Google Cloud, LifePoint Health Partner to Deploy Data Platform

LifePoint Health and Google Cloud have announced a multi-year strategic partnership in which the healthcare network will implement the tech company’s Healthcare Data Engine (HDE) to enhance data interoperability, patient monitoring, and virtual care.

According to the press release, Google Cloud's HDE aggregates data from medical records, clinical trials, research, and other sources and organizes it for healthcare providers to use to improve care.

Using the platform, clinicians can gain insights into patient records and perform analytics in near-real time, the press release notes. LifePoint’s implementation of the HDE will also support data interoperability across the organization’s large, disparate EMR systems.

LifePoint will further use HDE’s analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to create digital solutions and care models, interoperate with third-party solutions, and provide consistent care across its network. Specifically, LifePoint aims to extend the reach of its care teams so that patients don’t have to travel as far for high-quality or specialized care.

The two organizations will also seek to address other healthcare industry challenges over the course of the partnership, including data silos within healthcare systems, limited data interoperability in virtual and in-person care, and access to care for patients living outside of urban areas.

Further, LifePoint and Google Cloud are focused on ensuring data security and privacy, the press release states. The HDE platform leverages secure infrastructure and data storage that supports HIPAA compliance, in conjunction with LifePoint’s privacy, access, and use protocols for data, to protect patient information.

Overall, the partnership aims to advance care quality, access, and equity for patients at LifePoint’s more than 60 acute care facilities, 30 rehabilitation and behavioral health hospitals, and 170 additional care sites across the US.

The partnership is the most recent effort by both organizations to bolster healthcare delivery.

Last month, LifePoint launched a strategic collaboration with data and analytics technology company Health Catalyst to advance patient care, safety, satisfaction, and outcomes across the health system’s network.

This followed an announcement last year that LifePoint would invest $1.5 billion over the next three years to advance care delivery as part of a health system merger deal and the resulting formation of new healthcare company ScionHealth.

Google Cloud has also been active in recent years, launching a collaboration with Northwell Health in July to accelerate the health system’s digital transformation and utilize the cloud and AI to enhance health system processes, like scheduling and payer interactions, to improve care and clinician experience.

Last year, Google Cloud and HCA Healthcare partnered to create a secure data analytics platform for the health system to enhance clinical decision support and develop innovative operational models.