Becker's Hospital Review

53 CIO / HEALTH IT The Growth of Predictive Analytics — 7 Thoughts and Observations By Scott Becker, publisher of Becker's Healthcare, and Jessica Kim Cohen H ere are seven things to know about how advanced analytics can be used to make predictions in healthcare. 1. is form of advanced analytics has been talked about for nearly a decade — but we are just now seeing large advances in its use in the last 24 months. In 2015, the global health- care predictive analytics market was valued at $1.48 billion, and is expected to continue to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 29.3 percent through 2025, according to a Grand View Research report. 2. e recent advancements in predictive an- alytics are powered by a combination of great minds, high-powered data tools and comput- ing, which are being used to attack real-world problems. Two drivers of the recent growth in predictive analytics include mounting pressure to contain high healthcare costs and increasing consumer demand for personalized medicine, according to Grand View Research. 3. Barriers to deploying predictive analytics have focused on workforce and technical is- sues. In an interview with Becker's Hospital Review, J. Bryan Bennett, executive director of the consulting organization Healthcare Center of Excellence, noted that before ap- proaching predictive analytics, healthcare organizations needed to collect and integrate relevant data. 4. In the coming year, both the opportunities and challenges for predictive analytics will like- ly increase, with statistical and predictive data analysts slated to be one of the top 10 most in demand — yet hardest to fill — technology roles in 2017, according to a Forrester report. As the market continues to expand, Grand View Research also notes how key players like IBM, Cerner, Verisk Analytics, McKesson, SAS and Oracle will dominate the space. 5. e applications of predictive analytics range from a variety of business problems, such as staffing issues, to a number of clinical issues around subjects like pneumonia. Med- Star Montgomery Medical Center in Olney, Md., recently launched a fall prevention pro- gram with analyticsMD's analytics solution, and VigiLanz's has used its analytics method- ology, termed Temporalytics, to identify those most vulnerable to developing sepsis. 6. New research suggests predictive analyt- ics can improve healthcare. For example, a study in Radiology concluded that a machine learning model could predict patient surviv- al of heart failure. However, researchers have also faced challenges deploying their find- ings, as a study in JAMA Cardiology suggests predictive models validated in clinical stud- ies may not prove accurate when used with EMR data. 7. A few recent large-scale deployments of predictive analytics include Rush Universi- ty Medical Center in Chicago working with GE Healthcare Partners to build a command center, which will use predictive analytics to manage its patient flow, and Penn Medicine in Philadelphia launching a big data initiative to predict which lung cancer patients are at risk for emergency room visits. n Epic to Develop 2 New EHR Versions By Jessica Kim Cohen E pic is working to develop two new EHR versions, which are slated to be released this year, Adam Whitlatch, a lead developer at Epic, told Becker's Hospital Review in an in- terview. These additions will bring the number of Epic EHR versions to three: the full Epic EHR, called "all-terrain;" a mid-range Epic EHR with fewer modules, called "utility;" and a slimmed-down Epic EHR, with fewer modules and advanced features, called "Sonnet." "The features that would be removed would be things that oth- er major EHR vendors already don't have, so you won't really be missing anything," Mr. Whitlatch says, adding that Epic is still evaluating which advanced features won't be included in the Sonnet version. The target market for the two new versions are physician practic- es and smaller hospitals, such as critical access hospitals, which may benefit from the lower price points and shorter implemen- tation times. Another target market is medium-sized community hospitals, which may want a lower starting price point with the option for a more advanced EHR version later on. The two new EHR versions will still be interoperable with the Epic all-terrain EHR, according to Mr. Whitlatch. n NJ Couple Sentenced for Stealing 71 Mental Health Patients' Identities, Credit Card Information By Erin Dietsche A New Jersey couple was sentenced in February for their part in an identity theft scheme, ac- cording to NJ.com. Clare Ojeda was given five years probation for her role in the scheme. Ms. Ojeda's boyfriend, Shaun Howard, was sentenced to three years in prison. Ms. Ojeda worked in a billing center for mental health practices throughout New Jersey. The couple utilized Ms. Ojeda's position to steal the identities and credit card information of 71 mental health patients. Ms. Ojeda and Mr. Howard allegedly used the mon- ey they gained to fund shopping sprees and trips, according to Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutor Christina Atallah. Three other individuals were charged in the identity theft scheme, but their charges were dismissed. n

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