WiththeinaugurationoftheInternetofThings,wecansay
thateverythingandeveryoneisconnected.The technologicalshiftofthisdimensionisfeltbyevery divisionoftheeconomy,everyhumanbeingandeverysector includingHealthcare.InternetofHealthyThings(IoHT)bridges interoperabilityhurdlestotransformradicallythewayinwhich healthcareisdelivered,drivinghigh-graderesults,increasing efficiencyandmakinghealthcareaffordabletoall.
Wearabledevicesandhomehealthmonitoringdevicesassisting patientsisacommonthingnow.Whetherdatacomesfrom electrocardiogramsortemperaturemonitors,trackinghealth informationisvitalforallpatients.Connectedsmartdevices facilitatereal-timedatareportingwiththecapabilitytotransmit criticaldatafromapatient’shometothehospital.Itallowsdoctors andhospitalstafftohaveareal-timemonitoringofpatient’s wellness.Increaseincomputingpowerisalsoareasonbehindthis disruption.Oursmartphonesnowholdmoreprocessingpowerthan entireroomsofearlycomputers,andnowhereisthattruerthaninthe worldofmedicalmonitoring.Theleapsandboundsthat technologicalprogresshastakeninthepastfewdecadesshowcases thatwhereasonceyou'dhavetogotoamedicalprofessionaltoget moreinformationabout.
ThisdisruptionmadepossiblebyIoHTisalsocreatingan opportunitytoreducethecostofhealthcaredeliveryandallowing healthcaretotransformintovalue-basedhealthcare.Recently publishedresearchshowsthatwithremotepatientmonitoringforthe heart,asthmaanddiabetespatientswillenableatotalsavingof $200+billionmainlyduetotheeliminationofunnecessaryand redundantexpenditures.Thefutureisconvergingmoreon interconnecteddevices,andallthesemethodswillhelptobuild productsthatinvolveenoughwithpatientstosupportthemin craftinghealthgoalswhicharerelevanttotheirlife.Adoptersofthe InternetofThingsinHealthcarearerisingsteadilywhichdelivers verycompellingmessaging,sustainengagementandprovide powerfulmotivatorstomakehealthandwellnessapartofour everydaylives.
Sugandha Sharma
Constantandcompetitiveadvancesinareasrangingfromwearablestobloodtestingaswellasartificial
intelligencehaveshapedtheconventionalhealthcaremarketintoadigitizedandmorecompetitivehealthcare giant.Theageingpopulationacrosstheworldandrisingincidencesofchronicdiseases─whichcontinue burdenthehealthcaresystem─hasimpelledustoinnovateandevolveourhealthcaremethods.Overtheyearsofbig disruptions,transformationsandinnovations,thehealthcareindustrycontinuestooverhauloutmodedbusinessmodels andexpertslookupforinnovativeorganizationswhichstrive&thrivetostaycompetent.
Thedireneedforproficienthealthcaresolutionprovidershasmadeuslookoutfor “The 10 Fastest Growing Healthcare Solution Provider Companies 2017”. OnourcoverpagewehaveScottW.Thomas,theCEOofRMS, featuredfor revolutionizing your revenue byprovidingardentrevenuemanagementsolutions.RevenueManagement Solutions(RMS)hasacceleratedelectronicrevenuemanagementforhealthcareproviders,banksandhealthplans; solvesrevenueproblemsandturnsdataintopowerwithprovenworkflowautomationtoolsthatinterfacewithexisting practicemanagementsystems.
Furthermore,wehaveCare3,whichistheworld’sfirstteamcollaborationplatformforcaredeliveredoutsideofthe hospital.Hi3SolutionsisbeinglistedforprovidingHITproducts,education,andconsultingservicesthatenableits clientstoengageeffectivelyinhealthinformationexchange,healthdataintegration,andhealthcarequality measurementrequiredtoestablishandcomplywithevidence-basedbestpracticesinhealthcare.Listedforprovidinga practicalapproachtowardspopulation-orientedhealthcaredataanalysistoinsuranceplans,exchangeissuers,ACOs, andrisk-bearingprovidergroupsisMileHighHealthcareAnalytics.Inaddition,Scribeisempoweringhealthcare providerstocreateandmanagemedicalrecordsandgivesyouthefreedomtofocusonwhatmattersmost–patient care.Lastly,listedforbreakingthesystemicbarrierstocontentsharingandcooperationinthecareofpatientsis SimplicityHealthSystems(SHS).Itwasfoundedinresponsetothefederalgovernment'sHealthInformation TechnologyforEconomicandClinicalHealthAct(HITECHAct),whichwasacallfortheadvancementofhealthcare technology
So,flipthroughtheamazingfoliosforinsightsonorganizationsstrivinghardtokeep-upwiththetechnological disruptioninthehealthcareindustry.Donotmissoutonsomeimportantexecutiveacumenon “How Innovation in healthcare means going against entrenched beliefs about the nature of charting” byRichardLow,MDofPraxis® ElectronicMedicalRecordsand “Top 5 Best Practices that Defines a Successful Wellness Program” byDr.GaryTho, OwnerofChiropracticWorks.
Findoutmoreaboutthetrendsintheindustrythrougharticleson‘Artificial Intelligence: A Game Changer for Healthcare’ and‘Upcoming Trends that will Change the Face of Pharma Industry’ draftedbyourin-houseeditorsfor thisspecialissue.
Nowadays,healthcareinstitutionsfind themselvesboundtoever-changing regulatoryspecificationsanddynamic marketforces.Allthewhile,they’re strivingtodeliverbest-possibleoutcomes totheirpatientswhilestilladdingtotheir bottomlinesandmaintainingtheirownfinancialhealth. Financialstabilitygoesalongwayinallowingthese institutionstooperateatpeakefficiency,whichtranslatesto astronger,healthiercommunity.
Whatwe’reseeingnowisacomplexrelationshipbetween healthcareproviders,patientsandthird-partypayers workingtomaintainsolvency Ascostscontinueto increase,sohavethecomplexitiesofsupporting reimbursementsystems,changingthefaceof Revenue Cycle Management (hereafter: RCM).
Revenuecyclemanagement(RCM)iscurrentlyundergoing anunprecedentedtransformation.Theprocessesgoverning theflowoffundsmustbecontinuouslystreamlinedand improved.Healthcareproviders,insurersandthebanksthey workwithwilllooktodexterousandinnovativepartners, likeOklahomaCity-basedRMS(RevenueManagement Solutions),torevolutionizetheirelectronicrevenue management.Withtheirprovenworkflowautomationtools, theyworkdirectlywiththeHCP,providingtailored
softwaresolutionsthatworkwithintheexistingframework oftheirclients’practicemanagementsystems.
Herearesomeoftheinsights RMS CEO Scott W. Thomas sharedwithus:
Foundedin2006,RMSfocusedsolelyonpaper-to-EDI conversion.Wequicklygrewbeyondthat.Nowwe’re workingineveryfacetofthehealthcareremittance processingandreconciliationprocess.Overtheyears,we begandevelopingproprietarysoftwareforeachofthe audiencesandsectorsweserve.Wedon’tcreateoff-theshelfproductsorcomponentsbecausethosekindsof products,offeredbyourcompetitors,can’tperformthe servicerequiredinournicheanddon’toperateatthe standardtowhichweholdourselves.
Today,morethanhalfofourmonthlytransactionalvolume originatesasEDIwithouteverbeingreducedtopaper Now,we’renotonlyabletoingestandprocessall remittancetypes(paper,EDI,secondarypayments,online andreturnmailpatientpayments,etc.),wealsoturnthat dataintoaction,helpinggiveourclientsamoreholistic viewoftheirrevenuecyclehealth.It’sthesevalue-added servicesthatcontinuetodrivebusinessourway
Wearecurrentlyfocusedonbuildingoutmoreanalytics offeringsandfacilitatingastrongerfinancialconnection betweenprovidersandpatients/guarantors.Withbetter visibilityintopaymenttrendswecanworktoward meaningfullyreducingDSOsforhealthcareproviders.
I’vesaidathousandtimes:“Wewereeithertootenaciousor toostupidtoquit.”Wewereprivatelyfundedandsingularly focusedonremittance.Wehadtosucceedinthisnicheor theentirecompanywasafailure.Drivenbyour commitmenttoinvestorsandourownunderlyingbeliefin ourteammembers,wecontinuedtopushforwardandfind successbydeliveringasolutionthatnooneelsecan.
Buildingthetechnologyplatformwasanarduouspath.We didn’tanticipatehavingtobuildalloftheindividual componentswehave.Asweencounteredbarriers,we lookedatavailableoptions,andusuallyfoundnonewere suitableforourapplication.So,wewouldbuildourown
We don’t have to predict the future; we just have to listen to clients’ needs and work towards it
solution.Nowthatwe’vedelivereddozensofproprietary applications,we’recomfortablyseparatedfromthe competition.
Nooneelsehasusedtechnologytocreatescalablesolutions likethis.Whereotherssimplyemployoffshoremanual labortocapturedata,wedeliveramuchmore comprehensivesolutionandworkflow.Therealchallenge now,however,isconvincingpotentialcustomersto embracethevalue-addedserviceswecanalsoprovide, servicesthatnooneelsecan.
Oursuccessisbasedonasolidunderstandingoftheissues ourcustomersface.Theyjustwantsomeonetoprovide solutionstotheirdailystruggles.Onceweunderstandtheir challenges,we’reabletodevelopthesolutionthat’stailored totheirneeds.
Weworkwithsomeofthenation’smostprestigiousand advancedhealthcaresystemsandprovidergroups,aswell assomeofthetophealthcarebanksinthecountry Wedon’t havetopredictthefuture,wejusthavetolisten.Ourclients andpartnersknowwhattheyneedandwhatwe’re positionedtoofferthem.Allwemustfocusonisdelivering whattheyaskfor
Ourpaymentsplittingandpaymentmergingservicesare somethingwehaven’tseenanyoneelseoffer.Payment reconciliationtoolsandindustry-leadingdataliftandmatch capabilitiesdrivealayerofvaluethatourperceived competitorsaregenerallyfailingtoprovide.
Asourplatformcontinuestoexpand,choosingasingle “great”projectistough.Weperformedamassmigrationat oneofthelargestbanksinthenation,abankthathad previouslybeenworkingwithacompetitorsolution. Migratingtheirportfolioofhealthcareprovidersfromtheir platformtoourswasahugesuccessstory,onethatwasonly madepossiblethroughthecommittedfocusonbothour ownteamandthebank’s.
Ourgrowthhasbeenextraordinaryand,duetothesuccess ofourbankpartnersandtheirsalessuccesses,continuesto
We listen to the market and specically our clients. RMS works with some of the nation’s most prestigious and advanced healthcare systems and provider groups, as well as some of the top healthcare banks in the country
“
increase.Wedon’tseethisslowingdownatallaswecontinuetoonboardnewbanksandotherpartnerswith significantdistributionchannels.
Historicallyourcustomershavebeenbanks,withtheendusersofoursolutionbeingthehealthcareproviders.We havetobuildstrongrelationshipswithbothgroupsbyunderstandingtheirneedsandtheirperspectivesinthis continuum.Thebankswanttoservetheirhealthcareclientswiththoroughsubjectmatterexpertiseand meaningfulsolutions.Weprovidebothwithoutinterferingwiththeirexistingcustomerrelationship.Forthe healthcareprovider,itcomesdowntoanefficientservicethatbecomespartoftheirdailyworkflow.Oursolutions supplantalotoflaborcostsandsupplementtheirprocessestomaximizetheexpertiseandtimeoftheirworkforce.
TheDNAofourteamisfocusedonmoresubjectmatterexpertise.ThisincludestheProjectManagement, AccountManagement,BusinessAnalysis,andSoftwareDevelopmentteams.Bycontinuingtoadddepthtothese groups,weareexpandingourfocustoloweringthetechnicalandinformationalhurdlesthatcomewith implementationandserviceadoption.
Whileitsoundsabitcliché,peoplearewhatmakeourcompanygreat.Thereisgreatcommitment,prideinwhat wedoandadrivingdesireforexcellencethatkeepsusfocused.Asweexpandourteam,oursenseofwhoweare andwhathelpedusgethereisalwaysatthefrontofourminds.
Whileintroducinghimself,ScottShared:
Ihavebeeninhealthcareformyentirecareer,andfocusedontechnologysolutionsformorethan20yearsnow. Overtime,Inoticedagapininnovationbetweentheclaimssideoftherevenuecycleandtheremittance/payments side.Technologyhasbeenwell-employedontheclaimssideandinsurancecompanieshavedoneanexcellentjob promotingmarketadoptionofEDIthere.Theremittanceandpaymentssidecontinuestolag.Wehavebuilta platformthatfocusesonemployingtechnologyandbusinesslogictoimprovethisprocess,creatingefficiencies thathavebeenlackingfordecades.
Buildingsomethingfromnothingisharderthanitlooks.Amasterfulideaisn’tenough.Itrequiresresources, drive,commitmentandanunwaveringbeliefintheobjective.Therewillbedozens,ifnothundreds,ofsetbacks. Eachoneshouldbeacceptedasanobstacle,notabarrier.Surroundyourselfwithpeopleyoutrust,peoplewho knowtheycantrustyou.Thepathwillbedifficult,butit'scertainlynavigable.
Learningtosetasidemytimingexpectationsandacceptthatoutcomesaremoreimportantthandeadlineswas probablyoneofthemostdifficultlessonsforme.Asanentrepreneur,IwantedtheoutcomeandIwanteditonmy schedule.RealizingandacceptingthatsometimesIcouldn’tcontrolthetiming,butonlystaythecourseuntilthe resultwasachieved,wasaninvaluablelesson.
Care3 care3.co
CompliancyGroupLLC. compliancy-group.com
GeoDimensionalDecision Group,LLC geoddgroup.com
HealthEdge healthedge.com
DavidS.WilliamsIII FounderandCEO
MarcHaskelson President&CEO
GregReinecke President&Co-founder
Care3istheworld’sfirstteamcollaborationplatformforcare deliveredoutsideofthehospital.
CompliancyGroupissimplifyingcompliance,andallowing small&mid-sizeorganizationsabilitytoAchieve,Illustrate, andMaintaincompliancewithconfidence.
GeoDDGroupisateamofmanagementandtechnical professionalswhoutilizeaholistic,globalmultidimensional approachtohelpclientssolveseeminglyIntractableProblems®.
StephenKrupa CEO
Hi3Solutions hi3solutions.com
MileHighHealthcare Analytics healthcareanalytics.expert
QuammenHealthCare Consultants quammengroup.com
AbdulMalikShakir Co-founder
HealthEdgeisacuttingedgesoftwarecompanyfocusedon providingnext-generationtechnologyproductstothehealth insurancemarket.
Hi3SolutionsprovidesHITproducts,education,andconsulting servicesthatenableitsclientstoengageeffectivelyinhealth informationexchange,healthdataintegration,andhealthcare qualitymeasurementrequiredtoestablishandcomplywith evidence-basedbestpracticesinhealthcare.
RichardLieberman ChiefDataScientist
BeckyQuammen CEO&Founder
RMS rmsweb.com
Scribe,Inc. scribe.com
SimplicityHealthSystems docflock.com
ScottW Thomas CEO
MarkD.Boyce CEOandPresident
MileHighHealthcareAnalyticshelpshealthplans,financial risk-bearingprovidergroups,andvendorstacklethechallenges ofaconstantlyevolvingpaymentslandscape.
QuammenHealthCareConsultantsisadifferenttypeofglobal medicalcommunicationsagencywithaveryuniquebusiness model; actastrustedadvisorsbyconstantlyandconsistently deliveringexcellence.
RevenueManagementSolutions(RMS)hasaccelerated electronicrevenuemanagementforhealthcareproviders,banks andhealthplans;solvesrevenueproblemsandturnsdatainto powerwithprovenworkflowautomationtoolsthatinterface withexistingpracticemanagementsystems.
Scribeempowershealthcareprovidersincreatingandmanaging medicalrecords.
ChadZerangue FounderandPresident
SimplicityHealthSystems’docflockisaHIPAAcompliant, healthcareworkflowandcommunicationplatform.Docflock provideshealthcareprofessionalsandinstitutionswitha powerfultoolforcontentsharing,document management/storage,dataanalysis,andreporting.
Thepharmaceuticalmanufacturingmarketisflourishing,andispredictedtoreach1.3trillionUS Dollarsby2020.Technologicalinnovationslikemobileapplications,cloud-baseddatastorage, advancedanalytics,andIoTaretransformingthehealthcareindustry.Itisalsoaffectingthemarket, governmentpolicies,andforcingtheindustrytochangetheirbusinesspractices.Tosustaininthedigital marketseveralpharmainvestorsareexperimentingwithdigitalinitiatives.Thesetrendswillhelpin changingthefaceofthepharmaindustryandbringadvancementtotheindustry
Patientempowermenthelpspeoplegaincontrolovertheirlivesandincreasestheirabilitytoacton importantissues.Theempowermentofpatientemergedasanewmethodthatcanhelpimprovemedical outcomesbyloweringthetreatmentcosts.Thisconceptseemspromisinginthemanagementofchronic diseases.Accordingtoasurvey,60%oftheUSpopulationareeducatingthemselvesonhealthcareand monitoringtheirhealthbyusingappsandwebsites.Today,empoweredpeopleareshapingthehealthcare industry Thereareseveralcompaniesthathavestartedanempowermentprogramtoeducatethepeople.
AugmentedRealityandVirtualRealityhavegreatpotentialtochangethecurrentscenarioofthemedicalfieldbymaking complicatedthingssuchasremotesurgery,easier.AugmentedRealityandVirtualRealitybotharespeciallydesignedas appsthatareoperatedthroughmobilephonesandgiveafreshperspectiveoftheworldthroughdigitalinformation.Itacts asaneffectivetooltograbcustomerattention.
Thistechnologyofferstheeasiestwaytounderstandthemechanismofdrugactionin3Dinsteadofreadingthedescriptions givenonthebottle.Additionally,italsohelpsthescientistsandlabtechnicianstoobservetheirexperiments.This technologyprovidesthemanufacturingguidelinestoindustryworkers,sothattheycanperformtheirtaskwithouthaving hands-ontraining.Theadvancementinaugmentationtechnologyisasimplewaytocommunicatewithdoctorsand customers;itlowersthecostofpharmaceuticalsthatarewastedonmarketing.
Beforeintroducinganynewdrugintothemarket,itismandatorytotakeitsclinicaltrialwhichisalengthyandtimeconsumingprocess.Personalizedmedicinesopenthegatewayforpharmaindustriestoproducedrugsaccordingtoperson’s geneticconstitution.Thesemedicinesaremorebeneficialascomparedtothetraditionalblockbusterdrugs.
Tailoredmedicineslowerthechancesofgettingsideeffects,itpreventsandtargetsthediseaseinsteadofreactingonit,and italsoreducesthetreatmentcost.Manyscientistsandphysiciansareworkingonpersonalizedmedicinetomakeadvances rapidly.Recently,severalpharmaceuticalshavetheirownpersonalizedmedicineprogramsandareperformingbasic clinicalstudies.
GeneticMedicines,aPowerfulTool
Inthiseraofgenomics,wearelivingindynamictimes.Sometimesgenesaretheonlyreasonforillnessandatsuchtimes doctorusesgenestoplanapropertreatment.Genomicmedicinesaredifferentfromthatofthepersonalizedmedicines. Genomicmedicineshavebeenusedtotacklecomplexdiseasessuchascancer,heartdisease,anddiabetes.
3DPrinting,thewayofDrugDelivery
3Dprintingtechnologyproducesbiodegradabledrugs,andhenceisbecomingapopulartrendinthehealthcareindustry Thissystemopensnewdoorformanypharmaceuticalstodevelopinnovativesoliddosageformswhicharewell-known anddistinctproducts.3Dprintingistheessentialtoolthatreducesbothtimeandcostofthemanufacturingprocess.This helpstheindustrytogetanaccurate,cheap,structuredandtailoreddrugdeliverysystem.Inthefuture,3Dprintingwillbe usefultofabricateandengineeravarietyofdosageforms.
Thewirelesssystemsofwearablecomputingdevicesthathavebeenimplantedinthebodyareknownasbodysensors.Use ofbodysensorsintherapeuticsisanemergingtrendinpharmaceuticals.Theembeddedmicrochips,wearables,robotsand otherbodysensorsreceivepatient’sinformationandsendittothehealthexperts.Thisinformationhelpsthephysiciansto tacklethedisease.Pharmaindustryisusingthistechniqueforclinicaltrialsandpatientmonitoring.
TheArtificialIntelligence(AI)andsupercomputershelpincollectinglargeorextensivedatawithinafractionofseconds. WiththeinventionofAI,itispossibleforpharmaceuticalstotakeclinicaltrialswithinafewsecondsthanspendingyears forthat.Thismethodultimatelyreducesthetimeaswellasdrugpricing.CognitivecomputerslikeIBMWatsonhavebeen usedingenomicresearchandbiotechnology Theneedisrisingforsuchresearchtoenhancethegrowthinhealthcare.
Nowitisnecessarytounderstandtheactualbenefitsfromtheseevolvingtrends.Thewayhowtheymanagewiththese trendsaffectsnotonlytheirfuture,butalsothefuturedirectionofpatientcare,providerdecisions,andpayment mechanisms.
Itissaidthatallyouhaveisyourhealth,buthealthcare isneitherequallyaccessiblenordeliveredatequal levelsforall.Disparitiesinhealthcareaccess,quality, anddeliveryaresomeoftheglobalproblems.Withamotto toservetheunderserved,Care3ispassionatelyaddressing theneedsofsociety’smostvulnerablepeople.Theworld’s firstteamcollaborationtechnologyplatformforcare deliveredoutsideofhospitals,Care3’sgoalistokeep seniorsandotherslivingindependentlyandcomfortablyin theirhomes.
ThecompanyiscalledCare3becauseitfocusesonthethree thingsthattogether,candrivemeasurableimprovementin globalhealthcare: Community, Care and Collaboration (C3).Thecompany’sC3modelsupportscareprogramsthat requireinterdisciplinaryproviderstoworktogetherwith patientsandfamilycaregiverstoimplementaunifiedcare plantodrivethebestoutcomes.
Care3servescollaborativecareprograms(e.g.PACE)that deployinterdisciplinaryteamstocareforeachpatientinthe homeandcommunity.Care3alertscaremanagerswhen caretasksarenotcompletesothatproviderscanintervene BEFOREhospitalizationsandemergencyvisitsoccur.And finally,Care3canintegratewithanyelectronichealth recordsystemtohelptrackthepatient’scare.
DavidS.WilliamsIII,ApersonforwhomCareisthe highestpriority Care3isthedreamofDavidS.WilliamsIII,Founderand CEOofCare3.“Iwasinspiredbybothmyexperience caringformymotherfortenyearspriortoherpassingand theongoingcareformyspecialneedsson.Mymotherhad COPD,CHF,ulcerativecolitis,andsurvivedmultiple cancers–shealmostdiedhavingme.Sheendedupliving for28yearsaftertheFIRSTtimeshewastoldshewould
‘diesoon.’Myson’sautismdiagnosissetinmotiona processthatrequiredmeticulouscoordinationamong multiplecareprovidersinordertohelphimdevelopand thrive.Inbothcases,therewasnotechnologythatallowed myfamilytocollaboratewiththeteamsofproviderswe hadtodealwithnorcouldproviderseasilycommunicate witheachother.”
EachoftheCare3foundershasasimilarstory.Whenthey realizedthatthereweremillionsoffamilieswhoexperience thispainandfrustrationeverydaywhileinteractingwiththe healthcaresystem—andthatthehealthcaresystemdidn’t haveasolutiontotheircollaborationshortcomings–they knewtherewasanopportunitytobuildagroundbreaking company.
“Themostvulnerablemembersofoursocietyinclude seniors,thepoor,andthedisabledandtheydonothave equalaccesstohealthcareandreceivewoefullyinadequate qualityofcareintheirhomesandcommunities.Care3is builttofixtheseunacceptableandunnecessaryinequities,” addsDavid.
BecauseCare3mustengageconsumerswhileprovidingthe powerforthehealthcareenterpriseusers,thefoundingteam hasanaturaltensionbetweenitsenterprisehealthcare leaderanditsconsumerproductleader.Care3assembled theteamwithbothspecialtiesbecausetypicalenterprise healthcaretechnologyisn’tdesignedforconsumerusage; andwithoutconsumerengagement,careprovidershave verylittlechanceatmateriallychangingbehaviorand outcomes.DavidrevealsCare3’sstrategy,“Ouraimisto reducecostofcareforthemostcostlypatientsbysolving twoindustryproblemsatonce.”
“
Overtime,Care3willhavethelargestrepositoryofrealworldoutcomesdatafromcaredeliveredinthehomeand community.Care3willhaveacomprehensivedatasetof documentedcareprocessescorrelatedwithhealthoutcomes generatingactionablebestpracticesforhomeand community-basedcare.Caringforothersisanintrinsically humanaction.Care3willmakeiteasierforallofustocare anywhereandeverywhere.
Care3’senterprisecustomersoperatecollaborativecare programsforpatientsoutsideofhospitals.Thekeyelements ofCare3’ssuccessaretheircustomerserviceandaworldclassplatformthatenableseasycommunicationand generatesstructuredcaredatathatcurrentlydoesn’texist.It soundssimple,butthisbalancehasbeendifficultforCare3 toachieve.
ForCare3,thereisonemoresuccessfactor:fastonboarding ofcustomers.Today,mostenterprisehealthsoftware requiresalengthysetupandonboardingprocess.Care3’s customerscancreateaccountsandonboardstaffonlinewith nolongonboardingtimelinesorsetupfees.Thiswillbea majorpartofcompany’sabilitytoscalegrowthandprovide betterservicestothecustomers,patients,andfamilies.
Collaborativecarehasemergedasaleadingmodelfor managingpatientsoutsideofhealthfacilities,butthe technologyhasn’tkeptpace.“Oncecarecanbedelivered
usingthe‘goldstandard’fortechnology,itwillgenerate efficienciesanddata,andwewillseebetteroutcomesat lowercost,”explainsDavid.Care3isleadingthis movementforimprovingcommunity-basedcareby enablingbetteroperationalefficiencyandfamily engagementforinterdisciplinaryteams.
Thebusinesscasewillbeclearwiththemajorinvestments takingplaceintechnologyleadingtoreducedoverallcosts ofcareforthemostneedyandexpensivepopulations.As Care3grows,theteammustbalancetherigidcompliance andregulatoryrequirementsofitsenterprisepartnerswith thebeautyanddelightconsumersdemandwhileusing mobileapps.Care3isprovingitshypothesisthatwhen providersandconsumerscollaborateoncare,itincreases theprobabilitythatpatientswilllivelongerandattheir highestpossiblelevel.
to reduce cost of care for the most costly patients by solving two industry problems at once
Thinkaboutalltheinefficienciesin yourdailylife;trafficjams,snail mails,longqueues,andsoon. Theseinadequaciesthoughannoyingarenota matteroflifeanddeath.Suchisnotthecasein healthcare.Therequirementforefficiencyin healthcareisdistinctandthepotentialfor appliedsciencesespeciallycomputerizationis enormous.Healthcarehasabigdataopportunity opposedtoabigdataproblem,thankstoartificial intelligence.
Initially,ArtificialIntelligence(AI)wasintroducedas anotiontoimitatehumanbrainandexploretherealworldproblemswithawholesomeapproach. Researchersallaroundtheworldarethrilledaboutthe upcomingdevelopmentoftechnologieswhichwillhelp infacilitatingthemankindtodeliveroutsidetheirstature. TheimplementationofAIinhealthcareisescalatingand decipheringavarietyofissuesforpatients,hospitaland healthcareindustries.
TakeacloserlookathowAIisresolvingproblemsandwhat's onthehorizonfortheindustry
OneofthemajoradvantagesofAIistheabilitytoassistpeoplein stayinghealthy.Mobileapplicationsarealreadyencouraging instilmentofhealthyhabitsinindividualsandassistinginthe proactivemanagementofahealthierlifestyle.Italsoincreases theabilityofhealthcareprofessionalsinunderstandingthe needsofthepeopletheyserveandenablesthemtoprovide abetterdirectionandassistanceformaintaininghealth.
Furthermore,AIchatbotsarebeingusedin addressingcaseslikehelpingcustomersselecta benefitplan,providingcustomerserviceand guidingconsumerstoresources.Thoughit isearlyintheespousalofAIchatbots, indicatorsofrequisiteandfulfillment areencouraging.“Chat-bots will continue to get more intelligent over time, thanks to AI and machine learning techniques that will make them
very efficient, and of course, more timely than a human can ever be,”saysKhal Rai,anAIexpertatSRSHealth.
CerebrovascularAccidentorStroke,foramaximumnumberoftimesiscaused byblockageinthesupplyofoxygenandbloodtothebrain.Howeverdueto thelackofdetectionofearlysymptoms,veryfewpatientsareabletoreceive timelytreatment.OtherconditionslikeCancerandAlzheimer’sfacesimilar consequences.TheutilizationofAIisenablingreviewandanalysisoflab reportsmuchfasterandwithbetteraccuracy.
RecentlydevelopedAIsoftwareatHouston,Texasclaimstodetect cancerrisk30timesfasterthananydoctorandwith99percent accuracy.Moreover,researchersaretrainingAItodetectTuberculosis onchestX-RayswhichcouldhelpinscreeningandevaluationinTBsusceptiblezoneswhichlackaccesstoradiologists.
Theincreaseofwearableandothermedicaldevicesusedin accordancewithAIarealsoassistingindetectingearly-stageheart diseasesandenablingdoctorstomonitorpotentiallylife threateningeventsatanearlyandtreatablestage.
Numeroushealthcareorganizationsareapplyingcognitive technologytounlockenormousamountsofdataand promotediagnosis.Theabilitytostoremoremedical informationcontainingjournals,treatmentsandsymptoms ismuchfasterthananyhumancompetency.Earlier, diagnosticprogramsregardingdiseasespecificfeatures werewrittenusingpredefinedassumptions.Nowwith thedevelopmentofAI,awidervarietyofconditions anddiseasescanbeeasilyhandled.
AIisparticularlyusedtoimproveimagingmodalitieswhich includereadingX-Rays,CTscansanddoubtfulnodulesand lesionsincancerpatients.Thistechnologycombinesmachine learningandneurosciencetogeneratepowerfullearningalgorithms intoaneuralnetworkwhichmimicsahumanbrain.
Beyondscanningrecords,AIcanhelptakeamorecomprehensiveapproach towardsdiseasemanagement,assistinbettercoordinationofhealthcareprograms andhelppatientsinmanagingtheirlong-termtreatmentplans.UsingAI,doctorsare abletogathercollectiveinformationonpatient’svisitsandanalyzewhichtreatmentworks bestforthem.
Formorethan30years,robotshavebeenusedinmedicine.Fromsimplelaboratoryrobotstohighlyadvancedsurgical robotsthatcanassistahumansurgeonorexecuteitthemselves.Furthermore,theyareusedinlabsandhealthcare organizationsforrepetitivetasksandinsupportofthosewithlong-termconditions.
Healthcareprovidersareusinghealthcarebotstotacklechallengesinthisareaofmedicine.Patientscannowinteractwith AIthroughphones,orawebsiteforalltheirmedicalqueriesandrequests.Virtualassistantsarereplacinghumansin bookingappointments,schedulingvisits,medicationandevenbillingrequirements.Theyoffer24/7medicalassistance andimproveserviceforanybasicrequests.Moreoveritleadstothedecreaseinadministrativecostsforhealthcare providers.
Lifetodayismuchlongerthanthepreviousgenerations,andwearedyinginadifferentandslowerfashionfrom conditionslikedementiaandosteoporosis.Itisalsoaphaseoflifewhichisoftenlonely.Robotshavethepotentialto modernizetheendoflifecareandhelppeopleinremainingindependentforlongerperiodsoftimeandreducingtheneed forhospitalizationandcarehomes.
Eventually,allofuswillbeapatient.Wehavefamilyandfriendswhowillalsobepatients.Machinelearningand ArtificialIntelligenceisaboutimprovingthelivesofindividualssothatalltheacquireddatafromlabtests,genomicsand soon,canbeanalyzedandusedinrealtimeforthehighestqualityandmostefficientdeliveryofhealthcareneeds.
Impetuousexchangeoflargeamountofinformationis crucialtothedeliveryofbesthealthcaresolutiononall levelsofthehealthcaredeliverysystem—thepatient, thecareteam,thehealthcareorganization,andthe encompassingpolitical-economicenvironment.Tointegrate thesecriticalinformationstreams,organizationsneed training/education,decision-support,information management,andcommunicationstools.Healthcare InformationIntegrationInfrastructureSolutions(Hi3 Solutions)is leadinghealthcareinformationdomaininLos Angeles,California.Hi3providesHITproducts,education, andconsultingservicesthatenableitsclientstoengage effectivelyinhealthinformationexchange,healthdata integration,andhealthcarequalitymeasurementrequiredto establishandcomplywithevidence-basedbestpracticesin healthcare.
Hi3Solutionsacceleratesthewidespreadadoptionand compliancewithemergingHITstandardsbyofferingthe informationintegrationinfrastructurenecessarytoenable theuseofhealthinformationexchangestandards, meaningfulhealthcarequalityandperformancemeasures, andstandardizedclinicaldecisionsupportcapabilities.
InadditiontoHi3’sextensiveeducationandconsulting practices,theyalsobringsoftwaresolutionstomarketthat areavalue-addoveralltotheexistingmarketleader capabilities.Theorganizationhaspartnershipswithleading interfaceenginevendorsthatenablethemtodeploytheir productwithaddedcapabilitiesrelatedtotransaction validation,structuraltransformation,vocabularytranslation, anddatacontentintegration.Theyhavean Integrated Data Repository (IDR)logicaldatamodelderivedfromthe HealthLevelSeven Reference Information Model (RIM). TheIDRhasbeenimplementedinavarietyofrelational
databasemanagementsystems,including Oracle, SQL Server, and Teradata TheprimaryuseoftheIDRisto serveasanOperationalDataStoreandfunctionasthe singlesourceoftruthfordatawarehousingandbusiness intelligence.Italsofunctionsasanintermediate normalizingdatastoretofacilitatetransaction transformation,enrichment,andsemanticharmonization.
AboutthePioneerbehindThisLeadingEnterprise AbdulMalikShakir,Co-founder,President&Chief InformaticsScientistofHi3solutions,hasanextensive experienceofover40yearsinthefieldofhealthcare informatics.Hehaswitnessedthemultipleadvancesin informationmanagementtechnologiesincludingthe automationofadministrativeprocesses,electronicexchange ofhealthcareinformation,andthedigitizingofhealth informationinelectronicmedicalrecordsystems.His lifetimepursuitistheestablishmentandeffectiveuseof evidence-basedmedicalpracticeandpolicies.Heis particularlyinterestedinenablingtranslationalresearch enablingthediscoveryanddeploymentofthegreatest efficaciesinmedicalinterventionsandpreventivecare. AbdulMalikasserts,“Thenextrevolutioninhealthcareis thestandardizationandnormalizationofclinicaldatato allowmeaningfulaggregationofdataacrossdomainsto enabledataminingandclinicaldecisionsupport.”
TheMostInnovativeSolutionswhichareMethodically BeneficialfortheClients
ThemissionofHi3Solutionsistosupportcontinuous improvementsinthehealthcareoutcomesbyproviding softwaresolutionsandprofessionalservicesthatenable theirclientstodiscover,share,andmeasurecompliance withevidence-basedbestpracticesinmedicine.The companycontinuestoworkwithclientsandindustry
groupstodevelopcommondataelementdefinitions, establisheffectivehealthinformationexchangestandards, andfacilitatethemeaningfulacquisition,assimilation,and applicationofhealthcaredata.Thelargestsegmentoftheir businessisintheUnitedStates,buttheyhavebeen privilegedtoworkwithnationsthroughouttheworld includingCanada,Israel,Switzerland,Kuwait,Saudi Arabia,andKenya.
ThestrengthofHi3isinthediversityoftheirclientbase andtheexperiencetheyhavegainedasaresult. AbdulMalikacclaims,“Our clients are benefited from their proven methodologies and they also get profit from their unique problem space in which to apply their knowledge and skills. Continuous learning and the constant quest for information quality and reuse are in the DNA of each of us at Hi3 Solutions.”Headdedfurther, “Products we are working to bring to market include pre-defined clinical decision support data marts focused on publically defined clinical and administration performance measures, such as those defined by ONC, JCAHO, and NCQA. The Hi3 data marts will be fed via ETL processes from the HI3 IDR. We also intend to collaborate with providers of software solutions providing clinical dashboards and scorecards to make use of our standards-based clinical decision support infrastructure.”
Hi3believestheirfoundationalstrengthistheexperience andknowledgethattheyhaveaccumulatedintheir17+ yearsservicingthehealthcarecommunity Thecompany
AbdulMalik Shakir Co-founder, President & Chief Informatics Scientist
hasalottolearnaboutalsotransitioningtobeaproduct company.“We are a learning organization; we will continue to pivot, learn, and pivot again until we obtain the right mixture of experience and expertise to grow beyond our excellent consulting and educational offerings to include IT product offerings as well,” saysAbdulMalik.
AkeydistinguishingfeatureofHi3Solutionsisthe inclusionofknowledgetransfertotheirclientsinevery consultingengagement,enablingthemtobecome self-sufficientregardingthenecessaryskillsandexperience toaddresstheirhealthcareinformationmanagement challenges.“We never just give them a fish, we also teach them to fish.”
ThebestpartofHi3istherelationshipsthattheyhave fosteredoveralongperiodoftime.Theyhaveaccesstoa largenetworkofskilledindividuals,manyofthemleaders intheirfield.Thecompany’sopenness,integrity,and transparencyhavefosteredtrustwiththeirclients,vendor partners,andskilledresourcesthatenablethemtotackle problemsofanymagnitude,largeorsmall.Theyarewilling andabletosubcontractwhennecessaryandtobethesole orprimecontractorwhennecessary Theorganizationsis thelivingproofoftheadage“what goes around comes around.”Theirprofessionalnetworkistheirgreatest strength,whichhelpsthemtomakebetterfuturefortheir organization.
Thehealthcareanalyticsindustryisundergoinga revolutionarychangefromvolumetovalue orientation.Thesuddenemphasisonanimproved qualityhealthcare,reducedlength-of-stayathospitals, lowercostsofhealthcare,andfrauddetection,aresomeof theprimaryrequirementsofthecustomers.Accessibilityis amajorconcernforgovernmentsandorganizations workinginthisfield.Hence,abetterqualityhealthcare facilityaccessibletoeachandeveryoneismotivatingthe publicandprivateorganizationtoadoptanalytics.
MileHighHealthcareAnalytics(MHHA)isonesuch companywhichprovidesapracticalapproachtowards population-orientedhealthcaredataanalysistoinsurance plans,exchangeissuers,ACOs,andrisk-bearingprovider groups.Itisfocusedonhelpingclientsoptimizetheir government-regulatedprograms;MedicareAdvantage, Medicaidandhealthinsuranceexchanges.Itemphasizeson providingbusinessprocessassessments,dataqualityand managementsupport,andadvancedanalyticsonrisk adjustmentoperations,qualityimprovementandvaluebasedpaymentdesignstohelpclientsbestmanagepatient careandensureappropriatereimbursements.MHHA’s focusisonensuringthatthedatacollectedbythese initiativesiscompleteandtotallycompliantwithallthe nuancesofriskadjustmentandqualityimprovement systems.
RichardLieberman,theChiefDataScientistatMHHA, hasdedicatedtheoverwhelmingmajorityofhiscareerto thedesign,development,anddeploymentofrisk adjustmentsystemsandmethodologies.Hebeganhisrisk adjustmentforayin1991afterbecomingaconsultantatthe JohnsHopkinsBloombergSchoolofPublicHealth.Over subsequentyears,Richardhassupportedavarietyofhealth plans,providergroups,andACOsastheytrytonavigate thenuancesandcomplexitiesofriskadjustmenttointegrate
itintotheiroperations.
Richardalongwithhispartnerschosetobuildabusiness encompassingriskadjustmentandqualitybecausetheysaw thatmostplansandprovidergroupsdidnotadequately graspallthedetailsforachievingadequatemarginsor remainingcompliantwiththegovernment’sregulations.As a“datascientist”whowritesalgorithmsandcodesto traverseenormousamountsofdata,Richardservesasan “artist-explorer”,navigatingcontentandsynthesizing findings.With20plusyearsofexperienceasan applicationsprogrammer,datawarehousedesigner,and businessintelligencesystemdeveloper,heisableto produceuniqueanalyticalworkproductsaswellasdirect theworkofotheranalystsandprogrammers.
MileHighHealthcareAnalyticsbuildsanddeploys technologysolutionsforgovernment-regulatedhealthplans strugglingwithriskadjustment,qualitymeasurement,and value-basedpaymentoperations.
MileHighHealthcareAnalyticshasformedCortexData Analytics,thesoftwaredivisionofMileHigh,andhas recentlyannouncedthereleaseofanentiresuiteofsoftware solutions.TheCortex-DataWarehouseisthecentraldata repositoryaswellasthe“brain”ofallsoftwaresuite deliverables.Itincorporatesavastarrayofclinical, financial,andsocioeconomicdataintoafullynormalized datawarehouse.
TheCortexDataWarehouseisdesignedtocollect, transform,andnormalizeEMRdata,claims,pharmacy,lab, andpopulation-levelgeo-specificdatafrommultiple sources.
ConnectedtotheCortexDataWarehousearethefollowing products:
Cortex-Connect:Cortex-Connectisasmartphone applicationthatservesasaconnectionbetweenthe member,theirproviders,andthehealthplan.IthasrealtimedataflowingfromtheCortexDataWarehousewhich synthesizedatatransmittedbythehealthplan,provider EMRs,andsocialdeterminantsimpactingpatient engagement.Theappalertsthememberofchangesintheir medicalrecord,chronicconditions,pharmacyusage,and upcomingappointments.
Cortex-Scope:Itprovidesvisibilityacrossanyhealthcare datasubmissionregardlessofmarket.Cortex-Scope addressesthekeydriverofriskadjustmentandquality measurementprograms-theneedforcompleteandaccurate data.Itisthesystemthatallowseveryonewhois responsibleformaintainingoroverseeingtherisk adjustmentprocesstoseethecontributionthatisbeing madetothefinalriskscoreateverystepofthedata pipeline.
Cortex-Risk:Designedtoidentifyandnormalizeclaims, pharmacy,lab,andpopulation-leveldatafrommultiple sources.AfterthedatahasbeenpreparedCortex-Risk appliesmultipleanalyticmodelstoidentifyclinically significantissuesateitherthememberorthepopulation level.Furtheritappliesvariousrisk-basedrevenuemodels givingamuchmoredefinitiveviewofmember/population diseaseprofileforbettermanagement,reporting,and financialviewintotheactualcostofcare.
Cortex-QM:Itisdesignedtosimulate,plan,andtrack
multiplequalityprogramsacrossmultiplequalitymeasures foralllinesofbusiness.Cortex-QMprovidescomparisons betweenmultipleentitieswithinagivenorganization, comparisonacrossmultiplecompetitiveorganizations,and multiplecomparisonsbetweenpast,present,andfuture possibilities.
Cortex-Focus:Ithelpsgovernment-regulatedhealthplans andprovidergroupstoincreasevisibilityintothemembers thatneedattention.Cortex-Focusidentifiesmembers predictingtheirfuturepossibilityofanacutehospital admissionorERencounter,assessingtheircompliancewith medicationtreatmentroutinesandidentifying undocumentedmorbiditiesthatrendertheenterprise’srisk scoretobeinaccurate.
ForthcomingIntends MileHighHealthcareAnalyticshasbeensuccessful becausetheyhavetheextensivenessofknowledgetoserve asanhonestbrokeronbehalfofgovernment-regulated healthplansandprovidergroups.“We don’t just deploy software and head off to the next prospect! We offer operational consulting services that health plans rely on to solve operational problems,”assuresRichard.Clients appreciatethefactthattheyarepolicywonks,datageeks, andoperationalexpertsallwrappedupinonecompany. MHHAworkswithclientstoidentifyandthensolvetheir operationalpainpoints.Providingsuchservicerequires themtobeveryactiveandconsistentwiththeir performancewhichisvaluedbytheirclients.
Overrecentyears,morecompanies areincorporatingwellness initiativesintotheiroffice environment.It’smissioncriticalintodays competitivemarkets,toattractingandretain thebesttalents.Onecrucialmeasurementis theengagementlevelsofeveryoneinthe entireorganisation.Presenteeismisatanall timehigh.Peoplearenotmotivatedby moneyalone,andwellnessprogramsarepart ofthestrategytoimprovejobsatisfaction andproductivity.However,onlyafew companiesactuallyhavecomprehensive programsthatproducebetterhealth outcomesamongemployees.Asaresult, improvedengagementandperformanceat work,naturallyfollowssinceemployeesare healthierandhappier.
Unfortunatelynotallhealthandwellness programsaresuccessful.Thefirstoneortwo initiativesmaygaintraction,buttwoyears on,andtheparticipationratesdecline.One mainproblemisthattheparticipants themselvesaren’tpartofthecreation.Their needsandconcernsaren’taddressedso there’slessmotivationforthemtocommit. Sowhatdoemployeeswant?Hereare5best practicesthathelpcreatesuccessful corporatewellbeingprogramsthatgaintrue engagement.
Dr. Gary Tho Owner of Chiroprac c Works
Imagineawellnesstalkorfitnessclassis
Dr. Gary Tho is the owner of Chiroprac c Works, a Family Sports and Wellness clinic in Orchard Road, Singapore. He specialises in pain relief and preventa ve care and believes quality life is essen al for happiness, success and peak performance. Dr Gary is also the author of The PainFree Desk Warrior, Free yourself from aches and pains which is the defini ve guide for those stuck at their desk for more than 2 hours a day
startingin15minutes.Many employeeseasilydismissitandthink “I’dlovetogo,butIreallyneedtoget thisworkdone.”Doprogramsrun whenemployeesaremostbusy?Are runafterofficehours?Andifso,will peoplestaybackforit?Isthewellness programabroad-basedandholistic approach?Orisitjustyogaclasses, cookingdemonstrationsandnothing else?
Isiteasyforparticipantstolearn? Whatlookseasywhenatrainedchef preparesahealthydinnerin20minutes couldtaketheaveragepersonalot moretime,energyandstress.Aresteps providedforonetoimplementthenew habit,accomplishtheirgoalandsustain thesuccess?
Acomprehensivewellnessinitiative needstoofferavarietyofscheduled programsthatarebrokendowninto achievable,sustainablehabitsthat createavaluableoutcome.Equally importantisthatemployeescanchoose whattheyareinterestedin,andeasily fitintotheirschedule.
2.TheWorkEnvironmentIsHealthConscious
It’snousehavinghealthandwellness programsifthephysicaland psychosocialenvironmentwithinthe officedoes’tsupporttohealthyhabits. Greatofficedesignthatsupport wellbeinghasbeenthetrend,since FacebookandGoogleshowedushow todoit.
Creatingcreativespacesforsmaller podmeetings,havingstandingdesks andensuringthecafeteriaandvending machinesaroundtheofficeoffer healthierfoodchoicesthatcanbe easilyseenaresomeofthesimple waystoencouragegoodhealth. Ensuringregulatednoise,inspiring music,goodairqualityand temperatureandadequatelightingare alsosimpleyetimpactfulfeaturesofa greatofficespace.
Allowing‘down’times,andwork breaksthatareencouraged,isessential. Mostpeopledon’ttakebreaksorchit-
chatbecauseofitsnegativeperception. Howeverthisisabsolutelynecessary asitcreaterealinteractionandreal friendshipsbetweenco-workersthat satisfythebasichumanneedforsocial connections.Peopleneedotherpeople tolove,trustandsupportthem,inboth businesstasksaswellasatapersonal level.
3.WellnessIsIntegratedIntoThe Company’s
Furthertopoint2above,choosinga healthierlifestyleanddoingwellat workshouldn’tfeellikeatug-of-war. I’veheardofcompanieswhopayfor gymmembershipsfortheirstaff,which isgreat.However,whenanemployee isworkingoutinthegym,theygeta phonecallsayingtheyneedtogetback intheofficebecauseof…(some reason).Thereforeit’simportantthata companyestablisheswellness programsthatarevaluedandhonored ineveryaspectoftheorganization. Otherwise,what’sthepoint?Another exampleincludestheholygrailof “work-lifebalance”.Ifyourcompany wantsemployeestobehealthyand havebetterwork-lifeintegration,yetat thesametimesilentlyimposesthat peoplemustcontinueworkingbeyond standardofficehours,itreallydoesnot makeanysense.One(partial)solution tothisisintroducingflexi-hoursas wellasremoteworkingtoallowpeople togeterrandsandfamilyengagements done,aswellasworkfromhome,ora cafeinsteadofbeingphysicallyinthe office.It’sapartialsolutionbecause givingsomeonetheabilitytorun errandsandcometoworklaterthan usualisgreat,thoughitdoesnot necessarilypromotehealth,happiness orwellbeing.
Whenacompanyisgenuinely concernedabouttheiremployees’ wellbeing,theywillnaturallyensure thatanywellnessinitiative,gameor workshophassomeformof continuation.Employeeassistance programs(EAP)arecommonfor mentalhealthconcerns,howeverthere needstobeothersupportsystemsin
placeforotherhealthconcerns.In 2014,Apple’sCupertino,Calif.-based headquartersboastedamedicalonestop-shop“wellnesscenter”offering in-housechiropracticcare,dieticians andmore.CollectiveWorks, Singapore,thelargestpremiumcoworkingspaceinAsia,nowalso housesanin-housechiropractor, specializinginpainrelief,peak performanceforbothindividualand corporatehealth.
Gamificationofcorporatehealth programsusuallyrunforacertain periodoftime.Workshopsandclasses mayrunfor8weeksorthroughoutthe entireyear.Althoughparticipation ratesarehighinitially,continued supportprogramsarewhatsustains engagement,andcreatesthechange bothindividualsandtheCEO’swantto see.Engagementiswhatcreateslong termsustainableresults.
WellnessProgramsaren’tallabout offeringfreegymmembershiporjust havingsmokingcessationprograms. Healthishealth-acompletestateof physical,mental,andsocialwellbeing.Fitnessis“theabilitytoperform work(sports,occupationsanddaily activities)satisfactorily”.Pilatesisa greatwaytoexerciseandstrengthen thecoremuscles,howeveritisnot equivalenttohealth.
Alotofpeopleknowtheyshouldquit smokingbutdoesn’tbecausethey don’trealizehowmuchdamageitcan dototheirbody Theymaynothavea strategy,norenoughmotivationto makethosechanges.Onemethodof offeringvoluntaryhealthscreenings whilegivingsoundeducationand simpletasksfromavarietyof professionalsisthekey.Helping peoplerealisethatthecompanydoes care,thattheircolleaguesdocare,that theytooshouldcareabouttheirown healthisofthegreatestimportance. Diggingdeep,andcreatingasafeplace toimprovetheirlifestylechoiceson multiplelevelsshouldbethebasisof everycorporatewellbeinginitiative.
WHEN IT COMES TO THE HEART TRUST APOLLO
The Apollo World of Care Assuring. Advanced. Accessible www.apollohospitals.com
Scribeempowershealthcareprovidersincreatingand managingmedicalrecords,andmorethan50,000 healthcareprofessionalsuseScribe.Scribeisatthe pointinhealthcarewherethe“rubbermeetstheroad.” It’s wherethepatientseestheproviderandawealthof importantandusefuldataiscollected.Scribewascreated withdoctors,practicemanagersandadministratorstomold thelatesttechnologyandservicestothewayproviders work.Thecompany’scloud-enabledplatformreturns flexibility,control,andproductivitytohealthcareproviders. Itrestoresphysicianproductivitythroughsimplifiedand easytouseappsandservices.Withanunrivaleddedication tosupportingitsclients,Scribegivesitsusersmoretimeto focusonpatientswhilemeetingregulatoryrequirements andimproveback-officeproductivity.Itsresponsive approachtomeetchallengesgivesprovidersopportunityfor improvedpatientcareandpracticeprofitability
Intheancientworld,scribesweretrustedprofessional assistantsandadvisors.Likethem,theorganization supportsandadvises,sohealthcareprovidersarefreeto focusonwhatmattersthemost.
MarkD.BoyceistheCEOandPresidentofScribe Scribe’smissionofsimplifyinghealthcarethrough innovativetechnologiesevolvedfromentrepreneurMark’s pastsuccessinthemanagementoforganizationslargeand small.FromfoundinghisownInternetCompanytohelping organizationsgetonlineintheearlydaysoftheInternetto developingthewinningdot.comstrategythatledto
yesmail.com’ssuccessfulIPOandsubsequent$770million acquisition,Markhasalwaysbeenattheforefrontof strategicthinking.Hehasover20yearsofmanagement experienceinfinance,operations,marketingandtechnology withcompaniessuchasIBMwherehehelpedtostartthe IBMPCdivisionandlateratAnixterwherehehelped formulatethestrategythatfueledtheirgrowthfroma$500 millioncompanyto$1.5billionCompany.Markholdsa B.A.inEconomicsandComputerSciencefromColgate UniversityandanM.B.A.fromDartmouthCollege’sTuck School.HeisalsocurrentlytheChairoftheBoardof TrusteesofDeanCollegeinFranklin,MA.
Scribebelievesthatthekeytoefficientlycollectingand analyzingdatainhealthcareisallaboutgettingitrightthe firsttime.ThatispreciselywhyScribedesignedthecloudenabledplatformthatcanassistphysiciansincapturing, creating,andmanagingappropriatehealthcare information—rightfromthefirsttimeapatientvisitsa doctor.Scribebelievesthatthehealthcareprovidersneedto focusontheirpatientsandmedicalcare,andnotonthe paperworkandmedicaldocumentation.Whenadoctor tendstoapatientthatiswhentherubbermeetstheroad.If thecollectionofthepatientencounterisnotperformed properlytherestofthedocumentationprocessdoesn’twork efficiently
TheScribeteamdesignedsolutionsthatarecustomer-
centric,provideflexibility,control,andincreasedphysician productivityfordocumentation,coding,billing,and analysis.Inordertodoallthese,thecompanyprovides path-breakingsolutionsincluding: Scribe Create isa completefamilyofcloud-basedsolutionstocreate,manage, complete,andcommunicateclinicaldocumentation; Scribe Mobile app isthemostefficientwayforprovidersto capturepatientencountersbothquicklyandefficientlyand theneasilyreview,approve,andaccesspatientdocuments anytimeandanywhere; Scribe Monetize enhancescoding andbillingworkflowstoensurethedocumentationis optimizedtoclearlysupporttheprovider’sbilling,resulting infewerdenialsandincreasedrevenue; Scribe Analyze improvesefficiencieswithinnovativetoolsthatusethe NextGenerationofdataandinformationmanagement technologiestohelpprovidersbetterunderstandtheir productivityandprofitabilitystatus.
Scribeexpectstoseeexplosivegrowthfortechnology drivenservicesthatwilltakethepainoutofcapturing, communicating,andanalyzinghealthcareinformation. Scribe’steamisfocusedonsolutions,notonlyproductsand knowshowtoworkeffectivelyandefficientlyinmixed technologyenvironments.Theirvastexperiencesinmaking thecost-effectivesolutionfortheclientsarebenefitingits clients.Additionally,thecompanyisnotafraidtoinnovate andtobringsolutionsthatcanbeeasilyunderstood,driven bytechnology,andsupportedbyhigh-qualityservices.
SometimesScribehasbeenthe“pioneer”–gettingout aheadofthemarket.Thecompanyconstantlysuggests“not topaveoverthecowpath”–don’tdothingsthesameway justbecauseit’seasy.Scribehascreatedsomenewpaths, andnowpeoplearefollowingthecompanytosome excitingnewareasandsolutionstoreducetheirpain significantly
Scribebelievesthatitspeoplearethebestassetforthem, followedbytheirinnovativetechnology Theorganization doesn’tstandstill.Scribeworkstocontinuallybe“fleetfooted”andstayinformedandaheadoftheindustryin general&itscustomersinparticular.Ithastobeflexibleto rapidlyadapttochangingneedsandfindtechnicalsolutions tohealthcare’sbiggestchallengestokeepcostsdownandto improvethequalityofcare.
We enable healthcare providers to focus on what matters mostpatient care through our documentation solutions that improve pro tability and productivityTurbulent
AmericanMedicineisinanunprecedentedcrisis. Doctorsarenothappy.ArecentstudybytheAMA showsthatphysiciansarespendingtwiceasmuch timewiththeirElectronicHealthcareRecords(EHRs)as theyarein“directclinicalface-time”withtheirpatients. Thestudyalsorevealedwidespreadcareerdissatisfaction amongphysicianswith54%reporting“physicianburnout.” Doctorsarewastinghoursadaystrugglingwiththeir computerstodocumentmedicineandprovidecareto patientswithwhomtheyspendlesstimeeveryday. Patientsfeeltheirdoctorismoreconcernedwithdataonthe computerthanlisteningtotheirproblemsandcaringfor theirneeds. Meanwhilehealthcarecostsareclimbing whileprovidersaregettingprogressivelymorefrustratedat playingdataentryclerks.
Remarkably,computerswerefirstintroducedtothe examinationroompreciselytoresolvethechaosthat cliniciansfacedwithpaper.Initially,computerspromisedto makedocumentationeasierandmoreeffective.Instead, EHRsseverelyworsenedanadmittedlyabadsituation. Whatisevenstrangeristhatinallotherfieldsofendeavor exceptmedicine,informationtechnologyhasbeenhighly successfulinstreamliningpaperworkandbureaucratic congestion.Whyhasthisnothappenedinhealthcare?
OnestrangeexplanationpropoundedmanyintheITfieldis thatdoctorsare“computer-phobic,”thatphysiciansfear technologyandlacktheadequatetechnicalskillstohandle computers. Nothingcouldbefurtherfromthetruth. Physiciansarehighly-trainedinthesciencesandhaveused everynewtechnologyappearinginthemedicalfield effectivelyforatleastahundredyears. Otherpunditsargue thatphysiciansarereticenttochangeandarestuckintheir ways.That’snottrueeither.Doctorsaremorelikelyto embracenewapproachesthananyotherprofession.The answermustbelookedforwithinthechartingsoftware itself.Yet,EHRsoftwarepreciselyreplicatesthepaper chartingmethodologyusedforoveracentury. Maybe that’stheproblem.Innovationhasnotchallenged entrenchedbeliefsintheoldpapermethodofcharting.The oldpaperparadigmremainsboundtothepast:anelectronic
typewriterregurgitatingtextinsideadeadrecord.
Theproblemseemstobenotwiththecomputerbutwith theoriginalpaperrecord.Chartingonpaperneverworked wellevenbeforethefirstcomputereversawthelightofday inadoctor’soffice. Indeed,thechartingparadigmhadbeen malfunctioningforatleastthirtyyears,eversincetheold three-by-fivecards,usedformorethanacenturytoremind cliniciansofthepatientconditions,werereplacedbyreams paperworkasaresponsetothemedicalmalpractice litigationbeginninginthesixties. Then,withstacksof medicalpaperrecordsfiledandstackeduptotheceiling, third-partypayers,particularlythegovernment,beganto usethispaperascriteriafordenialofpaymentforservices rendered. Sowhatwaswrittenonthemedicalrecord becamemoreimportantthanwhatwasdone. Andnoone questionedthepaperapproach. Aslawyersputit,“resipsa loquitor”(thethingspeaksforitself),meaning:“ifit’snot written,itit’snotdone!”. Sadly,today’sphysiciancanearn morebyspendingfiveminuteswiththepatientandtwenty minuteswiththechart,thanbyspendingtwentyminutes withthepatientandfiveminuteswiththechart. Clearly, thereissomethingprofoundlywrongwiththischarting approach.
Sowhydidmedicalsoftwaredevelopersmaintainedtheold chartingparadigmintheirEHRsinsteadofgivingcareful thoughttotakeadvantageoftheuniquepowerofthe computertohandleroutinesbetterthanhumanscan? The answerissimple.Noonewantedtochallengephysicians’ entrenchedbeliefsthatthecurrentwayofchartingisthe onlyvalidapproach. Consequently,programmersworked onthewrongpremisefromthestartand,byportingittothe computer,theymadeitfarworse.Theargumentwas simple: “Ithadalwaysbeendonethisway.”Exceptit wasn’t.Chartingtheessenceofaclinicalvisitonathreeby-five-card,asusedbyourforebears,isnotthesameasa computerspittingouttonsifcomplexcomputercodesto explainaclinicalencounteronlybecausecomputerscannot handlehumanlanguage.
Indeed,aftertheinitialCPTandICD-9codesdevelopedby
theAMAandtheWorldHealthOrganizationtodescribeacceptabletreatmentsanddiagnoses,anarrayof newcodesappearedonthescene:G-Codes,F-Codes,RxNormcodes,LOINCCodes,SNOMEDcodes,the listseemsendless. Thesecodescreatedhavocforbusypractitionerswhohaveturnedintodata-entryclerks ofasort,wastingtimeandcreatingstressandconfusion,whichcanleadtoclinicalerrors.SNOMEDin particularismeanttodescribetheentiremedicalexchange:thepatientsymptoms,theclinicalfindings,the diagnosesandallthetreatmentsin“computerese”ratherthanEnglish,anddrivesdoctorscompletelycrazy intheprocess. Evenanewmedicalsyndromeisbeingrecognizedasaffectinghealthcareproviderscalled the“AlertFatigueSyndrome.” Now,thelawofthelandisthatdoctorsaretosearchallthesecodesto transmitclinicalinformationtotheirpeers.Noonestoppedthisinsanityandrealizedthatwehadthebasics wrong.
Sothenhowshouldbusycliniciansdocumenttheirclinicalexchangesifnotthewaytheyweretaughtfor thelasttwohundredyears?We,atPraxisElectronicMedicalRecords,believetheanswerisforthe computertohelptheprovidersthinkandexpressthemselvesusingtheirownthoughtsandwordsby retrievingthemjustintimefromanartificialintelligencedatabasesoastolearnfromtheirownpast encountersofsimilarpatients.Asweliketosay:“It’sfaster,easier,andbettertodowhatyouwrotethanto writewhatyoudid.”Chartingbackwards?Youbet!Thisisnotwhatphysiciansweretaughttodo,butthen again,ourforebearsdidnothavecomputerstoassistthemintheexaminingroom,norreamsofdatatofill out,norattorneysandthirdpartypayerstodealwith.Theydidnotneedtochartupastormtobeable practicemedicine. Thechartthenbecomes,notasillycompilationofwhatisbeingobservedoverandover again,butanactuallivingchecklistthatensuresthannothingisforgottenoroverlookedatthepointofcare, thatallthequestionsarebeingasked,alltherelevantfindingsandstudiesarebeingevaluated,andyes,it alsochartsinstantlysosavesabouttwohoursaday
Itseemsthatdoctorshadthebasicswrongfromthestart.Ifthegoalistopracticehigherqualitymedicineby takingbettercareofpatients,paperworkshouldnotgetintheway.Onthecontrary,documentationshould assistthethoughtprocess,guideitalong,andnothinderit.Thecomputercandothatifitisprogrammed appropriately.
Theconceptprocessingsolutionworks.Ithasbeenusedforseveralyears.PraxisEMRisconsistentlyrated numberoneinphysicianusersatisfactionstudiesperformedbythelargestmedicalorganizationstoday, includingtheAmericanAcademyofFamilyPhysicianstheAmericanCollegeofPhysicians,yetfewknow whyPraxisscoressohighly.Indeed,thisnewchartingapproachgoesagainstthegrain. Itfightsagainst entrenchedbeliefsaboutthenatureofdocumentingmedicine. Oftenforamajorchangetotakeplacetwo thingsareneeded. Technologymustrepresentdisruptiveinnovation,andtherehastobealotofpainwith thewaythingshadbeendoneuptothatpoint.Thelatterisalreadyhereamongphysicians.Doctorstoday musthealthemselves.
SimplicityHealthSystems(SHS)wasfoundedby threetechsavvyentrepreneursduring2009in responsetothefederalgovernment’sHealth InformationTechnologyforEconomicandClinicalHealth Act(HITECHAct),whichwasacallfortheadvancement ofhealthcaretechnology.Recognizingthatthedirection takenbymanyITsolutionswithinhealthcarewasfailingto deliverthebenefitsnormallyassociatewithtechnology–efficiency,quality,andcost–hasallowedtheteamto uniquelypositiontheirtechnologyplatform.Thus,SHSis quicklyestablishingitselfastheleaderinnextgeneration interoperabilitysolutionsforthehealthcareindustry.
Thecompany’sleadoffering,thedocflockplatform,utilizes moderntechnologiestonormalizeandindexdatatoenable contentexchangeandworkflowcontinuity.Throughthe docflockplatform,SHSisfocusedonsolvingsomeofthe biggestproblemswithinhealthcaretoday Thisgoeswell beyondITapplications,addressingthecoremissionof improvingpatienthealthoutcomes.Thesuiteofproducts evidencethemselvesinthesimplificationofcomplex workflows,deliveringback-endinfrastructuretobe leveragedinthepursuitoftrulyopen,rules-based informationandpatientdatasharing.Whiledocflockhas beenusedasareplacementforelectronicfaxandsimilar technology,thetruepoweroftheplatformiswiththe synchronizationofcontent.
Additionally,byembracingthecriticalrolethattheHealth InformationPortabilityandAccountabilityAct(HIPAA) playsinhealthcare,theteamhasdevelopednovel communicationsolutions,whichfacilitatehealthcare cooperation.
In2010,Simplicitylauncheditsfirstsolutionforits customers.Thisearlyeffortsoughttoprovidehealthcare organizationswithasimpletoolbywhichtheirlegacy paper-basedmedicalchartscouldbemadeusablewithinan electronichealthrecordssystem.
In2012,SimplicityHealthSystemslauncheditslead product,docflock,toaddresstheissuesofconnectivity resultingfromtheheterogeneousandfragmentedapproach takenbytheEMR/EHRmanufacturers,HealthInformation Exchanges(HIE),andHealthITServicesCompanies.
In2014,thefoundersofthecompanymadeacrucial decisiontogo“allin”onbuildingasuiteofdocflock products. Astheproductstookshape,Simplicitygaveitthe name docflock.Thenamedocflockwasderivedfromthe murmurationsoflargeflocksofbirds,particularlythe starlingflocksoutsideofRome.Thesemurmurations containedtheattributesofascalefreedynamicnetwork. Eachactorinsuchadynamicnetworkhastheautonomyof individualmovement,itstaysattachedtothenetworkbased offthevaluethatthatnetworkprovides.Thisisthesame mathematicalformulausedbyGoogleatitsinception withintheburgeoningInternetmarket.Thechallengefor thesedocflockproductswasthelackofamarket-defined vernacularforthesolutionsprovided.SHSsetouttocreate anewaxisforhealthcareITcommunicationthatwas,part clinicaldocumentationsystem(EHR),partinformation sharinganddistribution(HIE),andpartfinancial (performance)managementsystem(PM).Themaingoalof theteamwastocreateacloudbasedworkflowcentric communicationnetworkthatwouldsimplifythe
communicationandworkflowbetweeneachstepwithinthe distributedcarecontinuum.
ChadZerangue,FounderandPresidentofSimplicity HealthSystems,hasledtheteamsinceSHS’inceptionin 2009.Chad’svisiontoimprovepatientcarethrougha seamlessflowofinformationwithinadigitalhealth informationinfrastructureispavingtheroadtopositive changeintheoverallmanagementofhealthcaretoday. PriortoSimplicityHealthSystems,Chadspecializedin enterprisecontentmanagementandworkflowsystem integration.
There are no shortcuts to building loyalty. We focus on customer groups for which we can bring true value. We deliver upon our promises. We do what is right for our customers – first – believing that this will benefit the company in the future. –SaysChad.
Simplicity Health Systems’s biggest challenge is not technology, it is cutting through the market clutter and noise to communicate the brand’s story effectively Healthcare is increasingly complex and ever-changing, which creates a whirlwind of activity and a sense of lost control. To address this need / opportunity, SHS has become disciplined at focusing on what matters most to customers.
Founder & PresidentThis is done by understanding their true needs, which takes commitment. The team has also narrowed their focus to markets where inter-organization communication is fundamental to success. This has not been a straight line journey. SHS has delivered solutions for a broad range of customers, but as the company has matured, the value in specialization has been realized. SHS is confident that, long-term, this approach will ensure deep customer partnerships and sustainable excellence. –AssertsChad.
SimplicityHealthSystemsisreadyingthelaunchof docflock,GenerationII.docflockGenIIistheevolutionof HealthInformationasContent,specificallyaddressingthe realitythatthechallengesofhealthcaretechnologygo beyondtheissuesofinteroperabilitybetweenEHRs.The goalwithGen.IIistoaddmeaningandintelligenceandto contextualizedata.
SimplicityHealthSystems’futureplansfocusoncontinuing tobreakdownthesystemicbarrierstocontentsharingand cooperationinthecareofpatients.Growthwillcompound overthenextseveralyears.SHSisontracktotriple revenueforthesecondstraightyear,withforecaststhat continuethistrajectory.SHS’teamisalsolookingto capture30%+shareofmarketwithinthemarketsand customersegmentstargetedbytheendof2018.
