Business/Data Analyst

Big Data and ML Engineer Location: Kolkata, IndiaCTC: Best in IndustryExperience: 3-8 years;Academics: BE/Btech or any equivalent degreeResponsibilities:Work closely with US clients and the business stakeholders to identify and analyze…

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Boost Your Colorectal Cancer Screening Rates with COZEVA!

Boost Your Colorectal Cancer Screening Rates with COZEVA!

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, which aims for greater awareness of the benefits of early detection through preventive screening tools. After heart disease, cancer is the next leading cause of death in the U.S. [CDC] Colorectal cancer was the next leading cause of U.S. cancer deaths in 2020, after lung cancer. [CDC]

Colorectal Cancer and Health Equity Issues

Overall, black males and females have higher colorectal cancer incidence and mortality rates compared to other racial groups [CDC]. Stratifying measures will help investigate and address inequities in care with better data. The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) has selected colorectal cancer screening as one of five measures, beginning in MY2022, which will stratify reporting results by race and ethnicity [NCQA].

Use COZEVA to Manage Your Patients’ Colorectal Cancer Screenings and More!

As a population health management tool, COZEVA allows plan administrators, provider organizations, and their practices to easily track their patients’ care opportunities.

 

As a real-time metrics engine, COZEVA’s gap reports and powerful Analytics can better inform your organization’s outreach efforts. With options to target patients by geographic area, by length of time from last screenings, or by available race, ethnicity or language data, these efforts can improve patient compliance and engagement for improved health outcomes.

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Applied Research Works-COZEVA Is Among First to Earn Validated Data Stream Designation in the New NCQA Data Aggregator Validation Program

Applied Research Works-COZEVA Is Among First to Earn Validated Data Stream Designation in the New NCQA Data Aggregator Validation Program

Validated Data Flows Promote Trust, Support Value-Based Contracting, Ease Quality Measurement Loads

Fremont, CA – February 16, 2022 – Applied Research Works-COZEVA, has earned the Validated Data Stream designation in the new National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Data Aggregator Validation program. Furthermore, COZEVA is the only NCQA-certified HEDIS and AMP metrics engine to also earn this certification and is part of the first NCQA cohort approved in December of 2021.

“This program reduces our customers’ burden with HEDIS reporting,” says Nikki Asao, Chief Customer Officer, Applied Research Works. “With this DAV certification, ARW’s clients, both health plans and provider groups, can concentrate on providing quality care and less on chasing missing data.”

 

The validation applies to EHR data from COZEVA’s client provider organizations and COZEVA’s direct EHR integration implementations with individual practices and providers. Data streams that earn validation undergo a rigorous, end-to-end look at the quality and integrity of data and the procedures used to manage and safeguard it. This certification process verifies Applied Research Works adherence to NCQA’s rigorous standards from ingestion at primary sources through the transmission to end-users.

 

Validation makes aggregated clinical data streams more valuable. Leveraging the consensus-based Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) audit process to validate clinical data flows prospectively, validation promotes trust in aggregated clinical data assets and insights drawn from these data sources. It boosts value-based contracting and, combined with new federal technology standards, makes many of its core features genuinely routine.

 

Seen as a vital, early step in achieving NCQA’s vision of a digital measurement ecosystem, validated data flows also improve the efficiency of today’s quality measurement processes. Uniquely accepted as standard supplemental data in HEDIS® audits, no primary source verification (PSV) is required for HEDIS reporting when health plans report data from Data Aggregator Validation validated sources.

 

For more information on NCQA validation, please click here.

About NCQA

NCQA is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA Accredits and Certifies a wide range of healthcare organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA’s Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) is the most widely used performance measurement tool in health care. NCQA’s website (ncqa.org) contains information to help consumers, employers and others make informed health care choices. NCQA can also be found at Twitter @ncqa, on Facebook at facebook.com/NCQA.org/ and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/ncqa.

About Applied Research Works, COZEVA

Applied Research Works, Inc. is a health information technology and software as a services (SaaS) company. Its flagship product, COZEVA, is a platform that combines cloud-based data analytics, a real-time metrics engine, submission services, provider dashboards that directly engage patients and caregivers, and collaborative health records for AMP, HEDIS, and Risk Adjustment. In addition, it is the first product that is certified by NCQA, DirectTrust, EHNAC, and ONC simultaneously.

 

For more information, please contact: bizdev@cozeva.com

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Look for us at the America’s Physician Groups Annual Conference

Look for us at the America's Physician Groups Annual Conference

COZEVA will be at Booth #200 at the APG Conference!

 

We are a Platinum sponsor of the America’s Physician Group Annual Conference, which will be held December 9-11, 2021, at the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina. COZEVA is looking forward to showcasing how we’ve improved quality performance and increased provider and staff engagement for a number of organizations in Value-Based Care arrangements.

 

Stop by our booth and chat with the COZEVA team, enter our raffle for a chance to win an iPad, and collect some swag for your offices!

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HEDIS® MY2021 Certification

HEDIS® MY2021 Certification

Applied Research Works, Inc. Cozeva has been certified for all HEDIS® MY2021 measures. Congratulations to the team for this impressive work!


 

HEDIS® is a registered trademark of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).

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Breast Cancer Screening saves lives

Breast Cancer Screening Saves Lives

Did you know?

  • “Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the U.S.” (CDC) “More women are diagnosed with breast cancer than any other type of cancer, besides skin cancer” (Cancer.Net).
  • “An estimated 281,550 women in the United States will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, and 49,290 women will be diagnosed with non-invasive breast cancer in 2021” (Cancer.Net)
  • “Breast cancer is the second most common cause of death from cancer in women in the U.S. after lung cancer” (Cancer.Net).

Image by Rawpixel.com on Adobe Stock

  • Whereas, white women are more likely to develop breast cancer than Black, Hispanic and Asian women, Black women are more likely to have more advanced-stage breast cancer and succumb to the disease. This difference in outcome could be due to inadequate access to mammography and low quality medical care in addition to other lifestyle issues (eating habits, BMI, etc.) that are more prevalent in some ethnic groups than others (Race/Ethnicity).
  • However, due to preventive screening and treatment options, more than 403,000 deaths were prevented between 1989 and 2018 resulting in a 41% decrease of death in women due to breast cancer (Cancer.Net).
  • Due to COVID-19, many healthcare centers delayed breast cancer screening (BCS) and diagnostic tests, including mammograms, ultrasounds, and MRIs, in many parts of the U.S. from March 2020 (COVID-19 Delayed BCS). Sadly, this adversely impacted the health outcomes of many patients who would have benefitted from early screening.

Cozeva can assist with breast cancer outreach campaigns to address gaps in preventive screenings

As a population health management tool, COZEVA allows plan administrators, provider organizations, and their practices to easily track their patients’ care opportunities

As a real-time metrics engine, COZEVA’s gap reports and powerful Analytics can better inform outreach efforts. With options to target patients by geographic area, by length of time from last screenings, or by available race, ethnicity or language data, these efforts can improve patient compliance and health outcomes during these times of uncertainty.


References:

Breast Cancer Statistics https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/breast-cancer/statistics

Breast Cancer Statistics https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/statistics/index.htm

What is Breast Cancer Screening? https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/basic_info/screening.htm

COVID-19 Pandemic Delayed Breast Cancer Screening in Many Parts of the United States https://www.breastcancer.org/research-news/covid-19-delayed-screening-in-us

Race/Ethnicity https://www.breastcancer.org/risk/factors/race_ethnicity

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/statistics/index.htm

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Health Literacy

Health Literacy

Illustration by GoodStudio on Shutterstock

Health Literacy: an Important Social Determinant of Health

Health literacy (HL), has been defined by the Health and Human Services (HHS) as the “degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process; and understand basic health information needed to make appropriate health decisions.” [1] Yet, HL is not solely based on a person’s individual abilities but also depends on the intricacy and complexity of healthcare systems as well as HL related demands. [2]

The 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) showed that almost 300 million Americans scored below proficient in health literacy. [3] A recent study conducted in 2020 concluded that only 21% of Americans are familiar with the term Social Determinants of Health (SDoH), even though these factors can drive up to 80% of health outcomes. [4] As the pandemic has helped expose the country’s inability to protect its vulnerable populations, it has also sped up the conversations around SDoH and launched initiatives to address them. However, these initiatives can only be taken so far if the majority of the population is unfamiliar with what they are trying to address. Increasing HL would advance SDoH efforts to another level as it would increase the accessibility and inclusivity to populations who cannot afford to be left out of the conversation.

What pathways have others established to increase Health Literacy?

Addressing health literacy is one of the most pressing issues of today – we constantly encounter significant barriers towards healthcare information and its accessibility regardless of an individual’s background, education, or literacy. So, what can be done?

Ryan Bosch, president and co-founder of Socially Determined, has highlighted 5 different components that could help promote HL. In his article for MedCity News, “The Key to SDOH: Health literacy”, Mr. Bosch shares that the first step is to determine a person’s or population’s ability to access information as this is a critical step in order to gauge baseline barriers and further understand literacy gaps. [5]

Another pathway to promoting HL is providing information in the form and content available to individuals based on cultural competence, plain language approaches and the use of new technologies. The Clear Communication initiative by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is a set of resource pages designated to dispersing information in an accessible manner, using plain language, as well as a tool to assist science and increase public health communication.

What are some pathways that you have come across at your organization? How have you worked towards improving Health Literacy in your organization? What methods or pathways do you find are most effective?

We want to hear your input and create an engaging space to learn from each other! Email us at: info@cozeva.com

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World Alzheimer’s Month 2021: Know dementia, know Alzheimer’s

World Alzheimer's Month 2021: Know Dementia, Know Alzheimer's

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as of September 2021, more than 55 million people are living with dementia worldwide, and there are approximately 10 million new cases every year. Dementia is caused by various diseases and injuries that affect the brain. Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common form of dementia and may comprise 60% to 70% of the total dementia cases.

At ARW (India), we are dedicated to supporting and collaborating in the cause of Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India (ARDSI) Calcutta Chapter, to help improve the overall quality of life for people living with Alzheimer’s and Dementia.

ARDSI has organized many virtual webinars and events to raise awareness on Alzheimer’s and Dementia during the month of September 2021. Among other events, ARDSI illuminated the iconic Howrah Bridge (Calcutta) in its official blue color on Sep 21, 2021 to honor and cherish the memories of people living with dementia.
ARDSI illuminated the iconic Howrah Bridge (Calcutta) in its official blue color on Sep 21, 2021

ARW (US) team participating in the Alzheimer’s Association walk (Bay Area, California)

Alzheimer’s Association reports that “an estimated 6.2 million Americans age 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s dementia in 2021.” At ARW (US), we actively support and participate in the Alzheimer’s Association walk every year to commemorate and ‘remember those who cannot remember.’


References:

Alzheimer’s Disease International: https://www.alzint.org/

Alzhiemer’s Association Facts & Figures: https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/facts-figures

National Institute of Health, Alzheimer’s Disease Fact Sheet: https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/alzheimers-disease-fact-sheet

World Health Organization Dementia Fact Sheet: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dementia

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Are you ready for CalAIM?

Are you ready for CalAIM?

Photo by Monkey Business Images on Shutterstock

What is CalAIM?

CalAIM – California Advancing and Innovation Medi-cal, is a multi-year program by the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) designed to enhance the quality of life and health impacts on the population. CalAIM was built on the successful results from prior pilots (such as Whole Person Care Pilots (WPC), Health Homes Program (HHP) and Coordinated Care Initiative) and was created to reform Medi-Cal by implementing broad delivery system, program and payment improvements across the program. [1]

CalAIM has three fundamental objectives:
  • Using whole person care approaches to identify and manage member risk and need, as well as addressing Social Determinants of Health
  • Reducing complexity and increasing flexibility by shifting Medi-cal to a more stable system
  • Enhancing quality outcomes, reduce health disparities, and modify the delivery system by using value-based initiatives, updating systems, and payment reform

For a more detailed explanation of what CalAIM entails, see 2021 CalAIM Proposal Review and CalAIM Executive Summary and Summary of Changes.

CalAIM Changes and Updates

CalAIM’s implementation was delayed due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, but is now set for execution on January 1, 2022. So, are you ready?

CalAIM is made of a variety of components, each to be released subject to their own timeline: [2]

  • 2022: New Enhanced Care Management (ECM) benefit and In Lieu of Services (ILOS)
  • 2022: Major Organ Transplant (MOT) benefit carved into Managed Care
  • 2022: Update medical necessity criteria for specialty mental health services (SMHS) to improve access
  • 2023: Long Term Care (LTC) benefits carved into Managed Care
  • 2023: Dual Special Need Program (DSNP) Aligned Managed Care enrollment in CCI Counties
    • 2025: Aligned Managed Care enrollment in non-CCI Counties
  • 2023: Population Health Management (PHM) strategy
  • 2026: NCQA accreditation for Medi-Cal MCPS and subcontractors
  • 2027: Statewide Managed Long Term Services & Supports (MLTSS)

Two foundational pillars of CalAIM are Enhanced Care Management (ECM) and In Lieu of Services (ILOS). Both of these reforms are set to be implemented at the beginning of January, 2022. ECM refers to a whole-person approach to comprehensive care management that addresses clinical and non-clinical needs. ILOS are medically appropriate and cost-effective alternatives to state plan services. ILOS are optional services to provide for Medical Managed Care Plans (MCPs) and optional for managed care members. [3] 

A significant terminology change through revised ECM implementation is ‘Target Population’ to ‘Populations of Focus’. This term is defined in the finalized ECM Key Design Implementation Decisions, “To promote health equity, adhering to the guiding principle of using person-centered language whenever possible, “Populations of Focus” instead or “Target populations” will be used to describe the Members who are eligible to receive ECM.” [4]
For more information regarding ECM and ILOS requirements, implementation, and more, see Enhanced Care Management and In Lieu of Services.

Case Management and Care at ARW

At ARW, we are eager and getting ready for the implementation of CalAIM. Our Case Management (CM) showcases how Cozeva works as a trusted channel of communication between your patients, providers and care team to proactively manage your patient population. CM focuses on the social needs of a person and questions how your organization is managing the patient individually – this relies on a whole-person, comprehensive approach to care.

Cozeva Care is Care Management and CM for whole person care, this speaks on how to manage a population geographically, such as population management assessments.

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SCAN Health Plan Announcement

SCAN Health Plan Announcement

Fremont, CA — September 8, 2021 — Applied Research Works, Inc. (cozeva.com) congratulates our top performing California Medical Groups based on SCAN health plan’s quality metrics!

Based on SCAN’s internal quality metrics, several of Cozeva’s medical group clients were among the top 15 performers for care and service. We are thrilled to partner with these medical groups as they continue to deliver high quality care to their patients, especially during this challenging year.

The following Cozeva clients were recognized by SCAN Health Plan:

  • MemorialCare Medical Foundation
  • Monarch Healthcare Optum
  • Optum
  • Scripps Health Plan Services, Inc.
  • St. Joseph Heritage Healthcare
  • Torrance Memorial IPA
  • Primary Care Associates Medical Group
  • Axminster Medical Group
  • PIH Health Physicians

SCAN’s internal quality metrics focus on preventive screenings, treatment of chronic conditions, and appropriate documentation to ensure patients get the care they need to remain healthy and independent. This past year has been extremely challenging for the healthcare industry and we want to recognize the hard work of all these medical groups. For the full article, please visit SCAN’s press room.

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