Quality and Value
Iowans value accessible, affordable, quality health care, and so do the physicians of McFarland Clinic. When you choose McFarland Clinic, you're benefiting from measurably high quality and value of care. In our efforts to improve care for all patients, the physicians and staff of McFarland Clinic are guided by five keys. |
Access to Timely Care
Access to timely care means being able to see a medical provider when you want and need to be seen. Whether you are sick, injured, or need to schedule a routine office visit for preventative care, the ability for you to schedule a convenient appointment time is a priority at McFarland Clinic.
How is Access to Timely Care achieved?
McFarland Clinic offers same-day appointments in our primary care offices and the availability of Urgent Care and Express Care during the day, evening and weekends. This timely access to care in doctor’s offices is cost effective for both the patient and the insurance payer.
Better access to a doctor’s office for care reduces the likelihood of expensive visits to an Emergency Room for non-emergency health issues. One ER visit alone can cost as much as eight office visits.
How is success measured?
McFarland Clinic continually monitors physician schedules and next available appointment times to determine when to recruit for more capacity.
Disease Prevention
McFarland Clinic physicians monitor the health of their patients to prevent or identify early diseases such as cancer, diabetes or cardiovascular complications. Prevention and early diagnosis is important for the patient's overall health status and for reducing long term health costs. Listening to our patients, offering preventative care, and having a relationship with a primary care provider are key to sustaining both the physical and emotional health of individuals and our communities.
How is Disease Prevention achieved?
Physicians monitor and manage disease through office visits with their patients. It is important that individuals establish a trusting relationship with a physician or provider to determine frequency of visits and prevent the development of chronic health conditions.
How is success measured?
Timely health screenings such as laboratory tests, mammography and colonoscopy are offered to patients to measure risk or identify health concerns. Your provider will guide you regarding needed tests.
Breast cancer and colon cancer are both relatively common and very treatable when caught early, so screenings for these cancers are two important things McFarland Clinic is measured on by both Medicare and Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield.
Chronic Care Management
McFarland physicians actively monitor patients with chronic care diseases and conditions which have long lasting effects such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, arthritis, asthma, emphysema, congestive heart failure and infectious diseases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 25 percent of the US population has two or more chronic conditions.
How is Chronic Care Management achieved?
A physician works together with you to develop a comprehensive plan of care, helping you realize your healthcare goals. Your care team actively manages the plan, making sure you stay on track or get any additional resources you may need.
McFarland Clinic offers a team of care providers in more than 50 medical specialties and services. This coordination of care benefits you, identifying health concerns early and taking steps to minimize or eliminate associated risks.
How is success measured?
Your health status and clinical data are monitored to ensure compliance with guidelines set by professional organizations. For example guidelines recommend that patients with diabetes regularly monitor their blood sugar with A1c tests to ensure it’s in control, and that they have regular eye exams. McFarland Clinic physicians and providers demonstrate their commitment to best practices by keeping their patients in compliance with these recommendations at one of the highest rates in the country.
Patient Experience
Patient Experience refers to the various interactions you have with members of the McFarland Clinic team. Our goal is to provide a consistent and positive experience that exceeds your expectations. A positive experience ensures patient safety, quality of care, and improved health outcomes.
How is Patient Experience achieved?
Active listening and shared decision-making are two important components of a positive patient experience. When staff actively listen with every person in every interaction, it builds a trusting relationship so that patients feel comfortable sharing important health concerns. Engaging you in shared decision-making is also extremely important for us to understand your needs and advance your care plan.
How is success measured?
McFarland Clinic measures success by listening to you and your family members in order to improve the patient experience. Methods for patient feedback include patient satisfaction surveys, comments shared with clinic staff and Patient Relations representatives, and feedback from the clinic’s patient advisory council.
Cost-Conscious Leader
McFarland Clinic has been recognized for its financial stewardship in proactively managing the total cost of care to ensure the highest value for the care received.
How do we achieve being the Cost-conscious Leader?
McFarland physicians use evidence-based medicine to avoid unnecessary testing and procedures. In addition, procedures, x-rays and tests at McFarland Clinic are often less expensive than services provided in a hospital setting.
How is success measured?
Since McFarland Clinic is a physician group and does not own a hospital or other care facilities, we require insurers to gather cost data from all the various care sources to assess our cost performance.