Building efficiency into care plans and helping care managers fight burnout

Elevating the impact of care management

Care managers are often asked to do more with fewer resources and with tools that are less optimal. Researchers believe their full potential may be untapped, as they are frequently deployed too broadly or not targeting the right sources of value for members.

Care management teams can more effectively reach specific member populations when they are able to focus on content personalization. That ability to foster a more tailored approach to member care – in which the member is only receiving the most relevant content to their situation and their needs – leads to meaningful results, such as enhanced member satisfaction, better health outcomes, and reduced operational costs. But if processes are too complex, cumbersome, or tedious for clinicians and care managers to implement personalized care plans with tailored content, experience has shown that they won’t use those tools. People are simply too busy.

Streamlined, in-workflow access to tools that connect care management teams directly to the insights and resources they need to develop care plans and deploy outreach to plan members will help teams be more proactive and efficient, leading them to become high performers. It can also reduce feelings of being overwhelmed by multiple applications and tasks.

Effective tool integration – particularly when solutions can integrate with existing, trusted care management workflow applications – allows care managers more time to work with members and reduces the time spent in the applications. Even saving just a few clicks or a few seconds per call adds up.

What type of content do care managers need integrated in their workflows?

Care managers want materials that are easy to understand, clinically relevant, and engaging to share with their members. Patients and members can sometimes be overwhelmed with a lot of information, especially when they are newly diagnosed. Having relevant content that helps reinforce key messages and helps people stay on track is really useful to the member and beneficial to the success of the care plan.

Evidence-based educational resources help to reinforce the conversations members have with their care managers about recommended care plans. When care managers can easily access a robust library of interactive video and leaflet content from within their workflow to build care plans and reach members at the point of care, it helps reduce inefficiencies and gaps in knowledge.

Patients and members frequently may forget some of the key points they discussed with their providers, or they may be looking to expand on ideas that arose during consults. Having educational resources that support those conversations help people retain key points and actionable items. For example, following a diagnosis or follow-up on diabetes, a member may need informational or interactive content on: What is an A1C? Why is important to keep your A1C under control for people managing diabetes? Care management teams can use empathetic, member-facing educational content that’s rooted in behavioral science like UpToDate® Consumer Education to help people to easily understand clinical terms and give them practical, actionable things to do to help manage their health.

SMART on FHIR is an innovative technology that enables care management vendors to seamlessly integrate solutions like UpToDate Consumer Education directly into a care manager’s workflow. Care managers don’t have to remember a separate username or password because it is securely and seamlessly embedded into their application, saving them time when working with a member.

eBook: The power of personal content journeys

Health plans that are looking to proactively address member outcomes while streamlining care manager processes should consider how personalized educational content can help members better understand their diagnosis, recommended treatment plans, medications, and overall holistic care journeys. Learn more in our eBook, “The power of personalized content journeys for members.”