A groundbreaking white paper released today by Revel, a Minneapolis-based next-gen technology company, maintains that the COVID-19 pandemic has dealt catastrophic effects on human health far beyond the disease itself and should be tracked independently. The author, Sara Ratner, Revel senior vice president of government programs and strategic initiatives, writes that "educational gaps, mental health issues, layoffs, loss of health care coverage and delayed health care utilization will have a sustained and perpetual impact on preventing and managing diseases ultimately contributing to an increase in chronic conditions, magnifying comorbidities, a spiked death rate and persistent healthcare cost increases and spending."

Ratner leads an initiative within Revel Health that is tracking the full health impact and magnitude of the pandemic. The initiative is referred to as COVID-19 Determinants of Health (CDoH). "Revel recently launched our CDoH tracking effort because COVID-19 has become the single most dominant factor affecting human health in our era," Ratner said. "The statistics, insights and mass data on human behaviour are being assessed by Revel's team of data and health scientists to develop new approaches designed to limit the long-term impact on people, systems, insurers and governments."

Revel recently commissioned The Harris Poll to conduct several independent surveys to discern if people were delaying or foregoing care. "The white paper notes survey data showing dramatic declines in vaccinations, preventative screenings for cancers, cholesterol, and diabetes that began at the outset of pandemic restrictions have continued well into the late summer months." "The numbers are clear," Ratner said. "Patients are not rescheduling cancelled or delayed vaccinations or preventative screenings. The implications of delays in diagnosis and preventive care will trigger dramatic increases in chronic disease, preventable deaths and costs due to delayed care. The single most important thing the healthcare industry can do to address this catastrophic trend is reaching out to people who have foregone care due to fear of COVID-19."

Revel is driving relevant data through a series of proprietary systems that leverage advanced analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) to create its CDoH insights. The insights drive educational approaches that include personalized messaging to help health plans address judgements, assumptions and perceptions that impact the actions of patients and members. "Our single goal is to help the healthcare industry effectively reach vulnerable and at-risk populations so they can act to improve their health and limit the damage that delayed care is having on their lives and across the greater population," Ratner said.

The Revel white paper recommends several strategies for the healthcare industry to bend the curve of the impact of COVID-19, including:

Using personalized messaging with patients and members to create a strong desire to act;

Messaging that helps reduce emotional and behavioural barriers preventing patient or member action, especially fear; and
Educating on removing logistical barriers preventing patients or members from taking health actions.

"The pandemic has fundamentally changed health care beliefs and access among patients and members," Ratner said. "At Revel, we have launched the CDoH initiative to unlock insights building components of education and personalized messaging that helps eliminate barriers that are compromising the health and welfare of the population."