On May 19th, Dr. Chasco will serve on the panel “Using Predictive Analytics to Address Re-admissions” at Becker’s Hospital Review 3rd Annual Health IT + Clinical Leadership + Pharmacy Conference. As part of an ongoing series, Becker’s is talking to healthcare leaders who plan to speak at the conference, which will take place on May 19-21, 2020 in Chicago.
To learn more about the conference and Dr. Chasco’s session, click here.
Question: What initiative are you most excited about today at your healthcare organization? How will it affect the future of healthcare delivery?
Deborah Chasco: I am extremely excited over the collaboration with community agencies, providers, clinics, our local HIE and the organization to address global challenges patients experience regarding population health. The collaborative processes and the sharing of data that is truly meaningful and actionable in keeping patients well in our community is the beginning of a new way of addressing opportunities with clinical and claims data. Sharing new tools that provide real-time data while validating results based on information gathered at multiple points in the continuum of care is exciting. I can see teams working together for the benefit of the patients and families we serve. How we provide healthcare will transform the patient’s lives. Discussions on specific data elements linked to actual patient care at the bedside or in the clinic setting to extend to the home with home health and even to palliative care and hospice while transforming cultures is the beginning of a new model. Being part of the transformation is priceless when it comes to impacting healthcare.
Q: When it comes to innovation, what are some common pitfalls you see healthcare organizations making?
DC: It is very easy to want everything that is automated and new in technology when it comes to innovation. The latest and greatest solutions that can automate and make more efficient use of time with a return on investment is sought by many organizations. It is important to review both advantages as well as disadvantages when making such decisions. For example, when it comes to meeting regulatory requirements, innovation can make an impact to meeting a measure with leverage or not meeting a measure if the technology or build is not quite what is needed to meet the measure. More importantly, automating something for the near future may not be what the government is looking for based on interpretation or changes made by the government which could make or break the organizational goals. Leaders must be quick to adapt, adopt and be flexible enough to leverage innovation to be successful and not just meet a requirement, but make a difference in the patient’s journey.
Q: What is the most important lesson you’ve learned about delivering excellent patient experience?
DC: The way staff in all organizations feel about what they do influences the delivery of excellent patient experiences. Keeping engaged staff is important. Face- to- face conversations when communicating is the most efficient and effective method of conveying information. Simple concept, yet challenging. Excellent patient experiences should be part of the daily operational plan for any organization. So, why do all organizations still find this challenging? We must “feel” what the patient and family “feel”. We must “listen” to what the patient and family are telling and showing us about their experience. We must acknowledge that this is “their” experience, not ours. Our organizational culture needs to “feel” every opportunity, every patient/family, every day.
Q: What future health IT capability will have the most significant impact on clinical workflows or patient outcomes?
DC: Analyzing data collected regarding patient care and patient outcomes in determining how best to treat patient illnesses and conditions as well as predict solutions specific to each individual patient in the future will have the most significant impact on both clinical workflows and patient outcomes. The more data collected and analyzed from the source of truth for any organization, the more accurate the results and conclusions tend to be. Providing the best possible information for determining how best to care for patients in the future and to individualize that care to facilitate individualized care for patients is the goal. Not all patients react to the same disease or the same circumstances or the same medication prescribed. Each patient is an individual with complex needs and specific needs. There are multiple variables involved in the care coordination of patients. How we aggregate data and collect the data necessary to address each patient individually will make the most impact on care. In addition, not all clinical workflows are the same. Standardizing workflows is ideal based on evidence-based practice. Yet, analyzing current data to get to prescriptive analytics is still a challenge for most organizations. We are in a sea of descriptive data. Analyzing the data to reach predictive analytics where we can use the data to leverage patient care outcomes is the focus of most organizations. Reaching prescriptive analytics is where we all should go. Actionable data that creates positive outcomes for patient care with clinical workflows that lead toward individualized patient care is the challenge. We need to dive into the sea of data to create waves that leave impressions in the sand that are long-lasting and meaningful.
Aney Abraham, Associate Vice President of Medical, Oncology & Cardiology Nursing for Rush University Medical Center and Faculty Assistant Professor for Rush University College of Nursing
