Population Health Solution Identifies Care Gaps

By Karla Paris

Clinicians instantly absorb information and respond to patients quicker for greater patient outcomes.

By 2050, the United States is expected to see rapid growth in the number of citizens 65 or over, with one projection estimating that number to be 88.5 million. If that happens, it will have more than doubled the number of Americans aged 65 or over – 40.2 million – from just four years ago. This will have wide-ranging implications, especially for healthcare providers.

A press release highlighted the approach one healthcare system is taking to better manage the elderly population explosion. Mennonite Health System announced it has selected Acupera, a provider of population health and workflow technology for health systems, to help manage its growing patient population.

Mennonite Healthcare System is a private, not-for-profit community-based health system in Puerto Rico. The health system consists of four hospitals: Aibonito, which is known for its orthopedic services and Specialized Center for Women's Health; Cayey Medical Center with its Center of Excellence for Bariatric surgery and state of the art Cardiovascular Services with seven cardiovascular surgery suites, three catheterization suites, Imaging Center, and Intensive Care units; and Caguas, a facility with all basic and tertiary services that cover all medical subspecialties and a new pediatric floor.

CIMA in Aibonito is the hospital providing inpatient and ambulatory mental health services in a confidential and relaxed atmosphere. In addition, the system has seven freestanding emergency rooms; a health plan with 35 years' experience; hospice programs, home care program, medical equipment supplies company, and three social interest residential facilities.

Acupera’s Population Health tools include analytics that enable Mennonite Healthcare System to segment its patient population and devise appropriate strategies for managing its populations. Mennonite Healthcare System staff can easily identify patients who are experiencing gaps in their care, or who need additional support. The system works in coordination with Mennonite’s electronic health record (EHR) system and other databases, pulling key information, to offer insights that inform clinicians on patients who are at the highest risk of hospitalizations, Emergency Room visits, and short- and long-term complications.

With an integrated clinical analytics and workflow engine, Acupera enables Mennonite Healthcare System to evaluate its patient population and develop appropriate population and patient-level strategies for managing care. Through Acupera’s technology, both historical and new data can be leveraged to improve care for entire patient populations.

SOURCE: PRNewswire