Jamahal C. Boyd Sr., director of multicultural competence and inclusion at Cincinnati-based Mercy Health, cautions providers  to stay in their “respective lanes” to maintain efficiency and effectiveness in population-health efforts.

” In an attempt to innovate, some providers and systems are trying to respond to the diverse needs of their patient population that extend far beyond what takes place in the exam room.

“Not that this isn’t a good idea or approach, but when what providers are planning to do falls outside of the scope of what they do best, or outside of their experience and/or expertise, it becomes challenging. Oftentimes, this can cause providers to over-promise and under-deliver, which can lead to patient dissatisfaction, loss of credibility or consumer confusion.”

“If a provider or system is an expert at providing the best healthcare or specialty care for its patient population, then that is its lane. But providers can also innovate and effectively meet the peripheral needs of a patient by establishing effective partnerships and leveraging current relationships with those who have expertise in specialized services or service areas in the communities they serve.”