Are we connected?

We’ve all experienced the emotional rollercoaster of navigating our healthcare system when we or a loved one is sick. Not knowing who to call for help; providers and patients filling out cumbersome, paper-based forms; prescriptions that need to be called in rather than sent electronically; trying to understand which homecare options will be covered – these situations can be all too familiar. They’re a reflection of the disconnected care that providers and patients must strive to overcome.

When I came aboard to lead my business unit at Premier just over a year ago, we decided to rename the unit “Continuum of Care” to better reflect who we serve. Did you know that nearly 90 percent of healthcare services are delivered outside the four walls of the hospital? There is a huge disconnect between where much of our care occurs and how we traditionally define this segment of healthcare. Non-acute, alternate site – these terms define care by what it’s not (care that takes place outside of a hospital) rather than by what it is: a person’s journey in healthcare, from wellness to chronic care and everything in between. They don’t accurately reflect the patient and provider experience.

Today, people often go from site-of-care, to a provider, and back to home. But naming conventions aside, in many instances this is not a continuous journey. It has fits and starts, is often disconnected, and it reflects our reimbursement systems, not our care priorities. Our providers persevere to supply a good experience for the patients they serve, but the cards can feel like they’re stacked against all of us.

Tackling these challenges must start with bridging the digital divide for both providers and their patients. As one example, during the pandemic, Premier saw that long-term care (LTC) providers have been left behind in the movement to tech-enable healthcare. Providers caring for medically complex elders often lack ways to monitor and prevent widespread infection, which is why many nursing homes turned into hot beds for COVID-19. In 2022, Premier’s PINC AI? team redeveloped our acute care infection surveillance solution to monitor for specific markers of infections among LTC residents. This solution will automate LTC operations, and ensure that patients receive better, more timely care.

There is also opportunity for technology to smooth payment systems, deconflict reimbursement formulas, and better understand insurance company margins. Consumers have way more information today than ever before (who knew we could shop online for MRIs like shopping for a new mattress), but the amount of information and choices can be overwhelming, especially when our health or the health of a loved one is at stake. Technology can help solve these challenges, in combination with legislation and regulation, supply chain operations, and improved business processes for providers – all of which need to accurately reflect the reality of healthcare delivery within the continuum.

At Premier, we’re on a journey to improve the patient experience by solving the systemic challenges of the providers who serve them. It’s one of the primary reasons I joined the organization, and I invite you to join us as we solve these challenges together.

Do you have a story that illustrates the disconnects in the care continuum within the healthcare journey, or ideas about how we may go about solving them? I’ll be publishing these posts frequently moving forward and would love to feature your ideas here. I may even use them as examples in my upcoming speaking engagements.

So please comment or message me to share your story, tell me what you think, and together let’s work together to transform healthcare and better connect the continuum!