Highmark Health combines Google and Epic tech for easier doctor access to information

Highmark Health integrates Google Cloud and Epic Systems to improve data gathering for providers and payers, aiming to save $2.7 million annually.

Highmark Health, the parent company of a health plan with 7 million members and a network of 14 hospitals, recently announced that it is integrating technology from Google Cloud and Epic Systems to improve data gathering for providers and payers. This move comes as a response to the fragmentation of consumer health-care data across different systems and formats in the U.S., making it difficult for payers and providers to access the precise information they need.

By combining Epic's Payer Platform with Google's analytics and artificial intelligence capabilities, Highmark aims to provide quicker access to useful patient data, including upcoming visits, medical history, insurance claims, and health plan benefits. This kind of information is often stored across multiple databases and formats, which can be difficult and tedious for doctors and insurance workers to track down.

The American Medical Association has highlighted the fragmentation of health care data as a "perpetual failing" of the current health care system, and the organization has called for the creation of new technologies and policies to address this issue. Additionally, a study published in the Journal of Primary Care & Community Health has found that organizing large volumes of data across complex software is causing physician burnout.

Highmark's integration aims to automate administrative processes such as prior authorization, which is currently a manual and time-consuming process. Dr. Tony Farah, chief medical and clinical transformation officer at Highmark Health, believes that the integration will help doctors make more informed choices about proper next steps and eventually reduce the cost of care for patients.

Richard Clarke, chief analytics officer at Highmark Health, emphasized that easier access to patient data will help clinicians ensure that patients are receiving the best possible care and avoid unnecessary steps such as extra visits or readmissions. The company also expects the integration to help it save around $2.7 million each year.

Amy Waldron, global director of healthcare strategy and solutions at Google Cloud, believes that with Highmark's integration, consumers will finally be getting value from their health-care data. Highmark plans to roll out the technology to its provider network by the end of the second quarter and to at least two additional Epic-based providers within its insurance network by the end of 2024. This move is expected to make a significant difference for Highmark's providers, its health plan, and the overall quality of patient care.

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