Becker's Hospital Review

28 32 Hospital Executives Talk Care Quality Improvement in Times of Value-Based Care By Molly Gamble and Emily Rappleye I n April, 32 executives, vice presidents, direc- tors and other senior-level healthcare profes- sionals gathered in Chicago to share insights and explore solutions to the industry's most pressing challenges, including patient engage- ment, quality improvement, system integration, clinician wellbeing and the relationship between these critical priorities. Leaders' dynamic discussion has been captured in a three-part series: Part I (Patient engage- ment), Part II (Care quality improvement in times of value-based care) and Part III (Func- tioning as a system). We are pleased to share Part II in this issue; to see how the conversation unfolds, follow the series in subsequent issues of Becker's Hospital Review. e meeting and article were paid for through a sponsorship by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma- ceuticals. Care quality improvement in times of value-based care Hospitals and health systems today must demon- strate value to commercial and government pay- ers under alternative payment models that re- ward clinical outcomes, not volume of services. When asked to detail the most important quality initiatives their organizations are taking on, lead- ers shared a breadth of strategies and ideas, from mandatory government programs to alternative appointment models for chronic need patients. Key drivers of quality initiatives e Bundled Payments for Care Improvement initiative is one of many initiatives aimed at moving healthcare from volume to value, and has become a popular way for proactive health- care organizations to gain early experience in risk management. Specifically, healthcare leaders said bundled payments have prompted them to revaluate their standard care practices and begin to evaluate cost per episode of care. "We're trying to be at the cutting edge, not the bleed- ing edge, as we look to bun- dled payments," said the vice president of physician services at a one-hospital, 1,100-physician health system. "We aren't wait- ing for the mandatory ones — instead we're po- sitioning ourselves to succeed with data analytics and, on the inpatient side, working on length of stay and readmissions so we can go to insurers and really prove our costs." CMS' mandatory bundled payment programs have certainly put the pedal to the medal in terms of driving bundled payment adoption among healthcare providers. For some hospitals with limited resources and experience, the brisk pace of the transition could pose additional chal- lenges. Nonetheless, some healthcare executives cheered the aggressive adoption of mandatory bundles because, they said, it gives them a frame- work to provide better care for patients. "Just going through the process to make a bun- dle work makes all aspects of care delivery bet- ter," said the CMO of a mid-sized hospital in the Midwest. "When you analyze the data, act on the data, and use it from an evidence-based stand- point, you can't help but get better [outcomes]." Moreover, bundled payments give providers strong incentives to improve care value, which can include preventing avoidable complica- tions and keeping costs low, he added. "I'm very against government intervention saying things are mandatory, but I will tell you the bundled

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