It’s Time to Build a Better Health Technology Ecosystem

Recently, Oracle Health and Life Sciences responded to a Request for Information for the Health Technology Ecosystem project. The RFI, issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), supports the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) efforts to help the healthcare industry through the adoption of modern technology. For too long, barriers to data access have stifled patient care and efficiency, and updates are long overdue. The industry can no longer turn a blind eye to walled gardens and regulations that prevent interoperability, unnecessarily restrict data access, and impede patient care.

As an industry leader in data, analytics, cybersecurity, and enterprise solutions, Oracle has a deep understanding of complex enterprise data needs. These are the top challenges we see in the market that need to be addressed for the betterment of patients, providers, and the financial viability of health systems.

• Improving fraud, waste, and abuse protection – Protecting citizens and taxpayers is a crucial element of controlling costs and helping make healthcare more affordable. Threats thrive in data silos where no single entity has enough context to identify and prevent the loss of program funds. A real-time view of clinical and claims data, powered by a longitudinal health record that spans the ecosystem, can provide a foundation to identify and prevent common fraud schemes, waste, and abuse patterns before funds are paid out.

• Supporting the advancement of a single point of entry patient portals – It’s essential for patients to be able to log in to a portal or app to view their comprehensive health record. A single point of entry could not only provide a patient with their full medical history but could also enable them to shop for health plans, connect with their current health plan, estimate treatment costs, search for providers, schedule appointments, log health data between clinical encounters, view and pay bills, correspond with providers, browse available clinical trials, and seek education about medical conditions.

• Backing digital identities, matching, and linking records – Giving patients control over their own healthcare begins with giving them access to their health information. Only then can patients be empowered to proactively manage their care in an effort to stay healthier vs. perpetuating a cycle of reactive care in times of sickness that costs millions for individuals, our country, and health systems. Digital identities can be essential to establishing trust, so a person can access their records across all data holders and can authorize select people and organizations to access some or all of their clinical, administrative, and financial health information.

• Using new technology to support payers, providers, and patients – The use of AI and other cutting-edge tools are proving to enhance patient experiences, assist clinicians, streamline workflows, analyze data, and reduce administrative burden. AI agents can help clinicians personalize the patient’s experience, improve their understanding of the needs of the patient, and provide recommendations on the best method of care (i.e., in-person clinic visits vs. telehealth or community care, etc.), with clear expectations of availability and cost. AI can also assist providers, patients, and payers in identifying healthcare trends, closing quality care gaps, and providing patient/caregiver guidance. A unified, tightly integrated data platform with embedded intelligence can support better-informed clinical decision making and help stakeholders to deliver care more efficiently and effectively.

None of this happens – successfully and seamlessly – without prioritizing interoperability. With comprehensive, longitudinal patient data as a starting point, modern technology can drive transformation across the healthcare industry to enhance patient care, reduce costs, and help improve health experiences for entire populations.