| | APRIL 20199CIOReviewabout a broader swath of a population, too, as a means of measuring service utilization, identifying gaps in care and validating provider quality and efficiency, among other things.I am fortunate to be part of a large and growing accountable care organization in metropolitan Phoenix called Arizona Care Network that is pioneering a progressive, value-based model of care designed not only to improve patient outcomes, but contribute to the safety and quality of life of the entire region as well. A key element of ACN's plan ­ and a lynchpin to delivering on the promise of value-based care ­ is a robust IT framework that breaks down data walls among providers and hospital systems.Of course, building solid information, data analytics and reporting platform is no small task. For ACN, it was important for our 5,000 clinician members to have a shared understanding of the value of data and all that it can do. This required a bit of a sea-change from a culture of keeping information close to the vest to one of trust, transparency and a sense that we're all in this together. Strong administrative leadership and physician champions are vital to initiating this type of change.Along with a change in mindset and culture came an investment on the part of our members and ACN. The idea was to ensure that our IT systems were aligned across the network so we could readily share information and best practices, improve efficiency among caregivers, and ultimately deliver the best possible care. This isn't something that happens over night; rather, it is an evolutionary process, with small changes that have the potential to make a big impact over time. If you have been through this process, then you know that it requires a commitment from everyone involved. For those of us in IT, driving this kind of change demands the ability to manage the day-to-day technology needs of an organization like ACN, a hospital system or an individual practice, while also looking ahead.At ACN, we are constantly asking ourselves how we can make finding physicians, specialists and other resources in our network easier for patients, how we can keep patients in-network to ensure that they get quality, cost-effective care and how we can avoid a duplication of services among providers. We also consider ways to harness technology to keep patients healthy and help physicians navigate a rapidly changing industry.Keeping our finger on the pulse of day-to-day issues and always staying ahead of the curve (using data, of course) has helped us forge new partnerships to manage patient referrals, create a mobile application to bolster in-network utilization. It also help us develop a comprehensive approach to tracking our members' performance data, processing claims and analyze the health of the broader population.Technology is driving the future of healthcare and it's a key to ensuring the financial stability of physician practices and hospital systems alike. For Arizona Care Network, a robust IT framework is also a gateway to achieving the most important goal of all: the Quadruple Aim of delivering high quality care, improving the patient experience, managing the rising cost of care and driving provider satisfaction. Technology is driving the future of healthcare and it's a key to ensuring the financial stability of physician practices and hospital systems alike
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