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consumer-health

Welcome! Thanks so much for supporting our efforts through a paid membership. Membership at this level allows you access to our Education & Tools page! Not finding something specific to your needs, Ask us!

There’s a lot of information here, and it’s best to view it like you would “binge watch” a series. Take pieces of information throughout this level of membership, and treat is as an “episode” within the series. Research the links provided, keep a notebook, and take notes as a student would taking a class. This is a great way to discover what is important to as you learn to develop a care plan that speaks to YOUR priorities or those of a loved one.

We can create custom educational tools, upon your request, to develop further information related to any item listed within this level of membership or through our blogs. 

We get it! Wellness is personal, a combination of genetics, life choices, and disparities within societal classifications.  Across the nation, CMS is launching a National Quality Strategy along with Meaningful Measures 2.0 focused on helping people and care providers to undertake an ambitious long-term initiative that aims to promote the highest quality outcomes and safest care. Follow our blogs and social media as this effort unfolds and has the potential to change access to care and care delivery, based off of data transmission. 

Health/Wellness disparities are preventable differences, in the burden of disease, injury, violence, or opportunities to achieve optimal health that are experienced by socially disadvantaged populations. How we collectively work together to overcome barriers, and educate youth and families is one of the largest challenges of our time.

Despite significant progress in research, practice, and policy, disparities in youth health risk behaviors persist. Health disparities are driven by underlying social and economic inequities that are rooted in racism. Addressing disparities is important not only from a social justice standpoint but for improving our nation’s overall health and economic prosperity.

We can prevent disparities by designating specific leaders for disparity reduction, yes, more than one!

This is accomplished when we:

-Identify and recognize equity champions

-Recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population you serve

-Tie compensation to quality goals that include disparity reduction

Social justice is defined as a distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society.

How we achieve justice includes; equity, access, participation, and rights.

Wrongful actions against individuals within society create social injustices. Homophobia, ageism, and discrimination are three common social injustice examples.

With the shift towards technology, and the use of telehealth (stats related to key points in telehealth use) show inequalities across different population subgroups.

Not only are there concerns about equitable access to telehealth services across populations,  but the top concerns relate to factors that impact patients and include, video telehealth capabilities, disparities in technology and devise ownership, lack of broadband access, digital literacy, limited English proficiency, and social isolation.

Gathering information to share is key to addressing specific issues in communities who are engaged in quality as well as social justice for everyone.

We recognize the value of your feedback as we further develop innovative approaches through various methodologies using both human intelligence and SMART (Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology) devices. Due to the amounts and types of data that can now be gathered, lets try and break how some of these data elements will be used.

SMART  technology, is where code is written and programmed by human forces. It uses artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and big data analysis, to provide cognitive awareness to objects that were in the past considered inanimate (nonliving).

As technology further develops, new ways will emerge in monitoring various tasks and elements.

Data analysis is key to gathering consumer behavior. Just as you may monitor your steps to align with fitness goals, healthcare providers monitor outcomes from the patient chart.

Some of the patient chart data is then submitted electronically to CMS to measure outcomes, performance measures and other metrics. This “Cascade of Meaningful Measures Framework” aligns your specific health and wellness information, participation, and responsibilities to the CMS objectives, and goals based on research. 

Patient data outcomes are then linked to reimbursement, and correlated with facilities and to providers who deliver care through several modalities or treatment options.

With Telehealth and Telemedicine now a reality, body part  and/or “terms” are commonly extended to characterize the “anatomy” of inanimate objects.

The futuristic state has new treatment paradigms. The ordinary consumer will be expected to both understand and fully engage in conversations, be held accountable and responsible to understand care delivery and expectations. 

Diversity, equity and inclusion is included in this new shift. Our site includes a Google translate feature to help you understand in your native language the care conversation. 

Some states, in response to the pandemic, look to adjust and expand targeted services in key areas such as Medicaid populations, service and payment rates, technologies to deliver telehealth and telemedicine, and broadening provider types that can deliver services.

As these changes occur, a new patient experience metric will emerge. Multiple hospital systems are working towards “humanizing the brand experience.” This strategy is already underway, and tasks facilities and organizations to look at ways that foster awareness in new business partnerships.

In a recent collaborative conversation (2021) mention was made that the “average consumer isn’t generally informed enough to be a part of the conversation.”

  • Just as you may manage your retirement funds, and make choices in where you invest your hard-earned dollars, can you manage healthcare decisions using the same type of framework? 
  • Are you responsible for family members (children, parents, relatives, friends) and guiding their steps towards accountability?
  • We can create a decision tree, based off of your specific patient information, of questions to ask, and options in voicing your goals and objectives within the care plan. 

It’s important to understand what is underway, as there is much at stake to consider. The CMS National Quality Strategy looks at quality measurement, public reporting, value-based payment programs and models; establishing and enforcing health and safety standards; and providing quality improvement in technical assistance.

Who are you having conversations with to learn more?

When you look at all the ways that wellness and care are delivered it can be overwhelming.  We say, “it’s like trying to drink water from a firehouse while being asked to not spill a drop,” it’s impossible to do!

We are here to help you get started.  Our initial methodology, before developing a decision tree is:

  1. Pick something important to you (example: heart health)
  2. Use our resources below to find “best practice” information and get a glimpse of guidance you might contemplate
  3. Consider other alternatives that align with your lifestyle (food and nutrition)
  4. Ask lots of questions! Ask Us! We provide links and Blogs that speak to national concerns and high priorities that organizations and people are looking to improve.
  5. Stay focused solely on your initial question or inquiry. Complex information and data collection can lead you to a plethora of information. As you scroll below, we have built in a “Tell Me About You!” inquiry form, with dropdowns for you to select specifics you want more information on. (We update on a quarterly basis and add new topics based on consumer demand)

Once you identify priorities you want to learn more about, we are here to guide you to the “how’s and why’s”  of what is underway that you might not realize.

Is there an area within health or wellness, you want to better understand or participate in?

Patients and Families can identify opportunities, develop solutions, and inspire action once they learn how to improve the quality, safety, and value of the care they receive. The CMS Quality Improvement Organization has dedicated a section to better understand the responsibility and accountability as well as the next steps to help you become more confident in making healthcare decisions.

This membership level is where we share our latest findings, concepts, insights, and recent work. Your membership with us is specifically focused on “Wellness YOUR Way!”

We will speak to both barriers and constraints as well as successful approach’s towards Intentional Living. Discover, as a member, a new learning process to gain in-depth knowledge necessary to finding your voice as a patient, or being the voice for someone you care for.

Social media and our blog posts are focused on innovation and the most recent happenings.

For us, intentional living is ANY lifestyle based off of an individual or group’s values or belief system. Each human is made up of a body, mind, and spirit connection. Many humans have the ability to change and adapt if they are willing to adjust their plans in response to shifting enviornmental changes.

We use a R.E.A.L. concept, with Respect, Equity, Awareness, and Learning at the foundation of decision making. Our intention is in providing information only, to educate you as to what is not often discussed on the local news stations, so you can decide what, how, and why to develop your next steps.

Our Blog page will address concepts that are within a process the government is considering, and/or asking for your feedback on. We speak to innovative methods from a hypothetical approach to get you thinking about care delivery.  Many of our links guide you to a government site, to demonstrate actual conversations, or practices underway or that you can develop.  Becasue we use government sites, each membership level mentions the following:

Note: Works of the U.S. Government are in the public domain, and you don’t need permission to reuse them, but an attribution to the agency as the source is appreciated. Your materials, however, shouldn’t give the false impression that the government’s endorsing your commercial products or services. See 42 U.S.C 1320b-10.

Our intention, at Purposeful Concepts LLC., is to organize the resources and tools into a “one stop shop” of online materials and assets without bias. The pandemic placed a fast-forward on technology implications that were already underway. As healthcare changes, options for you to become engaged will be necessary.

Our links to healthcare and wellness look at government mandates and regulatory measures, wellness from environmental and social factors, and how concepts of care will be addressed moving forward. Our model will continuously evolve to meet this changing environment. Be prepared to “sit at the table” and become a voice for yourself and others.

Have you thought about what type of care is available, or how you want access to care?

Care models will continue to change. Just as we saw during the pandemic, with the use of the local pharmacy for testing and vaccinations, hospitals will reimagine care delivery.  Care has been moving from outside of hospital walls that once were the standard. These new facilities may have different guidelines and protocols. Insurance coverage may shift as to where care costs are covered within care delivery. It’s important to think of questions that impact you and your loved ones.

Often, we aren’t sure of a possible solution, or situation, as we aren’t aware of the questions we need to consider. There is a term for this, “you don’t know, what you don’t know, therefore consider all of the steps within treatment to assure what questions YOU need to ask.” In healthcare we use a term, “continuum of care” but what does that mean to the average individual from a body, mind, and soul point of view? Your beliefs and lifestyle require a “person-centered” approach.

We look at innovative concepts, especially as it relates to what healthcare providers are being tasked with in the future. Your experience, or what and how a process can be improved, aligns with what is called the “patient voice,” and the CMS strategy!  

When we speak to the complexity of a human being, often how we care for ourselves, is closely related to what we know. This understanding comes from several “data values” CMS has collected for years.  These “spaces” called “fields” within electronic patient records are completed during the registration process of the provider or facility you receive care at. Have you researched Health Information Policy? 

When we speak to national priorities to improve health and wellness, data determines what social indicator might be the cause. Once enough data is collected, a “roadmap” is created for states and communities. A Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) is updated ( (501) ( r ) (3) (A) ) every three years where people can look at what the current situation is. Having this information is important for communities and families so they can better advocate positive change.

More importantly, is the ability to really look at who and how data is collected along with the number of participants responding to the collected information and comparing it to the actual census data for your community.

Learn the difference between quantitative data (gets you the numbers to prove the broad general points of research) and qualitative data (meaningful data that brings you the details and the depth to understand the full implications) of the research topic at hand.

Interested in a deeper understanding?  View the Community-based Care Transitions Program (CCTP), another section of the Affordable Care Act and see what the goals are. With the overabundance of information on the web; how can the average consumer understand which is the best site? The Affordable Care Act (ACA), enacted in 2010, dramatically changed the U.S. health care landscape. CMS.gov, https://www.cms.gov/  a federal government website managed and paid for by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is tasked with keeping the country informed. They have tabs at the top of the site that speak to consumer topics. One tab, Outreach and Education outlines sections with links that make it easy to: learn, become a partner, reach out (if you help others), look up topics (compare coverage on the Health Insurance Marketplace), find a provider, as well as additional topics and the latest news.

As a consumer of healthcare services, or if you have been working in a healthcare facility over the past 15 years, you are well aware of how advances in technology have greatly changed access to care, medications, medical services, education, and new devices in care management.

With new technology comes new responsibilities and accountabilities from the consumer perspective. The new Health Outcomes Survey (HOS) is a great example of how patient-reported outcomes measures (PROMs) are used in Medicare managed care. The goal of Medicare HOS is to gather valid, reliable, and clinically meaningful health status data from the Medicare Advantage (MA) program to use in quality improvement activities, pay for performance, program oversight, public reporting, and to improve health. All managed care organizations with Medicare contracts must participate.

Surveys, such as the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers & Systems (CAHPS) are mandated and include several pathways and perspectives of care. Patient Experience is NOT the same as satisfaction. The “family” of CAHPS Surveys look at key aspects of care, whether or how often, they experienced critical aspects of health care. Questions relate to communication from nursing, doctors, understanding medication instructions, and coordination of their healthcare needs. Understanding of medication is extremely important, we have resources that were created to help increase awareness and ask questions. Use our “Tell Me About You” section below to learn more.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is the lead federal agency charged with improving the safety and quality of America’s health care system. AHRQ develops the knowledge, tools, and data needed to improve the healthcare system and help Americans, health care professionals, and policymakers make informed health decisions. AHRQ has a Leadership Video Series that speaks to:

The nicely organized AHRQ News Now, listed by calendar order with most recent on top, transparently covers a variety of topics.  One directly related to the pandemic, as we were thrust into Telemedicine with Covid-19, is a part of AHRQ’s National Advisory Council which provides advice and recommendations.

Information is listed in chronological order and “tell the story” of how data can be used to report, educate, and determine new research and program activities.

Keep in mind,  as you navigate this page, ask us to speak to other areas. Wellness comes from multiple environmental and social factors too.

Use your voice, related to concepts and innovation you have seen, to share with others what you have learned through our posts,  Blogs and “like us” on social media.

 

 

 

 

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tech-graphic

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) a federal government website, managed and paid for by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, is a part of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

CMS administers the nation’s major healthcare programs including Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP. It collects and analyzes data, produces research reports, and works to eliminate instances of fraud and abuse within the Healthcare system. See what Medicaid and CHIP are called in your state.

Whenever you receive services you might get a call from a survey company that is reporting results to the government on behalf of the facility or provider you visited on a specific day or point in time. The Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers & Systems (CAHPS), were first launched by AHRQ in October of 1995. This addition was in response to concerns about the lack of good information about the quality of health plans from the enrollees’ perspective.

There are multiple CAHPS surveys. Poor survey results could result in facilities forfeiting reimbursements. Terms that are important to understand include:

Let’s look at an example:

If you are a caregiver (family or friend) for a loved one, and dealing with “end of life” there is a survey designed especially for you, a CAHPS Hospice Survey.  This national survey of family members or friends who cared for a patient who died while under hospice care is conducted monthly.

The 47-question survey covers topic of interest and is published as a part of  Care Compare on the Medicare website. When developing your patient voice, this site can be a good tool for you to use. Look at the table that speaks to the eight measures. On the left side is the “Measure Name” header, and on the right side under the “Questions from the Survey” header you will notice bulleted items that address the types of care that we at Purposeful Concepts references as Body, Mind, and Soul which encompasses the “whole person” not just a body part, chart or room number, or case description. The respect one has for a human life must reach beyond just meeting the basic needs. Each of the bullets speaks to a task or “workflow” involved in the care and communication received. When reviewing the caregiver experience, your perception of care is what is collected and reported and is typically handled through a third-party vendor. You will notice under the table there is mention of “Participation Requirements for Hospices” which is important to realize in ALL CAHPS surveys. Responses are aligned with reimbursement or the annual payment update (APU) which addresses if full payment from Medicare will be received.

For those not familiar with healthcare terms or want to better understand we can help.

Often language and terms that are used in healthcare can be a barrier to understanding what the next steps look like. When patients and families are asked, do you have any questions, a common response is “no.” Barriers arise outside the clinical setting or during a Telehealth visit that relate to the process or treatment that needs to be navigated. CMS provides an extensive glossary of over 1000 terms.  When you look to the right side on the page, you will see a link for Acronyms that you can select which provides over 4400 terms. Please reach out if you experience difficulty in understanding the CMS language within federal government benefits, services, or want to send feedback.

Speak-Up, your voice is important moving forward.

How do you know?

  • How do you know if you- are getting the care you deserve?
  • How are you accountable to improve one area of your life?
  • How do you discuss prevention of negative health outcomes in a meaningful way with a loved one?
  • How can you limit risk?

These topics are key to understanding the importance of YOUR voice in care! 

CMS is committed to supporting clinicians and other provider as they look at the data collected.

Moving forward, electronic health records will be configured to send and receive more and more information. This information is designed with improvement in mind and you can “opt in” specific measures mentioned below.

CMS.gov sites are constantly updated to reflect resources and tools for all stakeholders and provides data on multiple years of comparison related to quality of care.

Here’s a few service lines you might be interested in:

Need to understand technology and strategy? Here’s how:

Let’s think about hospitals now and those tasked with Personal development – Life Coaching – Self-transformation

Did you know over seventy-five percent of the hospitals are recognized as charitable organizations? Hospitals must submit IRS Form 990 Schedule H annually to demonstrate their community benefit expenditures and maintain their 501c3 designations.

A community health assessment (sometimes called a CHA), also known as a community health needs assessment (CHNA), refers to a state, tribal, local, or territorial health assessment that identifies key health needs and issues through systematic, comprehensive data collection and analysis.

The CHNA is a systematic process, involving the community to identify and analyze community health needs. The process provides a way for community organizations to partner and prioritize health needs, They then prioritize, plan, and act upon the unmet needs within specific communities. Learn more about the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

CMS is transparent in their reporting and allows users to navigate outcomes data. Keep in mind, some data has a “lag” or “look back” and may not reflect new process improvement measures that are underway. We’ll explain this is further detail through our blog page.

Two newer services CMS now offers are related to costs and suppliers.

Costs for visits to providers when planning an outpatient procedure are easily navigated through CMS tools. Datasets extracted from these metrics allow you to compare, across specialties and zip codes, minimum, maximum, and mode pricing of Medicare-certified suppliers nationwide. Datasets are available for office visits related to 80 physician types including Cardiac Surgery, Pain Management, Pulmonary Disease, Radiation Oncology, Geriatric Medicine, Dermatology, and Endocrinology to name a few types and are found by zip code for new and established patients.

Physician Office Visit Costs

A Supplier Directory can be found here too

Are you looking for Chronic Illness Resources? This is an area we would like for you to suggest other additions. We’re starting with allergies:

Allergy-Asthma-Immunology – The Virtual Allergist tool visit
Manage your health and view the pollen count in your area 

Look at how Outcome Measures are categorized in other areas.

The National Quality Forum is known for Driving measurable health improvements together to address the care that is needed for people and communities.

The National Quality Forum (NQF) works with members of the healthcare community to drive measurable health improvements together. NQF is a not-for-profit, membership-based organization that gives all healthcare stakeholders a voice in advancing quality measures and improvement strategies that lead to better outcomes and greater value

You can find materials and information transparently for those with access to the internet. Some top areas where consumers/caregivers can learn more and/or get involved can be found on their site. They are non-biased and state the facts not opinions.

Here is just one example that may be of interest, what others would you like to see if they are underway?

Maternal Morbidity and Mortality:  When we speak to environmental factors that contribute to the biology of a person, we learn from this site that severe maternal morbidity affects more than 60,000 women annually across the United States with rising trends over the last two decades.

Educational materials, past meeting agendas, transcripts, and reports are available too.

Note: Works of the U.S. Government are in the public domain and you don’t need permission to reuse them, but an attribution to the agency as the source is appreciated. Your materials, however, shouldn’t give the false impression that the government’s endorsing your commercial products or services. See 42 U.S.C 1320b-10.

Tell ME About YOU!

Now let’s look at some concepts that align with Wellness Your Way and our Body, Mind and Soul core mission:

life

Body

Visualization is quite simple. Sit in a comfortable position, close your eyes and imagine in as vivid detail as possible, what you would be looking at if the dream you have were already realized. As we move towards SMART technology and the complexity of data and its systems this area aligns with identification of inefficiencies and proposes new approaches in visual communication. To start thinking visually, consider the nature and purpose of your visualization and where it aligns to your goals or what you are being asked to do from a healthcare or wellness perspective. This exercise is important to better understand the role you play in the “patient and family centered care” methodology and future plans within healthcare and delivery systems.

Here’s some concept examples:

  • Is the information conceptual (ideas that simplify)
    • Am I declaring something? Qualitative
  • Is the information data-driven (statistics to inform or enlighten)
    • AM I exploring something? Quantitative

When we are caring for our bodies, the historical model uses clinical healthcare services. Think of what you typically encounter through health insurance coverage. A multitude of care options are aligned with “regulatory measures” that encompass metrics around quality, safety, and patient experience (or satisfaction).

This area is where consumers will be called to “sit at the table” and share their thoughts in a concise and professional manner.

We will be walking you through the specifics as they emerge in 2022 and beyond. Did you know there is a public comment period on policy before it takes effect?

Ask us if you need help! We will draft sample responses options to help you gather your thoughts for submission. Be the VOICE in what Patient and Family Centered Care can become and review some free resources.

mindfullness

Soul and Mindfulness

The world we currently live in can be streesful. Learning to reduce stress through mindfulness helps in salf-care. Did you know there are over 19 million U.S. citizens who are a veteran? The Veterans Affairs site is an amazing resource to educate, and understand practices that align in improving overall well-being.  Their mention of “Whole Health” walks the user through a multitude of resources. and they are well versed in providing care tips.

AARP has advice for those who prefer Natural Stress Remedies. From learning how to “power-down” when uncertainty of the future invades your peace, staying active, along with taking in nature and the outdoors, simple steps help us stay focused. 

When we take time to pause and reflect on all that nature offers, we learn to reconnect in the here and now. Before the advance in technology people embaced what most people fail to see in our modern world.  Things were much simpler throughout history when humanity relied on the moon cycles to guide them with farming, planning, creating, traveling, and so much more. For example, the Old Farmer’s Almanac is a more modern version of how ancient cultures lived and celebrated. If we look further back over the last 2000 years, we can find patterns that help us realize and identify where we came from and/or who we want to be. I am sure you have heard the warning during a full moon that people may “act erratically” since they are not aware their emotions are taking the driver’s seat. Some say the energy around the full illumination of the moon brings forth things that have been hiding in the shadows. Learning to work on our “inner self” can be the most important work we ever do. A modern saying that relates to the optimum goal is to find, “the best version of ourselves.”

Although we continue to evolve, there is an energy within ALL of nature. How and what we align with or tune-in to, is part of the free will we embrace. Throughout the various approaches one could say there is a golden thread that weaves everything together within the journey for each individual soul. As we advance through life, contemplation helps us find a place to begin on a new path. Typically introduced in our formative years, through the circle of support we find ourselves within, what we learn as a child (negative or positive) can disappear as we grow and discover new methods to embrace.

Likewise, where we found comfort as a child can be vastly different as a young adult, a parent, a caregiver, retiree, or senior citizen. The good news is, we can develop new skills, open our mind to new thought processes to consider, and change direction to reach an optimum state of being and consciousness.  But will we? … That’s up to you, will you look at ways we can work collaboratively; come to a discussion table and “agree to disagree” with a gentle approach and kindness?

We challenge you to be the change in these challenging times.

“Emotion is nothing more than energy in motion” when we are inspired to take courageous action our emotions can guide us to do so without hesitation. When we learn how to release negative, self-destructing behaviors, we can attract those that align with our true vibration or our highest good that leads us towards meeting our new goals. Goals that meet the highest good for humanity as a “whole” are what Purposeful Concepts LLC propose we work towards.