The Power of Patient Data

For many years, in health care, patients in the United States got what we all thought was high-quality care: well-trained physicians delivering as much health care as patients wanted, much as restaurants serve food. The value revolution in health care means that care providers can no longer wait for patients to access care: Too many of them access too little care; others overuse it. Clinical analytics, in the hands of caregivers, is proving to be a potent enabler. David Howes, MD, was a self-described country physician when he assumed the role of CEO of Martin’s Point HealthCare (Portland, Maine), more than a dozen years ago, and helped implement a patient registry built on a basic database tool that provides physicians with the data required to understand patient-care needs. It also provides management with an enhanced understanding of its patient population—resulting in more equitable rates from payors. In seeking to subdue the cost side of the value equation, administrators might be tempted to view some health services as commoditized—particularly a service as inscrutable as the interpretation of radiological images. That’s not a good idea, the CMOs at institutions served by a consortium of radiology practices report. That consortium is raising the quality bar with a patient-safety organization (certified by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality) aimed at understanding and improving outcomes by sharing data across 17 geographically dispersed radiology practices. Last but not least, in this issue of Health CXO, we examine how CHE Trinity Health (Lansing, Michigan) has standardized its approach to septicemia—the most costly condition treated by hospitals—across 49 hospitals, in 11 states, to reduce mortality and trim nearly $17 million in costs through a systemwide collaboration. That’s powerful medicine. Cheryl Provalcproval@healthcxo.com