The Weekly Minute - October 13, 2023

What I Read, in Healthcare

• Should we charge for patient messaging? (via Out of Pocket Health)

• This is a really good breakdown…

• Charging for patient messaging has become a trend among health systems. The increased reliance on electronic medical records during the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a surge in patient messages, resulting in more time spent on handling these requests.

• While billing for patient messaging can be understood from the perspective of compensating doctors for their time and expertise, the implementation of these billing systems is flawed. The parameters of the CPT codes are questionable, and the process of triaging messages is often inefficient, leading to increased workload for physicians.

• The article suggests that improving communication and setting clear boundaries between patients and doctors might be a more effective solution to managing the influx of patient messages. Additionally, the integration of AI and large language models, like chatbots, into the patient messaging system could potentially streamline the process, allowing for quicker responses and improved patient-doctor relationships.

• [Part 2 Here]

• 'An Amazon ecosystem of healthcare' — 5 takeaways on General Catalyst's spinoff (via Becker’s)

• In an Oct. 8 blog post, Dr. Harrison and General Catalyst CEO Hemant Teneja detailed their plan to create an "Amazon ecosystem of healthcare" to help health systems achieve "a more affordable, accessible and proactive system of care."

• Five key takeaways: 

  • 1. - By acquiring and operating a health system for the long term, HATCo aims to create a national blueprint for the transformation of healthcare delivery in which digital technologies can scale across health systems without operating in silos.

  • 2. - HATCo plans to create an open innovation platform to share best practices, new technologies and a transformation playbook with its health system partners, which together cover more than 15 percent of the U.S. population, according to General Catalyst.

  • 3. - Value-based care is baked into company HATCo's strategic plan, which will work with the healthcare ecosystem to demonstrate that "a model that is better for patients can also be good for business."

  • 4. - Dr. Harrison and Mr. Teneja see the current private equity healthcare model as hyper-focused on removing costs from the system. The company aims to foster the creation of scaled platforms — rather than fragmented point solutions — that can "provide the missing technology pieces of the puzzle."

  • 5. - General Catalyst already has more than 20 health system partners that have early access to technologies in its health tech portfolio.

• The 8 coolest things in healthcare (via Becker’s)

• From artificial intelligence writing patient portal messages for physicians to "hospital rooms of the future" equipped with voice assistants and video-based care, there are a lot of cool things in healthcare nowadays. But which are actually making a difference in the lives of patients and healthcare workers?

• Becker's asked health system digital and innovation chiefs from around the country to describe the coolest things in healthcare right now — and they didn't only have to involve technology. Here are a few of them:

  • The shift from patient-centered care to "patient-empowered" care. Patients have more choices outside of the traditional healthcare system to get the care they want when they want it. This consumer-minded shift (thank you, Amazon!) will motivate health systems to break away from conventional models towards ones that empower patients with the resources and motivation to live healthier lives.

  • The focus on behavioral health.

  • Futuristic hospital rooms
    

Customer Experience

• Price is only relevant in the absence of value (via Shep Hyken) 

• The title of this article may sound like a lesson in sales, but it’s much bigger than that. It’s about the entire customer experience. If a promise to provide value in the CX is built into a company’s mission and values statements, it potentially becomes part of the culture. 

Some Thoughts

• Interesting Tidbit

  • “No one grows up saying I want to do the same thing everyone else is doing. And yet there is a comfort to surrounding yourself with people who agree with you, or who are doing the same thing you’re doing.” (via Farnam Street) 

• The Power of Repeatable Content (via Justin Welsh)

• Your content has a longer shelf-life than you think.

• Repetition isn't your enemy, it's your ally

• The real magic is in packaging information effectively