| Buyers Health Care Action Group
Pilots New P4P Program For Depression
To measure and reward optimal care for patients
with depression, the Buyers Health Care Action Group (BHCAG) is leading
a new Bridges to Excellence (BTE) program with a pilot in Minnesota.
The Depression Management Care Link pilot will
monitor physician and practice performance and improvements; evaluate
the impact of better management of depression on costs of care; and
understand how the measures could be implemented through electronic
medical record systems.
"We hope to make a significant impact on improving
the health of our community by providing purchasers and consumers
information on which physicians are providing excellent care to people
that are depressed," said BHCAG CEO Carolyn Pare. "As an early adopter
of BTE for diabetes and cardiovascular care, we hope to apply the same
quality improvement, measurement and reward techniques towards the
identification and treatment of depression."
Patients complete a screening questionnaire to
determine if they are depressed.
A reassessment is done at six months, and
continues throughout the course of treatment. As measurement is a
critical element in BTE programs, this evaluation tool will be used to
measure improvements in patient outcomes and determine program results.
The goal is to see improvements in how the patient is feeling in six
months, with full recovery in 12 months. Scoring and assessment will be
done by MN Community Measurement, a BTE performance assessment
organization.
BTE Champions of Change will pay high performing
providers per patient in 2009 and participating health plans have
committed to paying on the program in 2010.
Champions of Change are employers that have taken
the lead in publicly signaling to the medical community that healthcare
purchasers want to financially reward providers for delivering optimal
care defined by outcomes – not volumes of services performed.
Champions of Change employers participating in BTE include: 3M, Carlson
Companies, General Electric, Honeywell, Medtronic, Resource Training
and Solutions, State of Minnesota Department of Employee Relations,
State of Minnesota Department of Human Services, Target Corporation,
University of Minnesota and Wells Fargo.
"This effort has the commitment from health plans,
support of area employers, the Institute for Clinical Systems
Improvement and MN Community Measurement," said Charlie Montreuil, vice
president of corporate human resources for Carlson Companies, BHCAG
board chair and BTE board member. "BTE will evaluate the impact of this
pilot program and roll out this effort nationally in 2009."
Address: Buyers Health Care Action Group, 7900
International Dr., Suite 1080, Bloomington, MN 55425; (952) 896-5186, www.bhcag.com.
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