Kristene Diggins: Patients Value Convenience Above Everything

In a convenient care setting, collaboration is key to providing comprehensive care and thorough information to patients whether they have a primary care physician or not, said Kristene Diggins, FAANP, CNE, NEA‐BC, DNP, MBA, manager of professional practice at MinuteClinic.

Transcript (slightly modified)

What does collaborative care mean for MinuteClinic?

For MinuteClinic, collaborative care definitely means being the primary care safety net for patients, and so making sure that we work together, having an EMR [electronic medical record] that is networked with 52% of US healthcare, affiliating with large healthcare organizations to make sure that our patients’ information is looped back into their primary care provider, and that everything that we do as far as monitoring is comprehensive and collaborates with the primary care setup. And then again, if the patient doesn’t have a primary care, this is their opportunity to have one.

How much does the patient know or understand about what is going on with collaborative care and how MinuteClinic fits into the care continuum?

It’s interesting, American patients today value convenience above everything, so convenience is the number 1 attribute that a patient is looking for. When they come to us, they often don’t have a primary care provider, maybe if they do, they haven’t been there regularly, and I think that one of the biggest things we offer is to take that convenience aspect and make sure and inform the patient. We call it information therapy, so that the patient is informed about their condition, the diabetes particularly, and then able to act on that information for the best care possible. Working together with their [primary care provider] and again with the pharmacist, and other professionals who together will help that patient reach their goals.