How can clinicians leverage technology and insights to go Direct to Employer and MSK Management in their practice?
It’s no secret that healthcare organizations have been facing downward pricing pressure for years. Part of this comes from the fact that, in a fee for service model for reimbursement, the easiest lever for payers to pull when it comes to reducing the cost of healthcare is the price. Payers, in an attempt to control costs, resort to either limiting service coverage or paying providers less. As a result, many healthcare provider organizations have shifted from insurance-based models of care to direct to payer or direct to consumer business models, including cash-based practice and direct to employer and MSK management. They do this because they can bypass the low fee schedules of the insurance companies. The problem is that, at the end of the day, they’re still stuck in the fee for service model of healthcare, which, as I describe in my book, incentivizes high volume, minimally acceptable quality care. That’s where leveraging technology, data, and clinical content comes into play. Incorporating those into practice allows clinic owners and practices to tap into more value-based reimbursement and contracting.
So, this week, I sit down with Zach Walston, PT, DPT from Second Door Health. Zach was a guest on the podcast in the past, and now he’s the head of clinical content and clinical strategy at Second Door Health.
What we cover in this Episode:
- The challenges of a fee for service healthcare model of reimbursement
- Going direct to consumer in healthcare private practice
- Using content and knowledge translation to increase patient engagement
- The value proposition in a direct to employer model of MSK management
- Leveraging technology to streamline workflows, increase patient engagement, and create a positive return on investment for payers
- Achieving Better Outcomes by building a platform to enable clinicians to go direct to employer for MSK management
We post videos of certain podcast episodes, including this episode, which can find on the YouTube Channel.
Connect with Zach & Second Door Health
For More:
If you enjoyed this episode: Join Rafael E. Salazar II, MHS, OTR/L (Rafi), principal of Rehab U Practice Solutions and host of The Better Outcomes Show as he explores the possibilities of a new healthcare. Guests range from clinicians trying new techniques and treatments to executives and entrepreneurs exploring new service delivery methods, business models, and organizational structures. You can sign-up to receive new episodes delivered directly to your inbox by filling out the form below. Learn more about Rehab U Practice Solutions by reading The Manifesto for a New Healthcare, or listen to Episode 000. Or, grab a copy of the book: Better Outcomes: A Guide to Humanizing Healthcare.
Are You Ready to Humanize Healthcare?
If you run an innovative healthcare company and are looking to develop a strategy that leverages best practices, new technology, and marketing/messaging in a way that returns the focus of healthcare to people, please reach out. I’d love to talk with you about how Rehab U Practice Solutions can help help you craft an business development strategy that leverages positioning, market research, stakeholder alignment to drive business development strategy for specific healthcare stakeholders.
Rafael E. Salazar II, MHS, OTR/L (Rafi) is a healthcare consultant, speaker, and host of he Better Outcomes Show. He helps healthcare startups, SaaS platforms, and organizations craft clear positioning, humanize the patient experience, and go to market effectively. He’s the author of Better Outcomes: A Guide to Humanizing Healthcare and principal at Rehab U Practice Solutions. His work on Telehealth has been discussed in Forbes, and he’s advised on projects ranging from digital health product launches to multi-million-dollar healthcare transformation initiatives.
Today, Rafi helps innovative healthcare companies like technology startups, platforms, SaaS companies & innovative healthcare organizations develop effective positioning strategy and business development plans through his consulting work. He also leverages his experience as a professor and academic to speak and train on the topics around humanizing the healthcare experience & healthcare innovation. In addition, Rafi also owns and operates ProActive Rehabilitation & Wellness, a multidisciplinary outpatient clinic treating patients with musculoskeletal pain.
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Work With Me
Are you building something innovative in healthcare—like a digital health product, service, or platform that’s aiming to truly improve the patient experience?
I help healthcare startups, SaaS platforms, and forward-thinking provider organizations develop clear positioning strategies, identify high-value offers, and build go-to-market plans that actually resonate with both users and buyers.
Whether you're launching a new product, scaling an existing service, or navigating digital transformation, I bring 12+ years of experience across clinical operations, healthcare innovation, and strategic development.
How I help:
- Clarify your product/service positioning so customers “get it”
- Align your offer with real market needs
- Build a Digital Health Roadmap to scale your healthcare organization effectively
- Support business development with industry-informed strategy
I’ve consulted on projects from multi-million-dollar state initiatives to early-stage product launches. My work’s been featured in Forbes, and I also speak at healthcare events and conferences on topics like innovation, digital health, and humanizing care. I also speak and train at healthcare conferences, events, and organizations on topics related to technology-enabled care, healthcare innovation, healthcare positioning, and humanizing the healthcare experience.
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