MedeAnalytics’ Clinical Performance Manager (CPM) solution brings the power of Performance Management to the clinical realm. Most hospitals choose from one or more basic “applications” of Clinical Performance Manager, including:

• Clinical Operational Management and Effectiveness – Increase profitability of individual service lines and the organization as a whole.
• Physician / Provider Performance Management – Reduce utilization and costs, and improve coding accuracy and completeness to increase reimbursement.
• Organizational Quality and Compliance Management – Improve clinical quality and patient safety.

Hospitals face two primary barriers to realizing the potential of clinical Performance Management. First, many clinical leaders are unfamiliar with or are uncomfortable using performance management technology, and with the change management, organizational and communication strategies required to succeed. Second, many hospitals have not clearly defined realistic objectives and performance expectations for clinical performance management.

Clinical FastStart™is a structured approach to the early use of Clinical Performance Manager that overcomes these barriers, ensures a smooth and rapid beginning to clinical improvement efforts, and leads to long term success. Clinical FastStart includes four sequential elements or steps, as illustrated in the diagram below.

The Clinical FastStart™ Approach

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Step One: Objectives
The first step is to clarify the organization’s objectives for clinical performance management. A MedeAnalytics Clinical Executive holds an initial planning call with the Champion of the clinical strategy (usually the Chief Medical Offer) to identify key Stakeholders with a direct interest in the clinical strategy, and explain how Clinical FastStart works. Stakeholders will vary by organization, and will also depend somewhat on the initial areas of focus. They may include the Chief Medical Officer, Chief Medical Information Officer, Chief Nursing Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Information Officer, the heads of Risk Management, Quality/Safety, Health Information Management, and others. An academic medical center may also include clinical Department and Program Chairs.

Next, meetings are scheduled with the Stakeholders over a one or two-day period. The MedeAnalytics Clinical Executive and a Clinical Analyst (the MedeAnalytics team) meet first with the Clinical Champion, for an interactive “white-boarding” session to review the organization’s current clinical strategy and identify any challenges or gaps in its execution. Objectives are identified for the use of clinical performance management to address the challenges and close the gaps. Shorter meetings are held with individual Stakeholders, to identify their personal or departmental objectives, and provide education about results achieved by other organizations.

Following the individual meetings, the MedeAnalytics team summarizes the various objectives mentioned by the Stakeholders, prioritizes the objectives based on magnitude of potential benefit, measurability, match with the clinical strategy and the ability of clinical performance management to impact results. A summary document is produced and distributed to the Stakeholders.

The following day the MedeAnalytics team facilitates a meeting with all of the Stakeholders in which the results of the individual meetings and subsequent prioritization are reviewed, and the Stakeholders discuss and agree on a “short list” of key objectives for the first six to twelve months of the clinical performance management effort.

Step Two: Targets
The second step of Clinical FastStart™ is to establish quantitative targets for each of the major objectives and put in place a system for measuring actual results against targets.  The MedeAnalytics Team works with the Clinical Champion to define Key Performance Indicators (KPI), or metrics for each of the objectives, and establishes baseline data definitions and sources for each KPI.  Targets are established for each KPI based on historical client performance, industry standards, MedeAnalytics’ proprietary databases, and published best practices.

MedeAnalytics works with the Clinical Champion and their organization’s financial staff to develop a return-on-investment (ROI) model using baseline and target KPI values, and helps design a tracking system for each of the key objectives, including reporting structure and process, individual roles and responsibilities, and decision-making processes.

Step Three:  Customization
The MedeAnalytics Team considers the previously established objectives, baselines and targets in designing a custom configuration for Clinical Performance Manager, including alerts, favorites, dashboards, scorecards, views, reports, collaboration processes, predictive models and other elements that most effectively support client Business strategies, operations and processes.

They also work with the Clinical Champion to design strategies to engage and motivate clinicians and encourage them to change their behavior.  These strategies may include training, coaching, financial and other incentives, recognition, penalties, committee membership, mentoring, etc.

The first three steps of Clinical FastStart are all completed within a month.  They give the Clinical Champion and their client organization a well-defined Roadmap for success in clinical performance management.  The final step is individual coaching through the first 90 days after the initial site build, to ensure that the Champion and other clinical leaders can use clinical performance management strategies and tools.

Step Four: Coaching
Coaching typically includes weekly or bi-weekly telephone coaching sessions for the Clinical Champion and/or other leaders of the clinical strategy, and on-site assistance with preparation for and facilitation of monthly committee meetings.  MedeAnalytics finds that this produces good results, but is flexible in defining other coaching mechanisms if desired.

MedeAnalytics can provide additional assistance once Clinical FastStart is complete, including more focused assistance with large-scale clinical improvement initiatives, as described below:

• Clinical Performance Assessment – Begin your improvement journey with a clear vision of current clinical performance.  We analyze your data to identify major opportunities for improvement,  present and discuss these opportunities with clinical leaders and quantify the potential improvements in clinical quality and financial results.
• Clinical Performance Roadmap – Continue your journey with detailed work plans to capture the opportunities identified in the Assessment.  Identify which individuals will play key roles in driving clinical performance management initiatives, develop resource estimates, define policies and procedures, assist in the development of a communication strategy.
• Clinical Performance Transformation – Reach your destination with our expert assistance to change culture and processes, and ensure measureable and sustainable results. Performance Transformation includes on-site, dedicated coaching, facilitation, training, performance measurement and analysis: whatever it takes to make the changes required for industry-leading performance. We take joint responsibility for realizing your objectives.

The diagram below illustrates the full range of clinical consulting services provided by MedeAnalytics.

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