Megan Reyna, System VP at Advocate Health, discusses the pivotal role of technology and data in advancing value-based care. Advocate Health has been a leader in this field, covering 2.4 million lives under value-based care contracts. Reyna emphasizes the importance of data in shaping value-based care strategies and highlights the need for technology to support clinicians seamlessly. Challenges include interoperability issues and the disruption caused by technology vendors. Despite these challenges, Reyna encourages healthcare providers to take that crucial first step towards value-based care by leveraging existing data, even without sophisticated technology.
In a recent discussion, Megan Reyna, the System VP at Advocate Health, shares valuable insights on breaking down the barriers to the adoption of value-based care and highlights the pivotal role of technology in this transformation.
Advocate Health stands as a leader in the realm of value-based care, covering over 2.4 million lives under its value-based care contracts. These contracts encompass 12 distinct Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) and Clinically Integrated Networks (CINs). Impressively, some of these ACOs have recently achieved remarkable savings, totaling $128.2 million for the Medicare Shared Savings Program – a feat unmatched by any other integrated delivery network in the country.
Advocate Health has been operating within the value-based care landscape, achieving consistent success for nearly two decades through various contracts. The healthcare industry is currently experiencing a tipping point towards value-based care, with over 60.5 percent of healthcare payments in 2021 linked to quality or value measurement. However, a mere 19.6 percent of these payments are connected to accountable care models that encompass financial risk and population-based reimbursement.
To maintain the momentum towards value-based care, healthcare must strive to deliver enhanced patient outcomes and cost efficiency through accountable care. According to Megan Reyna, the System Vice President for Enterprise Population Health at Advocate Health, harnessing data is the key to unlocking the untapped potential in value-based care.
The Crucial Role of Technology and Data
Data lies at the heart of value-based care, but technology should be a supportive tool for clinicians rather than a burden. Ensuring interoperability and providing clinicians with access to data at the point of care are fundamental to the success of value-based care.
As Reyna explains, “Data is at the center of everything that we do within value-based care. We need data to guide our decisions, identify opportunities, gain buy-in from participants, and drive progress.”
Advocate’s reliance on data to shape its value-based care strategy has been a key driver of its success. Reyna underscores that strategies may evolve over time, adapting to changing environments and regulations, and technology has evolved alongside these changes.
However, technology is only one piece of the value-based care puzzle. It should seamlessly support physicians in their patient care roles. Reyna emphasizes that technology should aid physicians rather than be an additional burden. Therefore, it’s essential to continuously refine technology to align with physicians’ needs.
Innovation, from Advocate’s perspective, doesn’t reside in the technology itself but in what technology enables physicians to achieve. Reyna encourages her team to identify problems and explore solutions within the existing infrastructure, leveraging patient data. Yet, she acknowledges that data completeness, accuracy, and accessibility can sometimes pose challenges.
Navigating the Challenges of Technology
Implementing technology in the context of value-based care can be complex due to existing infrastructure, vendor solutions, and quality reporting requirements. Therefore, technology should be tailored to address specific problems and enhance patient care.
Interoperability remains a significant obstacle to innovation in value-based care. “The ultimate goal is not just data interoperability but ensuring that data seamlessly reaches clinicians at the point of care,” Reyna explains. Advocate actively collaborates with technology vendors to strive toward this goal.
While healthcare has made progress in interoperability, concerns about data quality and exchange persist. Digital health executives also note gaps in their data, indicating ongoing challenges.
Reyna also highlights issues with technology vendors who may require substantial investments to address specific problems, potentially disrupting existing infrastructure that has evolved over decades of value-based care initiatives. Some vendors may also impose fees related to data collection, reporting, and exchange.
She concludes, “We have a long way to go, but seamless data interoperability is our ultimate goal.”
Data Points the Way Forward
The future of healthcare hinges on widespread adoption of value-based care, with a relentless focus on improving data interoperability and supporting clinicians in delivering high-quality care. Reyna’s message is clear: take one step forward. Physicians don’t necessarily need advanced technology to analyze data and uncover opportunities for improving patient outcomes and cost efficiency.
Reyna emphasizes that Advocate’s journey began with limited technology, but progress was made by examining data on simple spreadsheets. She encourages healthcare providers to start with what they have and take that crucial first step towards value-based care.
“In 1995, we didn’t have the advanced technology we have today. Even in 2012, when Advocate joined the Medicare Shared Savings Program, we still didn’t have the technology we have now,” Reyna notes. “You can start by examining your data on an Excel document and ask, ‘Are we making improvements?’ As you progress, you can implement additional technologies to make real-time decisions. Don’t let technology be a barrier to taking that first step forward.”
