Government Bits

Tracking how technology is transforming interaction between governments and citizens.

With each New Year, there is a propensity to want to leave the past behind us. Resolutions to start anew are often key drivers behind seasonal surges in new gym memberships and other short lived self-improvement initiatives.

Enterprises typically seize the beginning of a new cycle to re-invent themselves as well. However, regardless of the reason for the fresh start, forward-thinking leaders find ways to harvest lessons learned and relationships established in the past, and leverage them as they plan for the future.

With the emergence of a robust digital ecosystem, including social networking, mobile devices, and cloud computing, that’s now easier than ever to achieve. But sustainable results still require an innovative enterprise platform and an adaptive strategy.

Before the holidays, I was invited to participate as a panelist at the 2011 Government Mobility Forum in Washington DC. The theme was “Revolutionizing Agency Communications and Citizen Service” and the keynote was delivered by Phil Simon, best-selling author of “The Age of the Platform.” Afterward, we explored ways that technology may be deployed to extend the reach of personalized interactions, thereby providing incremental value with every touch point for the customer, citizen, or patient.

See full encore video here.

Digital communications strategy is at the heart of efforts to modernize user experiences throughout the public sector in North America and worldwide.

From mass transit agencies that deploy mobile apps for keeping commuters updated in real-time, to healthcare agencies that facilitate provider collaboration with online access to health records, Adobe Digital Government Solutions are driving the transformation in many cases.

In fact, last week from Washington DC, President Obama remotely addressed over 25,000 constituents at multiple caucus sites in Iowa by using Adobe Connect and Connect Mobile, our best-in-class web conferencing solutions that are also trusted globally by the US Department of Defense.

So for 2012, consider a resolution of improved engagement, efficiency, and effectiveness. You’ll be in great company, and no spandex is required.

What’s your digital resolution?

Let us know on Twitter @AdobeGov and @AdobeCEM, or on Facebook.

Relationships between health payers and their provider networks have traditionally been complex on multiple levels. Until recently, such complexity was often apparent from the very start of each relationship, as tenuous onboarding processes forced new network providers to wait weeks before treating their first patients. Meanwhile, contractual agreements and related documents bounced back and forth for updates, approvals, and signatures.

However, this costly bottleneck has now been completely removed for many leading health payers as they launch solutions powered by Adobe EchoSign, a disruptive cloud-based technology for electronic signatures and contract management.

Since acquiring EchoSign, we have seamlessly integrated this pioneering solution into the Adobe document exchange services platform, including the ubiquitous Adobe Reader and newly launched iPad app, for securely providing universal service access while satisfying rigorous compliance requirements.

Impressive results throughout the global health payer community have been garnering attention in the public sector too, as Medicaid agencies and others face workflow challenges similar to their commercial counterparts.

At Aetna, where the average contract processing time was decreased from three weeks to one day, three-quarters of all contractual transactions with providers are now electronic. Additionally, Aetna has significantly reduced its carbon footprint, as well as costs associated with postage and paper. These changes helped Aetna earn the 2011 InfoWorld Green 15 Award, presented by International Data Group (IDG).

“As a health care benefits company, we also are focused on creating a healthy environment. Our paperless contracting is one way we are advancing this mission,” said Carl King, head of National Networks and Contracting Services for Aetna.

At Cigna, average onboarding times for new physicians and small practices have been cut in half. As their expansive provider network continues to grow at a rate of over 20,000 new providers per year, over a million pages of contracts are efficiently managed digitally with the auditable Adobe EchoSign solution.

“Electronic contracting expedites the overall contracting process for physicians and enables Cigna to more quickly add physicians to its growing network,” said Cigna’s Julie Vayer, Vice President, Health Care Professional Solutions.

At the end of the day, electronic contract management isn’t about placing the image of a signature into a document. Instead, it’s about driving business results by facilitating transactions anyplace the customer may be, in as close to real time as practical.

And as Adobe responds to dynamic market needs with comprehensive digital media and digital marketing solutions that grow relationships, we are committed to making it easier for our customers to provide optimal experiences for their customers, on their terms.

I guess you could call it a sign of the times.

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Although most of us mindlessly take it for granted, Internet access in the US is by no means ubiquitous. However, the dynamic mainstream adoption of smart phones, tablets, and other mobile devices has helped to drive irrefutable progress among rural residents and underserved populations.

By literally placing the power of the web into the pockets of many citizens for the first time, mobile devices empower these segments with a surge of newfound access to unlimited information (cell tower coverage and data plans permitting).

However, a closer look reveals a new challenge, as mobile devices are often the only gateway to the Internet for many of these new users. Despite the significant advancements they represent, these devices will not realize their full potential until enterprises, like government agencies and other organizations, deliver consistent experiences for meaningful business processes and human services across these channels – from start to finish.

For example, imagine what it would be like to exclusively use a cell phone to conduct an exhaustive job search… then actually write and submit a resume on the same device.

Or maybe you need to research and compare your options for health benefits and other social services… then actually select a plan and submit multiple forms of information to enroll a family of five.

In most cases, these simple tasks would be difficult to say the least on a mobile device.  But they don’t have to be; technologies exist today that can extend robust Internet experiences through these channels and then measure their effectiveness.

This new digital divide, which also includes the lack of universal broadband availability (an issue that deserves a posting of its own), was among the topics covered as I recently addressed tribal leaders and executives on tribal health IT at the 12^th annual Tribalnet conference in Scottsdale, AZ.

This year’s theme was Bringing Technology and Tribes Together, and that was comprehensively explored throughout the three conference tracks offered: IT Governance, Tribal Health, and Virtualization.

As some Tribalnet attendees prepared to also attend the upcoming White House Tribal Nations Conference to continue these important discussions, I was reminded of our government’s commitment to these issues. Regarding improved service in tribal lands, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, recently commented “Our actions will further empower native nations to access and use the latest technologies to grow their businesses, increase their access to quality health care and education, reach 911 during emergencies and receive public alerts and warnings.”

And while this level of attention to such a vital lifeline for so many is commendable, I am personally hopeful that we won’t stop there to ensure that meaningful access eventually becomes a mindless afterthought for everyone.

Let us know what you think on Twitter @AdobeGov and @AdobeCEM, or on Facebook.

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I was recently invited to participate on a roundtable panel of thought leaders from government, business, and academia at the 2011 Annual Conference in Annapolis, hosted by the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus. Collectively, we explored a broad range of topics related to industries that are driving the state’s economy, namely biotech, cyber security, information technology, and healthcare. We agreed that these industries all intersect, in one way or another, as Maryland implements components of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), also known as Health Reform.

A primary goal of health reform is to improve overall status and quality of care by achieving health equity and eliminating disparities, particularly in the African American community.

Designed to reduce the estimated $60 billion spent annually on direct health care expenditures, in part due to existing disparities, PPACA aims to make health services more affordable and accessible for millions of Americans. However, successful implementation will require important tactical considerations, including educational outreach and local economic infrastructure, which are often muted by theoretical partisan debate.

In order for any government program to deliver valuable services, citizens must first know that they exist and understand the relative value. For example, as a result of PPACA, commercial health plans now cover many immunization and preventive services without charging a deductible, co-pay, or co-insurance. Included are wellness services like screenings for cardiovascular disease, cervical cancer, colorectal cancer, diabetes, and more.

Additionally, the national Medicare “donut hole” shrank last year by an average of 40% for elderly and disabled citizens. The donut hole refers to a gap in benefits coverage where seniors incur substantial costs as they pay for prescription medications 100% out-of-pocket after standard Medicare drug benefits have been exhausted, but before catastrophic coverage kicks in. By 2020, in accordance with the PPACA, the Medicare “donut hole” gap will be completely phased out.

To raise awareness of these and other benefits, I proposed that state leaders employ innovative resources, like social media and other dynamic online forums, in conjunction with conventional methods, like town hall meetings such as those at the conference, to spread the word. These same tactics, along with powerful data analytics, should be deployed to measure the effectiveness of other program components as well.

Advocacy also plays a big part in health reform, particularly as it relates to the rate of community adoption during implementation. Navigators, or certified individuals who provide health benefits education, will play a critical role in assisting underserved populations with enrollment in qualified plans and escalation of grievances. To that end, health IT solutions like Health Insurance Exchanges (HIX) that improve access for citizens must also include provisions for navigators to securely act on behalf of authenticated applicants in the exchange.

Among the invited attendees at the conference were select college students who were concerned about employment prospects as they prepare to enter the state’s workforce, as well as other constituents interested in the local economic aspects of health reform and other state initiatives. Christian Johansson, Secretary of the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, was on hand to review the state’s strategic plans to facilitate job creation and empowerment by driving sustainability in high growth industries like healthcare and IT.

Overall, the annual conference was an overwhelming success as it accomplished the simple but powerful goal of its organizers to increase engagement, dialogue, and meaningful interactions between the state’s business leaders, policy makers and the people they serve. I was proud to represent Adobe there and I look forward to similar opportunities in the future.

Last week, we sponsored a seminar in Washington, DC presented by Federal Computer Week on the “Intersection of Security and Information Sharing: How to Improve Government Efficiency in a Security-Conscious World”.

The seminar brought together government professionals, senior government officials, technology and security leaders, and industry executives to discuss security and the role of authentication in delivering information assurance and increasing business process efficiency for the federal government.

Aaron Lippold, senior technical advisor and computer scientist with DISA, spoke on “Forge.mil – Information Sharing and Secure Collaboration”. Our own John Landwehr, senior director of Enterprise Security Solutions, discussed “The Role of Forms Process Security in Ensuring Secure Information Flow”. And Steve LeSueur, contributing editor with 1105 Government Information Group, moderated a panel with Aaron and John on “How to Improve Government Efficiency in a Security-Conscious World”.

We caught up with John at the seminar and encourage you to check out this video for his thoughts on the event and what he and others discussed.

As always, we’re interested in your thoughts, so please share in comments, on Twitter @AdobeGov or on our Facebook page.

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As the fifth annual Health 2.0 conference recently kicked off in San Francisco, the vibe was electric and incestuously contagious; I felt it more with every interaction there.  The event, which focuses exclusively on celebrating innovations in health IT, continued its tradition of generating more buzz and excitement than the year before.  Just as impressive, though, was the humbling sense of community and shared purpose as evidenced by the launch of Health 2.0 MatchPoint, a program dedicated to matching young innovators with established organizations. Mark Smith, President and CEO of the California Health Care Foundation, expounded on the significance of the matching concept in his spirited keynote remarks.

Form new start-ups to household names like Adobe;  from public sector agencies to publically traded corporations, the diverse “Health 2.0” entities that were represented each embodied three common elements, according to conference co-founders Matthew Holt and Indu Subaiya.

Those elements included (1) use of adaptable technology that integrates with the wider cloud and “unplatform” ecosystem, (2) a staunch focus on the user experience through design and usability, and (3) use of data to drive outcomes that improve health care through lowering cost, improving efficiency and improving intelligent decision-making.

On behalf of Adobe, I had the privilege of announcing the Innovation Showcase, featuring this year’s winners of the Health 2.0 Developers Challenge. The session was particularly special for me since I had the honor of standing on the same stage a year ago to accept the Developers Challenge Award for Adobe’s Blue Button solution for electronic health records at the US Veterans Administration (VA).

Since last year’s win, Adobe has been working closely with our partner community to nurture innovation throughout the healthcare ecosystem. During this year’s conference, I caught up with a couple such partners who leverage Adobe technologies as part of their own solutions.

CareCloud, a provider of cloud-based practice management and medical records solutions, incorporates Adobe technologies into their revolutionary Central product suite. CareCloud Central simplifies administrative processes like billing and insurance eligibility so that physicians in private practice can focus more on delivering patient care and improving outcomes.

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Videum, a joint venture between Publicis Healthware International (PHI) and dotSUB with a planned launch in early 2012, leverages Adobe technology to offer global users the ability to share, search, and view video with healthcare content – in any language.  Such a game-changing portal, according to the press release, will provide a cost-effective solution for global healthcare communications using video online while providing unparalleled, universal access to content.

Overall, I couldn’t agree more with the sentiment that Matt Holder and Indu Subaiya expressed in their welcoming statement, “Health care is everyone’s business and it is ultimately a vital and personal journey for all of us.”   I may be a little biased, but I cannot think of any better area to focus all our innovative resources than that of progressing the way we individually experience healthcare from own unique perspectives.

Let us know what you think on Twitter @AdobeGov and @AdobeCEM, or on Facebook.

Customer communications has always been at the core of enterprise service strategies.  For organizations striving to capitalize on strengthened relationships with consumers, it often seems an added bonus that they may also streamline operational costs at the same time… if they do it right.

The proliferation of tablets and other mobile devices presents unique opportunities, and has caused many organizations to take a second look at how to satisfy their customers’ heightened expectations for immersive 24×7 interactions.

Besides, how much does it cost your agency to route traditional outbound correspondence and handle inbound inquiries received by postal mail or telephone?

The figures vary with each organization, since factors like call volume and levels of service complexity need to be considered. But a conservative estimate of $5 -$10 per inquiry is generally applied across most industries. (hint: For complicated segments, like health benefits administration, that figure quickly escalates!)

And what does the agency typically get in exchange for such an expensive investment?  The list is long, but a few of the most recurring responses include:

1. Frustrated consumers who feel inconvenienced. (“Please listen carefully since the menu options have changed. Press 1 to continue…”   Ugh!!!)
2. Error-ridden databases, which are usually the result of redundant manual entries.
3. Significant bottlenecks in processes that contribute even more to # 1 and # 2 above.

This dysfunctional cycle is often a symptom of more alarming inefficiencies throughout the enterprise, and it was high among trending topics when I spoke on a panel at a recent summit in our nation’s capital: “IT for Effective Government Healthcare Programs.”

IT plays an integral role in the administration of government programs. This is particularly true in healthcare where significant challenges, like increasing costs and barriers to access for life-saving benefits, may vary significantly between diverse regions.  But in order for these healthcare programs to be successful, there are three key requirements that should be considered and addressed in every aspect of the lifecycle:

1.   Engagement on the front end

•  IT solutions need to provide value to its intended audience in order to be adopted as a better way for doing business.  Ultimately, if the solution doesn’t actually get used then it is useless.  For example, the US Department of Veterans Affairs selected Adobe’s solution as the winner of their Blue Button Developers Challenge in part due to the dynamic experience that our solution provides users as they securely interact with their personal health data.

2.   Efficiency on the back end

• IT solutions for government healthcare programs should clearly align with one or more business objectives and demonstrate a direct correlation to optimized workflows, streamlined processes, or improved outcomes such as at the Illinois Department of Human Services. Also consider the example of a public health plan like Medicaid leveraging an interactive statement to communicate explanation of benefits (EOB) to its members. The i-Statement EOB empowers health plans to transform their static one-size-fits-all paper statements into a dynamic two-way communication channel which enables members to manage their accounts or chat with customer service agents from within the electronic document. Members can even dispute the accuracy of a claim, thereby reducing the risks of fraud and potentially saving hundreds of millions of dollars annually by helping to identify overcharges that otherwise may have slipped through the cracks.

3.   Effectiveness throughout

• Measuring progress, adoption, and impact of government healthcare programs is essential to fully exploiting and replicating successful implementations, or proactively adapting projects that are failing.  Through real-time segmentation, dashboards, and other intelligence, program managers can gain a complete picture of how consumers are interacting with health IT solutions like benefits enrollment portals, and then deliver relevant and engaging digital content that boosts key performance metrics. These days, agencies can’t afford to wait until the end of a fiscal cycle before they begin to determine whether a program is working. Embedded analytics and other related tools help to ensure the measurable effectiveness of health IT solutions almost immediately.

In the end, rather than suggesting the elimination of traditional mail processing and call centers altogether, my fellow panelists and I agreed that agencies instead should objectively evaluate the processes that surround these cost centers, and look for ways to complement them with technology. In most cases, that will create a win-win environment for everyone, since the byproduct of optimized customer experience is often an improved bottom line for the enterprise.

Let us know what you think on Twitter @AdobeGov and @AdobeCEM, or on Facebook.

Late last week, we hosted an event, along with Carahsoft and Blue Beacon Consulting, focused on the use of social media in the U.S. Department of Defense.

The event – Transitioning from “Social Media” to “Mission Media”: Using Social Media to Achieve DoD Missions – included a great keynote by Maxine Teller (@mixtmedia) and informative panel including our own Rob Pinkerton and:

• Dana Clark (@PAODanaClark), social media manager, public affairs specialist, Army Corps of Engineers
• Dr. Joseph Boutte, strategic advisor, Strategies, New Media and Collaboration, TASC Inc.
• Dan Wade, social media and new technology chief for strategic communication, USSOCOM
• Christopher Zember, deputy director, Information Analysis Centers, OASD(R&E), DTIC
• Bill Annibell @billannibell), chief technology officer, Sapient Government Services (Moderator)

We had a chance to catch some time on camera with Maxine, Dana and Rob to capture their thoughts on the topics of discussion and the event. Check it out:

As always, we’re interested in your thoughts. Keep in touch with us here, on Twitter @AdobeGov ,and on Facebook, where we’ve posted some pictures from the event.

The city of Warsaw in Poland recently launched an array of new eServices from its Citizen Portal. This new platform, named e-puap, is designed for citizens willing to contact the city hall for appointments or to request official documents, but also for businesses to get licenses (eg. Taxis). There is a great use of Adobe interactive PDF forms in the process to ease the way information is prefilled and processed. 

(Video in Polish with english subtitles).