|
Renal Groups Organize to Focus on Patient Care
Richard L. Reece, MD
August 2005
Editorial
In this issue of CKD Practice Options, we focus on the strategies that three large nephrology groups (Dallas Nephrology Associates, St. Clair Specialty Physicians in Detroit, and the Southwest Kidney Institute in Phoenix) are using to improve their results. These groups share a number of traits in common. Each has sufficient size, for example, to offer comprehensive services, such as dialysis centers, vascular access facilities, radiology, and laboratory services. Each has access to capital to be able to extend the reach and scope of the services it offers and enough physicians to encourage and support sub-specialists and to adopt a multidisciplinary approach.
Among other important attributes of these groups are that they have programs to monitor and manage common co-morbidities among patients, including anemia, lipidemias, bone disease, hypertension, and diabetes. They also have disease management programs that emphasize the use of guidelines to improve the quality of care these groups deliver.
The sophisticated use of information systems is common to all three groups as well. Each one uses an electronic medical records system and extensive practice management systems to ensure that all charges are captured, that each group avoids waste, schedules patients and staff effectively, and processes claims efficiently.
Looking forward, each of these groups understands the important role Medicare plays in the market, has ways to monitor Medicare reimbursement, and is prepared to meet any pay-for-performance criteria that Medicare officials may deem necessary in the future.
These three groups are excellent examples of what Regina Herzlinger, PhD, a professor at the Harvard Business School, calls “focused factories.” She asserts that in the future, physicians will establish comprehensive disease management centers addressing all the high tech and high touch needs of patients with chronic diseases, including its various ....
This articles can viewed in its entirety by registered users only.
Login (requires cookies)
Forgot Password:
Click here if you cannot remember your password
Register Here:
Click here to register
|
