The past five years has brought about unprecedented changes to the healthcare payer industry, driven by the shift to value-based care, member demands for consumer-like experiences, the rise of big data, and the accelerating pace of digital technology advancements. This year at the annual AHIP Institute and Expo conference in San Diego, it was evident that digital change is finally being embraced by payers in order to pivot toward member-centricity and achieve competitive advantage.
The theme of this year's show was "Inspiration to Drive Change," and the content and speakers at the event offered their unique perspectives on what this means for the industry.
Prioritizing Member Engagement
One major change that was widely discussed at the event was the focus on member-centricity. Many sessions centered around having an open line of communication through a digital interface with members, a huge step forward compared to previous years for improving member outcomes through better engagement.
In addition to that, it was obvious that health plans are honing in on individual member needs and providing personalized services to meet those needs and health goals, whatever they may be for the member. Technology is a main enabler of this change, from rideshares to doctor appointments, wearable device data analysis, telehealth coaching, and "connected exercisers" streaming running or cycling sessions from around the world.
The Role of Transformative Technology
Based on what I saw at AHIP, advancements in technology are the inspiration to drive change for health plans. Several sessions discussed the importance of technology, such as artificial intelligence (AI), robotic process automation (RPA), and dynamic case management software. These capabilities contribute to better personalization and greater service for members, while simultaneously streamlining and benefiting internal operations for payers. A payer's ability to incorporate these technologies will be fundamental in attracting and retaining members with impeccable service.
Recently, I sat down to discuss just that on "AppianLIVE Expert Cut," with my colleague Kamna Talwar. See what an important role technology already is playing in healthcare innovation and learn how a low-code platform approach can give health plans the speed and power needed to overcome industry challenges and differentiate themselves in the market.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypgs6AGagMI
What is Healthcare 3.0?
During the expo I also hosted a breakfast briefing on behalf of Appian regarding "Championing Transformation in Healthcare." We focused on new approaches to care coordination and how an agile platform approach can transform healthcare practices.
In the briefing, I discussed the need for healthcare payers to push past common health IT challenges: siloed systems, an overgrown stack of shadow IT solutions, and inflexibility around security requirements.
The future of healthcare Healthcare 3.0 hinges on a platform approach that:
- Unifies data and eliminates siloes to provide a unified view of information
- Automates and streamlines key steps in care coordination
- Is portable to cloud, on-premise, or hybrid environments to best suite enterprise security and scalability needs
- Uses artificial intelligence and other advanced analytics to personalize and optimize care
Learn how the Appian Platform can help your organization embrace change and move toward member-centricity in this brief, and contact me to discuss your health plan's current business and IT initiatives.
Cate McConnell
Industry Lead, Healthcare Payers
