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Greetings!
This week while browsing the Web, we came across an article entitled " On-Site Clinics Resurface as Latest Healthcare Trend." For the many employers and vendors who have been involved in on-site clinic services now for years, the view that on-site clinics are a "trend" may seem naive. On-site services are not a passing fancy, nor a trend that peaks and wanes over a few short years. QuadMed started their on-site services for employees and their families almost 20 years ago, and the successes go on. But, not without a great deal of hard work, analysis, and constant changing with the times.
We hope this newsletter and our Web site keep you apprised of those changes, what others are doing, and tips on benefit design initiatives that work in improving utilization, cost-effectiveness, and employee long-term health. We're convinced on-site clinics are not a trend; they're here to stay for a long time. |
| Center for Value-Based Design Releases First Annual Survey on Program Design | |
The Center for Value-Based Design (VBD) is a growing organization of employers committed to figuring out (and sharing) what works in benefits design to create programs that actually improve employee medical and corporate financial health simultaneously, without breaking the bank. A win-win situation if I ever heard of one. While the Center has produced a ton of information over the past couple of years, this survey is its premier effort to really quantify the activities of employers who are using VBD plans.
To see the entire survey (it's worth it), go to http://www.vbhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/CHVI-BUCK-VBD-2009-FINAL-Report1.pdf. The survey included about 100 respondents from companies ranging in size from less than 500 employees to more than 10,000. One powerful finding was that of those employers who had VBD programs in place, 79% made no changes to their benefit offerings in 2009 and 56% don't anticipate any changes in 2010. This in the face of double-digit inflation in healthcare premiums and a huge economic downturn overall, in and of itself, is meaningful.
Creating an on-site clinic isn't just about bricks and mortar, convenience, and pharmacy services on premises. It is inherently also about how the benefit program is designed, to encourage more, not less, utilization; to support the efforts of employees and their dependents to lead healthier lifestyles; and to create care management teams and processes that don't just save costs but improve outcomes. A value-based design program is a key component of the on-site clinic. |
| Use of Nurse Practitioners in On-Site Clinics | | |
Those who are considering an on-site clinic have a long list of questions to be answered during the planning phase. One of those is whether to use a nurse practitioner instead of a physician. Here's what Ernie Clevenger of CareHere had to say about this in an interview with Medical News:
"I'm very keen on nurse practitioners. They are 60 percent of the cost of a doctor, and because of nursing school, they have more a holistic view of care. They are less likely to prescribe a med on the first visit. They're chattier, and they will engage the patient generally better than an MD." Clevenger also made it clear, however, that for more complex issues, a physician is absolutely necessary.
This really boils down to what services you want to provide in your on-site clinic: basic preventive and urgent care, or a comprehensive medical home model. And, even if you are aiming for the latter, nurse practitioners can be a cost-effective way to supplement your physician staff for the routine services. |
| For more on-site clinic news, visit our Web site at www.onsiteclinics.org . | |
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ON-SITE CLINIC NEWSLETTER