Big Data Can Bring Patients to Water But It Can’t Make Them Think

As it prepares to vie for new business from some of the 30 million additional people entering health exchanges through the Affordable Care Act next year Aetna Inc. is looking to analytics as a means of lowering the cost of some coverage. According to Michael Palmer, head of innovation for the Hartford, Conn.-based insurance company, Aetna is using a new analytic platform to predict which ailments its members are likely to contract over the coming year in order to lower the odds that they will develop cardiovascular disease, one of the more expensive and endemic diseases it has to cover.

This information could help improve health outcomes for patients, dramatically lowering health care costs for themselves, their employers and Aetna itself, says Mr. Palmer. "Better outcomes also lead to better costs. It’s a virtuous cycle," he told CIO Journal Wednesday after a presentation at the Structure: Data conference in New York. But Mr. Palmer also noted that it’s difficult to get people to act on the information they’re given, even if it’s for their own good.

Michael Hickins

Full Story: http://blogs.wsj.com/cio/2013/03/20/big-data-can-bring-patients-to-water-but-it-cant-make-them-think/

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