UNC Health Care Uses IBM Analytics to reduce re-admissions (Essay Sample)

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UNC Health Care Uses IBM Analytics to reduce re-admissions
Introduction
UNC Health Care is non-profit health organization that is in North Carolina. It is managed and owned by the state of North Carolina. In the recent past, the hospital has witnessed a rise in patients seeking various forms of care. The increase in hospital visits has led to increment in the amount of data handled and stored by the organization. Clinicians in the hospital need to continuous access to patient data in order to monitor their conditions and provide the best care. However, this has been challenged by the fact that most of the data in the organization is unstructured and that makes it difficult for clinicians to gain quick access. That has disadvantaged the organization, as it has been unable to monitor its clients effectively. The foregoing is evidenced by the rise in preventable readmissions. Following this problem, UNC Health Care has resorted to using IBM analytics as a means of reducing readmissions. This paper aims at analyzing the move by UNC Health Care. The paper posits that the advent of Big Data techniques such as IBM’s Analytics in health care institutions such as UNC is a great step to prevention of the costly and preventable readmissions.
Overview of IBM Analytics
The system that UNC Health Care is now using is designed to perform complex and sophisticated analysis on all forms of data. Known as IBM Smarter Care Solution, this technology is said to possess advanced capabilities that help it to process patient data using natural-language techniques. Smarter Care Solution is developed as cognitive technology; meaning that it processes data like a human being. It has the ability to synthesis all forms of data, irrespective of its format or appearance (IBM). For example, it is capable of processing unstructured patient data and presenting output that assists clinicians with crucial decision making. With regards to preventing hospital readmissions, this technology is equipped with systems that enable it to model a 30 day risk assessment on a certain patient. In addition, it is equipped with extra systems that enables clinicians to make recommendations in a language and manner that matches the condition of the patient.
How it Prevents Readmissions
The primary benefit expected by UNC is avoidance of preventable readmissions. UNC made this move after realizing that most of readmissions witnessed by the hospitals stem from preventable factors. Monegain (1) observes that UNC noted that things as basic as analysis of data account a very large percentage of the hospital readmissions. He, further, processes such as effective and accurate data analysis can help clinicians model the risk associated with a certain patient. The foregoing, consequently, informs them of the best care that should be accorded to the patient. Carefully and systematic analysis of patient data can reveal a lot of things about the condition of the patient. For example, Monegain (2) reveals that the Smarter Care Solution used by UNC can help the clinicians with identifying the high risk patients, understand the underlying causes of their hospitalization and ultimately formulate a preventative method.
The major advantage associated with this technology is the speed and accuracy it achieves. Since it processes all forms of data, it is no longer necessary for the hospital staff to convert the raw data into a language that can be understood by the computers. In fact, this technology can easily reveal the trends, patterns and projected future conditions of the patient in question. Such a condition enables accurate and timely decision making. It follows that the interventions adopted by the patient will be adequate to deal with the problem and therefore reduce the rate of readmissions.
UNC Health Care officials posit that the goal of reducing readmissions will be reduced in various ways. All these ways are concerned with effective management and utilization of patient data at the hospital. For example, Monegain (3) notes that the system will enable the hospital to respond to abnormal cancer screening tests in a timely manner. The aforementioned author notes that Smarter Care Solution uses mammograms and colonoscopies to pull out abnormal cancer screening results without considering whether the data is structured or not. Such a condition, in return, will enable the hospital to take timely actions that will see the treatment of these patients and thus reduce the need for admission and readmission. The system will also enable the hospital to make meaningful and timely communications with the patients in an attempt to achieve remote management of diseases. For example, the system can quickly collect patient data and inform the patient as to how he can manage the situation to prevent it from becoming worse. All these conditions are crucial in preventing readmissions.
Challenges Associated the Technology
Despite the identified benefits of Smarter Care Solution, there a few challenges that cannot be overlooked. Specifically, there is need to address the ethical issues arising from the Big Data projects that UNC has initiated. Notably, patient data is protected by the law and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is clear that such information should not be released unless in the authorized instances. However, the HIPPA lacks to capture the mantle of the new age of data management and stora...