A new quality collaborative is bringing together payers, providers, and self-insured employers to support radiology quality improvement initiatives at scale.
The Quality Care Collaborative (QCC) joins Covera Health’s clinical intelligence platform and Nuance Communications’ Precision Imaging Network to enable providers, payers, and employers to work together in a trusted and secure setting on long-term, sustainable quality improvement programs, peer-learning initiatives, and value-based care efforts.
Through Covera's Patient Safety Organization (PSO), which is certified by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), clinicians can optionally share data with and receive insights from the QCC to improve care quality in a safe and trusted environment.
PSO data receives increased protection against discovery and restricts any sharing with payers, Covera said. All radiology practices in participating payers' networks can opt-in to the QCC at no cost to them to gain access to a growing suite of quality analytics and clinically validated AI tools to augment existing quality improvement programs. Participating payers and self-insured employers can achieve improved quality and better outcomes for their member populations and the best value for their healthcare dollars.
Covera and Nuance say that the QCC establishes a workflow-integrated infrastructure that enables radiologists to access quality analytics and support improved diagnostic precision through trusted, widely deployed technology. Powered by Microsoft Azure, the Nuance Precision Imaging Network delivers workflow-integrated, AI-generated insights across the care continuum at scale. It is built upon the Nuance PowerScribe radiology reporting solution used by 80 percent of U.S. radiologists, the Nuance PowerShare image sharing solution, connected to more than 10,000 healthcare facilities, and Nuance's AI cloud infrastructure that enables an ecosystem of third-party diagnostic imaging AI services to be integrated into clinical workflows.
"What we're able to deliver with Nuance represents a paradigm shift in how payers, self-insured employers, and providers partner in their efforts to improve care quality for their members, employees, and patients," said Ron Vianu, co-founder and CEO of Covera Health, in a statement. "At the same time, the ability to deliver AI-powered quality insights on demand, at scale, and within clinical workflows, fundamentally enhances the way AI is used in radiology to improve patient outcomes."
Walmart is the first large employer to join the QCC. "We're excited about the collaboration between Covera and Nuance and the positive impact it can have on improving the quality of care for all, as well as improving health equity by increasing access to quality care in local communities," said Lisa Woods, Walmart vice president for physical and emotional well-being, in a statement.
