Transforming Healthcare Through Better Use of Data
Author: Jared Rhoads, Lynette Ferrara
Hospitals and health systems have more pressures and more incentives to become data-driven. Competitive pressures, changes in rules and reimbursement, and opportunities to gain incentives are all making it necessary for organizations to improve their clinical quality and efficiency. Many organizations already have large data resources, but they need to develop the foundational practices and capabilities to get the most out of these assets. In this paper, we indicate three areas that can be improved through the better use of data, and describe six key building blocks that need to be addressed in order to approach this opportunity.
Change is also being spurred by developments on the ground level, such as the meaningful use incentive program for electronic health records (EHR), value-based purchasing accountable care and other CMS rules affecting reimbursement. The shift toward the meaningful use of EHRs, for example, will help to create what the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) envisions will be a learning health system. In this scenario, the "the right information will be available to support a given decision," whether it has to do with treatment, medication, or the research and development for a potential new treatment.
The key to responding to such a vast array of changes is for health delivery organizations to become more skilled at leveraging their data. Organizations can use their data to improve patient care, drive innovation and improve organizational performance.
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