Technology Helps
Physicians Focus on Health

Dear Physician and Office Staff:

No one would have predicted a dozen years ago, when the Institute of Medicine published its path-breaking report on the merits of Computer-based Patient Records, that the names “Gingrich” (former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich) and “Kennedy” (Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-Rhode Island) would together advocate the automation of health care information as a way to save our health care system.

Yet in a New York Times op-ed (“Operating in a Vacuum,” May 3, 2004), there they were — a Republican’s Republican and a Democrat’s Democrat — arguing together that public-private partnerships should be formed to promote the widespread adoption of electronic health information systems to improve the quality of care, take costs out of the system and reform the archaic payment policies that fail today to reward physicians for doing a good job.

A remarkable consensus is emerging on both sides of the aisle about what will cure our ailing health system — a higher degree of information to guide consumers in their decision-making, electronic information systems that incorporate guidelines, alerts and other decision supports for clinicians, and payment systems that reward excellence.

Humana already knows how information technology can transform our business and create advantages for everyone involved in the use of health benefits — starting with consumers.

• We automate notifications to speed authorizations for hospitalizations and referrals.
• We bundle our ID card with technology to simplify patient-physician interactions, reduce the complexity of benefit verifications, speed physician collections and eliminate the paperwork involved in consumer management of out-of-pocket health spending.
• We cull our database to identify individuals with specific health needs to initiate automated, interactive calls that remind them to visit their physicians, take their medications, or, in the case of diabetics and others with chronic diseases, monitor their conditions and get the routine care that experts agree will keep them healthier.
• We use advanced predictive modeling techniques to identify at-risk members who we believe would benefit from our Personal Nurse® service — outbound calls from registered nurses trained to help consumers become more confident about taking control of their health and their care.

These are just a few of the innovations that are made possible through the growth of technology. We already know that this technology will be good for patients and we believe it will be good for physicians, too, by making it easier to do your work well and efficiently, and freeing you from administrative hassles so that you can focus on the work you were trained to do.

That’s the irony of this movement. As we continue to push this envelope, we’re looking for ways to use technology to liberate us all from crushing administrative complexity and stifling routines so that we can spend our time where it belongs — with a focus on the human side of health care.

Sincerely,

Jonathan T. Lord, M.D.
Chief Innovation Officer

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