To help us understand and respond to our consumers' healthcare preferences, we created The Forum by Texas Health, a research initiative that invites consumer engagement and feedback. It comprises former and current patients, consumers and other stakeholders familiar with our system.

To help Texas Health better understand consumers' healthcare journeys and services to improve their well-being, we examine data and use predictive analytics to deliver optimal, personalized care.

We built an informational database of consumer touchpoints with Texas Health, Consumer 360, as the foundation. It captures relevant information about our consumers that are important for their care and well-being – everything from insurance coverage to consumer interactions with a Texas Health provider, clinic or even an educational seminar. Applying analytics, we can examine historical patterns of healthcare utilization to predict which programs and services would allow them to stay healthy and avoid chronic illness or high-cost, complex treatment in the future.

We also added data on social determinants of health, such as socioeconomic status, education level and care access. Providers can draw from this information to help consumers find ways to eliminate barriers to good health.

We also use analytics to proactively engage consumers in Texas Health's community-based programs and services to keep health issues from escalating. For example, suppose we learn a woman was recently diagnosed with diabetes. In that case, we could encourage her to participate in our Comprehensive Diabetes Education program to learn new skills for living a healthier life.

Data and analytics also allow us to tailor outreach to consumers' unique circumstances. If we learn, for example, that 15 families recently moved to our service area, we can introduce them to Texas Health’s health and wellness services. If one of these families is expecting a baby, we can provide information on our childbirth classes and offer a tour of our labor and delivery units.

We will continue enriching this database with data from our affiliates, including specialists and rehabilitation centers. This will allow us to accurately predict and design relevant, timely healthcare strategies to help our consumers live their best life.