6 ways to engage ACO patients

First step: Reach out to all patients, not just those who require complex care.

The Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., recently published a toolkit called "Adopting Accountable Care: An Implementation Guide for Physician Practices," to help physician-led accountable care organizations address their unique challenges and opportunities.

Among other resources, the toolkit provides six strategies to improve engagement with those at the core of an ACO's mission: the patient.

1. Reach out to all patients, not just those who require complex care. Although the ACO model primarily focuses on complex patients, it is important to build a connection with healthy patients, too, to increase retention and patient satisfaction.
2. Find out how patients prefer to be contacted — whether it is via phone, text, email or mail. Patients will receive messages more quickly on their preferred channel of communication and be more likely to take action sooner, if required.
3. Collect health risk assessment information from Medicare beneficiaries at wellness visits. These appointments are free to patients and can help them receive more targeted care. They are billable to Medicare and provide a measure for preventive care.
4. When patients are admitted to the hospital, reach out to them to demonstrate the coordination and commitment to their unique wellbeing.
5. Involve the patient in reaching their own goals by implementing shared decision-making, patient-activation measures and behavioral science techniques to increase participation.
6. Listen to patient feedback and provide a variety of channels for them to voice their opinions. For example, provide a comment box in the office, create an advisory council or focus group, and devote an email specifically to questions and concerns.

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