Why It Matters and How Direct Primary Care Excels In Providing It to Patients
What is Care Coordination?
One of the most important services a primary care doctor provides is the coordination of care for her patients. Facilitating communication between the patient, their family, medical specialists and other healthcare providers allows for a safer and more efficient delivery of quality healthcare. In essence, the primary care doctor carefully organizes and supports each player on the patient’s medical team. As the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality states:
The main goal of care coordination is to meet patients’ needs and preferences in the delivery of high-quality, high-value health care. This means that the patient’s needs and preferences are known and communicated at the right time to the right people, and that this information is used to guide the delivery of safe, appropriate, and effective care
Why Is it Important?
A patient can receive health services from multiple providers (medical specialists, the PCP, physical therapists, pharmacists) in many different settings (outpatient clinics, the emergency room, nursing homes, the hospital). By organizing and integrating these sources of care, we reduce the likelihood of: duplication of expensive diagnostic tests, fragmentation (resulting in delayed care) and potential errors (including medication errors and unnecessary hospital re-admissions). Care coordination improves the quality of patient care as well as the patient experience as s/he navigates illness and the complex health system.
Why Are DPC Providers Great At Coordinating Care?
Coordination of care and medical services takes time. This is where direct primary care really shines. With a smaller patient panel and without the administrative burden of working for a big health organization or health insurance company, I can talk with your specialists about your treatment plan, answer any questions you may have and follow up with any services required to make sure they get done in a timely fashion. Knowing you have someone you can trust to build and organize your team can truly make a difference in your health!