What’s in Store for Accountable Care Solutions?
Since Medicare unveiled its initiative to build an ACO model in 2011, hundreds of these organizations have been created across the U.S., including a number in Texas. The proliferation of ACOs has led to the development of many different accountable care solutions built from custom software to help health providers, employers, and insurers collaborate to improve care and decrease costs. Applying experience derived from the Pioneer ACO Model, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is launching its next generation ACO model to establish financial targets and expand areas of care coordination among providers and beneficiaries. Participation in ACOs are not mandatory, but offers shared financial incentives for meeting metrics for standards of care. Hospitals & Health Networks Daily (HHN) has offered http://www.hhnmag.com/Daily/2012/Apr/glaser041012-8910003663 great insights into the technologies that will support forthcoming ACO initiatives.
Healthcare Technology Will Drive Intelligent Improvements
The six key technologies HHN predicts will emerge include revenue cycle and contracts management software as well as systems that promote interoperability among providers. But some of the most interesting technology solutions focus on the use of business intelligence, particularly with CMS’s emphasis on hitting predictable financial numbers with the Next Generation ACO model. With development of management systems that cover the entire care continuum for individuals and populations, organizations will be able to use advanced analytics tools to uncover and refine best practices with practical application of:
- Dashboards (mobile apps, browsers) that encourage actions [interventions] that reduce deterioration of care or likelihood of emergency room visits. Effective dashboards will present a comprehensive view of the patient across the spectrum of a care management system
- Aggregation or dynamic grouping of data (e.g. through NoSQL or MongoDB ) to manage billing or compensation for ACO and traditional fee-for-service care
- Decision support systems (including artificial intelligence) to develop workflow engines and rule sets that improve uniformity of care and consistent application of best practices among providers
- Big Data or business intelligence (analytics) systems to aid decision-making based on current, comprehensive data
- Middleware or secure API (application programming interfaces) infrastructure to support information exchange among providers and yield a more complete perspective of the patient
- Wearables and mobile apps to more easily collect [additional] patient data and engage patients to track and improve their own compliance and self-management
At Ayoka, we have been fortunate to serve customers who are dedicated to the principles of a patient-centric approach to healthcare. Ayoka has built cloud-based ACO software for customers to use within their enterprise or to resell to their clients. The custom accountable care solutions we develop help deliver the insights that make this model effective for patients and rewarding as a business. Contact us today to discuss your ideas for making healthcare better!
