347 - Decoding data to empower medical practices. Chris Smeed, Cubiko

In this episode of Talking HealthTech, Peter Birch delves into the latest developments from Cubiko and Halo Connect .?

Cubiko will soon be launching a dental platform and the Magentus | Practice Management product will be fully launched in the coming weeks. Additionally, they are closely monitoring health reform and budget nights for potential changes in primary care.?

Chris Smeed shares their experience with Cubiko and Halo, with a total of 34 people on staff. Chris discusses the development of a new connector for various health tech companies and the challenges of building an on-premises connector versus cloud-based connectors. Cubiko's partnership with Commonwealth Bank Health is also explored, along with the latest updates on the Insights powered by Cubiko product. Tune in to hear more about Cubiko's efforts to support practices and individual practitioners through potential changes in primary care.

Cubiko's Evolution Amidst COVID-19

Cubiko, a medical practice support company, has been adapting to the challenges posed by COVID-19 over the past 18 months. The initial focus was on the virus and vaccines for the first six to 10 months before attending to patients related to COVID. Despite these challenges, Cubiko has grown from four to twenty-seven employees in Australia, enabling efficient task delegation. The company has forged a partnership with Genie Solutions to launch a business intelligence platform tailored to meet the unique needs of medical practices. With an innovative approach, Cubiko is set to continue growing and providing medical practice support.

Innovation through Genie Collaboration

Cubiko has been working closely with Genie, a well-known platform among medical specialists. By developing an API to feed Genie customer data into its products, Cubiko bolsters its support for Cubiko Insights. This collaboration enables the provision of detailed practice reports that inform decision-making. Combining this information with actionable insights helps practices improve patient outcomes, sustainability, and profitability. Cubiko aspires to be the "best reporting friend" of medical practices, offering valuable real-time information to help them stay ahead.

Building Insights with Data Integration

Though Cubiko is not a practice management system (PMS) itself, it relies heavily on the information sourced from them. Data is gathered from various PMSs, including those for dental practices. With diverse structures, databases, and connection methods, consolidating data into their platform is a challenge. Nevertheless, Cubiko focuses on generating metrics and dashboards from this data, investing significant effort into securely and compliantly integrating the information into their system. Cubiko only reads the data, without making any modifications back. By consolidating data from different health tech companies and accounting and HR systems, Cubiko creates a comprehensive overview of reporting and analysis. Importantly, Cubiko does not create a secondary patient record; it interprets the existing data in the patient's primary health record.

The Medicubes Podcast: A Valuable Resource for Practice Owners

The Medicubes Podcast which is part of the Talking HealthTech Podcast Network, offers practice managers a convenient way to stay informed about the ever-evolving healthcare industry.?

Hosted by Chris Smeed , Riwka Hagen and Kim Poyner , the podcast features various guests discussing issues that affect daily clinic operations. The podcast's accessibility distinguishes it from traditional webinars, as it allows listeners to multitask whilst absorbing information. The hosts explore their guests' motivations and backgrounds, equipping practice managers with the tools to transform their clinic cultures and workflows. Recent guests include Miranda Grace , the President of the AAPM , and other practices with unique stories.

The Halo Project: Solving Resource Challenges

Halo Connect came about to address the inefficient use of resources in the healthcare industry. Chris observed that different HealthTech companies had to build their own on-prem connectors to interact with the practice server's database. To resolve this issue, they developed a cloud-based connector that safeguards the server and provides cloud-based endpoints for HealthTech companies to utilise. This innovation has enabled companies like Best Practice to implement its first set of RESTful, cloud-based APIs for transactions.

Integration: Bridging On-Prem and Cloud-Based Systems

The development of cloud-based APIs and connectors like Halo is a significant breakthrough. By creating a catch-all for all interactions, Halo alleviates the load on medical practices, allowing for seamless communication between different systems. Despite the perceived barriers to interoperability posed by on-prem systems, Halo demonstrates that the last mile can be bridged with the right tools. Halo will soon be integrated into Best Practice Software , making it accessible to every practice using that PMS and enabling them to engage with various cloud-based vendors and interoperability projects.

Partnership with Commonwealth Bank

Cubiko's collaboration with the Commonwealth Bank allows the small company to leverage the bank's resources to educate and support medical practices. Additionally, Commonwealth Bank customers in the Smart Health programme will soon have seamless access to Cubiko's services through the platform. This partnership required Cubiko to undergo a rigorous security and privacy assessment, ultimately resulting in a stronger company and providing valuable insights for other small startups seeking to partner with larger organisations.

What's Next for Chris Smeed and Cubiko

The team at Cubiko is enthusiastic about their upcoming ventures in the dental sector, planning to deliver specific metrics for the industry using their platform. They are also concentrating on their Genie product partnership launch and integrating with Medicare web services to simplify processes for healthcare practices. With potential changes in health reform looming, Cubiko is preparing to support practitioners through what could be significant shifts in primary care.

The Medicubes Podcast as an Industry Resource

The Medicubes Podcast is an excellent resource for those seeking to understand primary care and stay informed about industry changes. Chris encourages people to connect with him on LinkedIn for more information and insights into Cubiko's ongoing innovation and future developments.

In Conclusion: Embracing Innovation in Medical Practice Support

Cubiko has demonstrated resilience and adaptability in the face of the challenges brought on by COVID-19. Through innovative collaborations with companies like Genie , Commonwealth Bank and others, the company has successfully developed and integrated cutting-edge solutions to support medical practices. As Cubiko continues to expand into new sectors like dentistry and enhance their partnerships, they remain committed to providing valuable resources like the Medicubes Podcast to help practitioners navigate an ever-evolving industry. By embracing innovation and collaboration, Cubiko will continue to empowering healthcare providers to deliver better patient outcomes and maintain sustainable, profitable practices.