How Can Patient-Centered Care Improve Outcomes And Drive Value For Employers?

This shift means an individual not only receives personalized support, but improved health recommendations that may lead to better health outcomes, offset potential health risks, and help lower costs for both employers and employees.

Understanding Patient-Centered Care

In a value-based or patient-centered care model, an individual’s specific health needs are the driving force behind their care provider’s decisions. Patients work together in partnership with their doctor, collaborating on treatment plans that not only benefit them from a clinical perspective, but also from an emotional, mental, social, and financial point of view.

Value-based care models mean doctors are paid for the overall value and outcomes they provide their patients, rather than for the number of patients they see each day. This can take the form of several different contract types, from accountable care organizations to bundled payments to pay-for-performance models.

Insurers who understand the long-term benefits of patient-centered care have started to invest in strategies and well-being initiatives to support and improve an individual’s healthcare journey. For example, Empire offers the Well-being Coach program to help employees with weight management, tobacco cessation, increasing physical activity, managing stress, getting more sleep, and improving nutrition — using personalized and tailored one-on-one coaching to encourage healthier habits.

Empire is also leveraging advocacy-focused care models to support chronic condition management and help individuals navigate serious illnesses. Through the Cancer Care Navigator program, high-risk cancer patients receive personalized care recommendations and comprehensive support to not only help them through an extremely difficult time, but also assist them in making the most of their healthcare benefits.

The Benefits Of A Patient-Centered Model

Choosing value-based care and patient-centered models over a fee-for-service arrangement can increase accountability on the part of doctors, hospitals, and health systems. Care providers may see improved patient satisfaction, better health outcomes, and higher staff productivity.

Holistic support can also build employees’ confidence in their healthcare and encourage trust in a doctor’s recommendations. It shifts their perspective to feeling cared about on a personal level and is more respectful of their needs, values, and personal preferences. This can prompt employees to take greater accountability for their own well-being, which in turn may drive better health outcomes and even boost workplace productivity.

Your employees are the heart of your business, and providing them with comprehensive health and wellness support is a significant step toward not only appreciating their value, but helping improve their long-term health. It’s an investment that can improve employee satisfaction, offset potential health concerns, and help reduce costs of care for both you and them. When care providers are paid for delivering efficient, evidence-based care, everyone wins.