Medicare and other payers are developing programs to reward physicians and institutions for clinical benchmarks for patient outcomes, marking a paradigm shift from visit-based, individual patient service to collective population management. These programs are known as “pay for performance,” or “P4P,” and their clinical benchmarks vary slightly among different payer programs, but overall they are all fairly similar. With more payers embracing this approach, physicians are looking into ways to help them manage and excel in these incentivized programs.
Much of patient care occurs outside the physician’s office, including patient adherence to therapy, which obviously affects certain parameters in these P4P programs and ultimately reflects on the clinician’s performance and subsequent reimbursement. This is just one example of where a good patient relations program can help physicians and their practices excel in these P4P programs. It helps clinicians manage their patients better and improve patient outcomes and quality of life. Even simple programs — such as sending patients reminders to take their medications on time, show up for follow-up visits, or get their MRI or mammogram — can make an impact. This allows the physician to take a more proactive approach to disease management and preventive care, which is one of the main objectives of the P4P model.
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Ken is a great deal more than just the president of a medical communications company. He is something of a hybrid. He’s part marketing manager, part creative director, and part copywriter. To the chagrin of his peers—but to the delight of his clients—Ken is a consummate perfectionist. As a former creative director for a high-end consumer agency, he challenged his creative teams to go beyond the mundane to produce work with real creative impact, something he’s just as fervent about today. From producing and directing TV commercials, to launching DTC and Rx-to-OTC switches, Ken brings his clients a world of experience in OTC pharmaceuticals as well as business, lifestyle, and high-end consumer products and services. Whether huddled with clients behind a mirror in a market research center in Houston, facilitating a strategic workshop in Madrid, or developing a global campaign either in the New Jersey or California office, Ken is always fully engaged, bringing “bestness” to all areas of his hectic but full life.
