Butler Health System | Butler Health | Spring 2018

It’s a given that most of us would prefer to stay healthy, with less visits to the doctor, urgent care or hospital. We’d like to prevent as many diseases as we can or find them early when they are often easier and less expensive to treat. My DOCTOR VISIT checklist This checklist can help you commu- nicate better with your doctor. Fill it out and take it with you to your appointment. You might also use it to prepare for calls to your doctor’s office about your care. The reason formy visit I ammost concerned about _________________________. What thedoctor needs to know I have these new or worsening symptoms: _________________________________________________. My health has changed recently (taking new medications, recovering from surgery, etc.): _________________________________________________. I have these limitations (poor vision, difficulty walking, memory problems, etc.): _________________________________________________. Your health/treatment Questions to ask Do you have any follow-up instructions for me? Can I get those in writing? When will I get the test results frommy visit? When should I schedule my next appointment? When should I expect to see improvement? If there is no improvement, what should I do? How should I contact you if I have questions after this visit? Staying well Questions to ask Does my family health history raise my risk for any health problems? What vaccines, screenings or medical tests do I need? What are some steps you think I should take to stay healthy? I feel Need emergency care? Call 911. good not so good getting seriously worse ill VALUE-BASED CARE What is value-based care? The focus of value-based care is to improve the quality of care a patient receives while lowering health care costs. It is a long-term goal focusing on wellness and prevention. In order to reach this goal, the ways in which a patient receives care become proactive instead of reactive— preventing problems before they start. Instead of calling your doctor when you are sick, your doctor may contact you regarding programs or information to get you healthy or ways to keep you healthy. Better outcomes such as quicker recoveries, lower infection rates and fewer readmissions are achieved through overall patient wellness, preventive screenings and a higher quality of care. Value-based care saves you money As health insurance deductibles increase each year, so do out- of-pocket costs. Patients often question why a test at one cen- ter is less expensive than a test at another facility. Higher quality care is not necessarily the most expensive. In fact, in a value-based care organization such as Butler Health System, doctors, hospitals and other health care providers work as a connected team to deliver the best possible care at the lowest possible cost. These high-quality providers are sought out and rewarded for their lower cost of care. A new, patient-centered approach to health care Sources: Cleveland Clinic; Epidemiology and Health , 2015, No. 37; EJM Catalyst; National Institutes of Health; Value-Based Care, 2018 A coordinated approach to health care Providers in a value-based care system focus on a coordinated approach to care. For example, if you have a chronic condition such as diabetes, value-based care can help you avoid complications of the disease. Instead of spending your time coordinating with many different providers to get the care you need, you are able to work with one inte- grated team. This team may include your primary care provider, special- ists, nutritionists and other health care professionals who already know you and are aware of your health history. These teams of health care providers communicate with one another about your care through the help of care coordinators. This process aims to eliminate repetitive and unnecessary tests and procedures, enabling you to receive high-quality care with more efficiency and less wasted time, effort and expense. Value-based care is designed to benefit patients, providers and payers: » » Patients spend less money to achieve better health. » » Providers become more efficient and enjoy greater patient satisfaction. » » Communities become healthier while reducing the expense of health care. Laxman Prajapat, MD, BHS Cardiology, with Richard Kennedy of Butler, PA. butlerhealthsystem.org | 5