We can be proud of how swiftly our industry adopted telehealth during the pandemic, deploying technology and integrating workflows in a matter of days to keep patients and staff safe. Beyond protection, we’ve realized many benefits of telehealth like improved access, especially in rural areas where providers are in short supply, and increased access to more timely behavioral health care. And numerous polls indicate that patients appreciate the convenience of telehealth and want to keep the option.
The number of virtual-first providers like Teladoc and Amwell have grown exponentially since the start of the pandemic.
This quick progress in telehealth points to the fact that we can, when we need to, make meaningful change happen quickly. Yet, the vast adoption of telehealth has also added yet another layer to our already disjointed, complicated healthcare system- creating more silos of data and disconnected systems.
Many times, providers need to log into multiple systems that don’t seamlessly integrate for a complete patient profile to conduct a virtual visit. This has further highlighted how dire the need for interoperability has become—both clinically and administratively.
In this edition of the newsletter, we focus on how to simplify healthcare by reengineering the entire episode of care, from scheduling to claims adjudication to payments. What would it look like if we could provide real-time access to updated coverage information? What if most prior authorizations were automated? Could we make it easier for new healthcare innovations to come to market by simplifying how companies collaborate and deploy their solutions? Could we eliminate the need for data aggregation altogether?
The answer to all is a resounding “yes” and we’re already moving in that direction. I hope that this month’s articles inspire you to think about your own role in reimagining and simplifying the healthcare ecosystem.
Stuart Hanson
CEO, Avaneer Health
In This Issue
- Empowering Healthcare Innovation in Today’s Network Ecosystem
- [WEBINAR] Digital Transformation – How Automating the Back Office Delivers Consumer Trust
- How the Healthcare Industry is Catching Up with Advances in Technology
- Health Data and Interoperability Infrastructure Needs
- Preparing for the Rising Tide of Interoperability in Healthcare
- Is it Time to Move Away from Data Aggregation?
Featured Content
“The US will spend nearly $16 billion on electronic health record (EHR) and electronic medical record (EMR) systems in 2022, up 11.7% from 2020.” The Healthcare Interoperability Report
Empowering Healthcare Innovation in Today’s Network Ecosystem
Advancing Healthcare Innovation Show
In the financial realm, consumers have come to expect certain thing like being able to use an ATM or debit card nearly anywhere in the world to access dollars and get them in the local currency and in real time. At Avaneer, we’re trying to translate that experience into moving clinical records, moving care information, moving claims administrative transactions and other data to improve the patient experience. With a background in the financial services and health industry—both highly regulated, complex industries—Stuart Hanson, CEO of Avaneer Health, has a unique perspective on interoperability and the consumer experience. In this interview, Stuart discusses how quickly the industry moved to get employees set up for remote work, for remote work, accelerating to connect in days instead of the usual pace of months or years to integrate new technology. Now that we know what we’re capable of, it’s time to finally deliver on the full promise of a patient-centric care experience fueled by a new kind of collaboration.
Upcoming Events
[WEBINAR] Digital Transformation – How Automating the Back Office Delivers Consumer Trust
Join our upcoming webinar on November 3 at 1:00PM ET for an exploration of how healthcare could work differently as the panel members challenge the way healthcare approaches data exchange today, what is meant by digitizing the back office, how the revenue cycle can be improved with automation, and how it could impact the healthcare experience. Payers, providers, and innovators are coming together to collaborate.
Our speakers include:
James Carr
Director, Revenue Cycle
Sentara Healthcare
Mark Treshock
Executive Director of Emerging Technology
CVS Health
Industry News
How the Healthcare Industry is Catching Up with Advances in Technology
TechTalks
Health enterprises have invested millions in equipment and systems, much of which were designed before the advent of technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and wearable devices. These new technologies have spawned unrealized potential for advancing care quality, but they require a level of interoperability that does not yet exist. “We can’t build these applications if we don’t have the interoperable data.”
Health Data and Interoperability Infrastructure Needs
Healthcare IT Today
The past five years have brought a “tenfold increase” in the volume of healthcare data that is—or could be—available, data that has the potential to transform how we deliver healthcare and the quality of that care. “Despite existing data standards, upstream adherence by EHR vendors and providers has been inconsistent, obscuring downstream insights.” In this intriguing article, healthcare leaders from across the country share their insights on where we are and where we need to be in regard to interoperability infrastructure.
Preparing for the Rising Tide of Interoperability in Healthcare
Journal of AHIMA
From the 2020 – 2025 Federal Health IT Strategic Plan to TEFCA to the looming October 6, 2022, deadline for the ONC’s Cures Act Final Rule, there’s a lot going on to advance healthcare interoperability. This informative article outlines all of the major initiatives, including deadlines and potential penalties. The author advises providers to be prepared for a “dramatic increase” in data availability. “This includes identifying resources and technical tools needed to validate and reconcile large volumes of structured and unstructured data.”
From the Avaneer Blog
Is it Time to Move Away from Data Aggregation?
There’s a difference between data exchange and data access. Data exchange—what our industry focuses on now—requires multiple actions between two parties, as well as the complex infrastructure to support data aggregation. Data access, on the other hand, requires no physical exchange of data or data aggregation. Through a decentralized, peer-to-peer network, all healthcare stakeholders with the appropriate permissions and consent can access the data they need when and where they need it.