“As rheumatologists, we often feel that we are undervalued in larger organizations. Seeing various large organizations across the U.S. enact similar compensation plans reinforced this,” he explains.
Dr. Downey
“This mismatch has the potential to create budget deficits for the rheumatology departments and divisions, which does not reflect the true worth of having rheumatology services as part of an academic center or health system,” says Christina D. Downey, MD, member of the Value of Rheumatology Working Group, chair of the Government Affairs Committee and an associate professor of medicine in southern California. Dr. Downey is corresponding author of the white paper.
Dr. Caricchio
“The intended use of these is to inform our members of the current national trends for rheumatology practices and to give them something to show to their administration when negotiating for support for their departments and division,” says Roberto Caricchio, MD, member of the Value of Rheumatology Working Group and professor of medicine and Myles J. McDonough Chair in Rheumatology, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, Mass.
As chair of the CORC, Dr. Snow and fellow committee members brainstormed ways to quantify and demonstrate the value of rheumatologists. The idea for an economic analysis as well as a white paper and position statement began from ACR staff, he says.
Other Goals & Intentions
In addition to sharing the white paper and statement with medical organizations, they may be useful in other ways as well.
“The demonstration of how rheumatologists actually save money in the care of patients is important. As we move to continued value-based contracts, this will be more and more important to quantify,” Dr. Snow says.
They also will bolster advocacy efforts, such as educating members of Congress about the need for more fellowship slots in the U.S. to meet the needs of constituents, Dr. Downey says.
Another potential target area is addressing the current rheumatology workforce shortage, Dr. Battafarano says. “The white paper further justifies the importance of rheumatology care to support primary care outpatients in healthcare systems and with payers and the need to integrate rheumatology care routinely into primary care networks,” he explains.
Ms. Kerby
Even non-clinicians may appreciate the information to help understand the value that rheumatology providers bring, “not just as a clinical resource but also as a meaningful contributor to the business of healthcare,” says Tessa Kerby of ECG Management Consultants.
