Care Collaboration Across the Continuum
Care collaboration is crucial for high-quality, cost-effective, patient-centered care. However, challenges in data sharing and communication among care settings hinder this process.
The recent Southern California Care Collaboration Conference, hosted by HASC and PointClickCare, an Endorsed Business Partner, addressed these issues with insights from hospitals, skilled nursing facilities (SNF), health plans and risk-bearing entities. The event emphasized the importance of trust, transparency and a holistic view of patient care. With over 130 attendees, the conference sparked insightful conversations among key stakeholders, reflecting their real-world experiences.
Data Sharing and Trust Building
Effective data sharing involves providing context and telling a patient’s story. Panelist Greg Erickson explained how Keck Medicine of USC uses data to identify the root causes of high readmission rates among their SNF partners and provide education to improve SNF clinical capabilities and outcomes.
Gema Salas, another panelist, shared how L.A. Care’s care management saw a 60% increase in efficiency using real-time data from PointClickCare to close gaps in care. She stressed the need for creating incentives to encourage data sharing among hospital and SNF partners.
However, data sharing is not possible without building trust. Megan Lenthe from CareConnect MD explained that trust building requires understanding each care partner’s needs and aligning incentives and goals. It is critical to find a champion in each organization who can advocate for the benefits of data sharing and overcome resistance. Trust building also involves addressing security and privacy concerns that may arise from data sharing and ensuring the data is accurate, timely and standardized.
Benefits of the Care Collaboration Platform
Another key theme that emerged was the benefits of using a care collaboration platform, such as PointClickCare, to improve efficiency of care coordination across the continuum. Corrine Perry, Sun Mar Healthcare, shared that having everything in one place increases their staff’s usage of the platform, so they use PointClickCare as a hub to integrate with potential partners. Amanda Felix from PACS seconded that PointClickCare allows their nursing team to be proactive in identifying change in condition and intervene before the need to send the patient to the hospital.
PointClickCare’s platform offers real-time data access and care coordination. Features like PointClickCare Connect and PACMan streamline admission processes and patient monitoring. CRM tools assist SNFs in managing referrals, while VBC for ACOs supports proactive patient care. These tools lead to improved outcomes and reduced readmission.
Best Practices for Platform Utilization
The conference concluded with some best practices for using a care collaboration platform.
- Start small and narrow the scope of the goals and use cases. Expand as trust and collaboration grow.
- Engage key stakeholders early and provide training and support for effective platform use.
- Use the platform to facilitate and enhance collaboration, not as a substitute for human interaction and communication.
- Use the data and reports to identify opportunities for improvement and measure collaborative outcomes.
Conclusion
Using a care collaboration platform like PointClickCare can address care collaboration complexities, improving visibility, efficiency and patient outcomes. It fosters trust and transparency among care partners, which is vital for patient-centered care.
To learn more about PointClickCare, visit the company’s website.