Understanding The Basics Of Population Health Management (PHM)

Several healthcare organizations have set population health management (PHM) as a priority for formulating value-based reimbursement and risk adjustment. It has been noted that many caregiver-led accountable care organizations that are not supported by a hospital or health system, have also started to utilize population health management platforms.

 

Population health management refers to an improvement in the outcomes of clinical health of a specified group of people by greater coordination of healthcare as well as patient involvement supported by suitable models of cost and treatment. The analytical tools of the Population Health Management Platform help to enhance the quality and cost-effectiveness of care by using comprehensive data.

Components of Population Health Management

The optimal population health management approach includes high-risk care management and therapeutic procedures that help to lower the risk level. It contributes to diagnosis along with the assessment of the health of moderately risked individuals.

The basic components of PHM include:

1.    Data-driven clinical decision-making

2.    Primary care-led clinical care-managers

3.    Patient involvement along with community integration

4.    Trends of health determinants

5.    Policies and timely interventions

How Does Population Health Management Work?

With the help of population health management solutions, health organizations and clinicians can understand and formulate better care plans, monitor patient outcomes, and improve the healthcare outcomes of a community quantitatively. The PHM enables care providers to use reliable patient data to support effective and efficient care proactively. It also helps to mobilize community people to expand the reach of a primary care team. The PHM also plays its role in linking patients with vital resources by coordinating with community players.

Population Health Management Software

Healthcare organizations are acquiring population health management software to manage public health. Information technology helps to analyze patient population data to devise a future strategy. The healthcare providers gain data insights to deliver value-based care by utilizing PHM software that offers:

·         Tools to coordinate care

·         Help to evaluate patient participation

·         Help to diagnose, track, intervene for appropriate care

·         Analyze health information for a group of individuals

·         Facilitate data exchange among electronic health records and other databases

Goals of Population Health Management 

One of the goals of the PHM is to use patient risk scores to divide patient populations into subpopulations based on health, lifestyle, and medical history. This technique assists providers to understand their requirements in healthcare. 

It helps to determine how resources in healthcare may be used to improve management efforts at reduced cost. Apart from providing clinical data, PHM also includes the payers for providing care teams, claim data and risk-adjustment.