AHA Pitch

by Jolly Nanda | Aug 17, 2022 | Analytics, Health and Wellness, Health Plans, News

Altheia Predictive Health Pitch at AHA – Empower to Serve MN – FAN FAVORITE 2022 WINNER

Aug 9, 2022 | News

Jolly Nanda, the visionary behind Altheia Predictive Health was selected as one of 4 companies to compete for grant funding at the American Heart Association EmPOWERED to serve Business Accelerator in Minnesota. This Business Accelerator looks for a diverse pool of social and digital health entrepreneurs and organizations who are driving change through health justice in their communities. Finalists participate in a six-week virtual business training and have a chance at grant funding. The event was held at the General Mills Headquarters and sponsored by Cheerios.

How Analytics and Technology Can Enable and Improve Patient Engagement

by Jolly Nanda | Oct 9, 2020 | Analytics, Health and Wellness, Health Plans, Technology

How Analytics and Technology Can Enable and Improve Patient Engagement

Authored by Ayesha Rajan, Research Analyst at Altheia Predictive Health

Introduction

When it comes to our medical data, many people simply go to their annual checkups and hear feedback from their doctors; this is often a very one sided experience and we know that for people to be healthy, they must take an active role in their health. Engaging in our health can mean different things for different people – for those who are very health, engaging in our health could mean tracking nutrition and dietary decisions or exercise routines and for those suffering from chronic conditions, such as diabetes, this can mean using apps that track health metrics to improve the understanding of your own body. In this article we will take a look at a few companies who are seeking to improve patient engagement to improve the health of its users.

Body

In this day and age, nearly everyone has a smartphone and from that phone they conduct almost all of their communication, check the weather, secure their homes, do banking and more. It is only natural then that they could also utilize this device to enhance their health. Apps are a great way to increase patient engagement because of their accessibility and many providers have realized this. MyChart is widely used by providers to communicate test results and ranges, appointment summaries and other relevant health information. This is an important tool for patients to have because it enables them to always have their medical records on hand as either reminders for themselves or supplemental information for nutritionists or trainers. MyChart also enables patients to have a direct line of communication with their doctors to ask any pressing or important questions. Another great app available to consumers to mySugr; this app was created to help diabetics track, understand and control their blood sugar levels. The app lets users log their blood glucose and insulin levels, their medication list and dosages, as well as meals from which they derive an estimated carb intake. All of these factors are key to keeping diabetic patients in good health and mySugr utilizes these inputs to create detailed reports and health analysis for patients, as well as takeaways to provide your physician. A great app for those suffering from cardiovascular issues is Kardia – Kardia is integratable with health devices such as EKG and blood pressure devices to analyze and log your EKG results. With continued time and use, the app will learn your body’s normal readings and note when abnormalities show up, as well as when those abnormalities seem serious enough to contact a physician. The app also creates concise reports to share with your providers.

Conclusion

As technology continues to improve the world around us, it is amazing that it can also improve the functions that happen within us. Analytics and apps make improved health easy to access for many people and, in many cases, at no additional cost which means that everyone should consider incorporating such apps into their lives.

Small Communities Case Study

by Jolly Nanda | Sep 9, 2020 | Health and Wellness, Health Plans

How Analytics Can Impact and Improve the Health of Small Communities (+ Case Study)

Authored by Ayesha Rajan, Research Analyst at Altheia Predictive Health

Introduction

Community health information can be very revealing; there is a lot to learn from the data of a specified community whether that specification be location, race, gender, occupation, age, or income bracket. However, these are relatively large communities and while that data is incredibly important, small community analytics can be even more targeted and actionable due to the ability to better communicate information to smaller groups.

Discussion

The biggest struggle in studying small communities is validity – many statisticians have argued that small community studies do not meet the benchmarks of a sample size to be referenced in other studies and this is a valid concern. However, if you don’t approach smaller studies as ones to be distributed, they can be especially impactful for their communities. Below, we’ve attached a case study from Cerner to demonstrate the importance of small community studies:

Cerner Case Study

Every year, approximately 735,000 Americans have a heart attack. There’s great interest in improving this number — and one of the ways we can contribute to that goal is by quickly identifying symptoms of and treating heart attacks. Troponin tests are commonly used in the emergency department (ED) to identify if a patient is experiencing a heart attack. In an ideal setting, the turnaround for a troponin test is about 35 minutes; most hospitals have a protocol setting of 60 minutes or less.

We recognized an opportunity for improvement with some of our clients around their troponin test rates. We pulled data on individual clients and compared it to industry wide data, and found that while some of our clients had fantastic numbers, others hadn’t had a focus group around this topic and there was room for improvement. If a hospital’s median turnaround time for a troponin test is 45 minutes, for example, that still means that approximately half their tests are taking longer than that.

Though there is currently no troponin test standard mandated by the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS), the turnaround time clearly impacts patient care. Think of it this way: The 25-minute difference in test results is akin to an ambulance arriving to pick up an individual with heart attack symptoms and then simply waiting in the driveway for over half an hour.

Conclusion

The study of the health of small communities can seem a little slow but actually has the potential to be extremely interesting! Small community studies can identify several localized issues ranging from issues in infrastructure to specified malnutrition to minor disease networks. Here at Altheia Predictive Health, we are specifically trying to make the research and benefits of big data accessible to small communities through our app. If you know a small company or organization that could benefit from our research, please send them our way!

Can Technology Boost Efficiency in Healthcare? Plus, A Look at Companies Leading the Way

by Jolly Nanda | Aug 13, 2020 | Health Plans, Technology

Can Technology Boost Efficiency in Healthcare? Plus, a Look at the Companies Leading the Way

Authored by Ayesha Rajan, Research Analyst at Altheia Predictive Health

Introduction

It is currently estimated that anywhere between 20% and 50% of the U.S. healthcare system costs are due to inefficiency. The troubling part of this statistic is that money could be going in several other places such as investments into healthcare startups or preventative care plans. These excess costs directly affect consumers who, in the field of healthcare, are also patients. However, we now live in a time of increased technological capabilities and, paired with the power of analytics, it can help us decrease redundant care, improve transitions of care and advance provider-provider and provider-patient communication in order to decrease cost waste in the healthcare industry.

Discussion

One of the biggest cost concerns in the healthcare field is communication – paper, phone calls and faxes are all big contributors to inaccuracies and miscommunications. Albert Santalo, the founder of CareCloud, believes technology can bridge a huge gap here. CareCloud is a cloud-based electronic health record provider that hopes to cut the costs of inefficiency by creating a platform that allows for cross communication between providers, billing and consumers. Another big concern in cutting costs in healthcare is the timely entry of data. Hill-Rom Holdings is another company making great strides in the field of healthcare with their smart hospital beds. Their beds ensure that vital signs are entered and time stamped immediately, rather than up to hours later when providers get a chance to enter data into their system. This technology saves money in healthcare by providing physicians with the ability to make accurate and timely decisions regarding a patient’s care plan. Eventually, analytics can further support the goal of accurate decisions further by applying machine learning techniques to the smart bed.

Another use for analytics in healthcare is to improve the timeliness of when a patient is transferred from the ICU. The current system for transferring ICU patients is reactionary and subject to error but applying analytics to this process can not only reduce costs but can also prevent deaths. This is because opening up ICU beds can make space for those who need it more and because some patients may receive better, more specialized care in another unit.

Conclusion

When it can be estimated that up to half of an industry’s costs are due to waste and inefficiency, it is clear that something should change; when that industry is the healthcare industry, it is clear that something needs to change. There should be no room in healthcare for waste or inefficiency because this is an industry that deals with people’s livelihoods and well-being. Thankfully, the rise of analytics and technology helps create cost-solutions that prevent waste and inefficiency and can improve the lives of patients across the nation.