Struggling with chronic life-limiting illness results in extreme pain, discomfort, and physical as well as mental stress. With no permanent cure available to treat the disease, palliative care can still make a significant difference in enhancing end-of-life care quality by alleviating pain and managing uncomfortable symptoms. 

Every decision in the healthcare segment has high stakes associated with it, not just because a huge amount of money is spent on it, but because people’s lives depend on it. People evaluate all the information available on quality and costs before finalizing providers, payers, and treatment plans, which is giving rise to consumerism in healthcare.

Transitioning and succeeding in value-based care (VBC) is increasingly becoming the focus of many providers. Despite initial reservations, many providers are becoming ardent supporters of VBC payment models and are often the catalysts for change in their organizations.

Innovation has been driving the US healthcare and steering it on the wheels of novel payment models towards better outcomes in quality of care and cost. However, these new payment models seem to be perpetually stuck in a state of delay. 

Imagine your favorite football team is in a real neck-to-neck with another team, and the game could tip in anyone’s favor. It is the last minute, and in an insane turn of events, the quarterback throws the ball in the air, hoping the player in the end zone could make a touchdown. Instead, the reckless throw results in confusion, the guy in the end zone gets tackled, and the game ends in disappointment. 

Once while I was scrolling through the news feed on my phone, there was one specific line that really made me wonder: “There’s a 40% chance of gusty and blustery winds today.” Statements such as this one strongly influence people’s behavior, as they are based on evidence or data findings from years of surveying, studying, and analyzing past trends and occurrences.

ACOs across the states are the flag-bearers of the transformation to value-based care. They toil hard each day to make care more affordable, accessible, and efficient. They are constantly placed under the scrutiny of federal agencies and private payers and are looked upon with aspiration by most patients. 

Spending 10 months in a polluted city, shifting to a home-cooked meal from packaged food, substance abuse, an increase in screen time, passive smoking, switching to a high-calorie diet everything has an impact on your health. But, does your care plan address them? 

We dream of a healthcare system that encircles all citizens and connects them to the common thread of care which is built on the foundation of the quadruple aim. With frequent policy changes and new mandates, the care ecosystem in the US is poised for a major transformation in years to come.

There are many misconceptions associated with the kind of tasks a primary care physician (PCP) performs on a daily basis. Some people believe that they only take care of basic care interventions such as treating sore throats, stomach infections, and fever, something that is far from the truth.