May 2, 2024
An internal message for Tufts Medicine Integrated Network physicians, leaders and staff. Please do not forward, post or share with other groups. To submit content for a future Briefing, please email Eric Bourke at Eric.A.Bourke@tuftsmedicine.org.
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Self-Scheduling for Mammograms
- Tufts Medicine has opened up self-scheduling for mammograms on the MyTuftsMed app.
- This creates one more opportunity for quality care and for us to close care gaps.
- Please make your staff, patients and fellow clinicians aware.
Patients who use the MyTuftsMed app can now directly schedule mammograms. In addition to enabling easier scheduling, it reduces the burden on our scheduling teams and improves workflows. I know this isn't a solution for our entire network, but it improves access for more than 50% of our covered lives. We will continue to explore other options and initiatives to provide better care.
Alzheimer's Care Resources
- Alzheimer’s care can be challenging and varied across our network.
- It is a struggle to optimize services for our patients.
- The Alzheimer’s Association has free consultations for your patients.
- I have included online referral form links and examples below.
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Dr. Brent Forester, our head of behavioral health, wrote a book you can offer to families.
We face many challenges for Alzheimer’s patients within our network. Fortunately, our head of behavioral health, Dr. Brent Forester, is a world-renowned expert in dementia care. He is guiding Tufts Medicine on how to best care for our patients and spearheading multiple projects related to dementia. The Alzheimer’s Association offers free consultations for families to help them identify and connect them to resources. You can also learn about designating health care proxies, advanced directives and living wills here.
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Tufts Medicine-Navvis Partnership in the News |
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Check out this recent article in Becker's Hospital Review on Tufts Medicine's partnership with Navvis and how we will accelerate our move to value-based care.
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Celebrating Patient Experience Week |
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During patient experience week (April 29 – May 3), we want to recognize our staff for making a positive impact on our patients and their families. Patient experience measures our patients' feelings and perceptions of the level of quality and service we provide at each touchpoint with our healthcare system. Receiving patient feedback is essential to identify our strengths and gaps so that we can understand what we are doing to make a difference and improve the service and quality of care across Tufts Medicine.
If you have any questions about patient experience, please reach out to Olga Litvak, Director of Patient Experience.
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Welcoming New Physicians to TMIN |
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Check out this video to see new and longer-tenured physicians welcome our new physician colleagues and talk about their experiences at Tufts Medicine.
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Epic Quality Care Dashboard Webinars |
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A message for all Primary Care Practice Epic Users
TMIN is excited to share a new eClinical Quality Measure dashboard tool in Epic that enables you to monitor quality data and take action on your patients’ care needs. These webinars will demonstrate how you and your practice manager can utilize the tool and its capabilities to benefit your practice. Please join us for one of the following sessions:
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Improve Behavioral Health Initiative: Anxiety Screening Workflow |
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Coming on May 16, 2024, an enhanced documentation workflow for Generalized Anxiety Disorder screening using the GAD-7 will Go Live in Epic. The upcoming workflow will flag rooming staff and clinicians (PCPs, Behavioral Health, and Pediatrics) when anxiety screening is due for patients 18 and older via the Visit Checklist and Best Practice Advisories (BPA). BPAs will trigger for clinicians with GAD-7 results that will include intervention recommendations. Information about this new workflow is available through the Epic Learning Home Dashboard (F1).
How does this new workflow for required documentation affect your day-to-day? The GAD-7 screening tool should be collected, at a minimum, annually for patients without an active diagnosis of anxiety for primary care, pediatrics, and behavioral health in the Ambulatory setting. The GAD-7 tool is available for all specialties if needed.
Why is screening for anxiety important and our responsibility in healthcare? Generalized Anxiety Disorder can be disabling and lead to other physical health conditions. The United States Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends annual screening for anxiety, and some contractual payor obligations require it. Early detection and intervention can reduce the impact of anxiety symptoms.
When will this go into effect? May 16, 2024. Access the Anxiety Screening GAD-7 tipsheet from your Epic Learning Home Dashboard (Click the F1 key on your keyboard while logged into Epic hyperspace.).
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2024 Tufts University School of Medicine Vision Science Retreat |
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TUSM is hosting its 2024 Vision Science Retreat on May 31 at the Tufts Center for Medical Education in Boston. Click on the QR code below to register. |
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Physician/APC Professional Development Opportunities |
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Tufts Medicine is offering a number of physician and advanced practice clinician (APC) professional development training sessions in May and June. Courses include How to start a Crucial Conversation, Become an Effective Coach, How to Keep Performance Feedback on Track and Managing conflict.
Click here or scan the QR code to the left for additional information and to enroll. For questions about these offerings, please contact Will Powley, Physician HR and Leadership Consultant.
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Coming Soon: Epic Survey for TMIN Private Practices |
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A Message for all TMIN Private Practice Epic Users
In mid-May, we will launch an Epic Survey to get feedback from TMIN private practice Epic users on their experiences using the Epic electronic health record platform. Please stay tuned for direct communication about the survey.
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Reminder: BCBSMA Health Equity Workshop Opportunities
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Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA) is hosting a series of workshops focused on diabetes inequities in May.
- Wednesday, May 8, 10am - 12pm
- Tuesday, May 14, 9:30am - 12:30pm
- Wednesday, May 15, 9:30am - 12:30pm
This program is aimed toward those with a clinical or administrative focus on diabetes care, or a focus on diabetes care as part of their work to reduce health inequities. If interested, please complete this survey. Contact Carmen Pimentel or Kristine Sand of BCBSMA with any questions.
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Patient Initiated Medication Prior Authorizations (through payer-originated pathway)
Please advise patients to refrain from initiating a medication prior authorization (PA) directly with their insurance
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These requests are time sensitive (24 turnaround limit) to reply with clinical information, which is resulting in unnecessary denials and additional work
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Typically patients do not provide the practice fax number so practice staff are not alerted
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Appeals for these medications after the denial can take up to 60 days to obtain a redetermination and result in delay of patient treatment
Please contact the TMIN Pharmacy Team if you have any questions:
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Epic practices – submit “Referral to Care Management” (ref500) order here
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Non-Epic practices – use the electronic referral form available here
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for an archive of previously recorded webinars.
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About Tufts Medicine Integrated Network
The Tufts Medicine Integrated Network is a distinctively different population health enterprise, including 2,300 primary care and specialist physicians and advanced practice clinicians. Working as Tufts Medicine employees or in private practice, we deliver exceptional coordinated care in community and hospital settings with a sharp focus on value-based care and health equity. Our purpose is to build healthier communities and create healthy, rewarding experiences for our patients and care teams.
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