E-Platforms: In an ambulatory vertically integrated health model
Investigating e-platforms for an ambulatory vertically integrated health model, which syncs information from various services for various stakeholders.
Background: I work in a company which is a start up subsidiary in Australia of a listed company in China with a market cap USD$ 4b. It involves setting up ambulatory vertically integrated medical precincts.
Aim: To reduce patient cycle time, enabling early review, diagnosis, treatment plan and rehabilitation back to the community.
Current: First partition went up in a 2500sqm site on the 1st of November 2016 with the official launch on the 24th of Feb 2107.
Facilities: 16 primary care physician rooms, training facilities for university students and registrars, 24 medical and surgical specialists on a sessional basis, independent Gastroenterology, Cardiology, Ophthalmology unit (with refractie, occuloplastics and retinal specialists) and Imaging department with X-rays, Ultrasounds, CT scans and MRI, a day surgery unit, 2 theatres, and, the last 4 departments are JV’s with physicians, parent company, CEO and I.
Growth: Two new precincts to be open in 2017 and three in 2018.
Challenges:
- Integrating medical records.
- Sharing information between each department, as each department works on their preferred medical software and billing systems.
- Sharing of clinical information after meeting appropriate standards and consents with insurance companies who deal with 3rd party and workers compensation claims. This will expedite approvals for medical treatment from insurance companies.
- Coping with growth.
Question: There needs to be an overarching IT solution, which syncs the various services. All stakeholders (for example, physicians, patients etc.) should be able to access information and review scans from where ever they are on varied devices. What do you think are the most efficient types of IT platforms we can investigate to utilize in this business model?
This is a very current and universal issue. Have you considered the ongoing discussion related to the development of application programming interfaces (APIs)? One Boston-based group, called SMART Health IT (https://smarthealthit.org/) might be of interest. They grew out of Boston Children’s Hospital and are deeply engaged in creating a platform for the development and integration of health related apps. This is somewhat different than the issue of integrating legacy systems but may, over the long run, serve as an alternative approach.
For a bit more background on health care APIs, you can check out this brief piece from HBR: https://hbr.org/2015/12/the-untapped-potential-of-health-care-apis