Healthcare Leaders Seek Improvements to Patient Outcomes with AI

December 21, 2021 - Not only have healthcare executives warmed to the use of artificial intelligence, but they are also eager for the technology to improve patient outcomes within the next few years.

Healthcare Executives Eye AI to Improve Outcomes, Costs, Equity

Healthcare executives are increasingly looking at artificial intelligence to improve patient outcomes, support cost savings, and promote health equality.

According to the fourth annual Optum Survey on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Health Care, surveying 500 senior healthcare executives from leading hospitals, health plans, life sciences companies, employers, 96 percent believe AI has an important role in efforts to reach health equality goals.

Respondents also shared they are excited about the potential for AI to improve patient outcomes in several ways, including virtual patient care (41 percent), diagnosis and predicting outcomes (40 percent), and medical image interpretation (36 percent).

More than 40 percent of healthcare leaders expect savings from their AI investments over the next three years, a double-digit decline from nearly 60 percent the previous year. READ MORE

How Lawmakers Can Improve Access to Virtual Addiction Services

Lawmakers have the power to solidify access to virtual opioid use disorder treatment by introducing policies that ensure reimbursement parity, solidify audio-only telehealth coverage, and expand the list of eligible originating sites, according to an issue brief from the Pew Research Center.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth proved to be a successful care modality for delivering opioid use disorder treatment to individuals across the country. Federal agencies lifted restrictions and allowed buprenorphine prescribers to initiate medication treatment via telehealth without requiring an in-person visit first.

According to Pew, legislatures should require public and private payers to reimburse providers for all opioid use disorder treatment services delivered via telehealth, including clinical assessments, prescriptions, medication management, and counseling sessions.

Additionally, ensuring reimbursement for a variety of providers — including physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and mental health professionals — could help solidify the virtual treatment process. READ MORE

Complex COVID-19 Hospitalizations Lead to High In-Network Costs

According to a new FAIR Health study, COVID-19 hospitalization cost varies by state, with complex hospitalizations for COVID-19 in-network average cost maxing out at $128,650.

In 2020 and 2021, New Jersey, California, Alaska, Nevada, and Arizona were the five states with the highest average allowed amount for COVID-19 complex hospitalizations. New Jersey was the highest at $128,650 for COVID-19 complex hospitalizations.

The five states with the lowest average allowed amounts for complex hospitalizations for COVID-19 were Maryland, Arkansas, West Virginia, North Carolina, and Kentucky. Maryland was the lowest at $49,127 for COVID-19 complex hospitalizations.

The analysis also showed that the median length of stay for patients with a complex hospitalization for COVID-19 has declined from the beginning of the pandemic. The median length of stay went from 13 days in April 2020 to 7 days in July 2021 for patients with complex hospitalizations. READ MORE

Minnesota Blue Investment Targets Rural Maternity Healthcare

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is funding a hospital partner’s technology and practice support resources to transform rural maternity healthcare.

Blue Cross’s hospital partner, Community Memorial Hospital, is located in Cloquet, Minnesota, and acts as a critical access hospital. The hospital's more than 500 employees serve a wide variety of clinical needs, including the area of obstetrics.

To improve quality of care, the hospital will start training staff how on routine and emergency labor and delivery practices using a life-like simulator. The simulator will be available for training utilization in 2022.

The simulator technology will not only improve care for Minnesota residents who use the Community Memorial Hospital. It also has the potential of impacting surrounding areas. Community Memorial Hospital has indicated that it will share this equipment with other providers in the area that serve rural demographics. READ MORE

Shared Decision-Making Key to Closing Care Gaps, Preventive Care

Healthcare providers are taking into account patient preferences as part of their preventive screening referrals strategies, according to a new study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, underscoring the importance of shared decision-making for closing care gaps.

The researchers asked just under 800 primary care providers and about 150 gastroenterologists about their preferred method for screening patients for colorectal cancer overall, as well as based on patient characteristics.

Even though three-quarters of primary care providers agree a colonoscopy is the best colorectal cancer screening tool for patients with average risk for the illness, many are still opting for less invasive options. A quarter of primary care providers are referring patients to stool sampling when they know patients have either lifestyle of other reticence for getting an invasive procedure like a colonoscopy.

Researchers urge providers to use shared decision-making during preventive screening referrals to increase the odds patients fill care gaps. READ MORE

Pfizer Makes $6.7B Acquisition for Chronic Disease Management

Pfizer recently entered into a $6.7 billion proposed pharma acquisition deal with Arena Pharmaceuticals to develop therapies for chronic disease management. 

Arena Pharmaceutical’s portfolio includes diverse development-stage therapeutic candidates in gastroenterology, dermatology, and cardiology, including oral, selective sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor modulator, etrasimod. Etrasimod is currently in development for various immuno-inflammatory diseases, such as gastrointestinal and dermatological diseases.

Arena Pharmaceuticals built a robust development program for etrasimod, including two Phase 3 studies in ulcerative colitis, a Phase 2/3 program in Crohn’s disease, a planned Phase 3 program in atopic dermatitis, and Phase 2 studies in eosinophilic esophagitis and alopecia areata. READ MORE