How to improve data collection in healthcare with cloud-based technology

Data is everywhere in healthcare. It drives research, treatment, innovation, and discovery. It informs point-of-care conversations and large-scale studies, and there is no shortage of healthcare data to go around. However, having massive amounts of data available is not enough. Understanding how to improve data collection in healthcare – while ensuring that the data is high-quality, accurate information – is critical.

Mastering data collection also means breaking down silos before they arise and reducing duplicate, incomplete, and incorrect data. These ripple effects create more opportunity to get the most out of the data during aggregation and analysis to inform the improvement of patient outcomes and health economics.

So, what does better data collection look like? This blog explores three ways to improve patient data collection in healthcare.

Stop collecting patient information on paper

The digital age has arrived and is no longer new – it’s the minimum. Patients expect to provide and manage their information via online portals, not printed forms. Providers can benefit from gathering and storing patient information in SaaS-based environments to then use in future encounters, for billing, incentive reporting, and more.

All these uses rely on proper collection upfront. It’s up to providers to ensure they’re capturing the most complete, accurate patient picture even before the first patient encounter. From basic demographics to eligibility information and pre-existing conditions, data collection serves the best purpose down the line when it’s done properly the first time, and paper doesn’t make the cut.

A clear example is Inovalon Registration Quality Assurance. This solution turns tedious prior authorizations into streamlined workflows – while ensuring that patient data is complete, accurate, and secure. It uses one data collection step to inform the provider-patient encounter, eligibility verification, insurance discovery, and more. On paper, multiple forms and additional steps would be necessary.

Replace paper forms with digital platforms. Ensure your digital data collection vehicle of choice is secure, capable of filtering and analyzing data as needed, and easy-to-use in subsequent parts of the patient journey.

Minimize duplicate data collection

Another way to improve data collection in healthcare is to eliminate duplicate collection efforts, particularly in population-wide efforts such as clinical trials, social determinants of health data, and even in managing quality and risk.

While the two key sides of payer reporting efforts are unique, the data that informs both quality and risk is largely similar. It doesn’t need to live in multiple places or come from various sources – the data can be collected, stored, and accessed in a single solution to inform both quality and risk.

The result? Health plans spend significantly less resources tracking down the data they need and can refocus their labor, time, and money on strategies that benefit their member populations, all without compromising reporting quality. If anything, a streamlined approach boosts collaboration, transparency, and of course, accuracy.

For providers, this drives more comprehensive patient encounters by enabling them with the information necessary to address both quality and risk needs.

Break down data silos

Speaking of bringing data into one place, what if your organization could eliminate the need for data collection altogether? What if there was a way to fill gaps in your patient data within seconds?

With DataStream, you can. No more asking patients for their current prescriptions or pre-existing conditions. Instead, a FHIR®-based API delivers that detail and more within your EHR during the patient interaction, allowing your team to spend more time on what matters most: Addressing the patient need during that encounter.

Far too often, the data one provider is asking for has already been collected by another within the patient’s journey – sometimes even on the same day or for the same condition. This leaves patients jumping through hoops of repetitive paperwork and hinders providers from seeing a holistic view of their patients.

With the right technology, providers across the continuum of care can leverage a single moment of data collection multiple times over, reducing administrative time and costs and enabling faster, more focused care delivery. But it all begins with breaking down data silos and taking advantage of the data already available.

Improve data collection in healthcare with Inovalon

Whether you have a desire to improve data collection during prior authorization or are interested in addressing duplicative data collection efforts within your organization, we can help.

The Inovalon ONE® Platform offers a wide array of data-driven solutions here to help providers, payers, pharmacists, and life sciences companies do more with the information available to them.

Discover how our solutions help improve data collection in healthcare.

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