Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1169964
44 Executive Briefing care gaps and generate recommended actions." BayCare Health System has leveraged technology to address patient risks and needs through the following strategies: • Intelligent medical surveillance. Population-, provider panel- and patient-level alerts can be generated through the application of algorithms and predictive models, providing insight to quality, cost and utilization. For instance, chronic condition registries enable health systems to identify patient care gaps, stratify population by gaps in care severity and help administer preventive screenings. BayCare Health System has further augmented care gap management by launching remote monitoring for patients with chronic conditions. Remote patient monitoring provides an extra layer of support to high-risk individuals and can help prevent crisis situations. • Population health. BayCare Health System has population health experts who continually look through data. They contact patients and recommend care after a hospital discharge. Dr. Anand noted, "While the individual provider and patient experience is important, we must be proactive and reach out to people before they need our care or before it's too late." • Digital health. Some legacy health IT systems haven't made the transition to mobile environments that both patients and employees prefer. Mobile is a key factor driving the digital strategies of many health systems. BayCare Health System has developed a telemedicine platform called BayCare Anywhere which enables patients and community members to get care 24/7. BayCare Health System has also installed kiosks in grocery stores so people can take their blood pressure, monitor their vital signs and conduct telemedicine consultations. Strategy 3: Innovation and experimentation using AI and ML Compared to other industries, the healthcare sector has been slow to adopt analytics, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). However, many health systems are now exploring how to use these technologies to support value-based care. Geisinger Health System's data scientists are working in conjunction with the clinical enterprise on innovative projects based on AI and ML. "The human eye can't see early stage cancer cells, but computers can pick up sub-microscopic components that are starting to form. This knowledge is beneficial for early diagnosis and treatment," Mr. Kravitz said. BayCare Health System is partnering with several companies with the goal of enhancing its use of AI and ML. The organization is also exploring the use of chatbots and the automation of some care processes, such as presurgical optimization and post-surgery care, that traditionally would have required a care manager. This type of automation enables the organization to serve larger populations. "I see the future as being pretty bright when it comes to AI and ML," Dr. Anand said. "That's where true disruption is going to occur. If we can automate certain aspects of healthcare through machine learning and rapidly improve processes, we can change health for the better." Strategy 4: Promotion of incremental and disruptive change Health systems are challenged to move toward the value-based care models of tomorrow while still maintaining performance in today's primarily fee-for-service world. To support the journey to value-based care, organizations must focus on transformation in three areas: • Transactional efficiency. Transactional efficiency includes both efficiency and appropriateness of services. Dr. Sutariya explained, "We're focused on supporting that each transaction occurs in the most appropriate venue by the most appropriate licensed provider or care team member." • Workflow and operational efficiency. Workflows must be optimized for both clinical and supportive care team members. Data insights can be used to inform and guide optimization of workflows and reduction in operational variance. • Clinical care delivery optimization. The goal is to deliver the best outcomes for patients, while promoting efficient provider workflows. Organizations can leverage technology to gain and sustain momentum across these strategies. BayCare Health System has leveraged these transformation efforts to support incremental improvements and future innovation. The objective of BayCare Health System's care transformation initiative is to improve care, decrease costs and improve the patient experience. "Looking to the future, we started a population health project, which focuses on upstream care. We are looking at all aspects of member and patient care, including mental well-being, food and nutrition needs, and community connectedness," Dr. Anand said. "We have bifurcated our transformation work. The bifurcation enables our acute team to make the incremental improvements needed to be successful today, while our population health team identifies the giant leaps and improvements required for the future." Conclusion Healthcare systems can't ignore the urgency of modernizing care delivery and optimizing their networks. Consumers, payers and health systems all appreciate healthcare is complicated, fragmented and expensive. Mr. Kravitz observed, "It's not going to be fee-for- service forever. When healthcare reaches 19 percent or 20 percent of GDP, it's a tipping point that indicates we are spending too much on healthcare. Health systems of all sizes must get on the bandwagon and start looking at population health." Data and technology can help health systems with the transition to value-based care. According to Dr. Anand, technology can provide accurate and actionable information across the ever-growing care team, so all patients receive "the best care every time, everywhere they go." "Let the data drive where opportunities lie and hardwire those insights into care delivery through technology," Dr. Anand said. "That will result in the best outcomes for people, which is what we're all trying to achieve." n Cerner's health information technologies connect people and systems at more than 27,500 contracted provider facilities worldwide. Recognized for innovation, Cerner offers solutions and services for health care organizations of every size. Together with our clients, we are creating a future where the health care system works to im- prove the well-being of individuals and communities. cerner.com