Driving Value-Based Payment Reform Through the Community Oncology Lens

AJMC | August 12, 2024

Health care costs in the United States are rising every year, leading to poorer patient outcomes, high out-of-pocket payments, and a consolidated market. One factor driving this rise is how siloed our health care system is. Not only are patients being forced to pay high out-of-pocket costs, but independent physicians are also feeling the pressure, all while hospitals and large health systems are paid more every year. Independent community oncologists feel these pressures 10-fold because their practices collectively treat more than half of all patients with cancer in the United States. As community oncology practices are independently owned by the doctors providing treatment, they prioritize high-quality and low-cost patient-centered care.

Embracing SaaS: Why Healthcare Organizations Should Transition from On-Premise Solutions

Edifecs | August 14, 2024

Gartner estimates “over 95% of new digital workloads will be deployed on cloud-native platforms” by 2025. This shift from on-premise solutions to a cloud-based, software-as-a-service (SaaS) model, where software is accessed via a web browser, may seem concerning to healthcare organizations for several reasons, with the primary reason being a perceived loss of control. Organizations with on-premise solutions control when upgrades and updates occur, and who can access their data. While this feeling of control might be comforting, it comes at a cost. Organizations are solely responsible for ensuring they are compliant with ever-changing healthcare regulations, upgrading hardware to enable scalability, and implementing the latest security measures to protect their data. To support these processes, organizations must maintain specialized personnel, including information technology and compliance resources.

The case for transitioning to value-based care

Medical Economics | July 24, 2024

Momentum for value-based care grows as physicians gain more experience with value-based models and commit to improving outcomes – rewarding patients and providers alike. Investing in value-based care allows physicians to spend more time with their patients and, in doing so, deliver high-quality care that takes patients’ needs and preferences into consideration. Patients, providers and payers see the benefits of this approach, but deciding on the appropriate model and making the transition can present a significant undertaking for physician practices. Some providers are understandably hesitant. However, the potential return on investment in cost savings, care quality and physician satisfaction provides a strong business case for practices to consider making the switch—and they don’t have to go through this transformation alone.

Bringing value-based care to the youngest patients

AMA | July 8, 2024

Pediatrics has been at the forefront of preventive medical practices such as immunizations, screenings, care coordination with specialists and meeting defined health goals. Measurable prevention is a major cornerstone of providing value-based care, so it would seem the approach would pair well with pediatrics. But it’s not that simple, because there is a wide range of populations and health needs to be considered within pediatrics. “We’re talking about a handful of different types of patients, newborns, preschoolers, all the way to adolescents and young adults,” said Jeffrey Bernstein, MD, a pediatrician at Pediatric and Adolescent Care of Silver Spring in Maryland, which is part of Privia Health. “Value-based care is going to look different for each of those populations.”