Turn Population Health Data into Meaningful Disease Management Strategies

Via Health IT Analytics, a FDA/CMS Summit for Payers event supporter. View the complete article here.

How can providers turn population health data into meaningful chronic disease management?

When you hear the words “population health management” chronic disease care almost immediately comes to mind, diseases such as; diabetes, asthma, hypertension, and COPD. They sap billions of dollars from the healthcare system every year, and represent an enormous challenge for providers.  From medication adherence apps to appointment reminders sent through the EHR, providers have a range of tools at their disposal to track, corral, and encourage patients to manage their own care.

How can providers leverage these technologies while employing effective management strategies that provide patient-centered, population-minded care?

Which patient engagement, adherence strategies will work?

A provider can implement all the health IT in the world, but effective chronic disease management will still rely almost entirely on the patient’s willingness to engage with their care strategies, take their medications, and show up at their appointments.  Devising patient engagement strategies that produce measurable results requires an intimate knowledge of the targeted patient population, an understanding of what drives non-adherent behaviors, and a familiarity with technologies that truly appeal to patients.

For example, the patient population that is covered by Medicaid may face much different socioeconomic challenges than a privately insured community that receives support via their employers.

Dr. Margie Rowland, Chief Medical Officer of CareOregon said, "Many of our members are very poor and have literacy issues" She added, “It’s not just about taking the right pills or coming back for appointments, but it’s making sure people actually understand their illness and understand what questions to ask, or getting help with transportation to their provider - it’s not just health literacy.  It’s literacy in general.”

Different communities require differ services. For instance a non-english speaking population may require a translation service, while a rural population could require telehealth services to eliminate long drives.

Healthcare providers should be sure to assess their patient population before committing to any engagement strategy. The pairing of data with community feedback will provide a base for future efforts.

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At FDA/CMS Summit for Payers, Michael Willis, PhD, Vice President & Business Information Officer at Kaiser Permanente will discuss how information technology shows tremendous potential in helping reduce disparities by improving access and information flow as well as communication between providers and patients. Session information below:

Health Disparities Using Technology to Bridge the Divide

Health disparities continues to be a major issue for our country. As our country’s diversity has grown we have also seen a parallel increase in health disparities. This presentation will focus on the challenges associated with health disparities and how Information Technology can be used as a catalyst for collaboration and education to measurably improve the lives of individuals and their families.


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