Data drives efficiency and effectiveness of care Aligning Value

In Part 1, we considered how patients can benefit from — and be part of — data-driven healthcare solutions. In Part 2, we focus on how data and technology can help providers and payers be more efficient and effective in delivering care.

Predictive analytics, big data, and deep learning can all provide actionable insights to patients, providers, and payers in today’s healthcare environment. From measuring clinical outcomes to spotting population trends, data is an objective partner in driving healthcare toward a more efficient, cost-effective future.

With an estimated 5 million medical notes created daily,¹ and 21 percent of Americans using wearables,² there’s no shortage of patient data. Yet, 65 percent of providers report not having the patient data they actually need during a patient interaction.³

Therefore, the key to building data-driven healthcare systems may be improving accessibility to the right data. A recent study at University of Texas Southwestern found that big data, on its own, isn’t the solution providers are seeking. Most practitioners found that it was not all data but smarter data that helped cut down on patient readmission.³

“Predictive analytics present a great opportunity for a more effective health system. If we can use real-time data in combination with predictive analytics, we can identify patients for targeted interventions and improved health behaviors,” said Jude Wimberger, director of value-based healthcare strategy at Medtronic. “If we can do that, consistently, we can be smarter and more focused with our resources.”

As the quantity of available data increases, so does the need for technology to help providers analyze and act on it. Medtronic collaborates with hospital systems and industry leaders to address the data needs of providers and how our technologies — current and future — can play a role in the patient-care pathway.

We recently announced a partnership with Mercy Health to integrate data analytics into care delivery.⁴ "Having the ability to study patient-care pathways and conditions before and after exposure to a medical device is crucial to understanding how those devices perform outside of the controlled clinical trial setting," said Rick Kuntz, M.D., senior vice president of strategic scientific operations at Medtronic. “To more effectively treat patients, we need a better understanding of how they are responding to treatment and what leads to better health. This model will lead to evidence-based insights for our clinical teams and better health for our patients."

Another partnership, with IBM Watson Health called the Medtronic Turning Point program, shows how data sharing and analytics can improve patient care at the individual level. Using a Medtronic mobile app, blood glucose monitor, and an assigned health partner, Type 2 diabetes patients and their physicians are provided critical data that helps with the planning, tracking, intervention, and follow-up required to manage the disease and improve outcomes.⁵ IBM Watson Health’s cognitive computing capabilities provide risk stratification and additional insights to both patients and providers.⁶

The effort to make data work for the healthcare system is ongoing. Through our Hospital IT Advisory Board and other outreach initiatives, we continue to learn what data solutions matter most to providers, hospital administrators, and payers. 

Part 3 reviews Medtronic programs that are delivering data-driven, value-based care solutions for patients, providers, and payers.