The SPINN Care Unit Method:
The SPINN Care Unit Method is a process for analyzing community health delivery patterns to understand how changes in technology and work flow can improve health outcomes, lower cost and improve satisfaction by reducing disparities between communities with diverging healthcare utilization patterns. Having noted that some communities have significantly better rates of health outcomes than others, the Care Unit Method considers the underlying causes of these disparities and proposes patient engagement strategies that will reduce this disparity thereby improving health, lowering cost and improving satisfaction for all stakeholders.
In addition to this overall goal, the Care Unit Method addresses three secondary goals which must be met in order to have the complete engagement of all key stakeholders, including consumers, providers and payers:
For patients and their families
, improve satisfaction with the healthcare system throughout the continuum of care leading to healthier lives.
For healthcare providers
, improve operational efficiency and expand opportunities for delivery of new or increased services to the community while meeting new regulatory requirements and changing payment models.
For payers
, reduce costs associated poor healthcare service utilization, particularly for Medicaid and Medicare recipients that are disproportionately represented in these communities.
By accomplishing the above goals and objectives, the Care Unit Method is expected to promote Care Coordination and Patient Engagement to achieve the triple aim of improving the experience of care, improving the health of populations, and reducing per capita costs of health care.
Our “Care Unit” Approach
SPINN’s key innovations revolve around the way systems are configured to reflect specific health issues such as diabetes, COPD, congestive heart failure, breast cancer or substance abuse. Each of these is called a "Care Unit," a term that reflects the intersection of interests between clinicians and patients around a specific state of disease or wellness. “Care Units” create customized experiences for various demographics, disease groups, or wellness interests, using the same backend. These configurable dashboards and tool sets give new value to all stakeholders—patients, providers and payers.
How we measure Care Unit Success
Usage:
Frequency
Duration
Range/depth (what resources are used most)
Source (extension of past programs vs new entry)
Community participation
Outcomes:
Increase in adherence to treatment regimen
Time between scheduled and unscheduled outpatient visits
Hospitalization and re-hospitalization rates
Effect on progression of the condition or co-morbidities
Cost of service delivery:
Ratio of staff to Participants
Average cost per Participant per mo/year
Total number of Participants by source
Satisfaction measured by survey:
Participants
Staff
Community Resources
Employers/Payers
