AiR Healthcare Solutions delivers life-changing recovery for patients

AiR Healthcare Solutions is an international provider of disease management and telephone-based care coordination solutions for chronic behavioural health conditions. Andrew Wainwright founded AiR Healthcare Solutions (AiR) in 2002 with the hope of setting a new precedent for helping struggling addicts and their families get well. AiR has evolved over time to address not only substance use disorders, but all behavioural health-related illnesses. Today the organisation, while maintaining the legacy business, is delivering a large-scale solution that meets the needs of the new, value-based, technology-driven, healthcare economy.

Better patient care

To better care for its patients, AiR’s multidisciplinary team of behavioral health clinicians developed a unique care management process model. It is based on national guidelines and evidence-based practices and is shaped by AiR’s expert opinion. The model provides protocols for the appropriate diagnosis, effective treatment and management of substance use disorders, mental health disorders, eating disorders and other chronic behavioral health conditions.

“Similar to diabetes or hypertension, patients with behavioral health conditions need to follow a prescribed care plan over a long period of time to see results,” says Jaclyn Wainwright, chief executive officer, AiR. “Traditionally, behavioural health disorders have been treated using an acute rather than a chronic model of care, which leads to isolated episodes of care, high rates of re-admission and poor long-term outcomes.”

AiR’s original SQL database could no longer handle the complex relationships, multiple interactions and sheer volume of information involved with the new care management model. The old system and process posed a risk that follow-up interactions would fall through the cracks, or important data insights might be overlooked.

A powerful solution

AiR selected DXC Health360™ Care Coordination, built on Microsoft cloud technology.

“We knew that we needed a powerful solution and technology partner we could rely on that would help us to scale from providing care on an individual basis to managing large populations, without losing the things that made us successful,” says Wainwright. “In addition, we required a solution that would seamlessly integrate with other tools, such as electronic medical records (EMRs). Microsoft technology was an obvious answer.”

As a healthcare service provider, cloud security is also important to AiR.

“We’ve seen that the cloud is a safe place to keep information, and vulnerabilities only arise from the ways in which users access information, for example, having weak passwords or downloading information onto a personal computer. Because DXC Health360 is built on Microsoft technology, we didn’t have any security concerns,” Wainwright adds.

Leveraging data to make informed decisions

“With DXC Health360, we’ve expanded our reach and our abilities,” says Wainwright. “Before, we were limited in the types of reporting and information that we could query within a system when we were trying to learn insights about a population. It was never clear if what we were doing was meaningful (and why). What’s great about DXC Health360 is that it’s unlimited. Now it’s not just about data collection, but also about leveraging data. We can harness the power of the data in the system and use it to get better and grow.”

Using the new system, AiR provided services to over 2,000 patients from 2013 to 2015 and is achieving phenomenal results. One of the most impressive achievements is its long-term continuous sobriety outcome: a 12-month continuous abstinence rate of 72 percent compared to the national average of 35 percent.

Each person’s care plan describes the “next best action” for every care team member and service provider — creating a very personal care experience. AiR is now able to improve patient satisfaction and well-being while enabling care team members to help more people with an efficient, modern care coordination platform.

AiR’s business has grown to include new comprehensive behavioural health services for large employers and health insurers across the nation.

“As we continue our tradition of clinical innovation, DXC Health360, leveraged through the Microsoft cloud, gives us the scalability to assess and risk stratify larger populations, engage people in need, personalise care plans and effectively deliver the interventions and support that make a lasting difference in the lives and well-being of families,” added Wainwright.

AiR recently upgraded to the latest version of DXC Health360 and is now able to take advantage of a new assessment tool with a patient stress questionnaire. There is also risk-based scoring, as well as visual indicators, and a library for factors such as suicide risk, pregnancy, recommended abstinence and under-18 status. It’s now easier to see patients at a glance, monitor care plans and receive multi-level alerts.

“For AiR, the future of healthcare is clear. Clinical behavioral health expertise, technology and the ability to harness data will lead the way,” says Wainwright.