With healthcare moving to value-based care models, smaller independent physicians need new ways to keep track of data. That’s why Shawn Purifoy, MD, who owns the Malvern Family Medical Clinic in Malvern, Arkansas, has taken to using the Aledade Arkansas ACO.
According to Purifoy, the ACO partners with primary care physicians to provide IT services that help smaller practices like Purifoy’s remain independent—and efficient.
“Value-based care is the primary focus of the work being done within the Aledade ACOs,” Purifoy said. “As an independent solo practitioner, I would be struggling to keep up with the rapid changes in the healthcare world.” He says he joined Aledade specifically so he could remain independent.
Larger clinics and healthcare organizations can rely on a hospital or multi-specialty group to provide them with the tech support they need. For smaller organizations like Purifoy’s, however, that’s not an option.
The Aledade App is used daily at the Malvern Family Medical Clinic to create call lists, identify which patients have been in the hospital lately, and to schedule follow-ups to keep patients healthy.
Aledade’s services could also help cut down on paperwork, which Purifoy identifies as a major issue in healthcare today. “Every governmental agency and every different insurance company seems to have its own set of forms and requirements. I don’t think any form of technology has figured out how to fix that problem.”
Still, he admits that Aledade has helped to streamline the process.
An additional bonus: the ACO technology used in Purifoy’s office allows him to get a better sense of his patients’ other medical needs outside of his clinic. He can now tell if his patients have any gaps in their care, when they got their shots, and all the details of their insurance coverage. This is particularly important for patients who have more than one physician. With the technology employed by Purifoy’s office via Aledade, all the information can be kept straight, and Purifoy can help his patients cut down on outside costs.
Find out more about Aledade’s ACO technology here.