The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) developed a five-year plan for improving healthcare delivery and the care experience. CMS says the framework addresses administrative burdens and other frictions in the programs it oversees as well as the health system more broadly.
The proposal, described in “Optimizing Care Delivery: A Framework for Improving the Healthcare Experience” establishes a set of seven strategic priorities:
- Priority 1: Integrate the voice of the patient and caregiver into opportunities to increase equity in care access and delivery.
- Priority 2: Improve patient safety and reduce administrative burden in care transitions.
- Priority 3: Address well-being and experience for healthcare workers across the healthcare enterprise.
- Priority 4: Improve care approval processes to increase access to care and reduce care delays.
- Priority 5: Reduce redundant or outdated data collection, documentation, and reporting requirements.
- Priority 6: Leverage technology to accelerate innovation and the adoption of best practices.
- Priority 7: Convene and support public-private partnerships to advance the healthcare experience and burden reduction efforts.
The framework was informed by evidence-based research and public feedback received through CMS outreach including the 2023 CMS Conference on Optimizing Healthcare Delivery, with more than 2,500 registrants; the 2022 Make Your Voice Heard Request for Information, which received over 4,000 comments; public roundtables with patients and providers; and twelve human-centered design customer experience-focused engagements on topics, such as clinician well-being, prior authorization, mental health, chronic pain, and more. These engagements included interviews with 1,741 participants, 15 site visits, and over 25,000 individual data points generated.
CMS is hosting a conference on the topic on December 12, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. ET.
To see the agenda and register for the event, visit cmsburdenreductionconference.com.
To read the document and provide feedback, ideas, and suggestions, visit the CMS website.
