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Use of Care Team Programs to Increase Nationwide, According to OPYS

A recent research study coupled with healthcare reform initiatives indicate that doctors and hospitals will in the near future work together in increasing numbers, bringing a more collaborative approach to patient care. So says OPYS, a leading provider of quality hospital-based physician services.

(PRWEB) January 2011 -- According to OPYS, a national physician services and staffing company, the use of team-based care programs is set to increase nationwide. According to the group, findings of a recent study, coupled with healthcare reform legislation will result in doctors and hospitals working more closely together in order to be paid for patient care services rendered.

A recent study published in the “New England Journal of Medicine” found that team care improves patient care outcomes. The study, published December 30, suggests that a team care approach would result in happier, healthier patients with improved clinical conditions. Researchers at the University of Washington Group Health Cooperative studied 214 patients with depression, poorly controlled diabetes, coronary artery disease or both. Patients were provided either a standard care or team care of providers. The team involved doctors, nurses, and patients working together. The results were less depression, better control of blood sugar, improved blood pressure and improved quality of life.

President Obama's Healthcare Reform Initiatives

Paralleling with President Obama’s healthcare reform initiatives, OPYS states that the use of care team programs will increase nationwide. Healthcare reform legislation will cause insurance reimbursement to physicians and hospitals to be based upon patient cost, quality and outcomes. Thus physicians and hospitals will now have even greater shared goals and shared payments. Value-based purchasing concept, as it’s called in health care reform, will require doctors, outsourced physicians and hospitals to all work together in cohesion for the patient.

The care team concept was first described in the medical literature by ES Gurdjian in 1966, who recognized its importance in patient care. Since then, there have been multiple mentions of the importance of team care in the provision of patient care. 

Team-based care has increasingly become a useful tool in improving patient care and outcomes. In the 2008 edition of “Family Practice Management” P. Anderson et al. found that there are improved productivity and finances with team care. In 2003, “Hospital Case Management” reported that team care management lowers hospital length of stay. Length of stay reduction increases a hospital’s capacity, and helps maintain the margin – thus lowering cost.

Team-basd Care Revolves Around Collaboration

The multi-disciplinary team care approach revolves around collaboration. Investigators have cited the necessity of physician and nurse extenders in completing the team of providers. Whether it is a routine family medicine clinic visit, orthopedic surgery or emergency department visit, quality and outcomes ar e improved with team care.

According to OPYS, team-based care has a positive financial impact, as well. As healthcare reform gains momentum, greater healthcare savings are predicted – to the tune of an estimated $143 billion over 10 years. Anecdotally, collections have been described in the literature to increase with a fully implemented team care model. Thus, an unprecedented savings is projected based upon the basic model that pairs hospital and doctor remuneration with the success of a patient’s care. 

Additionally, improved documentation, quality and likely physician services is also possible through team care. Quality and indirectly malpractice litigation and claims, affect revenue cycle management outcomes and the bottom line. Furthermore, it is described that patient satisfaction and staff satisfaction are both improved with team-based care. Minor clinical post surgical complications have also been reduced with hospital physicians, orthopedic surgeon and nurse care teams.

Hospitals and Physicians Working Together

When it comes to the future, as with healthcare reform, hospitals and physicians will have to work together for shared patient care goals, says the team at OPYS.  These care teams will strive to attain beneficiary quality and satisfaction, which are both measures tied to provider payments. 

Though it remains unclear how health care reform will affect both patients and providers, OPYS states that one thing is for certain -- there will be increased collaboration amongst providers, as the arithmetic seems clear: physicians, plus nurses and hospitals, equals patient care, which equals OPYSCare.

OPYS - Quality, efficient, patient-centered healthcare through experienced medical leadership, communication, and collaboration in the provision of hospital-based physician services.