The Treatspace Referral Management Blog

Insight, ideas, and resources for high-performance referral management

How Poor Communication Between Providers Can Be Costly

Posted by Christian Kratsas on 1/31/17 5:15 AM

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The loop in communication and clinical documentation between healthcare providers has traditionally been open for many organizations. Often when referrals are made, they are left largely to the patient to schedule. Many physicians may not even check whether the patient was seen by the specialist until the patient's next appointment or if contacted for records.

There are a million moving parts to the healthcare landscape today, so it's understandable that follow up with referrals might slip through the cracks without a proper protocol. Unfortunately, the cost of poor care coordination can be exorbitant - for the patient's own health and for the physicians and organizations involved.

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Topics: Care Coordination, Referral Management, Provider Accountability, Direct secure messaging

Shared Accountability for Closed-Loop Referral Management

Posted by Jeremy Guttman on 5/5/16 2:05 PM

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Accountability in health care often means that primary care practices are liable for the cost and quality of a patient’s care across the continuum of care. In the old, diminishing fee-for-service reimbursement system, practices were only reimbursed based on actions within their own office.

Now, in new reimbursement models like ACOs, PCMHs, risk-based contracting, and alternative payment models, shared accountability is king.

“The idea that you are accountable for what happens after people leave your office is no longer just a philosophical discussion. It's dollars and cents.”1

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Topics: Referral Management, Closed-Loop Referral Management, Provider Accountability, Value-Based Care