Brainstorming
Discussion Summary: Replication and Dissemination of Project Findings
Lynda Honberg, MCHB - Group Facilitator
Lynda Honberg, MCHB, led meeting participants in a concluding discussion that focused on strategies for continuing the work of the grantees. Participants drew upon their experience to propose that MCHB – and all of the projects – keep alert to strategic opportunities for disseminating and translating to practice the knowledge and experience garnered from the projects. An example of such strategic opportunities suggested by one grantee was the process of annual re-negotiation of state Medicaid contracts with MCOs. Beyond seeking opportunities, the community of professionals and families concerned about CSHCN needs information to build political alliances that will be helpful when such opportunities emerge.
Meeting participants further concurred that a core set of straightforward "key messages" should be synthesized from the entire body of lessons learned from across all of the projects. One participant noted, "Managed care is changing, and will continue to do so. Keep the focus broad by asking the question of how does this population get services within any kind of complex financing system."
Dissemination by group members will need to be guided by an awareness of where MCOs are in terms of what they need to know, and where they usually go for the information they need. While it is important to develop fact sheets with these key messages, it also will be important that such fact sheets are prepared with messages tailored for various target audiences, such as health plans, state and federal legislators, Medicaid program administrators (state and federal levels), families, providers, and purchasers. One grantee urged the group to "keep purchasers front and center because they drive the system." Another urged a primary focus at the state level.
Specific additional products offered for consideration included:
Someone else suggested developing two or three benchmarks to suggest that plans use to guide their organizational efforts on behalf of the population of CSHCN and their families. In this regard, a number of participants noted the urgent importance of partnering with the American Association of Health Plans (AAHP) and the National Committee on Quality Assurance (NCQA) in particular, to influence HEDIS and accreditation standards.
Conference venues for dissemination suggested included the BCAP Conference on CSHCN, (sponsored by the Center for Health Change Strategies), AAHP conferences, and AMCHP annual meeting workshops. Participants noted that the Tri-Regional meetings that MCHB sponsors for teams of State Title V CSHCN Programs, Medicaid Programs, and Families also could provide efficient and effective opportunities for disseminating the ideas generated in the managed care projects.
Finally, participants concurred that available technology should be appropriately used to share the key messages. Examples of such approaches included using the Family Voices Listserve and presentation of Webcasts such as those produced by colleagues at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
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End of Summary