health Affairs Blog - Category: Health Management Authors: Tags: Access All Categories Health Care Delivery Physicians Primary Care Quality Source Type: blogs