Our March 18th meeting was held at the Kaiser Permanente – Center for Total Health. Kaiser Permanente invited Health TechNet to visit and tour its Center for Total Health campus at 700 Second Street NE, Washington, DC. This was an unusual opportunity to learn about the intersection of technology and integrated care solutions.
The Center for Total Health is dedicated to sharing, developing, and accelerating ideas that improve total health around the world. Several Kaiser officials joined us to explore the why, what, and how of total health through one-of-a-kind immersive exhibits. Photos of some of the exhibits can be seen at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/138471261@N07/sets/72157659942448944
Our hosts Kim Horn, President, Mid-Atlantic, and Mike Willis, Vice President & Business Information Officer, talked about Digital Health and how Kaiser Permanente is redefining the way care is delivered and population health is managed. When most people think of “eHealth,” they think of health information technology and electronic health records (EHRs). At Kaiser Permanente, EHRs are viewed as just the beginning. Patients can email doctors, make appointments, see most test results, get many prescription refills -- even video chat with an ER-trained doctor. With KP’s digital EHR system, “HealthConnect,” both providers and patients can be more proactive. HealthConnect also allows providers access to a nationwide data pool of nearly 10 million EHRs which can assist them to detect signs of emerging chronic conditions in patients. Healthcare teams also have access to clinical decision support and population health management tools recognized as among the most innovative in the nation. During this session, Ms. Horn discussed how KP uses digital health in an attempt to ensure that people get the care they need at the right time, improve outcomes, and save money time, health, and lives.