Insight

INSIGHT: DIDN'T THE MIGRATION TO ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS (EHRS) CATALYZE THE ERA OF BIG DATA IN HEALTH CARE? Bussmann: Electronic health records only made the revolution possible. They got healthcare providers into the business of data collection. The real revolution will come when health systems and their partners use this data to do two things: 1) deliver more effective and efficient care and 2) deliver that care to those who need it most. INSIGHT: HOW ARE COMPANIES STARTING TO USE DATA TO IMPLEMENT THESE IMPROVEMENTS? Bussmann: A handful of start-ups are already running pilot programs to make care more effective and efficient. These programs are doing things like using mobile apps to track behavior and monitor vitals. They are merging this with EHR data to support diagnosis and treatment decisions. The potential results are huge. But this is still in its infancy, and there are no direct incentives to help spur investment by hospital executives. However, the second thing, delivering care to those who need it most, can be done right now. EHR data is merged with existing behavioral/consumer databases that help fill in the blanks about each individual. Using this merged database, we can build predictive models to meet a variety of business goals—and the benefits can be realized now on both the top and bottom lines. INSIGHT: CAN YOU SHARE SOME EXAMPLES? Bussmann: Models can be used to target the newly insured in states with expanded Medicaid coverage or exchanges, or to identify those likely to need a hip replacement. Models can also be used to target unprofitable misusers of your emergency department. Smartly executed campaigns can guide these patients to lower-cost access points such as urgent care and outpatient clinics. INSIGHT: WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR BIG DATA IN HEALTH CARE? Bussmann: This is only the tip of the iceberg when you consider how other industries leverage customer insights to inform marketing—and being a data guy, I am really excited about the possibilities. In fact, I am hard-pressed to think of an industry with more data potential than health care. COMING REVOLUTION HEALTH CARE THERE'S PROBABLY A QUESTION ALREADY FORMING IN YOUR MIND: " WAIT ... ISN'T THE DATA REVOLUTION ALREADY HAPPENING?" TRUE NORTH DATA SCIENTIST SAM BUSSMANN, MA , SHARES HIS EXPERT PERSPECTIVE ON HOW "BIG DATA" IS CHANGING THE WAY HEALTH CARE IS DELIVERED. T he in Data Sam Bussmann, MA Data Scientist T R U E N O R T H TRUENORTHCUSTOM.COM INSIGHT V11N1 11 best practices in MEANINGFUL USE

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