Wyoming Uses Big Data to Cut Down Hospital Visits

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Xerox released statistics today from its partnership with the Wyoming Department of Health, showing how data analytics is successfully helping lower ER admissions and re-admissions amongst the Medicaid population in Wyoming. Using data provided by Wyoming’s Medicaid Management Information System, Xerox identifies frequent users of ER and inpatient services, as well as potential gaps in care. Analyzing the patient data helps the Wyoming Department of Health decrease the number of Medicaid-related emergency room visits.

The technology solution called WYhealth is a health population management program that provides an analytical picture of patients entering the health system in Wyoming. Population management has been a growing trend in healthcare as providers seek to understand patterns and reactions within local populations in an effort to plan and improve service delivery.

Since WYhealth started in 2012, population management has cut the number of ER visits by Medicaid patients by 20%. The state’s 30-day hospital readmission rate also dropped from 7.4% to 6.88%.

Beyond providing data, the partnership with Xerox also involves Xerox clinicians are working with patients and their physicians to put care plans and preventative measures in place. For example, if Medicaid clients have visited the ER more than 10 times in the past year, Xerox works with those individuals to find alternative resources for care in their community.

Xerox also watches for patients who fail to follow up with outpatient appointments or specific treatments after a hospital stay, as they are more likely to make additional ER visits or be re-admitted to the hospital.

“Our priority is to help people make informed decisions about their healthcare, like how to best manage chronic conditions and where to seek treatment when necessary,” said Dr. James F. Bush, medical director, Wyoming Department of Health.