It’s a time of rapid change for U.S. healthcare. After decades of rewarding doctors and hospitals for each and every test ordered and medical procedure performed, we’re moving toward payments based on the quality of care that’s provided, and better outcomes for patients. What’s important now is helping patients get — and stay — healthy. The Financial Times Future of Healthcare Forum, sponsored by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, examined these seismic shifts, explaining how they are affecting patients, doctors, and employers.
Here’s a sampling of perspectives from Future of Heathcare panelists, posing key questions: How should we define employee wellness? What makes healthcare data actionable? And why should people re-evaluate the role sleep plays in their everyday lives?
Redefining well-being in the workplace
Higher productivity. Fewer lost work days. A better bottom line. These are ways we know that healthy employees are strengthening the workforce, while also strengthening the businesses they work for. Panelists Shawn Leavitt of Comcast and Sharon Cunninghis of Mercer explain how keeping employees healthy and building a ‘culture of health’ can be incredibly challenging – and rewarding:
Being pro-sleep is pro-business
Contrary to what many believe, sleep is a time of intense brain activity explains Arianna Huffington, founder and CEO of Thrive Global and the Huffington Post. Here’s why it’s critical to get 7-9 hours of sleep a night – and why business leaders should encourage it:
Making data actionable
What makes healthcare data actionable? BCBSA’s Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer, Maureen Sullivan, talks about the importance of using data at the doctor-patient level to improve care and patient health. Sullivan tells the story of Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield's diabetes ‘boot camp’ and how it’s helping those with one of the most common chronic illnesses among Americans: