Creating new opportunities for patients in their daily lives can help improve health outcomes, said Brian Pieninck, president and CEO of CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Mid-Atlantic.
To address the “inextricable link” between economics, the environment, communities and human health trajectories—the social determinants of health, or, in Pieninck’s preferred term, the social drivers of health—health care must address its structure. Aiming for progress and then course-correcting is necessary to break down barriers for those struggling to access the $4 trillion health care industry, he said.
For example, recent events like the Change Healthcare cyberattack and subsequent claims processing outage should serve as a sobering reminder that the healthcare industry needs to remain vigilant to ensure continuity in healthcare delivery – and that patients can trust that commitment.
Pieninck said the health care industry structure, which “has not always done a good job of meeting people’s needs,” needs to be carefully reshaped and adjusted. Healthcare IT News on HIMSSCast this week.
Pieninck – who is also chairman of the board of directors of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and chairman of the board of directors of the Council for Affordable Quality Health Care – highlighted several tools and programs that are changing the SDOH model by improving accessibility and sharing insights into the role of artificial intelligence in solving healthcare challenges.
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Points to note:
- How the Change Healthcare cyberattack impacted the healthcare industry.
- The meaning of “putting hands on the wheel” of those who control society.
- The role of artificial intelligence in solving some of healthcare’s biggest challenges.
- The role of citizens in improving access to health care.
- Why workforce development is a goal supported by health insurance programs.
More information about this episode:
No technology is the perfect answer to public health
Using technology to achieve health equity – social determinants of health
NorthShore Uses NLP for SDOH
Health equity hindered by SDOH coding barriers
ONC creates SDOH toolkit for community
Andrea Fox is senior editor of Healthcare IT News.
Email: [email protected]
Healthcare IT News is a publication of HIMSS Media.
The HIMSS Healthcare AI Forum is scheduled for September 5-6 in Boston. Learn more and register.
