-Rod Duncan, MSW
Our hospital systems, insurance companies and most other organizations will be impacted by the US’s one in five 65 or older persons projected by 2030, one half of which will have a chronic neurologic disease and or symptom. This population alone will pose more than half a trillion in cost burden to our society according the World Health Organization.
Successful, quality-driven health management tools and systems for the neurological population will be patient-centric, expert-driven and they will support collaborative neurological and neuroscience expertise via an accessible and low-cost neurology interface.
Cost-effective heath management tools and systems will provide effective self-management for the growing neurological patient population using patient-generated data and outcomes to enhance care for unique and complex patients.
Transformative health management, tools and systems will allow health care enterprises to help their health care consumers overcome the majority of non-clinical barriers in order to maximize overall neurological health outcomes.
Mapping the Change
Neurological conditions and symptoms have a unique impact on personal, work and social communities. These pervasive impacts are often underestimated, misunderstood and mistreated, both by patients and providers.
Furthermore, in this day and age, there are fewer neurological specialists to care for these patients with complex, episodic and chronic brain and nerve symptoms. More problematic: the existing care systems available to these patients are particularly fragmented. Finally, some neurological specialists may be “resisters” to new and progressive ways of collaborative care.
The result: Neurologic patients often become “bystanders” because they depend on health care providers to advise them and guide them on how to best manage their brain and nervous system symptoms that often cause personal upheaval for them and their families. Currently, there are limited in-place, streamlined mechanisms accessible to health care teams to adequately address the impact of neurological problems as they pertain to human physical and mental function. Therefore, people will suffer unneeded disability and distress, even when they have a health team attempting to support them. When this happens, the impacts on life, work and function on these individuals and groups is burdensome and costly.
In regards to health care teams, in addition to physicians, most “helpers” or “extenders of care” such as nurses and therapists are not optimally trained to coordinate streamlined and integrated care on a system level. Furthermore, there are a lack of “champions” (community members or other stakeholders) who are recruited in the care process to motivate important changes in neurological health perspectives and behaviors.
As confirmed with the Neural Network’s Health seminal study, neurological health impacts and symptoms are poorly explained and can be difficult to fully grasp for both providers and patients.
At Neural Network Health, we have learned that motivation for successful changes in health goals and behaviors comes from targeted communication and education regarding neurological symptoms and conditions. In addition to motivation, solutions are also prompted as we educate stakeholders about the stark numbers or demographics that exist. These numbers are very clear and they indicate that every individual will be affected by a neurological symptom, disorder or change in function in their lifetimes. The available data also suggests that as demographics and societies march into the future, our nervous systems will be impacted more than ever.
Our solution and contribution to his dilemma is our collaborative care models that focus on the “voice of the patients” who have been impacted by brain and nervous system health problems. These patients are the key drivers in the effective creation of sustainable, cost-saving and life-changing health care process. Our processes integrate the health management of neurological patients individually and in groups, within health care settings to support health care initiatives and to support the creation of sustainable health care policies.
Force Alignment
Neural Network Health partners with health care organizations who have a stake in optimizing neurological care. The opportunity to involve adaptable technology, data, and quality care management, with a focus on the neurological patients and their cohorts within the health care system should not be missed within health systems as they move into the future.
There are limited work teams or locations that truly support an organization model for optimizing patient-aligned neurological prevention and care. The traditional “silo” care model is not applicable to solve the current dire health care dilemma.
The purpose of our products and services is to create an effective bridge that connects the ‘silos’ and further engages patients who have impacted by brain and nervous system disability. In this way providers and health care systems are enabled to deploy the most cost-effective neurology care.