Optum Forum 2017 was filled with collaboration, great discussions and networking for more than 1,500 health care stakeholders. We gained new insights into how health care policy is changing, the challenges ahead of all of us and what we can look forward to with new technologies. Throughout the week, more than 200 breakout sessions brought […]
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Ready or not, here it comes — risk-based, fee-for-value health care is here or coming to a market near you! Health care providers are no longer asking whether they should get ready. They are asking: How fast should we make the transition? They know it may not be pretty. “Organizations need to set a goal […]
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“Anytime you have a patient that’s more engaged and involved in their care, your outcomes are better.” That’s a quote from Judy Herrington, who has 30 years’ experience in the health care field and serves as the vice president of nursing, medicine services at Parkland Hospital in Texas. Her front-line observation echoes the results of […]
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To drive down costs and improve care through value-based models, one must have a deep understanding of the population they serve. Health care providers have this knowledge. Their familiarity with the demographics, economics and general needs of their communities means some are well-positioned to launch their own provider-sponsored health plans (PSHP) and have a sense […]
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Failure to follow up with a physician or follow a medication regimen can cause a recently released patient to end up right back in the hospital. But there are other, non-clinical factors that also lead to readmissions. The causes can be grouped into three main categories: Patients’ medical literacy According to the National Network of Libraries […]
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While providers may now see population health programs as key to value-based care success, many are struggling with implementing change in a way that affects outcomes. “It’s like the proverbial changing of the tires while driving down the road at 90 mph,” says Steve Griffiths, senior vice president of Health Care Analytics Consulting at Optum. […]
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With the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act replacing the sustainable growth rate, changes are coming for physicians. But will MACRA impact facility providers? Consultants at Optum say yes. Specifically they say hospitals and health systems should prepare for changes to referral patterns and readmission rates. Jay Hazelrigs, vice president and lead actuary at Optum, […]
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Analytics platforms that provide insights immediately after data is collected can help physicians and care managers make the most of their time with patients. Real-time data integration allows care teams to engage patients closer to the point of care and make decisions on next steps. But in some cases even data accessible in real time […]
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Can you remember what you wore to work last Thursday? How about what you had for lunch yesterday? We humans aren’t particularly great at recalling details. Study after study shows it. Colonoscopy patients don’t remember details of their procedures when more than a year has passed, according to a report in Healio. How about hip […]
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Are accountable care organizations (ACOs) the future of health care? In Washington, DC and throughout the country, a lot of people are betting that they are. Designed to improve the coordination and quality of care and lower costs for Medicare patients, ACOs are considered an important step in the effort to move Medicare – and […]
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