Title : Transforming nursing through digital innovation
Abstract:
Recent digital transformations—from automation to telehealth to informatics—allow nurses to provide evidence-based care that improves population outcomes. Though the media often portrays nursing as a high-touch, relationship-based occupation, data indicates that nurses spend half their time performing administrative tasks such as updating patient database information. Automation of data entry tasks helps nurses complete administrative components of their role and allows them to spend more time in patient-facing activities, which can help the industry withstand the nursing shortage. Automation also allows data to be utilized in informing the next step for patients to ensure continuity of care. Health care data has become critically important to all care providers, allowing nurses to work with other medical professionals to treat their patients’ holistic health needs.
Through data analytics programs, such as CVS Health’s Next Best Actions, health care companies support a continuum of prevention by predicting illness, personalizing care and preventing negative health outcomes or progression. The program translates data into insights through analytics and AI to predict consumers’ needs and personalize triggers and nudges in their preferred method of outreach so individuals can get the care they need, thereby informing and expanding the care that nurses provide.
In 2021, Aetna directed over 300 NBAs to more than 10 million members. Predictive data-based capabilities also allow health care companies to conduct outreach to members during pending natural disasters, ensuring that patients have adequate medications on hand and can continue their care plans despite potential environmental disruptions. Other digital transformations, such as telehealth, are making care from nurses and other clinicians accessible from a multitude of geographic locations. Telehealth has been incorporated into Aetna’s care management team, allowing them to reach members more conveniently and consistently and removing transportation and time concerns that often accompany in-person visits. Aetna’s 24-hour nurse line enables members to receive insight from a registered nurse whenever and wherever is most convenient for the patient. This increased connectivity can help patients manage their own health even when not under the direct care of a nurse. In addition, AI allows health care companies to work with providers to improve the prior authorization experience to ensure appropriate and effective care for those under clinician supervision. Overall, digital transformations have brought forth a priority for providing data-informed care and have allowed patients to receive care even outside their face-to-face interactions with nurses.
Audience Take Away Notes:
- The audience will leave the presentation with a better understanding of what data analytics and AI capabilities health care companies have already implemented to predict patients’ health needs and help nurses provide evidence-based care, and how these digital tools are transforming the industry by improving health outcomes and creating increased connectivity between patient and provider.
- The presentation will also provide a framework for which the audience can understand how these new tools are being utilized: the 3 Ps of Predict, Personalize, Promote Health. This will allow the audience to understand these new digital transformations both conceptually and pragmatically.
- Showcasing the data-based solutions that CVS Health and Aetna have implemented can inform how other organizations implement or design evidence-based care programs.
- An overview of these digital tools and capabilities allows nurses to understand how nurses fit into a transdisciplinary team of clinicians and data scientists working to provide the most effective care and communication for patients.
- The presentation will also allow researchers to better understand how health care data is shifting the industry, giving them key insight into the future of the profession regarding these digital transformations.
