The data changing hands in the new data-driven healthcare partnership between Google and St. Louis-based health system Ascension runs the gamut from patient names and birth dates to lab results and previous hospitalizations.
A surge of U.S. policymakers and payers are endeavoring to shift providers’ financial incentives from those that pay for fee-for-service and greater volume of care to those that pay for high-value care. While there are some who resist this change, the die is cast as value-based contracting is delivering benefits to those who pay the bills.
Whether the Affordable Care Act and our aging population cause a physician shortage today, tomorrow or in the year 2030, it’s clear our healthcare system is in flux. As the shift from fee-for-service to fee-for-value continues, patients increasingly rely on healthcare providers (HCPs) who work side-by-side with, but independently of, physicians. As educators and marketers, it’s time to reevaluate whether we are talking to all of the right people.
