Health IT Analytics writes of savings achieved by Minnesota Department of Public Health through population health management and big data analytics. By analyzing emergency department utilization, hospital admissions, and the preventable readmissions rate data from the state’s All-Payer Claims Database (APCD), officials have identified nearly 1.3 million unnecessary visits that represent $2 billion in potential savings.
The data showed that two out of three emergency department visits in 2012 were potentially avoidable if patients chose less costly options, such as urgent care facilities, or visited a primary care provider instead. These visits incurred costs of $1.3 billion. Patients with significant levels of chronic disease accounted for thirty percent of potentially preventable ED visits.
Using population health management and techniques and preventative primary care to decrease the number of preventable ED visits may also reduce the number of preventative hospital admissions and readmissions experienced by Minnesota patients. By examining big data from hospitals and health systems, the Department of Public Health flagged nearly 50,000 admissions as preventable, including those related to pneumonia and common chronic diseases such as heart failure and COPD.
Read more: http://healthitanalytics.com/news/healthcare-big-data-analytics-helps-minn.-find-2b-in-savings