Coordinating Your Health Care

Coordination of care has received much attention as we look for ways to improve health care so that patients can safely navigate the system. It’s not unusual to find patients that utilize several different health care providers for a chronic illness. For example a diabetic patient may see a primary care physician, an endocrinologist, an ophthalmologist, dentist, podiatrist, and participate in a health plan disease management program.

Coordination of care involves effective communication of your treatment plan and medical history across these various providers so that you receive care that is both timely and safe. By doing so, duplicate tests or medication can be avoided so that your care is less costly. This communication can occur via an electronic health record or by simply asking your primary doctor and all of your health care providers to send reports to each other. At your visits it is important to find out if they do indeed have these reports and can review them with you. As a patient this is your medical information and under HIPAA regulations you have the right to receive copies of this information from your health care team. Some medical practices and health plans can provide your health information to you electronically via a personal health record. This allows you to see all your pending insurance claims, lab tests, and your medical history information.

Without this flow of information there is a higher chance that the medicines you are taking may not do well when taken together or treatments you are receiving may not be the best for you. Remember to ask your doctor to review your medication list after you have been treated in an Emergency Room, discharged from the hospital, or each time there is a change to your medicine by a specialist to avoid a medication error. Also, ask your pharmacist if they have a listing of all of your current medications so that they can run a medication safety report and inform your doctor of any possible drug interactions.

Just as important as the coordination of care between your various health care providers is your knowledge and understanding of your plan of care. Stay informed of your plan of care, especially as you change facilities or receive care through a specialist. If you move from one facility to another or one doctor to another, be sure to ask that information be transferred to your new facility or doctor so that medication history and schedules can be maintained.

Coordination of care through effective communication is a vital part of a good treatment plan and one that you must take an active role in helping to ensure that all your health care professionals are involved in.


Understanding Your Health Insurance (click here to access this free online course)

(Please use the following USER ID: Consumer Password: Education2009)

This on-line self-paced course provides an introduction and overview to the world of health insurance. Topics covered include:

  • Health insurance terminology
  • A brief look into the history of health insurance and managed care
  • Understanding what contributes to the cost of health care
  • Differentiating between types of health plans
  • Understanding the role of the primary care physician
  • How to choose a primary care physician
  • How to choose a health insurance plan
  • Review of vision and pharmacy benefits
  • Introduction to case management, disease management, and wellness

Healthcare Communication Toolkit for Consumers:  Using Information to Get High Quality Care

This toolkit is designed to help consumers make informed decisions about their health care

The Toolkit contains tip sheets that can help you:

  • Make better health care decisions
  • Assume more “ownership” over your health care
  • Increase your ability to take on new behaviors to improve your health and health care

Using evidence-based health care means thinking about your health and health care in new ways. This can lead to confusion, uncertainty, and misconceptions. Because of this, communicating about health care isn’t easy. The Toolkit materials can give you a head start with your communications.

The Toolkit materials cover three areas (click on any of the bulleted topics to access the tip sheet)


Topic Area 1

Understanding the basics of health care quality and the importance of evidence-based information
(3 documents)

Topic Area 2

Tips for getting good quality care before, during, and after a health care appointment care
(4 documents)

Topic Area 3

Help in using the internet to find health information you can trust
(1 document)

 

Created by Matrix Group International, Inc