ANCOR News - 12.04.17

The Importance of Data

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Why Switch to Technology?

 

The human services field has been advocating a shift to new service delivery models that are moving towards managed care, integrated care management, and conflict-free case management. With this change, it is more important than ever to have an operative quality improvement and measurement system to ensure you are providing high quality, outcome-based services.

Connecting data and systems in a real-time platform can lead to reduced costs, easier maintenance and safeguards, and can turn your agency into an industry leader integrating best practices and the latest technologies.

Implementing technology solutions in your agency streamlines processes and allow for the collection of actionable data that can be used to identify trends for health and goals to improve quality of life for the individuals you support. Having the ability to collect data electronically can improve clinical and population health outcomes, increase transparency and efficiency, and empower individuals.

How the Data Can Be Used
A good reporting tool is necessary to turn data into something meaningful and useful. High-level reporting allows an agency to determine trends in health, goals, utilization, demographics, and more, to see what is working and just as importantly what isn’t working. This data can be used to identify changes that need to be made and best practices that can be applied elsewhere.

On an individual level, data can be pulled to recognize trends, tendencies, preferences, goals, events, and developments on a person by person basis, which allows you to provide better support and care.

The ability to quantify quality and outcomes will also be necessary as states move to Value Based Purchasing Models (VBP) and are paid based on the performance of certain metrics.

Advocacy
No one can argue with cold, hard facts. Your agency and the clients you support can more effectively advocate by using deidentified population data. The power of an individual’s personal story is paramount for advocacy. When paired with insights from agency data, advocacy efforts are even more powerful at the local, state, and federal level.

Data Sharing
To provide integrated care coordination and care management, data needs to be shared between all members of an individual’s care team. There is a significant amount of data that may be shared with provider organizations from health information exchanges (HIEs) and regional health information organizations (RHIOs). Using technology like MediSked Connect Exchange – Multi-Agency Business Intelligence Platform will allow for the bi-directional flow of demographic, clinical, and care plan data, as well as real time alerting in situations such as hospitalizations or emergencies. This means you’ll have access to more information and a truly holistic view of the individual – leading to better support, quality, and outcomes. Even better, this data doesn’t just have to stop at the provider level. When paired with a Person-Centered Portal, this information may then be shared with the individual, their circle of support, and other providers who support them.

Technology is the future of the I/DD field. Please contact us if you’re interested in learning more about implementing solutions at your agency to stay ahead of the curve.

About MediSked

Founded in 2003, MediSked supports human services organizations across the country, delivering integrated technology solutions and expertise to improve outcomes and cost efficacy in long term services and supports delivery for state and county oversight, payers, care coordination entities, and provider agencies.

Working collaboratively with its clients and partners, MediSked has developed a full-featured software ecosystem, which includes the state-wide data aggregation tools required to support CMS Final Rule transition plans, the capabilities needed to deliver conflict-free case management, and innovations to drive operational efficiencies and improve population outcomes.

MediSked is committed to its mission to be the leading brand in holistic solutions that improve lives, drive efficiencies, and generate innovations for the human services organizations that support our community. MediSked is based in Rochester, New York and maintains offices in Lewiston, New York and Silver Spring, Maryland.