Most in the healthcare industry would say that providers have an obligation to provide better care to underserved populations. The question is how.
Dr. Graham Gardner is a cardiologist, CEO and co-founder of Kyruus, a patient billing and scheduling services and technology provider. He has had a long career in the healthcare IT and healthcare delivery sectors of the industry.
We sat down with him to discuss patient access, how technology can help plan care for underserved patients and present the business case to medical teams. And Gardner gave an example from his own experience that shows how an underserved approach yields better results.
Q. You are a proponent of better patient access for underserved patients. Please talk about what is needed to do this and why it is important to providing care.
ONE. Much of the value of healthcare is determined by our accessibility to it. Therefore, meeting the needs of underserved populations can best be achieved by improving patient access for all. For me, “access” is not just about being able to meet a supplier but also about meeting the right supplier.
We know when patients feel comfortable with their provider, they are more likely to share important information and participate in treatment recommendations. Ultimately, this could create better health care outcomes and give people in underserved communities a step further towards health equity.
To find the right provider, patients first need to access the right information. That information is different for each patient and for each type of encounter. For example, when a patient searches for a primary care provider, they may be looking for someone with whom they can build a relationship – perhaps for decades.
With that in mind, they may be looking for someone with a similar life experience and/or a provider conveniently located near home or work. In contrast, when looking for a specialist for a particular procedure, a patient may prioritize expertise in a certain area while traveling further to the office for a one-time transaction.
Fortunately, digital health allows organizations to make this information transparent to all patients with access to mobile phones, empowering patients to research and choose the right provider for them. them at that time.
Q. What is the role of healthcare information technology in care planning for underserved patients?
ONE. The digitization of healthcare data is one of the most exciting developments of the past decade. Patients now have access to provider demographics, scope of practice, photos, personal statements, videos, and patient reviews – information that provides expert insight and provider’s philosophy of care.
Through digital portals and the internet, patients can also search for providers when and how they want. This not only allows patients to conduct their research without the time pressure of calling an access center, but also facilitates exploration of questions that may be more sensitive in nature.
For example, someone may feel more comfortable seeking gender-related care or treatment options for a mental health condition if they can view information online. The decision-making power provided by technology can make the difference between a person seeking care or not.
Q. What is the business case for medical groups and providers? Why should they welcome improved transparency and accessibility?
ONE. Transparency information is the foundation for a better match between patients and providers. Providers spend decades training to develop expertise in different areas of medicine, sometimes focusing on a specific procedure or disease and sometimes also focusing on a population or demographic specific study.
Without the right information, the patient will not be able to find the right provider while providers are often required to refer a patient to another colleague for proper patient care. This is not only frustrating for both the patient and the provider, but it also clutters the provider’s schedule, reducing the accessibility of others.
I have seen this situation unfold firsthand during my years of clinical practice. For example, as medicine becomes more and more a subspecialty, it becomes increasingly difficult for patients to understand which type of cardiologist is right for their condition.
Without the ability to seek out specific conditions and specialties, a patient with dyslipidemia may seek care from an electrophysiologist who specializes in cardiac arrhythmias. Not only does this result in a suboptimal experience for patients, who may currently choose to leave the clinic, but it also robs providers of appointments that could generate follow-up procedures.
As provider demographics and expertise are also enhanced with availability, patients can leverage this data to search for providers with open schedules instead of waiting in line.” Dr. Famous,” who can be booked for weeks or months. This can have a significant load-balancing impact, allowing medical teams and health systems to leverage each of their clinicians in a way that delivers high-quality – and timely – care to patients. their group members.
Q. Can you give an example from your experience where you have seen access to care for underserved patients working well?
ONE. Many organizations are working to publish content in multiple languages to help patients whose native language is not English. This is an important part of providing better access. However, it is important to think about fluency.
Medicine is notorious for its use of long and complicated terms – not to be missed by lists of abbreviations. This can be confusing for patients and scary, highlighting healthcare literacy issues that can prevent people from seeking care.
Many pioneering organizations are now taking advantage of glossary libraries to meet patients anywhere. Whether a patient types “AF,” “A Fib,” or misspelled “Atrial Fibrillation,” these libraries can ensure the electrophysiologist is the recommended provider for that patient.
Likewise, if someone calls diabetes “blood sugar,” their search should bring up the right endocrinologist for their condition. This is yet another area where technology can help bridge access and ensure patients with different levels of healthcare literacy are provided with the right provider to meet their needs.
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