Integration – how do we know if we are getting there?
There is so much “process” in establishing integrated health care systems. It’s necessary – but it can make it difficult to know if we are actually getting anywhere.
Usually we are simultaneously building new relationships, growing trust and establishing different ways of communicating. Sometimes we are creating new teams or have started using different decision-making protocols. We may have new patient selection/risk stratification processes or started pooling some of our resources or capabilities.
Summative evaluations can tell us whether we have achieved the aims and objectives that we set for a new program but this evidence usually takes a minimum of 2-3 years (or longer!) to capture.
So…when we are in the process of integrating care – how do we track our progress and monitor the steps on our journey?
One tool that I really like is the Maturity Progression Table for Population Based Accountable Care. It has five key domains that it tracks:
- Population
- Outcomes
- Metrics and Learnings
- Payments and Incentives
- Coordinated Delivery
The table then provides a maturity index to track your progress against each domain. Check it out below.
If you want to read more about the experience and theory that has generated this table – you can download it at:
http://www.wish.org.qa/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/27425_WISH_Accountable_care_Report_AW-Web.pdf