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The healthcare and medical industry churn out vast amounts of data—laboratory tests, genetic profiles, medical history, biopsies, and prescriptions. Add in data from academic research, clinical trials, the medical record system, and medical claims—an overwhelming amount of information is produced. The data is so massive that it constitutes about 30 percent of the world’s total data production. Information of this scale requires cutting-edge and innovative technology to ensure that all information is captured and well-utilized for the Electronic Health Record (EHR) system.
Nowadays, an Electronic Health Record system is a must for any healthcare provider. However, capturing and storing healthcare data is of limited use if that data is not used to improve the quality of care.
In line with this fact, Wave Health Technologies—a health data science company—is on the fast track to being one of the frontrunners of data interpretation and understanding in healthcare. They use sophisticated search technology, natural language processing (NLP), and spatial analysis to search through medical records, extract chronic conditions, and analyze valuable clinical information—all to optimize risk-adjusted coding and score quality metrics.
Why is there a need for EHRs?
The United States government has made efforts to implement EHR systems across the country. Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, medical providers and health practitioners are obligated to implement and establish methods for meaningful use of electronic medical records. This law aims to address health irregularities, engage the family with the patient’s healthcare, improve the status of public health, care coordination and population.
In order to fast-track the implementation of this act, the government penalized organizations who failed to comply (for instance, reduction of Medicare reimbursements). Fortunately, since this was implemented in 2014, the use of EHR among medical providers and professionals have increased.
The increased use in EHRs has been a positive development in healthcare. A 2017 Harvard Business Review article by Drs. Bender & Mecklenburg points to “How the EMR Is Increasing Innovation and Creativity in Health Care.” Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems typically store both structured data and unstructured data.
Providers have the fundamental problem of choosing between the detailed-rich Free-Text fields (unstructured) and the easy-to-analyze drop-down lists (structured). The drop-down lists allow for data to be easily summarized and transmitted. However, the data loses much of the nuances that are particular to that patient and the treatment that he/she has received. While a free-text field provides customized details about a patient, it is difficult to quantify.
In addition to the structured/unstructured dilemma, many EHRs have the problem of storing searchable text from outside sources. Sure, an Electronic Health Record system consists of or holds records of patients’ medical details in digital format. However, much of that “digital format” is in the form of an image. When systems are interoperable, records transmitted from external sources can be incorporated into a patient’s medical chart as searchable text.
In many cases, the system can also be built to be accessible by other medical providers. These include laboratories, specialists, pharmacies, schools, and workplace clinics. However, because many systems don’t communicate directly with each other, scanned and faxed images are placed in the EHR. These “images”—although readable by a human—are not text searchable for the EHR. So, those images can’t be incorporated into the overall patient profile.
Wave Health Technologies (WHT) solves these problems by using Natural Language Processing (NLP), Optical Character Recognition (OCR), sophisticated encounter analysis and Machine Learning (ML). The technologies interpret free text and stored images in a typical EHR Chart. Without these tools, much of the data inside a patient’s chart is like “chips left on a table.”
According to Chairman Tom Brodmerkel, WHT has used its unstructured-to-structured and image-to-structured capabilities for Risk Adjustment and HEDIS. WHT’s suite of products offers cognitive computing platforms. These enable Medicare, Commercial and Medicaid health plans to migrate from inefficient and inaccurate manual coding processes into a near real-time, fully integrated workflow. Wave Health Technologies is part of the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) at Georgia Tech, which is Georgia’s technology incubator.
For instance, Wave Health Technologies presents AssistLogix™—a platform that combs through medical records, extracts chronic conditions, and analyzes valuable clinical information to maximize risk-adjusted coding. Risk-adjustment is a method used to offset the cost of covering high-risk individuals for capitated plans. Patients are assessed based on their age, gender, and other demographic details, along with their personal medical history.
The patients’ combined chronic conditions are documented and sent to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for Risk Adjustment cost sharing amongst Medicare Advantage Plans. This information is valuable in predicting costs for the following year. It will ultimately have an impact on care cost reimbursement for risk-bearing entities.
Additionally, the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has developed a set of performance measure called Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS). Through this measure, individuals are able to compare health plan performance to other plans and to national or regional standards. Hence, through Wave Health Technologies’ HEDISLogix™, medical providers can extract data, implement and review solutions, and improve process speeds.
Additional solutions they provide are AuditLogix™—a computer-assisted auditing application—, and DOSLogix™ for accurate Date of Service record.
Nearly all service providers and medical professionals have transitioned to an electronic health record system. It is the utilization of this data that is lacking. Wave Health Technologies is providing the tools to reach the next step in the EHR evolution. This is the improved utilization of the vast amounts of stored data from these systems.
In the end, with big data and digitalization, electronic medical records are continually moving towards change. Through the services and solutions of companies like Wave Health Technologies, the transformation will be for the better indeed!
Innovative, ground-breaking, forward-focused – these words historically aptly describe Procter and Gamble. However, the past decade-plus has been humbling for the company. It is experiencing a downturn in sales, fluctuating stock price, and its third CEO in five years. Furthermore, the Procter and Gamble brands reputation for innovation is losing luster in the market. How can this company once known as the king of brands regain its dominant ways and reputation for product breakthroughs and innovation?
Through the years, Procter and Gamble innovation strategy has been synonymous with pioneering consumer products and progressive company policies. Want proof? Here is one. Between the years 1919 and 1920, Procter and Gamble announced the bold plan to sell directly to retailers. The wholesalers were removed from the equation as they have been causing uneven production issues and subsequent laying off of workers. This business decision has proven to be invaluable. Using this new method, production was stabilized, and there was a reduction in employee layoffs. The move even created new jobs when P&G hired an additional 450 salesmen. Moreover, this bold idea also altered the face of grocery retailing.
Yet, founders William Procter and James Gamble launched their business and grew the enterprise into a multimillion-dollar company that it is now. The company’s progressive culture can be traced back to its roots. The country was gripped by financial panic at the time of its founding in 1837.
The company introduced a number of innovative products since its founding. Some of these products include Ivory Soap, Crisco Vegetable Shortening, Tide Laundry Detergent, Joy Dishwashing Liquid, Cheer Detergent, Zest Bar Soap, Crest Toothpaste, Head and Shoulders Dandruff Shampoo, Pampers Diapers and Pringles.
While Procter and Gamble focused on bringing original products to the market, the company was also relentless in expanding its reach by acquiring companies. Procter and Gamble purchased WT Young Food, Duncan Hines, Charmin Paper, Clorox, Mr. Clean, Folgers, Dawn, pharmaceutical company Norwich Eaton, Pantene, Vicks, Olay, Clearasil, Noxzema, Old Spice, Max Factor, Tampax, Iams, Clairol, and Gillette.
Likewise, Procter and Gamble also pioneered some industry practices. In 1886, their Ivorydale Plant was designed with the latest technological advances combined with pleasant employee work environment – which was a radical approach at the time.
Procter and Gamble was also the first to introduce a profit-sharing program for its factory workers. P&G is also the first company to establish product research and development laboratories in the US.
In the marketing and advertising arena, P&G was one of the early major sponsors of soap operas and cooking shows on network radios. They were the first company to promote products through sampling and giving promotional items. They were the first one to study consumer purchasing habits by establishing a market research department within the company. Lastly, Procter and Gamble introduced a brand management strategy that paved the way to an industry practice – market segmentation.
The innovation, growth and expansion of Procter and Gamble was brought about by its philosophy of moving outside the comfort zone. They built plants despite reports of an impending civil war, they introduce innovative market practices and invest in progressive employee relationship strategies.
However, for the last few years, Procter and Gamble experienced a slump. Revenue growth has been slow and share returns have been plummeting. Investors and analysts are beginning to ask: Has Procter and Gamble lost its touch? What can the company do to regain its bearing? Nelson Peltz, CEO of Trian Partners, has been flaunting the answers right under Procter and Gamble’s nose – change in structure, change the insular culture and develop new Procter and Gamble brands. Since Peltz was able to secure a seat in P&G’s board last March 2018, the company has been considering his proposed solutions.
Peltz, along with other investors have valid reasons to be alarmed. P&G has not developed new products for more than a decade and just relied on trusted Procter and Gamble brands. As a leader in market research, P&G has been clueless with the current consumer behaviors. But most importantly, the company’s culture and structure have shriveled, losing the organization’s ability to move with the changing times.
David Taylor is a Procter and Gamble veteran. He joined P&G right after graduation as a production manager. Spanning a career of over three decades, Taylor moved from production to brand management and global leadership. He assumed the CEO role in July 2015 after Alan George Lafley stepped down from the post. Under Taylor’s direction, Procter and Gamble has gone through significant changes that support the company’s new strategy – let go of the non-essential brands and set up a substantial cost savings plan.
Transformation starts with streamlining the product portfolio. So from more than 160 brands, the company’s portfolio was reduced to 65 brands under 10 product categories. The strategy was to focus on Procter and Gamble brands where 90% of revenue and 95% of profits come from. In a multiyear brand shedding strategy, Procter and Gamble has discontinued, consolidated and divested about 100 brands. This includes Duracell Battery sold to Berkshire Hathaway; Tag Fragrance over to My Imports USA and 40 beauty brands – including CoverGirl, Clairol, and Wella, to Coty Inc.
Conversely, expanding categories lead to growth. P&G sees the over-the-counter segment as a promising area to develop. Consumer-health business Merck KGaA and First Aid Beauty – a skincare brand for sensitive skin are two new acquisitions under this strategy. The company is also tapping on new demographics to grow new markets. For instance, their Always adult diapers is an emerging product.
When it comes to reducing costs, there was an assessment of the areas of research and development, supply chain, marketing, and overheads. By looking at the decision-making process and simplifying production, Procter and Gamble aims to extract more cost savings.
The plan seems to be working well. Procter and Gamble released its fiscal year results, and the numbers are promising. Net sales for the Q1 fiscal year 2019 are $16.7 billion, and organic sales are up by four percent.
Disruption has altered markets and industries. Big brands and established companies are no exception. To secure the company’s success, P&G must recognize the below realities:
As a company built on innovation propelled by cutting-edge culture, Procter and Gamble was able to establish itself as a leader in consumer goods. While it is true that Procter and Gamble has been a leader in the consumer goods category, this does not guarantee success today, much more, the future. Procter and Gamble must transition fast to ensure sustainability and growth for the years to come.