Nikhil Bansal, Founder & CEO, FirstCureHealth emphasises that the skill set and level of care is more in a patient-first approach with not just positive outcomes for the patient but encouraging solid, long-lasting relationships built on compassion
The modern patients want timely, connected, and sensitised healthcare fine tune to their needs; maximum number of medical practices and hospitals are seen promoting a patient-centered approach focusing on the patient at touch point of their treatment journey. This is simply defined: ‘care that is respectful of, and responsive to, individual patient preferences, needs and values, and ensuring that patient values guide all clinical decisions.’ This focus is particularly effective for patients suffering from a chronic or a rare disease facing complications in dealing with insurance coverage, misdiagnosis, and lack of streamlined information.
This approach helps the hospitals gain in-depth knowledge on a particular chronic\rare disease, so they help not just the patient, but also are more efficient in identifying the most optimal therapy of treatment. The patient-centric focus gives the specialists treating these patients additional insight, enhanced level of treatment, and the edge to overcome communication issues.
This disease-specific expertise also enables doctors\specialists help increase the patient understanding of their own complicated rare disease thus involving them in the treatment. In this way, the other team members can address compliance, adherence and patient’s receptivity to safe and effective therapy by a clear treatment plan. Education is the cornerstone or the very beginning of a patient-first approach, both for the providers and patients. Patients are provided understanding about the state of their disease; treatment plans are improved and improvised resulting in better outcomes and quality of life.
Building strong bonds
This type of care is very different from the traditional, legacy care which focuses on patient volume rather putting the patient at the center of care. Here, care implies brief phone calls and filling daily quotas rather than personalised interactions with vulnerable patients.
The skill set and level of care is more in a patient-first approach with not just positive outcomes for the patient but encouraging solid, long-lasting relationships built on compassion. A patient-first approach uplifts both the patient and care provider with shared unique personal stories, a positive support and better communication insights. In many cases, it develops into a family environment, which makes a deeply positive impact on patients, building trust and hope especially for those patients suffering from a rare disease who find themselves marginalised by the system or isolated due to their disease.
A patient-first culture at hospitals not only addresses the patients’ immediate and long-term needs but also engages them in their own care; while the hospital organisation gains deeper insights for better managing the patient experience.
Operationally focused on patients
A patient-first approach implies that every decision be it large or small is taken keeping in focus how it will benefit the patient or its positive impact on the doctors ability to ultimately treat the patient’s overall health.
Advantages of patient-first strategy
With a patient-first approach all the stakeholders involved in the patient’s care from the specialty pharmacy, physicians, patients, and care coordinators are on the same platform rather than operating independently. This continuity of approach for the patient’s treatment journey strengthens communication, builds trust, yields rich data for making informed decision, and overall improves the patient’s treatment experience. This clinical team involved in the patient’s care ensures that there are no treatment gaps, which is crucial from the point of clinical trial through-out the commercial launch and the lifecycle of the medication and treatment.
A patient-first focus also involves all variables from the point of data collection, maintaining frequent touch with patients and their families to ensure their compliance, understanding, trust and positive outcomes. Rare, chronic and orphan disease patients need a high level of support from all those stakeholders involved in the care from the very basic care team, including care coordinators, pharmacists, nurses, and all specialists – calling for total dedication to the treatment, patient and the therapy. This is a critical differentiator which is no doubt an improvement from the standard specialty pharmacies and providers, who rely on technology solutions which fail to address patient needs.
Pricing model of pharmacy
A basic difference between the old legacy and the novel patient-first model is the compensation structure of pharmacies. Pharmacies earn a margin on the products sold in the legacy model as they strive to address millions of patients with maintenance medications. Here the focus in on the pharmacy incentives, monthly profits rather than being patient-focused to deliver the best possible care.
Doctors and telehealth
Telehealth plays an important role by enabling doctors\hospitals to address the unique healthcare coordination requirements of patients with a rare, chronic or orphan disease and especially with a newly diagnosed patient. Doctors do this by drafting a specific treatment plan for a specific patient and including adherence tools based on their specific needs. This gives patients a better chance at treatment with a dedicated program integrating services of specialty doctor, product distribution, and patient management to receive the intensive care, outreach, and consistent support patients need for ensuring positive outcomes.
A customised care coordination and tele-health solution guided by a patient-first care model educates the patient on potential risks, mitigates the transmission of infections. Additionally, this fosters discussion between the patient and doctor which is essential to understand the patient’s needs, the drug’s impact and monitor their overall health. The care team involved incorporates assessments, predetermined touch points each month to understand side effects, the therapy, disorder, and patient’s well-being.
Choosing the right doctor
When seeking to identify a specialty doctor for patient management creates the basis for personalised partnership and care to provide comprehensive treatment tailored to maximise the treatment of rare and orphan disorders. The key metric is a trusted path for patients and all those involved in the treatment. This no doubt gives support to the patient’s family and caregivers, creaking understanding, engagement for better patient care. This demonstrates a commitment to providing quality care and services to the patient suffering from chronic or orphan disease.
Ultimately, this meets the needs of everyone involved in the patient’s journey, from specialty drug manufacturers to doctors and caregivers all involved in the perfect patient care.