Patient assessments are used in various settings by different medical professionals. They can be part of a proactive process (e.g., during an Annual Wellness Visit) or when some symptoms or signals indicate further assessment is necessary.
Not only can patient assessments reveal previously undiagnosed illnesses, but they also provide an opportunity for engagement and education to build healthier habits.
Let’s explore how care teams, particularly those within a care management or value-based care program, can maximize patient assessments.
Depending on the organization, patient assessments, including health risk assessments, can be conducted during inpatient hospital stays, before specific medical procedures, or as part of an annual physical or wellness visit.
They may also be used ad hoc during an in-person office appointment or a care management call if the patient mentions symptoms that merit further investigation.
The most common use of patient assessments is during the Annual Wellness Visit covered by Medicare for beneficiaries over 65. Specific assessments are required as part of the review.
While a physical is not conducted, a physician or other health care provider asks patients to complete a questionnaire called a health risk assessment. Through interview questions and evidence-based assessments, the Medicare Annual Wellness Visit can reveal previously undiagnosed conditions.
Additionally, by working together, the patient and provider can plan for near-term health goals and review what preventive care screenings, vaccines, and actions should be taken in the next 1-5 years.
Once complete, the patient should receive a Personalized Prevention Plan Services Report with a schedule of recommended tests, vaccinations, and screenings.
Beyond being a requirement of Medicare Annual Wellness Visits, assessments can quickly evaluate whether a patient meets diagnostic guidelines or presents symptoms that require further investigation.
Additional benefits from using various patient assessments include:
Conducting patient assessments can lead to discussion about health goals and provide possible education opportunities.
Through evaluative conversations, the care team can build rapport and deepen the patient-provider relationship. This can lead to more active participation in care planning and commitment to treatment plan actions.
A complete health risk assessment can cover numerous categories of topics, including:
ThoroughCare supports the GAD-7 assessment (pictured) and several others.
For example, the ThoroughCare platform offers the following assessments as a sampling from the Annual Wellness Visit toolset. These are informed by recommendations from the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Other assessments, like the Advance Care Planning module, guide the care team through conversations related to end-of-life planning.
Additionally, through a collaboration with Honor My Decisions, ThoroughCare offers Advance Care Planning education, decision support, and advance directive documents that are legally viable by state.
Patients can also create a video living will that can be viewed by designated family members.
Selecting patient assessments can be relatively easy—every medical specialty has recommendations on vetted tools. But it is paramount to ensure that assessments are seamlessly integrated with the care team’s workflow and enable data capture for future action.
Patient assessments are more than a checklist of questions.
When integrated with clinical workflow and tracked via technology and dashboards, they can provide a powerful way to monitor and resolve care gaps and support Chronic Care Management.
To select the best combination of process, platform, and assessment tools, consider these features:
Most importantly, keep technology in perspective.
Any platform should help the care team easily access trusted assessments, streamline data collection, provide risk scores, and facilitate appropriate action.
However, technology is a support and can’t replace the personal exchange between provider and patient. Avoid falling into a situation where the assessment is driven just by the tool and not the conversation.
Ultimately, patient assessments should strengthen and deepen each patient conversation. They should provide guidance and rigor to pursue better health and prevent future disease.