Population health management mandates that providers aren't reimbursed based solely on the procedures or services they provide. Instead, they're paid according to accountable payment models, which hold health systems responsible for the quality of care delivered across the continuum.

To be successful under these models, providers need comprehensive IT capabilities that enable them to perform certain care activities. Keep reading to understand the expanding range of criteria that population health executives may use to evaluate IT solutions and services.

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Population health management: An overview

Define population health
Under population health management, commercial and public payers reimburse providers through a variety of accountable payment models, which all hold health systems responsible for care quality delivered across the continuum. Learn more on p. 4.

Achieve population health aims
Provider institutions with experience managing population risk identify three principal levers for achieving high quality care for a population while sustaining organizational value. Get the three levers on p. 5.

Make the organizational commitment
To overcome three key challenges to becoming high-performing care management enterprises, health systems need to redesign care delivery models, prioritize a long list of investments, and catalyze cultural transformation. Read more on p. 6.

Developing IT capabilities for population health management

Understand key population health IT capabilities
Care transformation, provider engagement, and plan management all require complex IT technologies that connect providers across the care continuum. To successfully manage populations, provider organizations must have six essential IT competencies. Find out what they are on p. 8.

Strategic priorities determine stages of IT investment
Providers need to stagger their investments in key population management IT processes over time. One successful approach involves staging population health IT investments to match the competencies required by risk-based contracts. Get the details on p. 9.

Build a population management IT portfolio
Provider organizations must define their strategic goals in order to successfully choose a population health IT vendor, while keeping in mind that—for the most part—no single vendor offers all required functionalities in a comprehensive product suite. See five important considerations on p. 10.

Population health IT evaluations: What to ask vendors

Evaluate vendors and platforms
Get our extensive list of the questions that health systems need to asks vendors before investing in IT for population health management. They cover everything from clinical integration to technology training, and they'll help providers distinguish which vendors align with their overall strategic goals. Go the beginning of the list on p. 12.