Microsoft Dynamics 365 in Healthcare: Delivering on the need for value-based metrics

While the U.S. spends far more money on healthcare than other developed countries, it ranks the lowest in the effectiveness of its healthcare system. A study comparing the U.S. health system to those of the 10 highest-income countries showed that the U.S. ranked last or almost-last in four of the five performance measures: Access, administrative efficiency, equity, and healthcare outcomes. In the remaining category, care process, the U.S. ranked fifth. These scores reflect a dire need for healthcare reform within the U.S.

Although the Affordable Care Act established payment incentives for value-based care, the adoption of these quality-emphasizing payment models has been slow. In today’s landscape, research by the Health Care Payment Learning & Action Network showed that 43% of US healthcare spending is basic fee-for-service, 28% is fee-for-service-based with links of payments to quality and value, and 29% of spending is alternative payment models (APMs) that promotes value-based care through shared savings, shared risk, and bundled payments.

Under value-based care, the entire ecosystem of technology ultimately needs to become patient-centric. Metrics for patient satisfaction, health outcomes, and quality of care need to be infused throughout the continuum of care, from pre-registration to post-appointment or discharge. Many of the payment incentives aligned with value-based care necessitate patient interactions outside the hospital walls as a supplement to in-person care, such as virtual appointments. Real-time access to patient health or wellness data, including medication adherence, exercise levels, and more can help providers identify appropriate times to provide extra support for patients between appointments to drive better health outcomes. In all facets of patient care, data needs to be shared for holistic analysis.

The remainder of this article will explore how better application of data can improve outcomes and system efficiency, and the role that Microsoft's Dynamics 365 Healthcare Accelerator can play to fulfill these goals. 

Data interoperability