Don’t Forget the Physician’s Role in Chronic Care Management Even as Care Managers’ Influence Increases

After I published my article last month suggesting that the Care Manager might be becoming the most influential person in healthcare, the Chief Medical Officer at my company CareCognitics, Spencer Kubo, asked me if he could expand the discussion and share the importance of the role doctors play in chronic care management as well.

Before I share his thoughts and perspectives as a doctor, I thought I’d first acknowledge that my previous headline was a bit click baity in nature.  At the end of the day, it’s not really a competition between doctors and care managers and it doesn’t matter which one is more influential.  The reality, as Spencer Kubo describes below and I say at the end of my last article, is that healthcare is a team sport and each player has their strengths and weaknesses.  The point of my previous article was to highlight the rising importance of the care manager in healthcare and wasn’t meant as a commentary on the importance of doctors.  We’re going to need everyone on board to improve healthcare and doctors play and will continue to play an important role.

Now, here’s some thoughts from Spencer Kubo, Chief Medical Officer at CareCognitics, on the role and importance of physicians in chronic care management:

Sunny Tara’s article was insightful, provocative and visionary.  Certainly, the growing role of the care manager is transforming medical care and facilitating the transition to value based systems.  The points about scale (# doctors/# patients), cost effectiveness and relationship building are spot on.