The Independence Blue Cross Center for Health Care Innovation and Drexel University will collaborate on several research projects, including the use of “machine learning” and curbing hospital readmissions.
Researches from both institutions will work on a number of different areas, among them:
— Identifying Independence members at high risk for hospitalizations and re-hospitalizations, as well as identifying members who would benefit from chronic disease outreach.
— Applying machine learning techniques to unstructured data, such as notes from members’ interactions with doctors and other health professionals, to predict future health problems or customer service issues;
— Evaluating health interventions that can reduce the number of avoidable emergency department visits;
— Improving the detection of fraudulent claims, predicting when fraud is likely to occur, and developing strategies to help members protect their medical identity.
“The future of health care is dependent upon finding new ways to use technology and information to predict illness and prevent health problems before they develop,” said Independence President and CEO Daniel J. Hilferty.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
Independence and Drexel also teamed up in 2012 to create a business analytics certificate program for Independence associates through the Krall Center for Corporate and Executive Education in the University’s LeBow College of Business. All patient data Independence provides for the research will comply with HIPAA regulations.
