Patient Safety
Panel management is like building a safety net for patients, who can be comforted knowing their care team is looking out for them – even when the patient is not in the clinic.
Beyond Clinics
Panel management extends far beyond episodic care and focuses on the broader needs of patients at and between care visits.
Panel process includes having clinic teams review the patient panel lists and reach out to offer care (virtually or in person). This is particularly of importance for at-risk, vulnerable and complex patients who may hesitate to, be unaware of, or be afraid to access needed care.
Another foundation of panel management is the practice of looking at the patient status, conditions, risk factors, and care needs of patients in order to offer evidence-based care to patients.
The Value of Panel
Question
What is the evidence that panel process implementation is effective in primary care?
Evidence Summary
High-performing practices have found that empanelment is a foundational element of good primary care, and is a building block for many elements of patient medical homes, including:
- Preventive care
- Timely access to care
- Continuity of care
- Team-based care
- Performance measurement
Key Resources
Bodenheimer T, Ghorob A, Willard-Grace R, Grumbach K. The 10 Building Blocks of High-Performing Primary Care. Ann Fam Med. 2014 Mar 1;12(2):166–71.
http://annfammed.org/content/12/2/166.full
Neuwirth E (Estee) B, Schmittdiel JA, Tallman K, Bellows J. Understanding Panel Management: A Comparative Study of an Emerging Approach to Population Care. Perm J. 2007;11(3):12–20. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3057714/