The latest edition of Care-Outlook News, produced by Alicare Medical Management, one of the nation’s leading care management solution providers, presents a unique look at many of today’s hot topics in health care – from rising visits to the emergency room for dental patients and trends in triage such as illness spikes and dosage requirements. Alicare Medical Management is a national leader in developing care management solutions that promote cost savings and patient satisfaction.
In the newest Care-Outlook News, AMM experts provide a unique perspective on issues that impact quality of care for patients. Claire Levitt, MS, Alicare Medical Management president, examines developments in phone triage. “The advantages for patients are enormous—medical advice easily accessible around the clock, fewer unnecessary and expensive visits to the emergency room, fewer office visits and a lower chance of readmission to a hospital after discharge,” she says.
Julie O’Brien, BSN, RN, MS, Alicare Medical Management vice president/COO, highlights the advancements in technology that boost phone triage efficiencies. Regarding a new partnership with technology company LVM Systems, O’Brien says, “We especially like the fact that, regardless of the screen they are on, our nurses can always see their client’s customized information or ‘nuances,’ which personalizes the experience and makes it all the more efficient.”
Dr. Bernard Bettencourt, Alicare Medical Management’s medical director, examines the reasons that increasing numbers of patients are relying on the ER for dental problems, including a lack of ongoing routine dental care.
“From a medical director and medical management standpoint, the use of ERs for dental issues is a huge problem,” Dr. Bettencourt states. “The recent push to get everyone covered by health insurance has left this area unaddressed.” Dr. Bettencourt will provide follow-up analysis in the next edition of Care-Outlook News.
Also in this issue, Betsy Mazzoleni, RN manager of Alicare Medical Management’s 24 Hour Services, discusses a change in dosage requirements of acetaminophen for children. This development is crucial since AMM nurses provide dosage advice on nearly every pediatric call.
According to Mazzoleni, Schmitt-Thompson Clinical Content (STCC) has revised the After Hours and Office Hours acetaminophen dosage chart to reflect the ongoing transition to the new infant’s concentration (160 mg/5ml) and the new syringe that is included in the infant product.
Care-Outlook News is free to qualified subscribers and delivered to your email inbox. To subscribe, email Alicare Medical Management at info@alicaremed.com or visit the website at www.alicaremed.com to view past issues or learn more about the company.
#####
About Alicare Medical Management (www.alicaremed.com)
Alicare Medical Management (AMM), a member of the Amalgamated Family of Companies, AMM’s call center is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to provide maximum access and assure optimum program effectiveness. The company’s services include: 24-hour Nurse HelpLine, Utilization Management, Maternity Management, Case Management, Disease Management, Health Coaching and Wellness, Independent Physician Review, Medical Claims Review and Hospital Bill Auditing. AMM holds four URAC accreditations for Utilization Management, Case Management, Health Call Center and Independent Review.