The Kaiser Permanente Health Care Institute and National Labor College hosted a national forum highlighting best practices for providing high-quality care to patients at lower costs.
"Changing the way we cover healthcare without actually reforming care delivery is a mistake," said George Halvorson, chairman and CEO of Kaiser Permanente. "As a nation, we need to improve access to care, reduce costs and ensure quality care for all. Team-based care, supported by technology, is essential to achieving that vision."
The forum, held in Silver Spring, Md., centered on how coordinated care can improve outcomes while lowering costs for the patient. Speakers stressed how this could be achieved when coordinated care is supported by the right kind of technology and information.
A Colorado-based group from Kaiser Permanente that included physicians, clinical pharmacists, nurses and medical assistants presented findings on how the approach helped clinical staff successfully integrate technology and collaboration that resulted in the control of high blood pressure and a reduced risk of heart disease among patients.
"The compelling thing about coordinated care, fueled by employee team-based innovation, is that it results in higher quality care at a lower cost," said John Sweeney, CIO of the American Federation of Labor (AFL). "We need to have both built into any new approach to universal healthcare.”
By using teamwork tools, the Colorado team developed a process that used an EMR to help identify high- or at-risk patients. In addition, a new hypertension clinic was built to perform blood tests and manage medication adjustments. As result, 10 percent more patients were able to control their blood pressure.
Maryland Gov. Martin O’Maller stressed federal reform and the importance of electronic medical records as a way to improve care in hospitals and physician practices. In his keynote speech, he also emphasized the need for coordinated care within different medical facilities and the importance of be able to share patient data in times of crisis.
