A Healthcare Story…
VENT SESSION: If you had the opportunity to speak freely about the shortcomings of the healthcare industry, what would you say?
EXPENSIVE. There is no way around it. Healthcare is expensive for all parties: patients, physicians, and payers. Part of the problem is that the current model relies heavily on treatment over prevention, which causes the system to handle costly singular events that have compounded over time, rather than implement small changes through lifestyle recommendations.
COLD. Too often, it feels like the healthcare industry functions as a factory. Patient X has a condition that gets treated in a standard method of practice so that a claim can be filed and the insurer will pay their agreed upon percentage. Why is the care of the patient based on the convenience of the claim? The way conditions are treated follows an archaic practice that stems from the study of population health. This practice relied heavily on studying entire demographics of the human population and drawing generalized treatment solutions from huge swaths of data. The trouble with that method is two fold: the data set was much too large; and the treatment solutions did not take into consideration the simple idea that every member of a demographic has their own sequence of DNA that is unique to only them, and will therefore work in ways that are unique only to them. Humans are unique, and “one size fits all” does not work.
DISORGANIZED. So many parts of this industry are dis-integrated. Systems seem to work in silos, which means that patients are often left suffering in a whirlwind of confusion about whether the medicine that the doctor (who is in under the insurance plan) prescribed is covered by the insurance plan that was recommended by their employer. Not all patients are equipped with the same resources, and a doctor's visit should be a positive action that leads to better health, not more stress.
As we all know, it can feel frustrating to be in this industry. We feel the pain - literally.
SAANS was birthed from the desire to actively and positively impact the healthcare industry after multiple unsatisfying personal experiences. After venting about all of the flaws, we decided that we could do something about it, and turned these flaws into “potential areas of growth”.
Cost reduction: Currently, healthcare has been leaning towards a reactive approach. We’d like to change that to proactive. By predicting and preventing instead of simply treating, it is possible to bend the cost curve.
Individualized care: Not all bodies are created equal. Each person has a unique set of variables that include family history, allergies, and demographic variants that can affect disease progression and onset. If all symptoms are treated singularly, there is no personalization. It’s time that one size fits one.
Efficiency: Patients need systems that advocate for their needs and help them navigate the industry as a whole. Integration between doctors, pharmacists, and mental health professionals could truly revolutionize healthcare, and ultimately create better health outcomes for those in need.
What can Artificial Intelligence do for an industry that relies on human connection and care?
Our mission, should you choose to accept, is to create a learning health system that constantly aims to improve health outcomes using rich data. There is a compelling need for rich data in order to make intelligent decisions for better care practice. With enriched data, SAANS has the potential to link health data sets in a novel way that implements sound population health strategy that is rooted in early risk stratification, personal advocacy/care, and reduced total cost of care.
The SAANS AiQ System exists in three main capacities: CareAiQ, ConnectAiQ, and CostAiQ. These three subsystems each deal with the three pillars of health that currently cause the most frustration: personalized and early care intervention; cost of service to patient, physician, and payer; and integration of existing systems to create a personalized health concierge that acts as an advocate for patients.
Join the SAANS Revolution:
Early Detection, early intervention, focus on prevention, focus on lifestyle, empowering the member, collaboration, communication, accountability.
Written by Shruthi Kattumenu
Shruthi Kattumenu is a professional violinist by degree, a creator by impulse, and a health advocate by necessity. Her multi-faceted skill set has given her the tools to evaluate systems holistically and offer solutions to improve organizations and individuals. She currently lends her talent to SAANS Health as resident idea machine.
