Partnership brings best-in-breed artificial intelligence and workflow expertise together to help healthcare enterprises accelerate growth and efficiency while ensuring that the most vulnerable patients get the treatment they need sooner
NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 07, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- North Highland, a leading change and transformation consulting firm, today announced a strategic partnership with Digital Reasoning, the global leader in artificial intelligence solutions that understand human communications and behaviors. The strategic partnership will focus on helping healthcare providers identify cancer diagnoses faster so the most vulnerable patients can get the life-saving treatment they need sooner while also helping providers improve patient volumes by automating manual processes that were previously time-consuming and expensive.
It’s become clear that the elective procedure shutdown has had unintended consequences of delaying cancer diagnosis and treatment that have left hospitals looking to quickly increase their patient volumes. In the first weeks, there were numerous anecdotal stories from oncologists and patients on how COVID-19’s shutdown was creating problems for their treatment. Surgeries postponed, infusions delayed, and some procedures canceled without rescheduling for weeks. Then the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) conducted a national survey revealing that 50 percent of all cancer patients experienced some disruption to their treatment plan. Then there was the report from IQVIA’s claims database that found over 80,000 missed diagnoses from canceled appointments, screenings, and follow-ups.
“We are in unprecedented times. The healthcare industry is reeling from both the direct and indirect effects of COVID-19,” said Paul Kleine-Kracht, vice president at North Highland. “In many ways, the pandemic has underscored the broad need for digital transformation across healthcare and accelerated the adoption of solutions for problems we already knew existed. We’ve partnered with Digital Reasoning to bring proven, needed solutions to the healthcare industry. We’re talking about solutions that can quickly be implemented and from which you can see real impact within a matter of months, if not weeks.”
North Highland and Digital Reasoning have established a strategic partnership in order to help healthcare providers quickly leverage cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) and the best human workflows to identify cancer diagnoses faster so those patients can be treated sooner and more efficiently.
With North Highland and Digital Reasoning’s combined expertise, hospital providers are able to:
- Expedite diagnoses
- Increase clinical interaction
- Improve staff productivity
- Grow net patient revenue
- Increase patient volume/market share
- Increase patient retention
As elective procedures reopen and societal restrictions decrease, health systems will soon face a surge of cancer diagnoses -- more complicated and in later stages -- more than they’ve seen in any previous quarter. The challenge to fit patients in while handling heightened safety protocols for COVID-19 infection prevention will be insurmountable without expanding capacity.
“Expanding capacity with traditional means --- building new buildings and hiring additional clinicians --- is impossible right now,” said Chris Cashwell, senior vice president of healthcare solutions at Digital Reasoning. “The only way to instantly expand capacity to get all these patients in for treatment safely is through the combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and human expertise. To that end, we are delighted to partner with North Highland, an amazing firm whose work to create lasting and positive change aligns with our own mission to protect the things that matter. By working together, we know that we can have an even greater impact on healthcare systems in today’s environment when they need it the most, and beyond.”
About North Highland
North Highland is a leading change and transformation consulting firm, recognized for its deep expertise and collaborative, action-oriented approach. Invested in our client’s success and powered by the belief that everything begins and ends with people, we bring together the brightest minds to create positive change and transform businesses through customer, workforce and operational lenses.
Headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., and regularly named a best place to work, North Highland is an employee-owned firm with more than 5,000 consultants worldwide and 65+ offices around the globe. The firm is a member of Cordence Worldwide (www.cordenceworldwide.com), a global management consulting alliance. For more information, visit northhighland.com and connect with us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
About Digital Reasoning
Digital Reasoning is a global leader in understanding human communications and behavior through the combination of applied AI, deep collaboration with industry experts, and a commitment to use technology for positive change. Through the combination of our trusted technology and our customers’ experience, for example, patients have a better chance of surviving, banks can ensure their employees are meeting the highest standards of conduct, and law enforcement can protect the most vulnerable citizens in our society. For more information, go to www.digitalreasoning.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
