By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    physical health
    5 Ways Playing Games Can Improve Neural and Physical Health
    September 9, 2022
    Reasons For Hair Loss and Its Treatment
    Reasons For Hair Loss and Its Treatment
    February 16, 2022
    healthcare organization
    5 Actionable Strategies For Healthcare Organizations
    August 15, 2022
    Latest News
    7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
    August 20, 2025
    Hospital Pest Control and the Fight Against Superbugs
    August 20, 2025
    Hygiene Beyond The Clinic: Attention To Overlooked Non-Clinical Spaces
    August 13, 2025
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    4 Reasons Chris Cornell’s Death Raises Medical Ethics Questions
    December 19, 2018
    What If You Could Sell Your Vote?
    August 24, 2017
    The Sleepy American
    September 12, 2017
    Latest News
    How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
    August 22, 2025
    How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
    August 22, 2025
    How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
    August 22, 2025
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Reducing Fragmentation in Patient Care NOW not Next Year
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > eHealth > Reducing Fragmentation in Patient Care NOW not Next Year
eHealth

Reducing Fragmentation in Patient Care NOW not Next Year

docnieder
docnieder
Share
5 Min Read
SHARE

I do not recommend doing this, but today I attempted to listen to two Webinars at the same time. One was also tweeting the discussion and the other had very detailed slides which made it easier to follow but as studies show, we are not really capable of that kind of multi-tasking. The topic of the first suggested it would discuss Primary Care and its future. However, what the expert proposed was a “How to” plan for bringing more customers into a healthcare system.

I do not recommend doing this, but today I attempted to listen to two Webinars at the same time. One was also tweeting the discussion and the other had very detailed slides which made it easier to follow but as studies show, we are not really capable of that kind of multi-tasking. The topic of the first suggested it would discuss Primary Care and its future. However, what the expert proposed was a “How to” plan for bringing more customers into a healthcare system. This was boiled down to a recommendation that these system open small clinics, run by NPs, in competition with drug store and grocery store clinics of similar ilk in order to funnel patients into the listeners’ systems. The other Webinar was a discussion by three mobile health leaders (mHealth) on the future use of their products in the global mobile health arena (wow, that rhymed).

 
It’s is a good idea to know what is going on in the minds of healthcare system development teams and as I listened to the expert’s remarks I could not help but ponder on what, in my humble opinion, would build the kind of “team loyalty” that hospitals and other healthcare systems are dreaming of. What is it that patients want?
 
I agree that they need healthcare access in their busy lives at more convenient times of the day than traditional physician offices offer. What my patients tell me (and what people tell me at cocktail parties) is that they would prefer access to their very own providers, those individuals who know them best. No insult intended to NPs because they are essential to the healthcare team, but they are physician extenders, not physician substitutes.
 
What about developing systems that give patients greater access to their own providers? This would really engender loyalty to a healthcare system, especially one in which physicians are employees, more and more the norm these days. I believe mHealth can do that. What if you could access your physician after hours via Skype? Or text your doctor just for a quick conversation about whether you should seek immediate care or be seen the next day? Gee, what if the physician had access to their schedule and could book them on the spot?!? What I’m advocating here is a “concierge” type practice without the concierge price. Of course there would have to be some sort of reimbursement procedure to give already overworked primary care doctors the incentive to take care of patients in this way but wouldn’t that be a cheaper investment than opening the equivalent of “Little Clinics” everywhere?
 
Along with the cost, the second complaint I routinely hear from patients about their medical care is its fragmentation. From a patient and a primary care perspective, no one on the health care team is talking to each other. In fact, frequently the word “team” is a misnomer. Using tools like Doximity physicians can employ a HIPPA compliant platform to discuss cases and improve care. Of course the phone always works, but with the ability to ask questions and respond in a timely but convenient fashion, doctors and other providers like NPs, PTs, etc. can reduce the fragmentation patients feel from their healthcare team.
 
Of course I realize that ACOs (Accountable Care Organizations) are supposed to be developing this kind of care. But does the bureaucracy that surrounds these systems bother anyone else but me? Do we really have to wait for the lumbering movement of government sponsored programs in order to improve communication, fragmentation and access to care when the technology is already here today? 
 
TAGGED:doctor/patient relationship
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

travel nurse in north carolina
Balancing Speed and Scope: Choosing the Nursing Degree That Fits Your Goals
Nursing
September 1, 2025
intimacy
How to Keep Intimacy Comfortable as You Age
Relationship and Lifestyle Senior Care
September 1, 2025
engineer fitting prosthetic arm
How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
Health care
August 20, 2025
a woman explaining the document
How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
Public Health
August 20, 2025

You Might also Like

Rocketman

August 20, 2011
eHealthMedical Records

More Pharmacy Software Vendors are Linking to the eHealth Record System

November 8, 2017
pharmaphorum
BusinessPublic HealthSocial Media

Democracy Comes to Healthcare

May 12, 2015

Medical Review Management: Vital For Doctor’s Online Reputation

June 8, 2013
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?