Medecision Releases New Report Highlighting the Power of Tech-Enabled Interventions to Support Healthcare Industry's Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Strategy

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Jul 19, 2023, 08:51 ET

New report provides expert insights on how real-time intervention technology is empowering the industry to actively address barriers in care and improve outcomes

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa., July 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Medecison®, a leading provider of digital care management solutions and services, has announced the release of a new industry report highlighting how real-time technology is incentivizing the healthcare industry to address barriers to care and improve outcomes.

The report, A New Dawn for the Healthcare Industry's SDOH Strategy, has found that the ability to collect and activate SDOH data is often hampered by an array of challenges ranging from interoperability limitations and incompatible technology data stacks, to stakeholder communication and more. necessary information to identify individuals who are hampered by SDOH barriers, connect them with appropriate resources, and support their ability to adhere to treatment plans

Surveys have found that while most health systems and healthcare organizations are able to successfully collect SDOH data, they report significant challenges when it comes to effectively using the information to improve outcomes. For example, only 55% of health plan leaders and 44% of health systems are using technology resources that provide solutions like ride-sharing and digital financial literacy.

While these challenges are significant, there is positive momentum throughout the industry to incorporate technological advances to actively address barriers in care. Recently enacted regulations also continue to ramp up the pressure on health plans and providers to accelerate efforts to remove SDOH barriers and enhance care coordination. New technology will allow these organizations easier access and optimal leveraging of collected data.

"SDOH barriers impact up to 80% of all healthcare outcomes," said Kenneth Young, President and CEO, Medecision. "Without active information on these barriers at the individual level, healthcare stakeholders are unable to address factors that are delaying, limiting or preventing individuals receiving the right care. It is absolutely essential for plans and providers to identify SDOH barriers early, quickly and thoroughly."

The report found that the most effective technology will take early identification even further by enabling users to configure alerts and profiles based on their own desired rules and digital touchpoints across the entire care ecosystem.

For example, if a health plan is particularly focused on decreasing readmissions by ensuring recently discharged patients attend follow-up appointments, it could configure its rules to alert the care management team to any individual about to be discharged, who is scheduled to be seen for a follow-up within two weeks, and who has been flagged for a transportation barrier. In this way, care managers will be efficiently equipped with the necessary information to identify individuals who are hampered by SDOH barriers, connect them with appropriate resources, and support their ability to adhere to treatment plans.

Other findings of the report include:

Speed Matters. Early identification is key. Studies have shown that early identification of socioeconomic factors such as poverty, employment, and education will have the largest impact on health outcomes.
Interventions Matter. Keys to immediate action. As more health plans and providers recognize the value of community referrals, they are increasing their support of community efforts.
Impact Matters. Meaningful progress at scale. Despite the best efforts of a care team, the connections between individuals and support resources are often missed. It is critical for the care team to have access to platforms that enable them to track and monitor the referral process and evaluate overall analytics.

"Our latest report explores how technological advances have led to the creation of innovative solutions that proactively identify SDOH barriers and easily connect individuals to appropriate resources and optimize engagement," said Young. "Now more than ever, the healthcare industry needs to focus on early identification and reduced readmissions in our effort to improve care and outcomes. Health equity is in reach now that there are tech barriers to provide answers to SDOH challenges."

About Medecision®

Medecision is a digital care management company whose solutions and services are used by leading health plans and care delivery organizations to support more than 42 million people nationwide. Aerial™, a HITRUST CSF®-certified, SaaS solution from Medecision, seamlessly connects the healthcare ecosystem to powerful data and insights that drive meaningful consumer engagement while creating efficiencies to reduce costs and support effective care, case and utilization management. Aveus, Medecision's professional services division, helps business leaders solve complex challenges and drive better performance, leaving organizations more capable. To learn more about Medecision, visit medecision.com.

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John Gonda
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jgonda@sage-growth.com

SOURCE Medecision