Our health team – made up of Christine Lee, Michelle Reed, and Shishi Feng – recently hit the road to attend some of the top industry events of the year including the Datavant Health Summit, Becker’s Health IT + Digital Health + RCM Meeting, and HTLH. While the travel schedule was hectic, the insights and learnings from each event were powerful and inspiring. Here are five key themes that emerged from these events as major trends in healthcare:
Health equity is still in full focus.
In recent years, awareness around disparities and inequities related to healthcare and patient outcomes has grown due in part to the pandemic as well as technological and data-driven advances. However, the mission of ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to attain their highest level of health remains paramount today. Central to achieving this mission is understanding the social determinants of health (SDOH) that are impacting patient outcomes. By leveraging the power of people-based SDOH data, healthcare providers and the industry as a whole can gain a broader understanding of social determinants, identify health disparities, tailor care, build patient trust and ultimately improve outcomes for all.
Me, Myself, and AI.
No matter your industry, you’ve most likely heard the recent hype around artificial intelligence – or AI – with tools like ChatGPT and others. While AI has been primarily reserved for creative and business use cases up to this point, it is making its way into healthcare. Its myriad of applications – such as disease prediction, enhanced medical imaging, drug discovery, virtual assistance, and more – are driving a shift towards more personalized, efficient, and data-driven healthcare. Although AI has the potential to revolutionize healthcare, it’s imperative to deploy it thoughtfully, ensuring that patient welfare, privacy, and trust remain at the forefront.
Making more data more useful.
The drive for data-rich, meaningful insights is more pronounced than ever in today’s healthcare landscape. This is characterized by the need for both depth (detailed, comprehensive information on individual patients) and breadth (encompassing wide-range of aspects) of data and insight. However, it’s not just about having vast amounts of information but also about ensuring that this information is structured, integrated, and optimized for assisting in achieving the best patient outcomes. To truly harness the potential of data in healthcare, there’s a pressing need for its unification. Data points need to be interlinked, forming a cohesive, comprehensive picture of each patient. This ensures that every piece of information – whether it’s a doctor’s observation noted down in free text, a predefined lab result, or predictive SDOH insight – is used to its full potential and paints a holistic picture of a patient’s health journey.
Community driven healthcare continues to grow.
Modern healthcare is being reshaped by community-centric delivery, often referred to the “4th Network” or “Community Driven Healthcare”. For example, retail behemoths like Walmart, CVS, and Walgreens are at the forefront, transforming their spaces into hubs of accessible and timely care. These retail health models harness consumer and health data to optimize services. A Walmart clinic visit, powered by integrated data systems, might end with an immediate prescription filled at their pharmacy, streamlining the patient journey. Beyond immediacy, these models use data to address community health needs. Someone buying certain foods might receive tailored dietary advice, seamlessly integrating healthcare into shopping routines. Combining data analytics with community healthcare ensures that care is not just quality-driven but also accessible, relevant and seamlessly integrated with our daily lives.
Understanding the provider-as-a-person can improve patient care.
The notion of humanizing healthcare frequently revolves around the patient. However, equally crucial is understanding the healthcare provider-as-a-person. Healthcare providers – be they doctors, nurses, therapists, or others – have their own life stories, challenges, aspirations, and personal characteristics. While the burden of their responsibility is universally recognized, the factors influencing their day-to-day emotional, physical, and mental well-being often remain unseen. By viewing and supporting healthcare providers through a lens that appreciates them as unique individuals, and not just medical professionals, healthcare institutions can foster an environment where providers are empowered to deliver their best, ultimately leading to better patient outcomes and a more resilient healthcare system.
If you’d like to dive deeper into any of these topics with the AnalyticsIQ team to see how we are making an impact in each of these areas with people-based data, visit our Healthcare page and reach out here.
Bonus picture of the team having a blast at HLTH!
