Regence leads industry discussions on health equity and interoperability at eSolutions Xchange Conference
The 37th annual eSolutions Xchange conference took place in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and brought together Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) plans from across the country to share innovative best practices, current processes and future initiatives on electronic data interchange. This year’s conference was proudly hosted by Regence.
Regence BlueShield of Idaho President Mark Ruszczyk opened the conference by reinforcing how technology, data and insights enable us to simplify experiences so members can make better health care decisions.
Regence participated in a panel discussion about social determinants of health (SDOH) and how that data helps us better serve members. Research shows 80% of health outcomes are determined by non-clinical factors, known as SDOH. These factors reflect the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live and age, and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of people’s daily lives. Regence leverages multiple layers of SDOH data to help us better understand who we serve, what barriers they face and who may be needing different or additional services.
The next day of the conference featured a panel discussion on interoperability and pre-authorization with Kirk Anderson, Regence’s chief technology officer, and Heidi Kriz, Regence’s director of medical policy and medical management. They presented on the implementation of the nation’s first pre- authorization process using the Health Level 7® Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources® (HL7® FHIR®) standard. Their discussion was joined by MultiCare Connected Care, the health system that partnered with Regence to simplify and automate pre-authorization, and MCG Health, a technology vendor that supported the clinical requirements documentation.
eSolutions Xchange is a collaboration of BCBSA plans working to solve the challenges of electronic health data exchange with health systems. The group provides leadership, support, direction and information to the BCBSA about managing costs and improving the quality of health care focusing on electronic standards.