We all have a responsibility to help make our             health care system more efficient.

Health care plans that pay for care expect services provided by contracted physicians to be provided in an effective, cost-efficient manner, and consistent with corporate medical policies. 

To help meet our obligations, HNS has adopted the following philosophy of care:

  Treat and Release:

Provide care to correct the presenting condition,
bring the patient to maximum medical improvement,
and discharge the patient from active care with appropriate
instructions regarding maintenance/supportive care,
self-care, and prevention of future occurrences.

Additionally, HNS has developed the HNS Clinical Quality & Documentation Standards which promote the delivery of effective and cost-efficient health care.  These standards establish HNS' performance expectations for contracted physicians.  While physicians are expected to comply with all HNS Clinical Quality & Documentation Standards, the following best practices help improve treatment outcomes and cost-efficiency.

Best Practices:

1. Adopt the HNS Philosophy of Care.
   
   
2. Comply with HNS policies and the policies of health care plans that contract with HNS.
   
   
3. Comply with the HNS Clinical Quality & Documentation Standards.
   
   
4. Understand the patient's chief complaint.
   
   
5. Based on the chief complaint and clinical exam findings, establish specific treatment goals for each patient which are objective, measurable, reasonable, and intended to improve a functional deficit.
   
   
6. Ensure your initial examination includes the use of standardized outcome assessment tools to establish a functional baseline against which progress towards treatment goals can be objectively measured.
   
   
7. Re-evaluate the patient every 4 weeks or 12 visits (whichever comes first) and use outcome assessment tools at each re-exam to objectively measure progress toward treatment goals and the appropriateness of additional care.
   
   
8. Use the comparison of the results of the outcome assessments and other objective measures to determine when MMI has been reached, then release the patient to maintenance/supportive care.
   
   
9. Ensure that all treatment billed to payors is consistent with the chief complaint, objective clinical findings and diagnosis.
   
   
10. Ensure all diagnoses, all services provided, the rationale for those services, and all treatment recommendations are properly documented in the health care record.