• Recruitment strategies for medicare annual wellness visits

    To increase the number of patients who receive Medicare annual wellness visits, physicians and staff both have a role to play. Nursing staff can review the daily schedule to identify patients who are eligible and remind physicians to recommend the service or recommend it themselves, using this approach:

    • When talking with patients, start by describing the visit, then try to identify what aspect seems to most interest the patient.
    • Emphasize that "Your doctor wants you to get this done. It really helps your doctor help you."
    • Explain that the visit allows the patient and provider to talk longer than during a typical office visit.
    • Give the patient a health risk appraisal to bring back; this gives the patient a sense of what to expect.
    • Brainstorm potential solutions to barriers such as transportation, time, and care of other family members.
    • Be knowledgeable, caring, and passionate while not overwhelming the patient.

    Adapted from "Medicare Annual Wellness Visits: How to Get Patients and Physicians on Board."

    Posted on Jan 25, 2018 by FPM Editors


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