KLAS released its latest report on population health management vendors this time focusing on how well vendors did when it comes to partnering and guidance helping healthcare providers make the transition to value-based care.

WHY IT MATTERS

Hospitals will not achieve population health success with just technology, of course, and KLAS noted that getting to value-based reimbursement will also require partnering and guidance from your tech vendors.

“Some vendors have risen to the challenge, while others have faltered following acquisitions or efforts to scale,” researchers wrote in the new report, Population Health Management, Part 1 - Partnering and guidance: The X Factors to PHM success. 

THE KLAS RANKINGS 

KLAS uses metrics to measure a vendor’s ability to partner with healthcare providers that include strong executive relationships or proactive support, as well as high-quality tech and strong integration.

The firm based its separate ranking for guidance as “going above and beyond partnering,” and also providing strategy, value-based reimbursement contracting, product optimization and ongoing performance assessment.

In terms of overall score, which includes both the partnering and the guidance categories, here is how the vendors fared.

• HealthEC - 93
• Health Catalyst - 87.9
• Arcadia - 87.7
• Enli - 87.4
• Epic - 86.3
• Lightbeam - 85.7
• SPH Analytics - 85.5
• Optum - 82.5
• i2i Population Health - 81.7
• IBM Watson Phytel - 80.7
• Cerner - 79.4
• Allscripts - 70.8
• Philips Wellcentive - 70.7
• Athenahealth - 69.4

“HealthEC, Health Catalyst, Arcadia, Enli, Epic and Lightbeam are the vendors who deliver well in both areas,” KLAS explained in the report. “Over the last year, several other vendors have seen significant decline in overall customer satisfaction.”

KLAS pointed specifically to Philips Wellcentive, NextGen Healthcare, Allscripts and athenahealth as struggling to meet customer’s needs.

THE BIGGER TREND

In a mid-December report, Frost & Sullivan found that PHM vendors are adding artificial intelligence and machine learning for predictive disease modeling, automated risk stratification and capabilities to identify populations that could benefit from precision interventions.

Health systems including UPMC, meanwhile, are harnessing such tools to balance population health and precision medicine.

Princeton Healthcare is using population health tools to decrease post-acute care expenses by 12 percent and inpatient utilization by 5 percent in its value-based care initiatives.  

Robert Wood Johnson and NYU Langone are each enhancing their respective population health programs with platform innovations and workflow changes to reach their goals.  

ON THE RECORD

“In evolving markets like population health management, provider organizations need vendors who excel at partnering and who are also agile and strategic enough to guide customers through the market’s evolution,” said KLAS researchers. 

Twitter: @SullyHIT
Email the writer: tom.sullivan@himssmedia.com

Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS Media publication.