Finding Your Missing Patients

Fellow physicians, remember when Marlin spent the entire movie searching the ocean for his lost son Nemo? Well, that's exactly the energy we need when it comes to finding our "missing" patients - those who have care gaps and need our help to stay healthy!

Just like Marlin never gave up on finding Nemo, we can't give up on finding and closing care gaps for our patients.

The Great Barrier Reef (Your Patient Population)

The Vast Ocean: Your patient panel is like the ocean - vast, complex, and full of patients who need different types of care:

• Some are swimming along just fine (healthy patients)

• Others are hiding in the coral (avoiding care)

• Some are caught in nets (complex medical conditions)

• And some are just lost (care gaps everywhere)

The Care Gaps (Missing Fish): Just like Nemo got separated from his dad, patients get separated from the care they need:

• Overdue mammograms and colonoscopies

• Missing diabetic eye exams and foot checks

• Uncontrolled blood pressure and cholesterol

• Missed medication refills and follow-up appointments

Dory's Approach (Systematic Care Gap Identification)

"Just Keep Swimming" (Persistent Outreach): Dory never gave up, and neither should you:

• Regular patient outreach calls

• Automated reminder systems

• Multiple contact attempts

• Creative communication methods

"I Speak Whale" (Meeting Patients Where They Are): Sometimes you need to communicate differently:

• Text messages for younger patients

• Phone calls for older patients

• Multilingual materials when needed

• Community health workers for hard-to-reach populations

The School of Fish (Team-Based Care Gap Closure)

Everyone Has a Role: Just like the school of fish worked together to help Marlin, your whole team can help close care gaps:

Physicians: Identify clinical priorities and high-risk patients Nurses: Provide patient education and care coordination MAs: Handle routine outreach and appointment scheduling Front desk: Optimize scheduling and insurance verification Care coordinators: Manage complex patients and follow-up

The Aquarium (Systematic Approach)

Tank Maintenance (Regular Care Gap Reviews):

• Weekly team huddles to review care gaps

• Monthly reports on closure rates

• Quarterly analysis of trends and patterns

• Annual review of processes and outcomes

Feeding Schedule (Consistent Patient Contact)

• Preventive care reminders

• Chronic disease management check-ins

• Medication adherence follow-up

• Post-visit care coordination

The Rescue Mission (Specific Strategies)

For the Hiding Patients:

• Gentle, non-judgmental outreach

• Explanation of why care is important

• Addressing barriers and concerns

• Offering convenient appointment options

For the Overwhelmed Patients:

• Breaking down care into manageable steps

• Coordinating multiple services in one visit

• Providing clear, simple instructions

• Extra support and follow-up

For the Forgetful Patients:

• Multiple reminder systems

• Family member involvement

• Written instructions and handouts

• Technology solutions (apps, portals)

This Week's Action Item

Pick your practice's worst-performing care gap measure. Identify 10 patients who need that service. Create a "Finding Nemo" action plan:

1. Who will contact each patient?

2. What barriers might they face?

3. How will you address those barriers?

4. When will you follow up?

Start your rescue mission this week!

VBC Reality Check

Finding and closing care gaps isn't just about improving your quality scores (though it definitely does that). It's about making sure your patients get the preventive care that could literally save their lives.

Just like Marlin's love for Nemo drove him across the ocean, your commitment to your patients should drive you to find and close every care gap.

Keep swimming, and keep searching. Your patients are counting on you to find them!

What's your most creative care gap closure strategy? Reply and share - we all need new ideas for our rescue missions!