Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1120168
9 You've already got some data It's important to know the populations you serve. Take inventory of what data you can access immediately or data you can access simply. Basic claims or billing data can spotlight high-utilizers if organized correctly. If data is organized so you can stratify it based on utilization, map to a diagnosis-related group (DRG) or an ICD-10 code, you've generated significant potential insight without massive investment in data acquisition, data integration or report development. Wanted: new skill sets Do you have enough smart, creative, curious resources skilled enough to run those reports to manage the value-based care contracts? Can they identify gaps in care models or hot spotters in the community? Through no fault of their own, most health systems never had reason to build a skill set like that in either their IT or population health shops. However, in a value-based care world, that skill set is essential. Additionally, most analytical infrastructures in the country don't have the skills sets required to analyze all that data. Five key takeaways As the saying goes, you have to walk before you can run. If you begin the value-based care journey, consider the following: 1. Focus on best practices and usefulness. For example, what to roll out and when. Set a strong foundation so when it's time to expand your value-based care program, you've planned for growth and can move toward that. 2. Formulate strategies. Bundled payments, pay for perfor- mance, etc., are tactics of value-based care, not strategies. Create a short-term strategy but don't forget about long- term growth and expansion. 3. Have a roadmap. How can the organization start to generate immediate value, even if it's short term, to give the momen- tum necessary to justify the investment in the next phase of data acquisition and integration? 4. Know your population. As said before, know the popula- tion you serve and who and how you want to target them. EHR, claims and billing data can provide tremendous insights into your population. 5. Report effectively on the data. A visually compelling report helps third-party stakeholders identify care gaps, highlight hot-spotters and other population health "flags." What's next? Once your value-based care program is running with data and analytics in place, you can move toward technologies like remote monitoring and telehealth to deploy to populations. A lot of investment is being made on building the next generation of analytical platforms that integrate clinical and claims data and provide predictive analytics. In next month's feature, we'll focus on the right level of IT spending to drive innovation at provider organizations. To learn more about value-based care from our experts, visit www.optum.com/AdvisoryServices About the author Erik Johnson is a VP and Practice Lead within Optum Adviso- ry Services, which specializes in helping health system, clinical and ambulatory leaders address their biggest challenges with the guidance, insights and precise strategies needed to help assert control over their organization's future. He has experience in designing population health strategies for a broad array of providers. Erik assists healthcare systems in determining how to adopt and assess accountable care and bundled payment models, guiding overall strategy. Erik also worked with health IT com- panies in responding to emergent issues around EHRs and data exchange. n Optum is a leading health services and innovation company dedicated to helping make the health system work better for everyone. Optum combines technology, data and expertise to improve the delivery, quality and efficiency of health care. Hospitals, doctors, pharmacies, employers, health plans, government agencies and life sciences companies rely on Optum services and solutions to solve their most complex challenges. "Do you have enough smart, creative, curious resources?" "You have to walk before you can run."