Tennessee Medicaid: Increase patient access to care

We want to help you increase access to care for African Americans in West Tennessee. According to recent Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) surveys, African Americans are receiving care at a lower rate than any other race or ethnicity in the region. 

Here are suggested best practices and resources to help you increase access to care for this patient population:

Suggested best practices for increasing access to care

• Encourage members to sign up for your practice’s patient portal and complete medical forms in advance of their appointment; this can help decrease in-office wait times 
  • Consider sending an email or postcard to the member with instructions for signing up for your patient portal 
• Encourage telehealth appointments, when possible, so members can access care without having to travel to your office
• When members are in your waiting room, provide them with updates on wait times so they know when their provider will be ready to see them

Resources and training
Telehealth can help increase access to care for patients experiencing health care disparities. See our Telehealth Best Practices Interactive Guide to learn more about how to build your practice’s telehealth capabilities.  

You can also access 15-minute training modules and downloadable guides on best practices for delivering excellent patient care. Topics include:

• Patient-centered communication
• Creating lasting impressions
• Access to care
• Getting needed care quickly
• Care coordination

To access the training modules and guides, you’ll need to first create an account. 

Questions? 
Visit our Contact Us page. 

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