Which statement best distinguishes a proactive care management outreach from a clinician-initiated referral?

Which statement best distinguishes a proactive care management outreach from a clinician-initiated referral?

• A. Outreaches are informal chats, referrals are formal requests.
• B. Outreaches are initiated by patients themselves; referrals are not.
• C. Outreach proactively engages patients to address needs, gaps, and preventive care; referrals are clinician-initiated requests for services.
• D. There is no difference; they are the same.

Answer: (C)

The main idea is that proactive care management outreach is about the care team actively reaching out to patients to close care gaps and promote preventive services, rather than waiting for a patient to request help. A clinician-initiated referral, on the other hand, is when a clinician identifies a need during care and formally directs the patient to a specific service. This makes the statement that best distinguishes them: outreach proactively engages patients to address needs, gaps, and preventive care, while referrals are clinician-initiated requests for services. For example, a care team might call a patient who is overdue for a vaccination to schedule it, which is outreach. A clinician-initiated referral would be the clinician sending the patient to a dietitian after identifying dietary management needs.

The main idea is that proactive care management outreach is about the care team actively reaching out to patients to close care gaps and promote preventive services, rather than waiting for a patient to request help. A clinician-initiated referral, on the other hand, is when a clinician identifies a need during care and formally directs the patient to a specific service.

This makes the statement that best distinguishes them: outreach proactively engages patients to address needs, gaps, and preventive care, while referrals are clinician-initiated requests for services. For example, a care team might call a patient who is overdue for a vaccination to schedule it, which is outreach. A clinician-initiated referral would be the clinician sending the patient to a dietitian after identifying dietary management needs.