Innovation in Chronic Disease Management Is a Marathon and Requires Organizational Endurance

At the HIMSS21 Digital Program, speakers from Highmark Health and Geisinger outlined the ways they are innovating to address chronic disease management and the endurance needed to see it through.

Chronic diseases have been a challenge in the United States and globally for a long time, and as the population ages, they are becoming more prevalent. During a session at the HIMSS21 Digital Program, speakers from Highmark Health and Geisinger discussed innovative strategies that their organizations implemented, as well as the challenges while rolling these strategies out.

In addition to chronic diseases being prevalent, it has been well established that 30% of healthcare in the United States is considered waste, said Tony G. Farah-Stapleton, executive vice president, chief medical officer and clinical transformation officer at Highmark Health. The waste is part of the broader ecosystem, which includes the financing system, the lack of interoperability among records and systems, and communication challenges. Given these challenges, physicians, health systems and hospitals face a steep hill when trying to improve outcomes and reduce costs.