The US spends more on healthcare than other developed countries but has the worst health outcomes of high-income nations. One solution for improving this dilemma is applying Population Health Management (PHM).
PHM is a process used to improve the health outcomes of the broader population by utilizing resources in predicting and preventing diseases, identifying at-risk clusters and those in need of proactive intervention, and promoting the health of the population through integrated care techniques.
The healthcare models of countries such as France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Japan are carefully designed to control costs and produce better outcomes. Most healthcare enterprises in the US have now recognized this need and are taking mammoth steps to embrace population health initiatives.
Important data sets required for population health
The core of population health management lies in accessing and analyzing healthcare data, including claims data, data present in Electronic Health Records (EHRs), wearables, Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), and social media.
The key to developing a successful PHM strategy lies in being able to access all of this data rather than specific chunks. Different types of data sets come with varied challenges. While claims data is easily accessible, it lacks the details on behavior, outcomes, reactions, and responses that are needed to create an end-to-end picture of the patient.
Meanwhile, data available in EHRs is highly important in terms of insights but still difficult to access. Even with recent regulations, not all the data present in the EHRs that is relevant for clinical research will become accessible.
The end-to-end platforms available for PHM can integrate data across devices and aggregate and analyze this data to ensure access to a complete patient record, thereby enabling better decision making.
What are the current challenges to adoption?
Despite the advantages of PHM, interoperability and current reimbursement models present obstacles.
Population health management solutions rely on the underlying data to create significant health interventions. Healthcare data doubles every 80 days, yet most of this data isn’t accessible. A lot of the data in the EHRs is unstructured, which makes it difficult to extract. Even with the recent interoperability mandates from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), not all the data will become accessible. A lot of the research-grade data that is relevant for complex interventions won’t be accessible immediately and eventually will be rolled out.
Changes also are needed in reimbursement models. Current healthcare models are based on the principle of fee-for-service, which are more focused on promoting volumes and dealing with illness than delivering value by promoting overall health. There is very little incentive to implement preventative and holistic care strategies, engage with patients, and encourage them to take charge of their health.
Creating a successful PHM strategy
Here are a few measures that organizations can take toward PHM success:
- Integrate PHM with the broader interoperability strategy – This will draw the maximum benefit out of the available pool of data. It is a journey that requires both long-term and short-term strategies that are informed by data
- Take proactive steps to include risk-based contracts and bundled payment models – These are critical to first understanding the costs of care. This includes adopting value-based payments and understanding the cost implications in a population health management setting, which means looking beyond single episodes with patients
- Actively invest in integrated care solutions – These integrated care solutions bring together all parties involved in delivering healthcare, coordinate their services by sharing information, and transform healthcare into a seamless experience for the patient. Increasingly, this care is moving away from emergency department visits and lengthy hospital stays to more accessible and less costly settings in homes, schools, and at work. Technology adoption is critical to delivering this level of “connected health”
- Invest in patient engagement as an essential part of the broader population health strategy – This will help organizations capture and utilize patient-generated health outcomes data, enable patients to participate more actively in their health outcomes, make regular wellness initiatives a part of their daily routine, and further improve medication adherence
How have you planned your PHM strategy? To share your experiences and learn more about PHM, reach out to Priya Sahni, [email protected].
