ETSU Family Medicine Expert Interview

Expert Interview

Introduction

Dr. Leigh Johnson, a practicing family medicine physician at the ETSU Family Medicine Associates, was interviewed to hear her perspective on the topic and her real-life experiences with the use of innovative strategies to manage patients with chronic health conditions. She is the medical director of the primary care practice and also holds the position of an Assistant Professor at the Quillen College of Medicine where she teaches first year medical students about communication in medical practice.

The Health and Economic Burden of Chronic Diseases and the Need for Innovations

The most common chronic conditions among pediatric and adolescent patients seen at the clinic include asthma, attention deficit hyperactivity

The practice keeps a slot open for one patient daily to accommodate patients without prior clinic appointment. This arrangement has helped patients with chronic conditions to access care as soon as possible. For instance, patients with diabetes who notice subtle changes in the frequency and volume of their urination, can easily and quickly present at the clinic to get the required attention. This innovation helps to reduce complications from the disease or its management. Another Arrangement put in place by the practice is the extended hours schedule (past normal business hours). This allows patients that work between the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to access care. The clinic extends its services from 4.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. on a predetermined day of the week to provide care for this group of

Health administrators help maintain the objectives of the innovations. They formulate the goals and the structure of the organization so that it aligns with vision of the organization. Thus, they understand the need to integrate the objectives of the innovations and the purpose of the organization to achieve better health outcomes especially among patients with chronic diseases. Health administrators hire staffs in a more efficient manner to ensure the smooth running of the practice. They also help to coordinate the group visits, work out access and train employees on EHRs. The health administrators at ETSU Family Medicine Associates (an Accountable Care Organization (ACO)) deal with ACO representatives to whom they report quality and health outcome measures (e.g. the percentage of patients that get mammogram within a specified period). The administrators plan and implement strategies that help the organization meet the standard quality and outcome measures. They negotiate with the insurance companies and coordinate letters to patients to remind them of routine vaccination and mammography