What is Clinical Integration?

A key to providing a higher standard of care and reducing costs is Clinical Integration. Clinical Integration involves creating an environment in which sustained transformation and change is possible.  

Most providers know the present system is not working well. In the traditional model, patients have medical records spread across many different providers at many different locations. Care is not well coordinated or well monitored. 

To address quality of care issues, Bellin-ThedaCare Healthcare Partners developed a Clinical Integration model for all Bellin-ThedaCare Healthcare Partners providers to follow. The model focuses on two specific elements: 

1. Electronically connect Bellin-ThedaCare Healthcare Partners providers to enhance the level of care, as well as reduce medical errors:

   Bellin-ThedaCare Healthcare Partners requires participating physicians and hospitals to employ electronic means to capture and retrieve relevant information in an electronic medical record.  This allows a physician to access a patient’s complete medical history and see the big picture. 

2. Monitor, measure and report physician and hospital performance in accordance with evidence based standards:

   Report cards, based on best practices, are issued to our providers to ensure compliance and stimulate positive change. Integrated information technology allows for the collection of pertinent clinical results. These results are gathered, analyzed, and communicated in order to improve treatment quality, control rates of utilization, and contain cost.

Through our Clinical Integration model, Bellin-ThedaCare Healthcare Partners has the ability to coordinate beneficial changes in behavior and culture. Ultimately enhancing care and reducing costs.