Population Health & Improving Healthcare Performance

Leaders in healthcare and human resources gathered on Thursday, February 15 at a breakfast hosted by Choose DuPage and DuPage County Board Chairman, Dan Cronin to discuss ‘Population Health & Improving Healthcare Performance’ in DuPage County. 

The discussion was led by John Cook, Chief Growth Officer for CBIZ Employee Benefits. Attendees included representatives from: 

• Major DuPage County providers including Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital, American Academy of Pediatrics, Amita Health, DuPage Medical Group, Edward-Elmhurst Healthcare, Northwestern Medicine, and SHIFT.
• Human Resource directors and executives from area businesses including Greco & Sons, Hamilton Partners, Molex, and PNC Bank.
• DuPage’s higher education community including College of DuPage and Midwestern University.

“The purpose of these events is to address issues critical to the prosperity of DuPage County,” said Chairman Cronin. “By bringing together leaders that represent different facets of the healthcare industry, we hope to educate one another on the challenges and needs of each group in order to achieve better outcomes.”

David Rubadue, National Director of Healthcare Actuarial Services at CBIZ started the breakfast with a presentation on ‘population health’. 

Rubadue defined population health management from an analytical perspective as a process involving three major steps: (1) aggregating patient data across multiple health information technology sources, (2) analyzing that data into a single actionable patient record, and (3) executing on programs and other efforts to allow care providers to improve both clinical and financial outcomes. 

He described it from a public health perspective as the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health through organized efforts and informed choices.

Following the presentation was an open-table discussion on what employers and providers can do to support population health management, the role data and analytics play in identifying care gaps and managing population health, and the benchmarks and ROI from supporting these programs.

Key Takeaways

• With healthcare costs increasing by 7% each year, employers and government entities are looking for new and creative ways to control healthcare costs. Implementing programs that reward employees for taking care of their health, and financially rewarding providers for their performance in caring for members will lead to higher quality care, a healthier life, and lower costs.
• Employers can promote population health by creating a culture of wellness at their organization. This can include disease management programs, case management, and other wellness initiatives. The most successful programs provide incentives for employees, and/or focus on making it easier for employees to make healthy choices.
• Providers can promote population health by participating in Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), providing coordinated care and risk management to patient groups. 
• Measurement and data analytics are essential parts of good population health management. This information comes from several sources including benefit plan data, provider data, outcome data, patient services, and more. Although aggregating the data is cumbersome and challenging, it is necessary to achieve improved outcomes.