Data analytics is no longer a luxury for physician groups, at-risk provider organizations, care management service providers, home health agencies, and large health systems. It’s a clinical and business necessity.

This month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a new advanced primary care program. Called the Making Care Primary (MCP) Model, this new initiative will be tested in eight states over the course of 10.5 years, starting July 1, 2024.

Ideally, patient engagement goes beyond automated emails, voicemails, or educational handouts. But, many practices struggle to define what engagement means for them and their patients. Alternatively, consider partnering with patients as a more practical objective toward improving health outcomes, health-supporting behaviors, and treatment adherence.

People are living longer but sicker due to chronic illness. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) determined that seven chronic diseases cause two-thirds of mortality in the US and consume 86% of annual healthcare spending.

Independent physician practices remain a significant piece of the US primary care system, despite a trend by health systems, hospitals, and private equity firms to purchase and absorb these offices. According to research from the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM), between 2017–2019, 81% of family physicians still worked in independently-owned practices.