Population and Public Health

The network will modernize facilities to embrace a new model of care that is more efficient and strengthen its focus on population health and integrating research about genomics and digital medicine for personalized treatments.

By Michelle Andrews, Kaiser Health News In his recent book, “The Finest Traditions of My Calling,” Dr.

Delbanco also predicts that patients will stop using electronic health records or portals to read what doctors have written about them and, instead, view that on a smartwatch, phone or other gadget. 

The practicing physician and entrepreneur said that the carwash model does not work well for healthcare. But he’s optimistic about the future of patient-generated data, biometrics and connected devices improving doctor-patient collaboration.

Angie Puffer, operations manager in the Mayo Clinic’s Office of Access Management, spoke at the Healthcare IT News Pop Health Forum 2016 and shared some of the lessons Mayo has learned in attracting those to the patient portal.

Providers must establish a respectful relationship with patients if they want to have a positive impact on behavior. Technology can help but it’s not a substitute for reaching people where they live and work.

Making the healthcare system more patient-centered is the disruption the industry needs, said David Feinberg, MD.

Under the new Accountable Care Organization, Cigna will reward doctors for healthier populations and reduced expenses. 

The pressure to shift to value-based care means providers must understand their patients more deeply than in the past. Achieving that as part of a population health management program demands rethinking existing processes.

The number of chief nursing informatics officers has increased in health systems over the past five years, with more designated CNIO-positions than ever before.