The decision making process in any business is becoming more and more dependent on data that could be measured in a standard fashion and no longer is based on gut feeling or guessing!

To effectively measure the impact of how good or how bad business is performing through set of data designed to monitor and guide decisions called Metrics. Then, there is an important question comes next , which metrics you choose and implement that really matter and most experts agree to choose the ones that are actionable being few and easy to implement.

Through evaluation of these metrics , it will be clear which metrics would help success of business and vice versa. So , there are customer support Metrics , Digital Brand Metrics and in healthcare metrics in Hospital performance, provider performance and so on.

The use of various metrics are becoming very important to guide decisions, performance and outcome, thus no wonder various metrics being used now are linked to payment of Healthcare Services. It is the shift towards Value-based care or Merit -based Incentive Payment Systems( MIPS) scores by Medicare . The Department of Health and Human Services issued rule in April 2016 to implement Medicare Access and CHIP Re authorization Act OF 2015 ( MACRA).

This will affect so many of the Physicians in small or solo practices in an adverse way as they will not be able to have the time, resources, support staff to keep up with increased demands of metrics , reporting, and paperwork involved which would force mass exodus of physicians from Medicare thus adding to physician shortage and adversely affecting access to healthcare by decreasing the number of providers

There are four main components that will impact payment score, which would include Quality as physicians will select 6 measures that replace the current Physician Quality Reporting System( for example, Blood pressure, Lipid profile,blood sugar control indicated by Hg A1C, Smoking cessation, BMI or Body Mass Index as an index of Obesity, physical activity) , Secondly , Resource use calculated by CMS based on claims data, thirdly,Advancing Care Information which replaces meaningful use which died recently as it was used for a number of years and finally , Clinical Practice Improvement Activity.

This means that small practices or solo practices would not be able to have the resources to cope up with the increasing demands for metrics which are closely linked to payment for services delivered.

Direct Care Medicine would certainly offer a reasonable alternatives for those physicians who are adversely affected by this new ruling and will not be able to keep their practices open as it will cost them more what they bring in home forcing so many to go out of business.

I am reaching out to all who could potentially be impacted to consider joining our network of ethical providers with direct contacting healthcare ( Concierge Medicine). The real opportunity comes now through collaboration of those small practices for economic and professional survival!