Informatics for IPAs

Some of the IPA customers we talk to, all say the same thing. "I don't have the data to defend my contract negotiations". So how can an IPA integrate data to better negotiate terms in a "shrinking profits" landscape?

Step 1: Remember step 1? METRIC? (Measure Everything That Really Impacts Customers"? Yes, step 1 hasn't changed. Not one bit. In this particular case, since your negotiations are probably based on HEDIS and PQRI measures, that's the first thing you want to list out. Which of those measures will help you show your quality of care and performance.

Step 2. Collect Data. If you are like most IPAs, you have 5 or more EMRs to deal with that are being used within the physician practices. Most EMRs, save a few, have ODBC compliant databases. Solutions like ours can pull data directly from those systems. And for the others, you can integrate data using the more traditional, "flat file" approach. This is more technical than anything else.

Step 3: Define your reports. What reports will help you better negotiate rates? If you find anomalies with regards to physician performance, how can you get that one practice up to speed with everyone else so that you can negotiate better? How often do you need these reports? Define these and the next time you walk into contract negotiations and the payer tells you that your Physician performance is "this" based on claims data, you can confidently say, "no, our data shows a different picture".

So negotiate away, you IPA samurais, and bring up that profitability level!