Small Data: A New Solution for a Big Healthcare Problem

Good morning Dave, Thanks for liking my comment to Alexander. I'd be delighted if you, too, join our conversation around improving outcomes, forecasting ROI, and the development of value-based care as it relates to the TPA's and management of chronic diseases. Interesting questions are arising, such as: How do we measure the value reducing someone's blood pressure by 10-15 mmHg? How do we measure the value (and ALL of the cost savings) of normalizing someone's blood sugar with diet and exercise so they can quit taking their meds? (accounting for the meds is relatively easy, but what about the reduced damage to their organs, and prevention of other co-morbidities...it gets a lot harder to measure the total downstream value). Worthy inquiries though, especially if we want to truly recognize value around prevention and wellness rather than just talking about it. I think if we start to quantify the value, then in the long run we can start to create reimbursement mechanisms around it. (In the short run, we are talking with TPAs who believe we have a viable enterprise play at $29.99/employee/month to be paid by the employer as a Wellness & Prevention Benefit that will more than offset their annual healthcare claims). As a new development, Dr. Wes Ashford, Professor and Senior Research Scientist at Stanford University, and his son/Co-Founder of MemTrax.com, Curtis Ashford, are collaborating with us to lead a study for Alzheimer's Dementia Management for Caregivers. Early data from key intervention trials at the country's ADRC's (Alzheimer's Dementia Research Centers) show a reduction in hospital admissions and ER visits, improved quality of care and quality of life scores, and delayed admission to nursing homes by up to almost one year (with a typical nursing home costing $65K to $80K/year). Yet, none of these programs has been implemented on a wider scale. Ateko, the healthcare vertical of opusomni, creates a platform for scaling these programs rooted in best evidence and best practice. Did you know that in America we spend $226 billion dollars a year in care for Alzheimer's dementia management, and another $217 billion dollars a year in unpaid care to caregivers who reduce their work hours and stay at home to care for loved ones with Alzheimer's? Yes, that's right. You can learn more listening to the last 12 min https://goo.gl/upAOCf of our radio broadcast here if you are interested in joining our conversation around how we create value-driven care for Alzheimer's dementia management. We need lots of smart people thinking about this problem from different perspectives. Kind regards, Beth

Well written article @davechase and kudos to THR for taking steps to close this care gap.

Interesting point of view!

Thanks for continuing to lead the charge on the need for virtually integrated networks @davechase! This is a great example of how healthcare leaders are continuing to realize the limits of the native EMR, once a patient leaves the comforts of the "clinically integrated network". The time has arrived when, to keep a patient well, and to cut costs, clinicians need the right insight at the right time about patients, regardless of where that encounter might happen to occur. The small data is often enough to manage a patient, but imagine how a clinician could benefit if the clinical data alone (small data in this example) is matched and enriched with claims, psychographic, health risk assessment and more data to provide near real time point of care insight! This is the next big, big thing in healthcare!

Providing for support during care transition back into the community is a big deal, particularly if it can be seamless. Beyond a referral service we need to find a link to reimbursements and proven savings, that will allow for scalability.