Description
Fall 2008, SODBP, Newsletter, Issue
AAP President-Elect Candidates Respond to the Question about Moving the Health Care Agenda Forward
Question:
AS OUR AAP SPOKESPERSON, HOW WOULD YOU WORK WITH OTHER MEDICAL ORGANIZATIONS
TO MOVE THE HEALTH CARE AGENDA?
Colleen A. Kraft, MD
Richmond, VA
Recently, I met with a managed care organization (MCO) at their request. Our discussion topic was one which I could have only imagined several years ago. This MCO wanted to create a pilot project for network pediatric practices to be paid “enhanced” rates for providing Medical Home services to patients. Clearly, this MCO understands that physicians lack sufficient incentives to improve the quality of care when payment is based solely on volume of patients seen. Furthermore, this MCO acknowledges that the data now demonstrates that high quality, comprehensive, and coordinated care is cost-efficient care.
As AAP President, I will develop strong partnerships with organizations who already promote Medical Home as the standard of care for patients. In addition, however, I also will use the data and this new MCO pilot to secure commitments from other organizations that have yet to take a strong stand supporting Medical Home. Clearly, the AAP needs mutually supportive relationships with the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Osteopathic Association, and the American Medical Association. They, however, need AAP’s input on pediatric quality measures.
Payers are looking at guidelines such as those proposed by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). It is important, however, that such standards be created only after input from AAP’s Private Payor Advocacy department, Section on Administration and Practice Management, and Council on Computer Information Technology.
Fundamental improvements in overall health care – but especially pediatric care – can only happen if we strengthen AAP’s partnerships with medical and non-medical stakeholders. Affordability, access despite pre-existing conditions, innovative solutions for physician shortage areas, incentives to promote pediatric subspecialties, increased early childhood investments, and creating meaningful patient incentives for healthy lifestyles are all essential. Enacting and successfully implementing this agenda, however, requires input and support from medical providers, private payors, government, business, parents, and faith-based organizations.
The AAP is uniquely suited to create the partnerships necessary to meet the needs of children and the physicians who care for them. As your AAP President, facilitating communications and building new partnerships will be one of my most important responsibilities.
AAP President-Elect Candidates Respond to the Question about Moving the Health Care Agenda Forward
Question:
AS OUR AAP SPOKESPERSON, HOW WOULD YOU WORK WITH OTHER MEDICAL ORGANIZATIONS
TO MOVE THE HEALTH CARE AGENDA?
Judith S. Palfrey, MD
Boston, MA
The Agenda for Children requires partnerships with many diverse groups. As spokesperson for the AAP, I would continue to collaborate as I always have with parents, generalists and specialists, nurses, dentists, public health practitioners, policymakers, educators, social workers, business people, mayors, elders, and others. These collaborations were particularly valuable when I chaired Bright Futures.
The AAP has effective mechanisms for interacting with other pediatric organizations through the Federation of Pediatric Organizations. In addition, the liaison structure with the AMA has led to major successes such as the AMA’s adoption and promotion of the Medical Home. I would like to see strong outreach to organizations such as the National Medical Association that speak for professionals from minority backgrounds.
Increasingly, the AAP’s partnerships with nursing professional groups have been helpful in responding to situations like the Eli Stone TV drama. Having the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) as a partner on the Bright Futures project greatly enhanced the production and dissemination of the Third Edition. I would like to see even more formal relationships established with nursing, dentistry and our family practitioner colleagues.
The AAP has always respected and worked with family groups to great mutual benefit. Families and pediatricians can promote messages about the Medical Home, the importance of prevention, the correct information about vaccines, the needs of children with chronic illnesses and disabilities. Families are the best advocates for pediatric reimbursement. They can stand up for the needs of pediatricians just as we stand up for the needs of their children. I would like to strengthen these interactions, making them more visible to the general public.
I believe that the AAP also needs to partner with business leaders, media personalities and opinion leaders. In the age of sophisticated communication technology, the AAP should adapt the strategies now being employed by the Institute for Health Improvement and by the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. Working with powerful allies in business and industry, including especially the insurance industry, will help us plan, implement and integrate the full Agenda for Children.
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Publication date: Sep 16, 2009
Revise date: Sep 16, 2009
TextID: 715
