Gabe's updates -- #RestoreTheBond -- zero doubt that prior auth harms the patient-physician relationship
Hi All,
Here are the top happenings in Medicine Forward this week.
Prior Auth project --
The group working on the prior auth project met again Monday. This time we invited more dialogue about challenges we may anticipate. Paul Harkaway brought up concerns about overutilization of expensive care. Nate Pennel asked, "if we eradicate prior authorization, what happens if insurance denies payment for care after the fact?" It was a great (and necessary) discussion. Brian Dixon pushed us to get clarity on the message that will unify us in this fight. The message we came up with that stuck best is that we have zero doubt that prior auth harms the patient-physician relationship. Since standing up for this sacred bond is why we are here, I'm on board.
The meeting also helped me get more clear on our process as an organization that is here to create change. I'd like to break it down into three steps:
Start with a topic of interest (prior auth, time with patients, keyboard liberation) & find the unifying message that brings everyone together to stand up.
Convene value aligned stakeholders. There are many ways we can do this. Our experience is that hosting a Town Hall event holds our feet to the fire to get it on the calendar and make it happen. Stay tuned for a date.
Disrupt the status quo. This will look different depending on the problem we are taking on. For prior auth we still believe starting with a winnable goal that gets people fired up is best. We also continue to hear that evidence based treatment of early breast cancer is a great candidate.
These are our updated next steps:
Meet next Monday with ACP leaders and discuss prior auth project candidate, as well as overall strategy for how we can be better together 🚀
Next prior auth team meeting Nov 8.
Consider A/B testing opportunities for our best win.
Still exploring work that has been done historically on prior auth and learning from successes and failures. Beginning to organize in a shared Google doc.
Get clarity on best initial collaborators for maximum impact (patient advocates, ACP, ASCO, Glaucomflecken, Zdogg).
Make sure we are developing a well orchestrated strategy that builds on itself with a series of campaigns on social media.
Find the best hashtag to link to the project. This is my current favorite: #RestoreTheBond (which could work well with any Medicine Forward project going forward). Could maybe be good as a pair of hashtags: #RestoreTheBond #FixPriorAuth.
Please share your ideas!
ACP partnership --
Our Nov 1 meeting with ACP is next Monday. My goal is to help us find a path where we go from having aligned values with one another to co-creating a strategy for cooperative massive impact. So grateful for each of you and your help to get us to this point. It is truly amazing to be here. Leading topics to consider working on together:
prior auth
time with patients
keyboard liberation
Trainee leaders update --
The trainees are where the energy is at! I'm continually impressed with their outstanding work and passion. This weeks' meeting was no exception. I've so enjoyed watching the student wellbeing scorecard project go from 1) desire to make a difference, to 2) identifying a major need, and 3) building more and more toward a well thought out and clearly articulated tool for change.
The group was joined by Jordyn Feingold this week. Jordyn is a psychiatry resident at Mt Sinai, has a masters in positive psychology, and is a passionate fellow burnout disruptor. She's excited to help us, and we're delighted to have her on board.
Please join me in supporting the team and wishing them the best with their meeting with Dr. Cretien from Hopkins coming up Nov 8 😀
Mighty Network steering committee --
The first experiment of the steering committee is shaping up nicely -- book club. This is one of my favorite things we're up to. I love small group work, building community, and challenges to grow personally. This hits the sweet spot for me on all three, and I'm glad it is resonating with others as well. The cohort for the first round is filling up fast, so let me know ASAP if you'd like to be a part of it. As a reminder, we will have 12 max participants, and small groups of three for breakout sessions. We start with the introduction and Commitment 1 on Nov 15th at 8:30a PT / 11:30a ET.
Breen Foundation / All-In Wellbeing First for Healthcare --
It's official, Medicine Forward is part of the All-In Wellbeing First for Healthcare collaborative. We are honored to be in such great company. I see this as a real opportunity to have a seat at the table alongside other leading organizations that are committed to a better future for the wellbeing of all healthcare workers.
To infinity, and beyond.
Thanks!
Gabe