Comprehensive Provider Integration: The Key to Success in Value-Based Care Models

As we transition to a value-based care model for kidney care, nephrologists may be ambivalent about the idea of adding a new care model to their practice. They may assume it could represent several new and potentially unnecessary processes to their already busy days.

That may be the case with some of the new kidney care models, which focus on a one-size-fits-all approach. But the Strive Care Model is different. Instead of asking providers to adapt their practice to our product, we work closely with them to customize it, so it blends seamlessly with their current processes.

Strive takes the time to learn how each practice manages patient flow, communications and operations. Then, we determine how our care model can best fit into those existing systems. In this way, Strive becomes a true partner to providers instead of another vendor that sets up a product and walks away — or worse — requires already limited resources from their practice.

By working together to integrate our product into existing practices, the Strive Care Model results in less care fragmentation, improved patient outcomes and lowered care delivery costs.

A clinician-centric model

Some kidney care models focus primarily on the technology platform while overlooking the importance of provider collaboration and patient engagement. Without these vital components of value-based care, the system breaks down. Although it drives many portions of the Strive Care Model, technology alone cannot provide the robust communication and support offered by our team.

Our provider integration teams onboard practices quickly and comprehensively, so they fully understand the Strive Care Model and technical platform. We also differentiate ourselves by focusing on fully compliant Electronic Medical Record (EMR) integration. This integration allows us to identify the provider’s most complex patients, help flag them in the record and obtain important information for care, without burdening the practice with frequent requests for patient records. CareMultiplier™, our predictive analytics technology, identifies patients whose labs and other test results indicate their kidney disease is escalating and they need an updated treatment plan. Once we identify these patients, our team shares that information with the provider. Providers can then be proactive in their care, while encouraging the patient to join our care model. We ensure a smooth relationship with providers and patients through continuous two-way communication.

This combination of early identification of at-risk patients and robust communication establishes a more proactive patient care model and helps avoid a potential crash into dialysis — in other words, an abrupt hospitalization where the patient first learns that their kidneys have failed. This type of start yields significantly poorer patient outcomes. Our proactive approach helps to facilitate a planned, optimal start which leads to improved patient outcomes and wellness.

“Our goal is four-fold. We want to delay dialysis for as long as possible, prevent crashes, increase the use of in-home dialysis and reduce the overall cost of care for patients with chronic kidney disease and end-stage kidney disease,” said Shika Pappoe, M.D., Strive’s Chief Medical Officer. “We can use technology to meet some of these goals. But without true partnerships with providers and relationship-building with patients, we could never be successful.”

Diverse experience in the healthcare space

The ability to customize our care model truly sets Strive apart from the competition. To date, we have partnered with over 215 provider groups across the country, including more than 2,300 individual providers. Those groups include:

• At-risk medical groups
• Government programs, including Comprehensive Kidney Care Contracting
• Integrated delivery systems
• Payors

Each of these groups requires varying levels of engagement and tailoring to mesh with their existing value-based programs. That’s why we take steps to customize our product to meet the needs of each market.

For example, in the Population Health markets, our goal is to introduce the Strive Care Model offerings to providers with eligible patients in their practice. We help those providers identify their highest-risk patients, understand which of our services their patients would benefit from the most and assist in building efficient workflows to connect their patients to our services

In our Strive Care Partners markets, which include Comprehensive Kidney Care Contracting partnerships, we focus on improving workflow and communication processes to make sure patients receive continuous care and that providers are able to achieve favorable quality metrics and improved outcomes for their patients.

Regardless of the type of partnership, Strive’s provider integration teams are dedicated to provider success. Our teams work with providers to help them achieve tangible benefits, such as:

• Higher patient engagement
• Improved patient care delivery
• Better patient outcomes
• Decreased total cost of care
• Access to valuable predictive analytics and data

Better outcomes, lower costs

A value-based care model can significantly improve patient outcomes while lowering the total cost of care, especially for patients with chronic and end stage kidney disease. For busy providers with myriad responsibilities, the right partner makes all the difference when integrating a value-based care model into an existing practice.

We can tailor our Strive Care Model to meet various provider needs, regardless of their space in the market. Email us or complete our contact form to learn more about partnering with Strive.

April Hanley is the Director of Provider Integration – Payor Markets for Strive Health. She creates and implements the network strategy within each of Strive’s payor contracted markets for the Population Health vertical. In addition, she oversees and supports Strive’s provider integration teams in onboarding, engaging and supporting Strive’s valuable provider relationships. April has more than 22 years of experience in healthcare, with 10 of those specifically focused on value-based care. April aims to partner closely with providers to improve patient outcomes and decrease care fragmentation. She also focuses on meeting Strive’s Quadruple Aim: improving healthcare quality, reducing overall costs, creating new and more efficient payment models and ensuring both patient and provider satisfaction.