Table of Contents
Chronic Care Management (CCM) services change the way you interact and care for your patients in a way that positively impacts their health. When implementing chronic care management services, clinics experience improved patient engagement, which leads to better clinical results and an increased revenue stream. CCM is a way to meet the patient where they are, helping them invest in their healthcare.
While you might be on board with implementing a CCM program, it’s overwhelming to get started. If your clinic is already understaffed and overburdened with patient care, you know you need help creating a successful CCM program. However, do you know how to evaluate CCM services to understand what company is the best fit for your organization?
How do you find a quality CCM company to partner with?
Partnering with a chronic care management company has many benefits when it comes to successfully engaging and caring for your chronically ill patients. However, not all CCM companies are the same and what services they offer can vary widely between organizations.
How do you know what to look for?
It’s difficult to really pinpoint what benefits are significant prior to launching a CCM program. Here are some critical details to evaluate when considering a partnership with a CCM company.
- Successful Patient Engagement. Discuss how the CCM company engages and maintains a positive relationship with patients. Does the same patient coordinator contact the patient each month? Do they personalize their conversations to apply not only to the patient population but the individual themselves? These are great questions to ask!
- CCM Program Enrollment Rate. Not every patient is going to opt-in to a CCM program, but a company should honestly tell you how many patients they typically enroll. A good benchmark to look for is 50% of your eligible patients (or more). Also, don’t forget to ask them how they enroll your patients. Individuals who feel pressured into joining the program are less likely to engage or stick with it.
- Retention Rate. If a CCM company is providing a quality service, they will be more than willing to show their results. A retention rate of 80 percent or higher is a good indicator of a successful CCM program. If the patients are happy with and finding value in the program, they will stick with it longer. Don’t be afraid to ask for testimonials from both patients and other clinics.
- Seamless Technology. The last thing you need to worry about is how to train your staff on a new platform. Find a company that can work within your existing EMR system. Implementation will go much smoother if your team doesn’t need to learn a whole new system.
- Your Time & Investment. The CCM program shouldn’t be a burden on your staff, but rather, it should help them connect with patients between appointments to make sure they are receiving the care they need. A quality service should take minimal time on your end while your partner does the heavy lifting communicating with patients and collecting valuable information on their health. Investing in a company that creates more work and headaches adds little value to your clinic OR your patients.
Learn more about if your company is ready to implement a CCM program.
How to identify a successful CCM program?
Companies you evaluate should show you their processes, who is involved, the technology they use, etc. And they will all sound great! So how do you know which one will actually give you positive results?
A successful CCM program:
- Allows eligible patients to opt-in without pressure or guilt
- Utilizes the same care coordinator for each patient to build a positive relationship
- Provides monthly calls that are personalized and specific to each individual patient, making them feel connected to their healthcare team
- Works within a clinic’s workflow and processes creating a seamless transition for staff
- Provides detailed information on each patient so your staff doesn’t need to make follow-up calls
- Delivers detailed reports and patient information to help healthcare professionals quickly identify any concerns
- Creates reliable revenue stream for the clinic, allowing them to expand programs and services to improve overall patient care and health
- Allows and encourages you to recommend specific questions to ask your patients, keeping the program tailored to your patient demographic
By using these critical details to evaluate a CCM company, you’re well on your way to providing improved care to your chronically ill patient population. Want to see how H3C stacks up against other Chronic Care Management companies? Learn more about our chronic care management services.
Patients enrolled in a CCM program can experience a closer connection with their healthcare provider and clinic through service efforts. Also, they often:
- Get more personalized attention from professionals
- Are more engaged with the clinic and providers resulting in a closer relationship with their doctor and clinic
- Are more compliant with medication and treatment plans
- Are hospitalized less frequently
Here are some critical details to evaluate when considering a partnership with a CCM company:
- Successful patient engagement
- CCM program enrollment rate of at least 50%
- Retention rate of around 80%
- Seamless technology – no third-party software, they should work within your EMR
Outsourcing can work effectively, or clinics can also benefit from working with a partner on a mixed model to maximize patient reach, control, and resourcing across internal and external teams. Learn more about in-house vs. outsourced chronic care management, here.
H3C is an innovative healthcare solutions company combining exceptional patient-centric care with cutting-edge technology. Working as an extension of your clinic, we provide chronic care management that helps improve patient experiences and outcomes while boosting both clinical value and revenue. Schedule a call and let’s discuss how we can help you.
