Question

What strategies should health care managers use to support health plans for employees? Provide examples.

In what ways has technology helped to improve the manner in which health care is delivered? Provide examples.

Answer 1

Question: What strategies should health care managers use to support health plans for employees?

Answers:Categorically the strategies can be divided into 2 parts:

(1) Improving care for people who are sick (where most of the money is spent),

Employers, health plans, physicians, and health systems should target the small percentage of employees (and dependents) who consume the most health care resources. Technology, such as predictive modeling, could help health plans identify people who are most at risk for using expensive services. Data related to practice patterns could help identify the physicians and hospitals that have the best results for treating certain conditions. Apps can give employers a way to help their workers find lower-cost services, remind them to take their medicine, and connect them to coaches and counselors.

(2) keeping healthy people from getting sick.

Preventing people from becoming sick not only lowers health care spending for employers, it also helps to keep workers more productive. Employers continue to support wellness programs, and some employers are working with health plans and others to encourage employees and dependents to exercise and eat healthily. Adoption of apps and fitness trackers is on the rise, according to the results of our health care consumer survey. The number of consumers who track their health data with wearables has more than doubled since 2013. While such programs can help to improve employee health, they tend to attract people who would have been healthy anyway.

Here are three strategies employers can use to help keep their other employees healthy and engaged, and improve their access to care:

• Consider on-site primary care facilities: On-site primary care facilities, which offer convenient care and wellness services, have become popular among some large employers.Companies such as Iora Health, for example, have developed new and innovative models that promise to provide better care at a lower cost. A recent Harvard Business Review profile of Iora Health found that their model helped reduce hospitalizations among members by 40 percent, and total health care spending decreased by 15-to-20 percent
• Help connect employees to health advocates: Health advocates can help employees and their spouses navigate everything from understanding their benefit options, to finding specialists for hard-to-diagnose diseases, to negotiating medical charges with hospitals and doctors, to resolving claims-processing issues with insurance companies.  According to the results of recent consumer survey, about 50 percent of people would be interested in using an advocate to help appeal a health insurance claim or to figure out how to reduce prescription costs. Health advocates could help consumers navigate prescription assistance programs or use their benefits to help ensure they are getting the lowest cost for their prescription medications.
• Navigate toward virtual care: Virtual health is also considered a core component of value-based care, and a growing number of private health plans are paying for telehealth visits.A recent news article highlighted Comcast Corporation’s employer strategy, which it credits with keeping costs below the rate of inflation—just 1 percent. The strategy combines navigators, who help employees use their health benefits, and a strong emphasis on offering workers access to a doctor via cellphone Healthcare

Question 2: The Impact of Technology in Healthcare.

There are no two ways about it: technological developments in healthcare have saved countless patients and are continuously improving our quality of life. Not only that, but technology in the medical field has had a massive impact on nearly all processes and practices of healthcare professionals.

it has following  Positive impacts :

1. Digitalization of Health Records

Electronic Health Records (EHRs) replacing outdated paper records has been a massive game changer for everyone in the medical world. Medical assistants to medical coding professionals to registered nurses are just a handful of roles that have been impacted by this industry-wide implementation.

Nurses and technicians are responsible for inputting patient data into a central, digitized system. Medical billers and coders appointments update patient records with diagnostic codes (such as test results) and submit medical claims to insurance companies.

Not only can patients access their records at the click of a button, but it’s also ensured that mistakes are caught more quickly (without needing to pore over unreadable physicians’ handwriting).

2. Better and Safer Data Storage

Cloud computer technology allows for masses of information to be stored at an unbelievably low cost, all without the limitations (and expense) of additional hardware or servers. With an increased reliance on EHR systems, Cloud storage protects against the loss of sensitive data with strong backup and recovery services.

3.Improved Access to Big Data

4. Improved Public Health

EHRs provide invaluable data to clinical researchers, helping to advance medical knowledge and the development of treatments for common health problems (like viral outbreaks).

A standardized health IT system can provide insights into how widespread an outbreak is, enabling preventative measures (such as increased flu shot production) to be put in place much more quickly.

5. Ease of Workflow

Medical billers and coders are some of the most-impacted allied health workers, and – according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics – demand for this sector is expected to increase by 13% from 2016 to 2026. The introduction of EHRs has only made life easier for medical billers and coders.

Entering data into a computerized system is much less time-consuming than paper-based methods, and it reduces the risk of errors in patient data and financial details. Accessing patient records digitally also allows medical coding experts to work from home, increasing efficiency and productivity.

6.Lower Healthcare Costs

According to a study from the University of Michigan, shifting from paper to electronic health records reduced the cost of outpatient care by 3%. These researchers estimated this as $5.14 in savings per patient each month. In a large city hospital network, that amount is incalculable.

Summary:

Despite the obvious concerns (and even dangers), the importance of technology in healthcare means that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.