Getting the Most from Research Information

by Mitch Fillhaber, Vice President of Marketing and Managed Care, Shepherd Center, Atlanta, Georgia

In Volume 5, Number 1 of The Research Exchange, the content was devoted to encouraging researchers to adopt marketing strategies to improve the dissemination and utilization of NIDRR-funded research. In my role as the vice president of marketing and managed care for one of the most specialized "catastrophic care" hospitals in the country, I view the dissemination of research as an essential part of our differentiation strategy, an opportunity to improve benefit plan design for patients with catastrophic injury and illness, and an opportunity to expand continuums of care in response to what the research tells us about the needs of our patients.

Since I have primary responsibility for negotiating managed care and other types of contracts for our facility, it is clear that there is very low awareness of Model System research among payors. As a result, there is little interest in channeling patients to those facilities based on assumptions that investments in research lead to better outcomes. There is enormous opportunity to market collective Model System research to health care medical directors, case managers and quality management staff. This can be especially important for impacting payment decisions and the willingness to go "out of contract" for services that have proven to be effective in reducing post-discharge complications or, in some other way, to optimize the dollars available for acute care and rehabilitation.

One suggestion for marketing research to payors is the development of a research day educational program that includes tracks for physicians and clinical staff. The goal is to present the results of 25 years of Model System research results that can be translated into a variety of economic benefits for plans, their enrollees and corporate clients. Another idea is the development of a clinical research digest that can be published two to four times per year and distributed along with facility outcomes information to payors as well as business and industry.

Today, it is common for health care providers to post research information on Web sites. This is a great first step to educating visitors about the role of research in the effort to achieve more effective outcomes. Another is to build a base of subscribers in the media and among referral and payor contacts in order to provide regular updates via electronic mail.

One way to target the dissemination of research is to focus on improving the care offered to catastrophic care patients at referring hospitals prior to transfer. Enhancing their understanding of clinical protocols that have increased function and reduced disability allows patients to enter the rehabilitation phase more quickly and avoid delays due to medical complications. Many practitioners are probably not aware that many protocols used today were developed through MSCIS research. Research findings that have immediate and/or long-term implications on the quality of life of patients should be managed by a facility's media relations professionals who actively market media outlets with related stories. Drug and device manufacturers have obviously had excellent success in encouraging the rapid adoption and reimbursement of new drugs and procedures by creating media interest about new drugs and their potential benefits.

Research trends indicated an increase in pressure sores among Model System patients after discharge as a result of shorter lengths of stay. This has led Shepherd Center to focus some fundraising efforts to help support the new Marcus Bridge Program which will assist patients in achieving a successful readjustment to their communities for up to a year after injury. This new service will be written into all contracts and, at a minimum, will create the expectation that it is part of a patient's "treatment" at our facility. Research and clinical trials have also become a major factor in the decision for another large group of patients, those with Multiple Sclerosis, to receive treatment at Shepherd Center.

We've also noticed an increase in the importance that research seems to play in the decision process of patients and their families who are considering options for rehabilitation. Although their curiosity is initially focused on cure research, many relatives who evaluate rehabilitation facilities for their loved ones are beginning to ask more general questions about the research we conduct in our Model System programs. Being able to respond to questions and refer people to groups focusing on the cure helps establish the Model System as the predominant experts in the field, not simply presenting the MSCIS research agenda. Perhaps over time, audiences such as health care medical directors, case managers, and patients and their families will recognize that the commitment of our organizations transcends simply providing patient care in the acute phase of a lifelong process of adjustment.

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