The Johnson’s were blessed with twins the day before; two healthy baby boys, haphazardly named Jill and John in the health records. Definitely, this marks the start of pediatric services in the family. Hospital records set for the twins hardly mark any difference, gender, weight, parents, address; all records read the same. The only visible difference is a skin allergy with the second baby.

Imagine a patient who went through a minor bypass surgery and was admitted to the hospital for 5 days. After his discharge, he religiously followed the prescription for 2 days. 

Children have entirely distinctive needs as compared to adults. Care is delivered to them in a manner entirely different than adults by care teams that hardly ever double-up as providers for the elderly.

The world of healthcare is changing, and with it, our approach to understanding the concept of patients and doctors, ways of delivering care, and building a better relationship between every member associated with it is also changing. Like other industries, healthcare is also going through a major revolution, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) stands at the core of it.

Healthcare is one of the fastest-growing segments of the digital universe, with data volumes expected to grow by 48% annually. Healthcare applications will be the principal driver of this data growth, with EHR penetration in the US already reaching over 80% and expected to reach 95% by 2020.

89% of the PCPs spend29 less than 25 minutes with their patients during a single encounter, and often this also includes the time they spend on feeding and retrieving data. During an encounter, providers should look for establishing a relationship with their patients based on trust. 

'Drugs don't work in patients who don't take them.' -- Former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop

While healthcare leaders uniformly agree that transitioning to value is the way healthcare is going to be in the coming days, it is unclear to most how they can make the transition without negatively impacting their cost outcomes. In an industry which had primarily been fee-for-service based, healthcare organizations are facing immense pressure to innovate and adapt or risk their long-term viability.

One of my old friends, albeit in good health, had a stressful job and odd working hours, which resulted in poor eating habits and work-life balance. His PCP suggested that he consult a psychologist and nutritionist, as well as also prescribed a thyroid stimulating hormone test to check his thyroid function. However, it took him almost three weeks to get an appointment with both of these specialists. After talking to my friend, these providers suggested some lifestyle changes and a couple of therapies. He again booked an appointment with his PCP with updates from both the psychologist and the nutritionist.

The transformation to value-based care has mostly been led by Medicare, with 34% of traditional Medicare reimbursements already paid under an alternative payment model. And the transition has only just begun. However, this emphasis has left pediatric organizations struggling to apply value-based care to a very different population set.