ACO success requires data integration

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No two accountable care organizations are the same, but they face similar challenges, namely aggregating data from separate sources, reported Healthcare Finance News.

So much vital healthcare information is kept in silos, whether within systems run by individual insurers and providers or within partnerships like ACOs. Without successful data coordination, ACOs are "effectively flying blind, with no visibility into performance," Nick Stepro, director of analytics at Arcadia Healthcare Solutions, told the news outlet.

To address this obstacle, many insurers and providers are developing data integration strategies to allow for real-time care coordination and data monitoring.

For example, Humana's ACO successfully merged data from various sources to allow for high-quality care. "Humana recognizes the importance of technology and care coordination in providing the toolset they need to care for their members," said Dave Caldwell, executive vice president for Certify Data Systems, Healthcare Finance News reported.

The Louisville, Kentucky-based insurer also understands the need to marry providers' clinical expertise with Humana's business views to drive ACOs and integrated care, Humana Chief Medical Officer Roy Beveridge told FierceHealthPayer in a previous interview.

Meanwhile, New-York based MVP Health Care saw the importance of centralizing data and avoiding disconnected systems. "Otherwise, we'll make less informed decisions from inadequate data," Linda McCann, MVP's vice president of business intelligence, previously told FierceHealthPayer.

To learn more:
- read the Healthcare Finance News article

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