Humanizing data: how value based care creates new analytic needs

Post Written by Sameer Kalarn, Associate Consultant

How does data analytics fit into the puzzle of humanizing data through value based contracting? The HAS 22 conference focused on the need to see the people represented by the data viewed in health care analytics.

At the Healthcare Analytics Summit 2022 conference held in Salt Lake City, the central theme was the human aspect of data and one central question: how does the work in health care analytics humanize data? I attended this year’s convening to hear what the field has to say about this important topic.

Why is this important?

As the health care sector in the United States shifts to alternative payment models, we are seeing analytics playing a larger role in the day-to-day work of providing clinical care and creating long-term strategies to improve the health of communities. Gone are the days when all provider organizations needed to monitor were provider utilization metrics. Gone are the days when we could calculate the income for a physician group by simply projecting the number of billed visits over time. With alternative payment models, the health risks associated with each patient are loaded onto the shoulders of provider groups and more importantly the structures clinicians work within daily.

Many of the sessions at HAS 22 focused on the lessons learned from implementing solutions to improve patient outcomes and implementing value-based care contracts. I was happy to hear that when the question was asked about humanizing data, the answer was that value based care models and the humanization of data were basically one and the same. For many people working in health care, the push toward increasing value in health care shines the spotlight not only on how clinicians have traditionally provided care for physical and mental health, but the push to ask deeper questions and provide avenues to address the social determinants of health. For others working in the industry, this also includes understanding the bias influencing the way care is provided to different communities across the country.

There were a variety of sessions at HAS 22 that highlighted these points, including presentations by Dr. Kedar Mate and Deepak Sadagopan.

On the topic of health equity, Dr. Kedar Mate, CEO at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, discussed the need to review quality of care across populations so that improvements are not only occurring for specific groups, but for everyone across the socioeconomic spectrum. He went on to say that health equity ultimately boils down to producing robust data analytics that highlights bias present in every clinician and our ability to consciously adjust the way our systems of care respond so that the same care procedures are used for every person seeking care.  

Deepak Sadagopan of Providence St. Joseph Health spoke about the transformation their health system underwent over the last decade. He described the shift from focusing solely on efficiency/productivity metrics and maximization of scale to focusing on vertical integration of care and expanded physician networks so that their system of care aligned with the incentives from value-based contracts. Deepak went on to describe the need to create a regional ecosystem health delivery system that continuously improves the way the health community cares for its population. This would ultimately be done by growing partnership-based contracts driven by performance data showing the need for clinically integrated operations.

Lessons learned from the field ultimately focused on two core ideas

Bringing clinicians and patients into the conversation around data-driven outcomes improvement

The gap between the health care experience and population health analytics needs to be closed. Population health data gives us pieces of a story that needs to be filled in by input from clinicians and patients. Having a transparent data analytics team that is willing to work side by side with clinicians to understand the scenarios shown in data builds trust in the quality improvement process. Bringing in members served by a healthcare provider group further expands the details behind the data. 

Aligning structures of care with value-based care incentives 

Vertical integration of services, partnerships with social care networks, and expanded data sharing are key to success in value-based care payment models. Entering risk-based payment models with a plan to evaluate and restructure a fee-for-service-operated healthcare setting will avoid frustrations and burnout in both clinical and data focused teams. Creating this type of health care setting that fully serves a patient in their journey to improve their health enables provider groups to find success in value-based care contracts.

Are you a provider organization on the road to value based care? There’s a lot to consider in this critical shift, including how your analytic and technology stack can support your organization’s success. HSG provides clear, actionable guidance to our clients about how to move from a fee-for-service based analytics structure to a robust value-based analytics structure. Drop us a line if your organization could benefit from HSG’s expertise in this area.

About the Author: Sameer Kalarn is an associate consultant at Helgerson Solutions Group. Connect with him on LinkedIn