IBM > Case Studies > Huntsville Hospital Health System leverages Watson Health to ease its transition to value-based care

Huntsville Hospital Health System leverages Watson Health to ease its transition to value-based care

IBM Logo
Customer Company Size
Large Corporate
Region
  • America
Country
  • United States
Product
  • IBM Watson Health
  • IBM Phytel Outreach
  • IBM Phytel Insight
  • IBM Phytel Coordinate
  • IBM Phytel Remind
Tech Stack
  • Cloud Computing
  • Data Analytics
  • Electronic Medical Records (EMR)
Implementation Scale
  • Enterprise-wide Deployment
Impact Metrics
  • Productivity Improvements
  • Customer Satisfaction
Technology Category
  • Analytics & Modeling - Big Data Analytics
Applicable Industries
  • Healthcare & Hospitals
Applicable Functions
  • Quality Assurance
  • Business Operation
Use Cases
  • Predictive Maintenance
  • Remote Patient Monitoring
Services
  • Data Science Services
  • System Integration
About The Customer
The Huntsville Hospital Health System is located in Huntsville, Alabama. Originally founded in 1895, today the health system is the third-largest publicly owned hospital system in the nation with more than 1,800 beds and 12,000 employees. It is also a teaching facility for the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s (UAB) Family Practice and Internal Medicine Residency Programs. The Huntsville Hospital Physician Network is an important component of this health system. The network comprises five primary care practices and 21 PCPs. While the Huntsville Hospital Physician Network does not currently have any value-based contracts in place, executives there recognize such contracts are an important consideration for the future. As a result, the organization has been taking steps to earn patient-centered medical home (PCMH) recognition from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) in the near future.
The Challenge
Huntsville Hospital Health System, located in Huntsville, Alabama, realized it needed to change the way technology was being used across its five primary care practices and 21 PCPs that comprise the Huntsville Hospital Physician Network. The organization was preparing for value-based contracts and aiming to earn patient-centered medical home (PCMH) recognition from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). However, they faced challenges in incorporating population health management (PHM) principles, which required reviewing the information contained in electronic medical records (EMRs) and verifying documentation from both internal and external providers is accurate and up-to-date. Another issue was the way patient data was being entered into the EMR, which was not standardized and led to inaccuracies in measurements. These issues needed to be resolved to set the organization on the right course for value-based contracts and PCMH recognition.
The Solution
Huntsville Hospital Health System implemented the Watson Health platform to enable provider-led, scalable PHM. The use of the Watson Health platform accelerated after Huntsville secured a Center for Medicare and Medicaid Improvement (CMMI) grant and added two clinician advocates to the team. The platform was used to spot and solve data issues within the EMR, remap the data, and educate clinicians on precisely where data should be entered. This improved the accuracy of the measurements and put Huntsville in a better position to take on value-based contracts. The Watson Health platform was also used to generate reports identifying care gaps for patients, which led to more conversations about closing those gaps. The platform was used to create printed summaries of patient information for office visits, showing previous vital signs and test results, and identifying care gaps. It also helped identify and solve documentation issues on the part of the Huntsville team, which helped the percentage of physicians meeting internal goals on the quality scorecards to increase significantly.
Operational Impact
  • Huntsville was able to increase the percentage of its diabetic population that is receiving yearly foot and eye exams.
  • The PHM program was also able to increase the success rate for eligible patients completing mammogram screenings for breast cancer.
  • For the first time ever, Huntsville not only met but exceeded a Medicare payer’s goal for yearly “360” Comprehensive Assessments, which includes providing a wellness visit and completing a health management report on their patients.
  • The Watson Health solution helped identify and solve documentation issues on the part of the Huntsville team, which helped the percentage of physicians meeting internal goals on the quality scorecards to increase significantly.
Quantitative Benefit
  • Increased the percentage of eligible patients who had received mammograms from 61 percent to 70 percent.
  • Increased the percentage of diabetic patients having a yearly diabetic foot exam from 50 percent to 60 percent.
  • Increased the percentage of diabetic patients having a yearly diabetic eye exam from 26 percent to 40 percent.

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