Weighting provider panels across primary care
UW Health is a pioneer in innovative patient empanelment approaches using data to inform weighting (incorporating age, gender, and insurance factors). When analyzing this data, it was exciting to see panel size shift over time to better represent the variation of work across providers.
This work represents a retrospective observational study about how to "right-size" a patient panel by implementing a weighting methodology.
In practical terms, the beauty of weighted panels is that practice decisions are made using data and metrics "rather than relying on your gut," said Kamnetz.
"This process has allowed us to look at our clinics (within the UW system) and decide when panels are getting full and to help make decisions around staffing. Do we need another physician? Another advanced-practice provider? How many medical assistants and registered nurses should we have?"