5 Methods to Close Gaps in Care

It is important to ensure patients receive consistent, high-quality care aligned with best practices to promote optimal health outcomes. Yet gaps in care often emerge, posing challenges for both patients and providers. These gaps, which arise when care provided deviates from recommended standards, can lead to missed opportunities for early intervention and prevention of serious health conditions. For health plans, innovations like at-home diagnostics and other remote solutions can help close gaps in care that improve member health outcomes and boost quality metrics. Providers can also implement gap closure tools to meet patient health needs. 

What are gaps in care?

Gaps in healthcare refer to instances where the care provided to a patient does not align with recommended best practices or standards. These gaps can occur at various points along the healthcare continuum, from preventive care and screenings to diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. They represent missed opportunities to deliver timely interventions, leading to potential adverse health outcomes or suboptimal patient experiences.

1. Promote Preventive Screenings 

Health plans can promote and conduct regular screenings for conditions such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, which boost quality metrics such as HEDIS and Medicare Star and improve health outcomes for members. At-home diagnostic testing offers a convenient solution, allowing payors to monitor member health parameters from the comfort of home. By facilitating easy access to screening kits and timely analysis of results, health plans can close gaps to care around crucial healthcare verticals. 

2. Enhance Medication Adherence

Non-adherence to prescribed medications is a common challenge in healthcare. Remote medication adherence monitoring systems, integrated with smart technology, empower patients to stay on track with their treatment regimens. Health plans can work with providers to launch at-home diagnostic testing for medication adherence, wherein patients complete routine labs from home rather than in a clinic or hospital. Some at-home diagnostics programs also employ SMS notifications to keep patients and members on track with reminders to avoid medication disruption. 

Chat with Ash Wellness about at-home diagnostic testing for medication adherence. 

3. Facilitate Remote Monitoring

For patients with chronic conditions or complex care needs, remote monitoring solutions offer a proactive approach to managing health. At-home monitoring devices, coupled with telehealth services, enable continuous tracking of vital signs and symptoms. By alerting healthcare providers to any deviations from baseline metrics, remote monitoring helps prevent gaps in care through timely interventions. 

4. Streamline Access to Specialists

Difficulty finding in-network specialists can result in delayed or fragmented care for patients. Telemedicine platforms bridge this gap by connecting patients with a diverse network of specialists, regardless of geographic location. Through virtual consultations and remote diagnostics, patients gain access to timely expert care, minimizing disruptions in their healthcare journey. Payors who partner with telemedicine to reduce barriers to care for specialists can improve current member experience to maintain and attract new members.  

5. Empower Patient Engagement

Engaged patients are more likely to proactively manage their health and adhere to recommended treatments. At-home diagnostics empower patients by providing them with actionable insights into their health status. By actively involving patients in monitoring and managing their health, healthcare providers can collaboratively address gaps in care and promote a culture of wellness. 

How Ash Wellnesses closes gaps in care

Ash Wellness offers a comprehensive solution for health plans to address care gaps efficiently through personalized at-home testing programs. By leveraging the end-to-end platform, health plans and providers can tackle multiple care gaps with a single integrated approach. Ash offers tailored user journeys to engage plan members, ensuring higher kit return rates.  

Health plans can also rely on a team of Ash experts to oversee the entire at-home testing workflow, eliminating the need for additional in-house resources and allowing them to concentrate on achieving impactful results. Customized testing programs cater to screening requirements across all 50 states, thus contributing to improved HEDIS and Star Ratings. 

Conclusion on closing gaps in care 

With at-home diagnostics as part of their care strategies, health plans and providers can effectively address gaps in care and improve overall patient outcomes. These innovative solutions not only enhance accessibility and convenience but also empower individuals to take control of their health journey.