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There are complex layers to the healthcare system. A platform-driven approach can help resolve some of the data challenges.
In brief:
- Organisations now need to pivot towards platforms, ecosystems, and build an agile and iterative approach.
- Modern data platforms collect information from a wider ecosystem using open-based, non-proprietary technologies, unlike the traditional systems.
- The platforms do not just provide the data, they also provide the technology, governance, and the security to give people the right tools and technology.
The last two years have changed the way healthcare is delivered. Just as the pandemic upended Ireland’s healthcare system and put it under immense pressure, it also made way for the sector to move towards agile and holistic care management systems. The transformation has been digital, where the entire value chain of the healthcare sector has felt the need to gravitate towards cloud-based and scalable platforms.
Dealing with the data dilemma
The complex layers of the healthcare system were put to test especially after the outbreak of COVID-19 and then again as patient needs evolved. With the unprecedented pace of change that necessitated fast-paced adjustments on the healthcare technology front, data accessibility and data sharing concerns came sharply into focus.
The pandemic underlined the importance of e-health, with online consultations and electronic prescribing becoming the new norm. Electronic health records (EHRs), which are the holy grail of digital healthcare, bring data and interoperability challenges to the fore. A recent study showed that the average hospital has up to 16 different EHR vendors in use at affiliated practices, making the web of EHRs a complex one¹. This complexity of integration makes it more difficult to provide holistic care to patients across settings.
EHR presents only one part of the data dilemma though. About 84% of health executives recognise that they have access to minimal or limited data sets². Value-based healthcare needs the power of analytics and a robust IT infrastructure.
Data is at the heart of business-informed decisions, yet most healthcare professionals only use a fraction of the patient data available. What are the three key challenges on the data front that healthcare systems are facing?
1. Data is too old and too slow:
Healthcare is usually delivered by complex ecosystems of partners working together – from neighbourhood clinics and hospital departments to specialist labs and other third parties. The flow of data around these systems can be tardy or non-existent. Physical files and data can hinder the care and information that needs to be given to the patient. To drive better health outcomes, you need near real-time insights – which means data needs to travel fast.
2. Data is too narrow:
Speed is not the only barrier. To create a cohesive health system, you need data from a comprehensive range of sources. However, accessing data from a wide range of sources can mean negotiating permissions and privacy constraints with a wide range of data owners and their IT systems. This takes time and technical resources, both of which are in short supply.
3. Data provides information, not insight:
It takes considerable skill to turn raw data from different sources into useable insights that drive real-world decisions. At most health organisations, analytical and IT experts tend to focus on projects that need immediate resolution. In order to exploit the limited data that is available, you need to have the right people to understand the data and turn that into insights.
Platform-driven approach is the way to go
It is time for single systems to move over. You need to pivot towards platforms, ecosystems, and build an agile and iterative approach. Modern data platforms, the adoption of which accelerated during the pandemic, are one such approach that can help resolve some of the data challenges and deliver on some of the promises of digital healthcare.
Modern data platforms collect information from a wider ecosystem using open-based, non-proprietary technologies, unlike the legacy/traditional systems. If there are 16 EHRs, those 16 EHRs feed one common data platform using open standards so that you can get a holistic view of the patient records. Modern data platforms have the potential to drive patient empowerment through value-based healthcare systems.
It is the “approach” that makes the modern data platform different from a traditional data platform. The traditional approach to data is top down, where lots of analysis and upfront work is completed to get the data to a point at which it is useful. The modern data platform approach is bottom up, focusing on data ingestion in the source format, minimising the upfront work and providing a point of aggregation that facilitates deriving insights and delivering quick answers to the questions patients and physicians have. And even where there are information gaps, they can be addressed on a use case basis, in an iterative and agile manner. The modern data platform is the tool to make informed decisions.
And when it is quicker and easier to share deeper data, everyone serving the patient benefits.
Modern data platforms do not just provide the data, they also provide the technology, the governance, the security to give people the right tools and technology. It is a use-case driven approach. These platforms facilitate what you know what is going to be needed and give a holistic view of the individual. They are cloud based, making them an “evergreen” technology to lean on.
Summary
As we move from illness to wellness, modern data platforms allow you to move into that space of connected healthcare. They give a 360-degree view of the patient and provides the concept of a shared care record. All information – about prescription, lab tests, etc. – is pulled into the data lake and the data platform allows you to see that information and provide holistic care to the individual. Modern data platforms can be used to create open, connected, technology ecosystems that help enable better patient experiences and health outcomes.
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