How to Use the Consumerism Maturity Model

Using the model as a consumerism self-assessment

1. Score your organization’s maturity level. Review the information in the report about the three model components that are used in your organizational self-assessment. Each component has several elements. The report includes a table for each element, with criteria for scoring your organization’s level of consumerism maturity for that element on a scale from 1 to 5.  When you’re ready, record your scores on the CMIS Worksheet.
2. Gather data on six organizational key performance indicators (KPIs). Two KPIs will need some adjustment. The specifics are provided on the CMIS Worksheet. Record the data on the worksheet.
3. Transfer your self-assessment scores and KPIs from the CMIS worksheet to the online calculator. The calculator will combine your self-assessment score with the KPIs and compute your organization’s CMIS.
4. View your CMIS and consumerism maturity level. Along with generating your CMIS, the calculator will indicate the level where your organization falls on the Consumerism Maturity Model Rating Scale: Consumer Centric, Emerging, Initiating, or Undeveloped. 

How to use the model as a consumerism process improvement tool

After you receive your CMIS score and level, continue using the Consumerism Maturity Model as a roadmap for improving the patient financial experience. Here’s how:

1. Identify areas for improvement based on your organizational self-assessment.

• Review the components where your organization scored less than 5 in the self-assessment.
• Prioritize your lowest score areas or areas that your organization has already identified as candidates for process improvement.
• Refer to the relevant tables in the report that list the attributes for each scoring level that are associated with each element of consumerism.
• In consultation with your colleagues, identify attributes associated with higher performance levels that are aspirational for your organization, considering community needs, organizational goals and applicable resource constraints. 

2. Identify areas for improvement based on your KPIs. Work with your organization’s quality improvement team, quality committee and others engaged in improving HCAHPS scores. Also, review information about HFMA’s MAP Award winners, best practices, and other tools. Take advantage of HFMA’s consumerism-related eLearning and certification programs. Plan to attend HFMA’s Revenue Cycle Conference.

3. Develop a consumerism process improvement plan. Now that you have a roadmap for improvement, you are ready to develop a process improvement plan. Be sure to integrate your plan with your organizational budgeting process, strategic plan, and marketing plan, and seek consumer feedback on your proposed improvements. Most process improvement plans will incorporate HFMA’s consumerism-related best practices and recommendations for patient financial communications, price transparency and medical account resolution, as embodied in the Consumerism Maturity Model.

4. Check your progress. After you have implemented your process improvement plan, take the self-assessment again and use the online calculator to generate your new score and level. Celebrate your accomplishments with your colleagues and share them with the HFMA Community. Then, begin again, in accordance with continuous process improvement.