As we reported on Wednesday, Jan. 12, “The top officials at the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on Tuesday, Jan. 11, made a major public statement regarding the goal of moving the healthcare system towards health equity, and a major component of that statement focused on leveraging Medicare’s value-based programs, particularly those…
In early 2020, healthcare leaders from payers to providers to technology services providers found themselves at a crossroads—innovate or fail to care for patients. I had the privilege recently of joining a virtual roundtable with a group of healthcare leaders to talk about the transformation of patient care, engagement and outreach. The panel focused on…
Being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) can transform even the most easygoing, unflappable individual into a full-time worrywart. Even in periods of extended remission, when symptoms are kept mercifully at bay for weeks or even months at a time, the disease has other ways of making its presence felt. Looming on the outer reaches of…
For MercyOne, digital social determinants of health screening was a clinician-led pursuit. When the Iowa-based hospital and clinic system began screening for social risk factors in 2017, its leaders were responding to pushes from providers who noted the role these factors play in overall patient health. “We’d heard from our providers that health-related social needs…
Health equity is increasingly a priority for providers, and insurers can be a key partner in supporting those efforts, according to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). More than half of health systems surveyed (58%) identified health equity as a top priority, up from 25% saying the same in 2019. Equity placed second to safety in the…
Healthcare only accounts for a small percentage of a person’s overall wellbeing and health, but external factors such as socioeconomic status and access to food are difficult to capture and leverage within the healthcare system. Machine learning models may help bridge that gap. Research from Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of…
The concept of holistic, or whole person, care continues to gain traction as the best way to address the healthcare sector’s overall mission of improved health outcomes, lower costs and improved patient experiences. Understanding the role of social determinants of health (SDOH) has become a primary focus for providers, payers, consumers and government agencies because…
Applying data governance strategies can help healthcare facilities capture and use social determinants of health (SDOH) data, and a key part of that process is appropriate coding, according to an American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) white paper. “When it comes to revenue cycle, I think what it comes down to is quality,” Julie A. Pursley, MSHI, RHIA,…
There is growing concern among many well-respected providers about the consequences of fewer preventive services over the past 1½ years as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As patients slowly start to resume care throughout 2021 and into 2022, experts predict we will see a spike in the number of severe or late-stage diagnoses that normally…
Social determinants of health contracting with community-based organizations remains a complex and challenging task for payers as the demand for answers grows more pressing. As the industry’s awareness of social determinants of health expands, so does the need for evidence-based solutions. Often, these solutions require health insurers and health systems to contract with community-based organizations…