Big Data: Central to the Population Health Journey

摘要

Navigating the journey to value-based care is the job of every leader at every health system. As our population ages and resources narrow, finding better and more efficient ways to manage the health of large populations is imperative, and the strategies we pursue now will dictate whether our organizations thrive or decline. Among the most critical of these strategies is meeting the challenge of big data. Health systems that wish to compete and thrive in the new world of value-based care must do more than provide outstanding care. They also must collect and use data effectively and efficiently, which means mastering data analytics and using those skills to improve patients' lives and the communities in which they live. Population health management has become a popular buzzword phrase. In reality, it is a data strategy to collect and analyze information and stratify patients into groups so the health system can provide the care they need, when they need it. Data strategy should be a leading strategy for forward-thinking health systems, and an organization cannot transform care unless these activities become a core competency. Big data journeys will differ from organization to organization as each confronts its own barriers and opportunities. A comprehensive data strategy requires a substantial financial investment as well as the belief that data will be a critical tool in identifying costs and lowering the total cost of care. In addition, the Affordable Care Act and value-based payment initiatives from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services provide powerful incentives to use data to better manage the care of large populations. In this information age, privacy and data security are also paramount.