Laura O’Brien, RN has delivered disease management programs for McKesson for five years and has seen firsthand how improvements in technology can assist in delivering better health outcomes for patients. “My role as a care manager is to support primary care physicians by directing patients to their doctors for care, reinforcing with the patient their doctor’s instructions and counseling patients on issues that require greater support, such as weight loss and smoking cessation,” says O’Brien. “By focusing on strengthening that relationship between the doctor and patient, our care management programs are able to help reduce unnecessary emergency room visits and hospital readmissions, and improve medication adherence and self-management of a patient’s chronic conditions.”
Workflow technology is further enhanced when combined with clinical content and technology that allows providers to immediately request authorization and medical review for procedures they deem necessary. Decision support software tells providers instantly – at the point of care – if a procedure is medically appropriate and covered by an insurer. Meanwhile, evidence-based clinical content, called InterQual® Coordinated Care Content, enables accurate medical reviews and supports complex care planning for seriously ill patients.
To further enhance medical team communication, once procedures are authorized, the McKesson VITAL Platform automatically generates letters that are mailed directly to the patient and their primary care physician, ensuring no one is left out of the loop.
McKesson care management products and services currently help care managers nationwide coordinate care for millions of people. “Thanks to this technology, we get a 360 degree picture of a patient’s health and are better able to support physicians in delivering better care, which ultimately leads to healthier people,” says O’Brien.
About McKesson
McKesson Corporation, currently ranked 14th on the FORTUNE 500, is a healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to making the business of healthcare run better. We partner with payers, hospitals, physician offices, pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies and others across the spectrum of care to build healthier organizations that deliver better care to patients in every setting. McKesson helps its customers improve their financial, operational, and clinical performance with solutions that include pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management, healthcare information technology, and business and clinical services. For more information, visit http://www.mckesson.com.
