(Washington, DC – November 16, 2014) – Galileo Analytics Co-Founder Anna McCollister-Slipp today called on medical informaticists to prioritize “data liquidity” and the free flow of health data and to do so with a sense of urgency that the issue deserves. Her remarks were made during a panel discussion on the opening day of this year’s American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) meeting in Washington, DC.

“Until we get to the point where data is flowing freely among health care providers, medical devices and patients we will make little progress in improving patient care with health information technology,” she said. “Interoperability and ‘data liquidity’ are essential if we ever hope to see innovation that enables individuals to better manage their own health and physicians to better care for their patients.”

“We’ve invested $33 billion in taxpayer money and billions more in private investment to essentially replicate in digital form the acute care and specialty care system that has failed to meet our needs for decades,” she said. “We’ve made tremendous progress in many ways, but little else will change unless we can find a way to get data out of the silos and flowing freely.”

McCollister-Slipp was one of four panelists speaking about emerging platforms for patient-centered care. The panel was part of the AMIA Workshop on Interactive Systems in Healthcare. More information about the conference and panel are below:

Emerging Platforms for Person-Centered, Community-Wide Care Coordination: Needs, Challenges, and Solutions

Katherine K. Kim, PhD, MPH, MBA, University of California Davis (chair and moderator)

Charles Boicey, MS, RN-BC, CPHIMS, State University of New York Stony Brook

Janet Freeman-Daily, Seattle, WA

Susan Hull, MSN, RN, Wellspring Consulting

Anna McCollister-Slipp, Galileo Analytics

Abstract

As the population ages and the burden of disease increases, there is great need for community-wide care coordination (CWCC) to help deliver triple aims of improved quality, population health and cost. This is particularly critical for underserved patients such as those in rural and low-income communities who experience health disparities. The complexity of coordinating across multiple institutions, care teams, and community services while maintaining a sharp focus on person-centeredness necessitates robust and adaptive technologies. Such systems are foundational for accountable care organizations and health home models. There is little known about technology platforms to accomplish this goal. An initial review of 20 commercially available systems marketed as fulfilling care coordination and patient engagement were assessed on 24 criteria. Most systems were lacking features for patient engagement and collaboration across multiple organizations. A diverse panel of patients, researchers, clinicians, and designers will consider and debate the needs and challenges of person-centered CWCC as well as promising technology solutions.

About AMIA

AMIA, the leading professional association for informatics professionals, is the center of action for 4,000 informatics professionals from more than 65 countries. As the voice of the nation’s top biomedical and health informatics professionals, AMIA and its members play a leading role in assessing the effect of health innovations on health policy, and advancing the field of informatics. AMIA actively supports five domains in informatics: translational bioinformatics, clinical research informatics, clinical informatics, consumer health informatics, and public health informatics.

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