By James Nataro, MD, PhD, MBA, FAAP
I am excited to share the latest news about the Clinically Integrated Network, a partnership between the UVA Health System and the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk. Learn more about how the network can best serve you below.
What is a Clinically Integrated Network (CIN)?
A CIN is a mechanism created by Congress that permits coordinated activity between unaffiliated clinical providers. In order to qualify as a CIN, the entity needs to achieve better clinical care at a lower cost. In order to achieve these ends, the CIN needs to improve communication among providers, coordinate care for patients, reduce variation around best practices, and reduce waste. For the patients, this results in better care all around. For the payers, it is more streamlined and cost effective care. For the providers, it is reduced frustration and inefficiency, better communication, better outcomes, and more satisfied families. Everybody wins!
What improvements will I see?
The network will elevate our level of service in a number of ways, including (but not limited to):
- The IT platform (which will integrate with EPIC) will notify the practitioner if the patient is in need of vaccinations, follow-up for disorders, lab screenings, a referral to a sub-specialist, etc.
- The software can be programmed to help the pediatrician achieve health metrics that are applied by an external entity, such as a health insurance provider.
- The IT platform will provide reports that identify patients who are missing an important element of their care.
- The pediatrician will be able to see how they are doing personally in achieving desired health outcomes for their patient panel.
- The platform will trigger an alert when a patient is admitted to the hospital or visits the emergency department and can be configured to address drivers of health care consumption. Other communication elements for the provider will follow over time, including visibility of medical records across the continuum.
How can the new data help me?
The data captured by the network software can be used to identify opportunities to provide better care at lower cost. For example, the CIN will work to keep patients out of the hospital and out of the emergency department. Anticipatory and preventive efforts in the primary care setting will be focused on preventing rather than treating childhood illness.
Another benefit of the network will be improved communication among care providers. For example, physicians representing different practices will find communication easier if they each belong to the network. Private practices will have an easier time communicating with UVA.
How long did it take to make this happen?
This project has been in development for three years.
When will I see change happening?
The CIN is now active. We expect the Cerner IT platform to be operational by July 2019.
Will the network facilitate research in an office setting?
The provider contract will include a provision to permit the capture and sharing of patient and population data for quality improvement purposes. We expect that the network will be a platform for research among outpatients and across the inpatient/outpatient/community continuum.
Who is leading the effort?
The network is a joint venture between the UVA Health System and the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters. The operations of the network will be overseen by a Board of Managers. The majority of the board are pediatricians from each institution and representatives from non-affiliated practices.
Who is paying for this project?
The joint venture is being established by equal contributions from UVA and CHKD. After the initial investment, we anticipate that the payers will share health care savings with the network to support ongoing operations.
Where can I learn more?
I am excited for the new developments that will come and will continue to share information as the network progresses. I am the co-chair of the board of managers, so please feel free to reach out to me.
Filed Under: Features