Given the changing environment of healthcare in the U.S., orthopedic surgeons are now engaging in alternative partnerships to help bolster the future success of their practice through improved patient outcomes, better access to healthcare, and lower cost of care. Below we’ve broken down two examples of these partnerships and what it takes to make each a success.
A partnership with a non-operative physicians group, such as pain management, can lead to lower costs of care if both the surgical and non-surgical physicians willingly collaborate to develop consistent patient treatment plans and to reduce the use of ineffective therapies. These relationships may also increase the volume of patient referrals, which are key to practice growth.
Partnering with a healthcare system may result in more effective, lower-cost patient care. Through collaboration, surgeons and hospitals can streamline care protocols and develop best practices and procedures, which lead to better patient outcomes. Efficient care will drive cost savings and improve physician output, which bolsters the organization’s bottom line and may lead to higher patient referral volume.
These partnerships are only successful if the two involved parties can agree on goals of the relationship and coordinate patient care plans. If well managed, partnerships can provide better patient access and promote improved outcomes through growth in referral channels as well as consistent, effective care.