Delivering Actionable Information to Clinicians on the Front Lines: #KareoChat Recap

Healthcare analytics, clinical decision support, machine learning and AI are all hot issues in healthcare right now. At the end of the day, the analytics used in reports clinicians use must be useful and provide solid data that helps them treat their patients.

In a recent #KareoChat (first and third Thursdays at 9 a.m. Pacific) Don Lee @dflee30, President of Glide Health, and host of #TheHCBiz Show!, hosted a lively discussion about using analytics to deliver useful reports to clinicians and practice managers who are on the front lines treating patients.

Let’s dive into the discussion.

Topic 1: How Do Clinicians Feel About the Tools HIT Is Giving Them?

It is important to gauge how clinicians feel about the tools provided by Health IT. As the chatters point out, HIT is still relatively young and is still finding its place in the healthcare world. It seems most clinicians appreciate tools that disseminate large amounts of data and give them easy to use information at the point of care.

In working with new clients, I'm finding clinicians are still a little frustrated with #HealthIt. But I often remind them; HIT is still in infancy & with their help, it can evolve to serve stakeholders better. #Kareochat pic.twitter.com/KeKCKNaC9X

— ShereeseM, MS/MBA (@ShereesePubHlth) July 19, 2018

A1: The tools that do well are focused on aggregating large amounts of clinical data about a particular patient and helping distill them down fro the clinicians at point of care. Help the Dr sort thru it all on the fly
#kareochat

— Don Lee (@dflee30) July 19, 2018

Topic 2: What Are Some Examples of Reports or Data That Don’t Deliver Enough Value to Drive Adoption?

Health IT aims to bring useful data to the hands of those who need it to treat patients well. However, even with best intentions, this does not always happen. Let’s explore some examples of data clinicians are not finding helpful.

If it doesn't improve patient care, it has no value #Kareochat

— The Rocktor, MD (@Jim_TheRocktor) July 19, 2018

Topic 3: What Type of Analytics Do Clinicians Need and Want? 

As with any technology, it needs to serve those who actually use it day to day. This question was great to gather feedback about what clinicians are asking for to help them treat their patients.

A3: Doctors are asking me for "actionable information". It sounds cliche, but it's true. For example, tell me about patients showing signs of diagnosed diabetes. If you find one you can treat them appropriately AND get reimbursed for it #kareochat

— Don Lee (@dflee30) July 19, 2018

A3: They're also asking for information about gaps in care for patients scheduled to come in today. This often ties to quality measures, which sometimes tie to positive patient outcomes. #kareochat

— Don Lee (@dflee30) July 19, 2018

Q3 Predictive analytics, drug allergies, medications, and medical history #Kareochat pic.twitter.com/TIhAN5CBmm

— ShereeseM, MS/MBA (@ShereesePubHlth) July 19, 2018

A3: Bottom line, don;t show doctors a hypertension registry that lists 500 patients. They know their patients have hypertension. But do call out the ones who have had recent hospitalization or major swing in BP, BMI, etc. Identify things they can have an impact on #kareochat

— Don Lee (@dflee30) July 19, 2018

Topic 4: What Are Some Examples of Successful Healthcare Analytics Being Delivered at the Point of Care?

It's good to gather feedback for every angle of technology. Here’s what the chatters had to say about what to keep doing.

A4: I've been dropping the examples in throughout the chat, but I've seen success in calling out the red flags. Help the doctor focus on what's new/changed/relevant in the mountains of documentation. #kareochat

— Don Lee (@dflee30) July 19, 2018

A4: As a parent, I LOVE medication reconciliation. With my son who was a NICU babe, it was nice the clinicians could take a look at the latest meds/formula changes and make decisions. I also feel this way about my parents #kareochat

— Vicky Warren (@VickyWriting) July 19, 2018

Q4 #Artificialintelligence could help mitigate the impacts of a severe deficit of qualified clinical staff by taking over some of the diagnostic duties, for example, radiology. We may not need radiologists at all. #Kareochat pic.twitter.com/HXGCsOTCVD

— ShereeseM, MS/MBA (@ShereesePubHlth) July 19, 2018

Topic 5: How Can Practice Managers, HIT Vendors and Health Plans/Gov’t Work Better With Front Line Clinicians?

Feedback is great, but you must take action with the information you receive. This question let chatters dig deep and give suggestions on actionable steps practice managers, HIT vendors and others can improve using the feedback they get.  

A5: HealthIT and Admins should get on the floor and see what the clinicians are dealing with. Every time I set foot in a hospital or practice I see the struggle. Many of them are easy to fix, but too many decision makers are far away thinking "big picture" #KareoChat

— Don Lee (@dflee30) July 19, 2018

I think the best C-Suite executives are the ones that get out of the *ivory tower* and spend real time with staff. #KareoChat https://t.co/9s8lf7qIQS

— Janet M. Kennedy (@GetSocialHealth) July 19, 2018

Bonus Question: What Are the Telltale Signs That an Analytics Project Is not on the Right Track?

This question let participants point out ways you know an analytics project has gone off track. 

Bonus: They tell you its going to solve for everything! #Healthcare is fixed! And there should be not trouble getting the data. 6 months tops.

If you hear any of that then run for the hills! #KareoChat

— Don Lee (@dflee30) July 19, 2018

Healthcare analytics provide helpful information for clinicians and improvements are being made each day. This chat provided great ideas on how to continue to improve the information frontline clinicians receive to better treat the patients they see every day.

And as always, join us every first and third Thursday at 9 a.m.Pacific time @GoKareo #KareoChat to talk about critical topics facing independent practices and the patients they serve.