MISSOURI WISEWOMAN PROGRAM MANUAL

COMMUNITY-CLINICAL LINKAGES 

Community-clinical linkages are connections between community and clinical sectors to improve population health. Public health leaders have prioritized community-clinical linkages as an effective approach to prevent and control chronic diseases. NCCDPHP promotes community-clinical linkages as helping to “ensure that people with or at high risk of chronic diseases have access to the resources they need to prevent, delay or manage chronic conditions once they occur.”

PATIENT ENGAGEMENT 

Promoting patient engagement in healthcare helps to improve health outcomes, drive better patient care and achieve lower costs. It combines a patient’s knowledge, skills, ability, and willingness to manage their own care with communications to promote positive behaviors.

BENEFITS OF PATIENT ENGAGEMENT 

• Increased knowledge and understanding among patients, encourages them to become actively engaged in their own health, well-being and healthcare choices, leading to improved care
• Physicians are better able to treat patients in the most effective way possible, ultimately becoming more time and cost efficient
• Patient engagement has financial benefits, as it reduces no-shows, aids in increasing revenue and maintains your patient base

DATA AND OUTCOMES 

The Missouri WISEWOMAN Program activities centers on data collection. WISEWOMAN providers will enter information into Missouri Health Strategic Architectures and Information Cooperative (MOHSAIC). This information is then compiled by the WISEWOMAN team and reported to CDC for program improvements. Each WISEWOMAN service has specific components that are required for a valid claim. If data is entered incorrectly, the WISEWOMAN team will follow up to validate and/or correct the participant’s information. Invalid data will create a MDE error, which are submitted in a report to CDC biannually for review and correction. 

NATIONAL CLINICIAL GUIDELINES 

National clinical, diet and lifestyle guidelines, based on a rigorous review process, translate the best available science to practice and assist clinicians and participants in making health care decisions. Clinical practice guidelines on hypertension, cholesterol, diabetes and obesity are developed through collaborative efforts of national organizations, such as the American Heart Association (AHA), American Diabetes Association (ADA) and American College of Cardiology (ACC). CDC and MDHSS recognize that national guidelines are not fixed protocols that must be followed and that a licensed practitioner’s judgment remains paramount.

NATIONAL GUIDELINES GUIDANCE 

WISEWOMAN providers should assure the quality of all WISEWOMAN services provided by using standards of care, including following the most current national guidelines, when delivering clinical and preventive services.

EXAMPLES INCLUDE: 

• When subcontracting with other organizations for services, providers should specify expectations regarding adherence to national guidelines in contractual agreements, training and program policies
• Providers should provide ongoing professional development and technical assistance on national guidelines and quality assurance regarding the use of national guidelines to their subcontractors or encourage them to attend MDHSS recommended professional development
• Providers should ensure subcontractors participate in professional development and technical assistance regarding national guidelines provided by MDHSS
• Providers should participate in site visits, chart audits and/or data audits conducted by MDHSS and should conduct their own audits to assess quality in the delivery of services