Governance and security remain the biggest tech headaches for healthcare
The$5 trillion health ecosystem in the U.S. is in a position for emerging technologies to disrupt the industry, according to recent reports. In today’s connected world, many healthcare institutions are turning to data to capitalize on patient care, increase productivity and lower costs, with big data at the centerof advancing health for many individuals. However, privacy and security remain a top concern for providers and patients as the conveniences tech offer also open the door for data theft.
Kaiser Permanente looks to be on the leading edge of an industry transformation with a new system, HealthConnect, that securely shares data across all its business. According toMcKinsey & Company report, this integrated system resulted in better outcomes for cardiovascular patients and saved an estimated $1 billion in a reduction in office visits and lab tests.
“We are custodians of a lot of datasets that relate to patients’ health information and their personal information. And that’s a great responsibility. I think from a governance standpoint, that’s one of the key drivers that defines our focus areas,” saidFawad Butt(pictured, right), chief data governance officer at Kaiser Permanente.
Butt andBruce Tyler(pictured, left), partner, global big data analytics leader at IBM, spoke to Jeff Frick (@JeffFrick) and Peter Burris (@plburris), co-hosts of theCUBE, SiliconANGLE’s mobile live-streaming studio, during the IBM Chief Data Officer Strategy Summit conference in San Francisco. (Disclosure below.)
The pair discussed the significance of big data along with the necessity for maximum security and privacy in the healthcare industry. This week, Fawad Butt and Bruce Tyler are theCUBE’s Guests of the Week.
A 60-year-old company that has a presence in many states, Kaiser Permanente is using data to enhance each of its verticals within its system. The vertically integrated organization has access to a tremendous amount of data. Businesses within the system include managing hospitals, medical practices, labs, and pharmacies, along with selling insurance and conducting research. But noted that the institution is an end-to-end healthcare system that generates a tremendous amount of datasets.
Attacking data governance is unique to each organization because it should be trying to solve relevant use cases. At Kaiser Permanente, Butt explained the mission and drivers to delivering the best outcomes for the business using data: achieving the highest coverage and care at the lowest cost and leveraging and governing data in a way that supports the company’s goals.
Increased regulatory scrutiny and pressure are some of the issues Butt is dealing with in a changing environment where individuals instead of employers are now purchasing health insurance.
