In 2021, the behavioral health industry will be shaped by a much more active consumer movement.
More than ever before patients are increasingly knowledgeable, better organized, and more clearly heard by the communities they live in.
Equipped with evidence-based data and fueled by the Internet, real changes for consumers are taking hold in the Behavioral Health field. These changes in consumer attitudes and behavior are real.
Today’s consumers are demanding the tools necessary to achieve greater accountability on the part of providers and payers of services. There has been a transformation of consumers who are exercising real choice in defining quality performance outcomes.
The consumer is no longer a passive recipient of services, faced with the “take-it-or-leave-it” options currently available. Consumers are driving service improvements by clearly defining what, where and when they need health services improved.
While not necessarily a popular viewpoint, managed care has actually been a boon to the consumer movement. Managed care has brought with it the recognition that real performance outcome indicators must reflect the perspectives of multi-stakeholder groups. As managed care has matured, there has been a re-examination of their outcome systems and assessment protocols. We have seen the implementation of consumer focus groups and introduction of public forums that have helped to reform consumer-driven performance indicators of managed care entities.
Managed care organizations are increasingly faced with public scrutiny and ratings in the form of report cards and contractually required customer satisfaction surveys. These elements are all pro-consumer developments.
In recognition of the consumers’ fundamental role in health care reform, CARF, JCAHO, and other accreditation bodies have followed suit.
And, when we look more carefully at the new consumer behaviors, we are also seeing public funding of services that are moving away from categorical funding and towards a more integrated funding of services.
