Top 10 Lessons Learned from “Mature” Co-management Arrangements

1. The improvement in the operations of a co-managed surgical service line, such as orthopedics, had a huge impact on the operations of the OR overall.
2. During the first years of the arrangement, performance standards, targets, tasks, and metrics were often adjusted to match those used by accrediting bodies and CMS.
3. Most organizations commissioned independent opinions on the fair market value of the payments outlined in the agreement.
4. Co-management arrangements are more sustainable when they are focused on service lines where the opportunities for quality improvement and/or cost reduction are the greatest.
5. In the early agreements, the hours covered in the agreement were typically for physician involvement only.
6. Many physicians confused co-management with gain-sharing and were surprised to learn that the hospital savings are not shared with physicians.
7. Throughout the 2000’s, CEOs reported that they spent as much as 50 percent of their time on physician problem resolution.
8. The success or failure of co-management arrangements in some hospitals confirmed that the culture of clinical integration starts at the top.
9. Hospitals with a healthy compliance culture seemed more successful with co-management arrangements
10. As the payers continue to seek greater value, more extensive clinical metrics have been imposed upon healthcare entities, and the pressure to reduce costs is escalating.

Notes: Read the full article at: http://www.thecamdengroup.com/blog/2011/10/top-10-lessons-learned-from-mature-co-management-arrangements/