Governments do remarkable work to help people live with dignity and endure difficult circumstances by providing essential benefits and resources across a broad spectrum of programs. Yet the challenge of providing the right benefits at the right time to all qualified recipients while also minimizing the incidence of improper payments is a balancing act that many governments struggle to achieve. 

Helping agencies and organizations to address these types of challenges is central to our work in Microsoft for Government. We focus on enabling thriving communities and inclusive programs through technology. In the case of benefits protection, we work to help each government discover the right mix of technological and organizational innovation to mitigate risk within the parameters of their unique circumstances and requirements. 

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The rising tide of improper payments

The loss of benefits funds to unauthorized payments has long been a problem for governments around the world. In recent years, the scale and complexity of the challenge has escalated. Fraud is a particularly expensive and multidimensional problem. To offer just one example, the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimated that the amount of fraud in US unemployment insurance programs during the COVID-19 pandemic was likely between $100 billion and $135 billion USD.¹

The reasons for this are varied, and they parallel larger trends in society. A key driver is the ready availability of AI tools, which fraudsters have enthusiastically embraced to automate, scale, and generally uplevel the impact of their efforts. But it’s not always a matter of criminal intent. So-called “unintentional errors”—mistakes made without maliciousness due to things like administrative errors or poorly designed solutions—also incur huge costs. According to the GAO, overpayments or payments that should not have been made (for example, to deceased people or those no longer eligible for government programs) totaled an estimated $247 billion during fiscal year 2022.²

Why governments struggle to ensure proper payments 

Unlike organizations in other global industry sectors, governments face unique challenges in administering complicated social benefits programs. The nature of distributing funds accurately and efficiently to constituents in all corners of society is inherently fraught. Governments must contend with a set of vexing factors, including: 

• Growing demand for benefits funding—A mix of aging populations, increases in immigrant and refugee populations, and people seeking broader ranges of benefits is driving higher budgets and greater complexity. 
• Mandates to “do more with less”—Austerity programs and budget cuts are colliding with rising public expectations for modern services and impacting the ability of security teams to procure top cybersecurity talent.  
• Disconnected data silos—Across departments and agencies, teams often work with older tools and isolated systems that cannot share data easily or securely, making integrated new “tell us once” solutions difficult to implement. 
• Ineffective legacy systems—A high “technical debt” of outdated computing environments and applications impedes innovation and threatens to hinder the most vulnerable people from accessing payments they’re entitled to.  

Beyond these costs and considerations, the larger risk here is the erosion of public trust. Especially in social benefits systems, which exist to ensure the welfare of people across all walks of life, government is obligated to demonstrate reliability and integrity. Widespread fraud and abuse do more than increase deficits and siphon off critical resources. They also undermine confidence in all aspects of government.  

A vision for modern benefits delivery and protection 

Imagine if governments were able to innovate on par with private industry. Imagine if people could easily access all the information they need through any channel (online, over phone, text, and more) and have their own virtual assistant to help them apply for benefits using natural, everyday language. Imagine if these systems would inherently enforce rules and keep up with constituents’ changing lives. Imagine if customer service representatives had access to a complete, 360-degree view of the constituent—if it knew their history and all their previous contacts with every social service agency. And imagine that such things could be accomplished without breaking the budget.  

These are obviously lofty, aspirational visions. However, thanks to the relatively recent technological advancements, some innovative government social service organizations are doing just that. The advent of generative AI and the innovation it has inspired has already delivered promising results on many fronts of government operations, including benefits. To cite just one example, a generative AI-powered chatbot developed in India called Jugalbandi is helping people get assistance for any of 171 government programs, simply by conversing through mobile devices in 10 of India’s 22 official languages. “This is revolutionary for people who could not interact with tech because of language barriers,” said Abhigyan Raman, a project officer. 

Ensuring the integrity of benefits payments means reevaluating a government’s existing slate of technology investments and charting a multistep course of transformation. Embracing AI is a common theme, but the destination in terms of functional outcomes and benefits will be unique to the organization.  

Three areas of generative AI impact in benefit payments protection

In our work with customers who are either early in the journey or simply just embarking, we identify three categories of solutions that hold the greatest promise for cloud and AI innovation:

1. Boost workforce productivity. Governments can potentially save time and money using generative AI for scenarios such as live transcriptions and translations during benefit eligibility interviews. AI can also draw insights more easily from large volumes of data. One department, for example, identified GBP14 million in potentially fraudulent loans by analyzing a set of 250 networks of people, organizations, and places, processing 100 million data items.

2. Embrace “Prevention by Design.” AI can integrate controls into systems to detect fraudulent or erroneous activities and enable real-time profiling and alerts. For example, a leading bank is using Voice ID analysis for incoming phone calls from 31 countries and 15 languages, checking more than 100 behavioral and physical vocal traits in a matter of seconds. Since launch, it has flagged more than 43,000 fraudulent calls and reduced fraud by 50%, preventing an estimated GBP981 million in losses.

3. Enhance citizen engagement. When chatbots become knowledgeable assistants, when a person’s voice becomes their password, when the disabled have equal access to resources, then everyone will benefit. For example, a government department is developing an Intelligent Website AI Assistant to help taxpayers more easily process their tax returns. It uses natural, everyday language to address queries and disseminate timely and consistent information. This will help improve compliance and avoid revenue leakages from fraudulent activities.

Beyond technology: How Microsoft partners for the long term 

Embracing the paradigm shift of generative AI obviously begins with technology. The table stakes of modernization for government include migrating to a modern cloud platform and the adoption of a comprehensive AI development solution from a vendor who demonstrates a deep commitment to security and responsible AI practices. 

Microsoft invests heavily in all these areas. However, success involves much more than just technology. Governments also depend heavily on the contributions of trusted solution providers, and we believe our global partner ecosystem sets us apart, with expertise in all corners of the world. Then, the final unique benefit we offer is the deep experience of our industry advisors and the many highly experienced government veterans on the Microsoft Government team. 

Our job is to help build the bridge between the technical and the strategic, on realistic terms. When we sit down with customers, we help clarify challenges and goals, educate on important challenges (for example, how governments can tackle cybersecurity and AI skilling), and share our experiences with other governments facing similar challenges (sometimes even connecting them to help foster learning). Then, we embark on identifying and exploring use cases, evaluating impact, and taking the knowledge gained for further innovation.  

We are excited to work with governments to mitigate fraud and abuse in payments. To learn more about how Microsoft is helping to create opportunities that support vulnerable communities, see our Microsoft public health and social services website, and learn more about Microsoft for Government. 

¹Estimated Amount of Fraud during Pandemic Likely Between $100 Billion and $135 Billion, GAO. September 2023.

²Federal Payment Errors, Known As Improper Payments, Are A Continuing Concern, GAO. March 29, 2023.

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1. Help prevent escalating care needs

Prevention is a prominent theme in many health and social care plans. Data and AI can help manage demand and help patients avoid escalation of their care needs. In addition, some care providers like Kendal Care Homes are using mixed reality to better enable in-home care. Let’s say Elena is bed-ridden and has skin conditions such as leg swelling and rashes. Elena’s doctor can remotely work together with the home nurse to assist and treat Elena, seeing remotely what the nurse sees and virtually mixing in a view Elena’s medical information. Elena’s doctor can ask her questions about her health, offer a diagnosis, and advise the home nurse on effective treatment. Elena and her care providers can speak with her doctor in real time, while the care provider is able to maintain its strict pandemic safety measures.

In the very near future, the virtual worlds offered by the metaverse will open a range of possibilities and experiences. The metaverse represents a convergence of the physical and digital worlds. As these spaces come together, they create new opportunities. For example, Elena’s doctors will be able to collaborate with specialists around the world and remotely assist in online 3D training. The metaverse will allow a virtual space to establish relationships among patients, students, volunteers, and professionals.

2. Add capacity for front-line services

Governments face high demand for services. How do they find the time to focus on what matters most to residents? Technology can help, and with tools like low-code and no-code apps, it’s easier to use than ever before. Microsoft has helped health and social care providers leverage technology to streamline clinical models. Applications that would have taken months to build using custom code were put into production in a matter of weeks. For example, the Surrey and Borders Partnership (SABP) NHS Foundation Trust quickly developed a bespoke app for managing staff flu vaccinations. The solution includes two versions of a Microsoft Power Apps application: one for clinicians to manage walk-in vaccinations, and another for employees to book appointments. Both versions replaced the traditional—and far less efficient—paper-based processes used for many years. The employee app offered the additional benefit of providing access to a wealth of information about the vaccinations to further enable empowered decision-making. 

“Having more informed staff significantly contributed to a better uptake of the vaccination, which our workforce could monitor in real time through an integrated Power BI dashboard. After deploying our Power Apps solution, we saw vaccination rates for frontline staff soar from less than 50 percent to more than 90 percent.”—Sarah McFarlane, Policy Coordinator at Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

3. Enable coordinated care

People often need to engage with multiple health and care providers. It can be daunting to navigate this virtual address book and know who to contact and when. Bristol City Council has leveraged technology to provide a single view of the resident. For instance, Melanie is a busy social worker who has received a referral for concern about a child. Through technology, she can now see a holistic picture of the child and understand what other teams or agencies are involved with that family. Melanie is now empowered to make an informed assessment of how serious those concerns are, and how best to coordinate care.

Conclusion

Many health and care providers are leveraging technology to better respond to global crises. At Microsoft, we recognize the value of technology to enable person-centered care through more efficient systems, faster solutions, and a more dynamic way to get support. The responsible use of data and technology can help us meet the challenges exacerbated by COVID-19. This will create opportunities for the safety, wellness, and prosperity of communities around the globe. Find out how Microsoft can help empower your services today. 

Learn more

• Microsoft for Public Health and Social Services website

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Today, regulatory and market forces have led to improved transparency and enhanced consumerization, changing the face of healthcare. These shifting priorities have catalyzed the desire to track patient outcomes and cost-savings for improved quality of care. 

The 21st Century Cures Act has accelerated healthcare innovation, technology advancement, and improved interoperability. Passed in 2016, The Cures Act requires that electronic health record (EHR) systems provide patient-facing application programming interfaces (APIs) to maintain federal certifications. In 2020, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) issued additional rules requiring that payors and providers who receive CMS funds make health information more accessible. 

Ultimately, CMS and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) aim to improve information access in hopes of facilitating more holistic healthcare, improved quality of care, and better support for broader federal and regional public health initiatives such as disease surveillance and health equity. Overall, regulators have made clear their intention to eliminate barriers to interoperability and provide patients greater control of their healthcare. Shifting the industry from one in which data was shared in accordance with federal privacy legislation, to one in which data is shared at the directive of the patient.  

Value-based care (VBC) requires interoperability 

Value-based care (VBC), at its core, relies heavily on patient-centric care coordination amongst providers, payors, community partners, and even patients. Access to patient data is essential for the delivery of this comprehensive care. This model—aimed at aligning financial incentives with patient outcomes—requires vast amounts of patient data. Synthesizing this data enables guided care but also presents opportunities to address Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) and health equity, providing avenues to improved, holistic care delivery. 

All this is to say that the success of VBC depends on interoperability. Superficially, the concepts of interoperability and VBC may seem distinct. But they are, in fact, synergistic ideals. Because VBC requires an unprecedented amount of coordination among healthcare stakeholders, the success of one is likely to ensure the success of the other. By increasing access and data-sharing capabilities, interoperability standards provide a level of transparency necessary to effectively manage patient-centric care, improving the likelihood of better patient outcomes at lower costs.  

This concept of “optimized interoperability” helps healthcare providers use data to better manage clinical performance, deliver more efficient patient care, and improve clinical outcomes. At least in part, the question of value has become a question of cooperative and coordinated (interoperable) care.  

The proliferation of EHR systems, coupled with improved data standardization through Health Level 7 Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (HL7-FHIR®) have increased the information available to provide VBC. But limitations remain. To improve care coordination, close gaps of care, and accelerate both quality and financial agendas, tactics to access, exchange, and analyze data—in near real-time—from disparate and disconnected systems are required. Thus, VBC sits at a pivotal juncture. Despite important progress, challenges still exist:   

• Rising healthcare utilization and aligned patient expectations.
• Shortage of primary care professionals, unequal access to care. 
• Uneven investment in healthcare technology.  
• Heightened cybersecurity threats. 
• Regulatory compliance.  

Inaccessible and incomplete patient data creates insurmountable challenges to coordination, financial-risk arrangements, and effective preventative care. As payers, providers, and government regulators all work to standardize programs and processes to overcome these barriers, interoperability will play a growing role.  

Despite the challenges, enhanced data connectivity still holds the promise of enabling informed decision-making at the point of care. That can reduce administrative inefficiencies, provide visibility across health systems, enhance member experiences, and bolster preparedness for public health emergencies. 

Care delivery’s shift is demanding interoperability  

To complicate matters, the steady migration away from hospitals and clinics (institutionalized medicine) and towards community and consumer-centric models of care is accelerating. The shift towards these “distributed models” indicates that a growing portion of healthcare data now sits outside of the traditional healthcare organization. That makes it less accessible to its current EHR systems. Patients—the focus of all programs aimed at quality, value, and outcomes—now demand that healthcare itself (not just its data) becomes more accessible and convenient.  

Wearable technologies, home-medical kits for genetics and medical screenings, on-demand telemedicine, and other novel healthcare delivery models are quickly growing in popularity. While these innovations have produced exciting and novel opportunities for the industry to engage and care for patients in meaningful and convenient ways, they also present challenges for the delivery of VBC. 

The reconciliation between what is demanded by patients and what is considered “traditional healthcare,” requires thoughtful consideration. From an industry-wide lens, the importance of this cannot be understated. Getting this “right” would be a giant step towards ushering the age of continuous and high-quality well-care, rather than episodic sick care. Harmonization between these increasingly consumer-driven models of care, traditional healthcare systems, health plans, and public programs highlights the need for extensible technology platforms and tools designed with these goals in mind. 

A platform for optimized interoperability 

Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare provides a platform and tools by which these ideals can be deployed. Fundamental to the platform is the belief that by enhancing a healthcare entity’s interoperability posture, we can make the exchange of data between stakeholders less challenging, and the path towards developing value-based practices less obscure. 

Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare provides robust capabilities that simplify data-ingestion and exchange from various traditional and novel healthcare data sources. But the principal purpose of adopting these foundational technologies—those that make interoperability more achievable and lower barriers to creating fluid, secure, and realistic patient journeys—is to place healthcare data near the most powerful and extensible population health platform on the planet, Microsoft Azure. Its standardized structure for data aggregation delivers distinctive capabilities to utilize cloud-native analytic tools for orchestrating and forecasting patient outcomes, generating reports and meaningful visualization of practice-level indicators, benchmarking, and evaluating reimbursement schemas.

The changing nature of healthcare delivery has accelerated our desire to infuse Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare with capabilities that help facilitate distributed care. These approaches hold the promise of supporting continuity of care. Perhaps one day, we can reduce costs for health systems, plans, and public support agencies—costs that are often passed on to patients. By consolidating risk analysis, quality-measure management, scoring, and claims management on a scalable and secure cloud platform, organizations can pave the way for future value-based arrangements. This future provides enhanced visibility and invaluable opportunities to improve care quality, reduce costs, and harmonize the care experience. 

The cornerstone of VBC: Interoperability  

Cloud interoperability platforms have never been more important as our industry shifts to meet VBC objectives and maintain financial solvency. These goals require increasingly data-driven approaches to care. Intentions matter, and our platform was built with the realization that when solutions are designed to deliver personalized and integrated experiences to patients, they have the potential to increase provider productivity, engage patients and caregivers, enhance quality, improve affordability, and expand access to care.  

Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare was built with the understanding that interoperability is the cornerstone of VBC. It empowers users to take a giant leap towards continuous, integrated care. It was built with the belief that healthcare interoperability is far more than a buzzword. The firm belief that at the core of every patient record sits a life, that life representing an individual’s story, and that every story must matter in our journey to delivering equitable and valuable healthcare.

Learn more

You can learn more about Azure Healthcare APIs, Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare, and how Microsoft’s role in facilitating VBC for its customers in the commercial and public sector by reading our latest blog, Microsoft brings leading healthcare solutions to HIMSS 2022 or by following us on Twitter @Microsoft_Gov and @Health_IT. 

You can also join the HIMSS conversation by posting on your social media channels with the hashtag #HIMSS22, #MSCloudHealth, #MSFTinHealth. If you plan to join in person, we invite you to stop by Microsoft’s booth #2300, HIMSS Exhibit Hall, Level 2, OCCC West Hall. 

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Health and vaccine inequities

The pandemic has exposed long-standing inequalities in healthcare and created a stark contrast between the haves and have-nots. At the country-level, developing countries still do not have enough COVID-19 vaccine to cover the majority of its population. Within developed countries and specifically in underserved communities, vaccine hesitancy remains high and COVID-19 vaccination rates remain low. While several factors contribute to vaccine hesitancy, such as awareness and education, perhaps one of the more difficult ones to overcome is the deep and long-standing distrust of government, public health, and the scientific community that many in underserved areas share.

Vaccination equity initiative

Microsoft and its partners have implemented technology platforms globally to enable the scheduling, registration, and data management for COVID-19 vaccinations and have observed first-hand that community-led, public-private partnerships can be effective in addressing vaccine hesitancy and in improving vaccination rates in underserved areas.^1-3  In an effort to share what we have learned, we launched the Vaccination Equity Initiative (VEI) in February 2021. Leveraging the momentum of providing COVID-19 vaccines, VEI has been initially focused on COVID-19 vaccinations while also expanding to other critical vaccines/conditions to improve overall health and build more resilient communities.

The objective now is to deploy a similar approach across the nation and world. To do this, a coalition of non-profits (e.g. Easterseals, American Heart Association, California Health Medical Reserve Corp [CH MRC]), healthcare organizations, technology enablers (e.g. Microsoft, Accenture) and other key stakeholders are collaborating with local public health, community-faith-based organizations, and other groups to implement these strategies, share their “best practices,” distribute their operations playbook, and provide services and technologies as needed to deploy pop-up vaccination sites in underserved areas.

The goal is to deliver vaccinations and essential health services to underserved, vulnerable, low access to care populations. For additional information about the Vaccination Equity Initiative, please contact VEI@Microsoft.com.

The following blog describes (1) when VEI is most relevant, (2) the simple steps needed to apply VEI, (3) results we’ve seen, and (4) how organizations can learn more about VEI.

Major phases of vaccination deployment

As the pandemic has progressed and vaccination rates have increased, we have observed four (4) phases of vaccination deployment.

• Phase 1. Prioritization, volume, and speed. In this phase, vaccinations were provided by appointment only to eligible healthcare providers and high-risk individuals at mass vaccination sites, hospitals, and retail clinics. The goal was to enable vaccinations for as many persons as possible, as quickly as possible, and in a prioritized manner. Phase 1 also included a nationally coordinated program to vaccinate nursing home residents and staff.
• Phase 2. Accessibility and convenience. This second phase, which commenced sometime during Phase 1, focused on making vaccinations more accessible for the vulnerable and underserved populations. This involved setting up pop-up clinics and deploying mobile vaccination vans and buses in parking lots, schools, churches, parks, and other convenient neighborhood locations. Walk-in appointments were permitted.
• Phase 3. Hesitancy. The third phase involves addressing vaccine hesitancy. Hesitancy is often a result of concerns or fears that individuals may have regarding the vaccine, its potential side effects, and/or how the vaccine was developed. Disinformation, mistrust of the government, and concerns over infringement of civil liberties can also lead to vaccine hesitancy.
• Phase 4. Return to work, school, travel, and events. The pandemic has taken a serious toll on our physical and mental health, economy, education, work life, and personal life. Our ability to restore these essential elements of personal, work, and community life requires that we diminish the amount of virus circulating in the community and enhance our ability to defend against the virus, both physically (e.g., through masks, social distancing, air circulation,) and immunologically (e.g., through vaccinations). As we look forward to a safer return to work, school, and travel, the following strategies help us mitigate risk and provide reassurance:
  • Self-attestation: to acknowledge that one does not have symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or recent exposure to individuals infected with COVID-19
  • Testing: to demonstrate a negative COVID-19 test result
  • Masking: to prevent the spread of infection
  • Verifiable credentials: to show verifiable documentation of COVID-19 vaccination and/or a negative test result
  • Booster shots: booster shots can help address the emergence and rapid spread of the more elusive and lethal variants by enhancing one’s immunologic response to the variants. Booster shots are particularly important for individuals with immunosuppression, chronic conditions, and advanced age.

Collectively, our goal is to advance as quickly as possible to Phase 4. However, it is difficult, if not impossible, to enable a safer return to work, school, and travel without adequately addressing Phase 3, vaccine hesitancy. The good news is that we now have a much better understanding of how to overcome vaccine hesitancy.

Vaccine hesitancy

In working with local community leaders, we have learned that vaccine hesitancy, specifically in underserved communities, can be addressed when local communities follow these fundamental steps:

• Community Engagement. These initiatives require input, guidance, and active support and engagement from local community leaders and nonprofits who understand the culture, challenges, and best ways to engage members of the community. Other key stakeholders include county +/- state public health agencies and local healthcare providers. Technology enablers can support these efforts through pop-up vaccination management systems for those without Electronic Health Record Systems (EHRs) and ensure that clinical data flows seamlessly and securely between such systems and state immunization registries.
• Family Events. Many individuals who are vaccine hesitant will not attend a COVID-related vaccination event. However, they will attend a community fair, celebration of a holiday, or an event to help bring the kids back to school. The goal is to combine a high interest community based non-COVID-19 focused event (preferably one that is already being planned) with a health fair that includes COVID-19 vaccinations and much more. The event needs to be open to the entire family and ideally should offer fun and entertaining activities for kids.
• Unpressured Conversations. Conversations with those who are hesitant should be unpressured and delivered by individuals who have a long-standing trusted relationship with the community and/or have a healthcare background that allows them to address the specific COVID-19 questions and concerns.
• Volunteers. Key activities that volunteers can assist with include:
  • Parking, crowd, and line management
  • Translation services
  • Registration and scheduling
  • Monitoring post-vaccination
  • One of the more important roles for the guide is to physically walk interested persons to the vaccination areas
• Vaccination and other essential health services. Consider offering the following health services at the event:
  • COVID-19 vaccination and testing
  • School immunizations, vision, hearing, physicals
  • Adult immunizations
  • Cancer screenings
  • Other screenings (e.g., hypertension, diabetes, prenatal, high-risk sexual [including testing for sexually transmitted diseases], substance abuse, violence)
  • Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) programs (e.g., health insurance. food insecurity, transportation, housing, job, childcare, health education, skills training)
• Address registration barriers. Key challenges may include:
  • Language barriers, literacy, and health literacy
  • Concerns about deportation
  • Concerns about cost
  • Lack of health insurance
  • Lack of a healthcare provider
  • No computer access
  • No cell phone access
• Follow-up. It would be helpful for a volunteer to contact high-risk individuals (e.g., homeless, elders living alone, individuals struggling with mental health issues or substance abuse) to ensure that they are able to attend the follow-up appointment(s). Volunteers should be empowered with resources to address communication, transportation, and/or scheduling issues.

Results

These best practices have been applied with great success in Washington, California, Georgia, and other parts of the country.

In the Seattle area, vaccination efforts coordinated by Microsoft, EvergreenHealth, Overlake Medical Center & Clinics, and Public Health – Seattle and King County have delivered to-date over 170,000 vaccinations. Fifty-three percent of doses have been provided to at-risk Black, Indigenous, and People of communities of color.

On May 2, 2021, the VEI King County partnership hosted a pop-up event with Centro Cultural Mexicano featuring Spanish speakers at every corner, cultural works on display, and mariachi music filling the air. Thanks to these efforts, several hundred community members found the access and encouragement they needed to take the first step in the process. Those vaccinated at the event were 98 percent Latino, from 68 zip codes, and 30 cities.

Another key metric for success has been vaccine hesitancy and the percentage of people returning for their second visit. In Central California, where many migrant farm workers reside, vaccination rates have been close to 20 percent. Working in close collaboration with local public health, healthcare, community-based organizations, and local businesses, the California Health Medical Reserve Corps (CH MRC), local public health, community health centers, and Microsoft have hosted several VEI events. We have observed over a 90 percent return rate for the second shot, with a significant increase in the number of people attending the second event as compared to the first event. Many of the first-shot recipients brought their entire families, friends, and neighbors to participate in the second event.

In August and September of 2021, Easterseals, American Heart Association, Emory Health, Accenture, and Microsoft worked in close collaboration with local public health and community leaders who hosted two events that combined “Return to School and Literacy” days with health fair events in Clarkston, GA,. Clarkston is known for its ethnic diversity and has a large refugee population. The events offered activities for the kids and families and provided a variety of health services including COVID-19 shots, childhood immunizations, school physicals, vision tests, and blood pressure screening. Approximately 400 people attended the August event, with 1/3 of them receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. The September event had lower attendance than expected due to the rapid rise in the Delta variant, with many in the community fearing bringing children to large in-person events. 150 families attended where historically this event has 3 – 4 times this attendance. As a result, vaccination rates were lower than the August event however an unexpected ancillary benefit was that the nice weather allowed the children to interact and play with each other—a positive mental health opportunity for children who have been predominantly isolated since the beginning of the pandemic. In addition to adult/vaccine, children services provided a physical exam including screening for height, weight, BMI plus vision and hearing; a significant value-add to this community in addition to the vaccination services provided.

Key success factors have included:

• Focusing on areas with the highest risk and most impacted individuals.
• Working closely with local communities to plan and coordinate events.
• Making registration easy.
• Hosting events during off-hours and weekends at convenient locations.
• Addressing transportation and mobility needs.
• Providing vaccinations regardless of immigration status.

In closing, I’d like to share a few remarks from our VEI Coalition members on why continued work to address vaccine equity is so important and how their organizations’ are contributing to the effort:

“For the health of us all, it’s vital that we address vaccination hesitancy with compassion rather than disdain. We can present the science through trusted medical experts and meet people where they are in their understanding of virology. Vaccine hesitancy doesn’t just come from misinformation, but from historical and current traumas as well – an important consideration as we reach out to communities of color. Beyond hesitancy, we must continue finding ways people with disabilities and the aging community can access vaccines safely, whether it’s receiving the shots at home, or finding transportation to a vaccine center. Easterseals is committed to looking at the whole picture when reaching out to communities, ensuring as many individuals as possible can receive these vaccines.” —Angela Williams, President and CEO of Easterseals.

“As champions for health equity, the American Heart Association recognizes the importance of efforts in the community that bridge gaps between healthcare and the people who need it. Here in Atlanta, we’ve worked tirelessly for decades to improve the health of our residents, and we value this collaboration of like-minded organizations to equitably improve rates of COVID-19 vaccination.“ —Carla Smith, Vice President of Health Strategies for the American Heart Association in Atlanta.

This pandemic has spotlighted the health inequalities that many communities experience every day. Critical components in the system did not have the capacity or the tools to ensure accurate and real time data exchange which slowed down the efforts to get vaccinations to the communities that needed it the most. The work that we are doing to bridge these gaps is rooted in the community-first approach with a lens of equity and inclusion. It is imperative that we engage with the trusted voices within the community to help guide our efforts, which will help address hesitancy as well as get more people vaccinated. Our focus is to have the greatest local impact through data sharing, collaboration and ensuring equity.” —Dr. Greg Buchert, Chief Medical Officer, CHMRC.

References:

1. Helping communities accelerate COVID-19 vaccinations at the last mile – Microsoft Industry Blogs
2. Secure, safe, and equitable vaccine distribution – Microsoft Industry Blogs
3. A Global Focus on Health Equity – HLTH

Learn more about Microsoft for Public Health and Social Services and how the use of technology helps to create opportunities for safety, wellness, and prosperity.

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The global pandemic is far from over, we want to take this opportunity to recognize and applaud the continued heroic efforts by front-line workers—healthcare workers, first responders, service workers, and others—around the world. They put their lives at risk every day to save patients and keep critical operations running.

While much of the recent news regarding has been discouraging, it is important to recognize there is some good news regarding the fight against COVID-19. And given the annual Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) annual conference is almost upon us, this is an opportunity to reflect on how Public Health organizations have used technology to battle the greatest health crisis of our time. From the earliest days of the outbreak, Microsoft and our global partner ecosystem have used the latest technologies in new and innovative ways to help Public Health officials meet the challenge of COVID-19.

Public Health organizations around the globe continue to face challenges. The Delta variant, vaccine hesitancy, breakthrough infections, continued vaccine and resource shortages all are perpetuating this battle. Still, there have been bright spots, thanks to the tenacity, ingenuity, and unwavering commitment of Public Health professionals and organizations—as well as their use of the latest technology. This has enabled public health to attack the pandemic with unprecedented agility and responsiveness.

From the earliest days of tracking the COVID-19 outbreaks—long before a global pandemic was proclaimed—Public Health organizations began to be challenged with collecting increasing amounts of data from hospitals, clinics, and doctor’s offices as well as laboratories. This was often a cumbersome, lengthy process. It could take weeks or even months before the massive amount of data could be collected and analyzed to unlock meaningful insights. Technologies such as Azure Data Lake and Azure Synapse helped accelerate and scale data collection and analysis around the world.

Partners like Esri were leveraging their Azure supported ArcGIS Online system to help Public Health officials monitor the spread of the COVID-19 virus by visualizing that data on global maps and dashboards.

When accurate tests were created to detect the virus, many Public Health organizations turned to solutions built on Microsoft Dynamics and Power Platform to help them quickly roll out COVID-19 testing in their communities. This included registration systems to schedule the tests as well as test-result reporting.

As the disease spread, people turned to their Public Health organization for answers. This overwhelmed phone systems and took valuable human capital to address these questions at scale. Virtual assistants using Microsoft Azure Health Bot service played a vital role in reducing the burden on Public Health personnel, allowing them to focus on other aspects of the pandemic.

We all remember that early in the pandemic, ventilators, PPE, and other critical supplies were in short supply. Hospitals and clinics were experiencing a dire shortage of resources, while others were sitting on surpluses. Microsoft worked with public health, hospital networks and others to quickly create the Hospital Emergency Response solution, a Power Platform solution for healthcare emergency response. It allowed visibility into inventories across different care networks. As a result, public health was able to get supplies to the points of greatest need.

As early as last year, while pharmaceutical companies sent newly developed COVID-19 vaccines through clinical trials, Microsoft and our partners are working with Public Health officials to accelerate the pace of vaccine distribution and vaccinations with technology. This included taking steps to ensure distribution from the pharma manufacturing facilities to the vaccination sites.

Vaccine supply chain was just one aspect of this unprecedented global challenge. Prioritizing and scheduling initial appointments—along with the appropriate follow-ups and reminder communications—was a critical need. Then there was integration with existing immunization information systems to update patients’ vaccination records. Microsoft Consulting Services and Microsoft industry and product teams jumped into action to work with an ecosystem of partners around the world including Accenture, EY, Quisitive and their MazikCare Platform, and many others to deliver solutions to quickly and efficiently distribute and administer vaccines to every community.

Vaccine supply is still a challenge in many parts of the world. Even in areas where supply is sufficient, pockets of vaccine hesitancy have started to stall vaccination rates. To help address this major issue, a coalition of non-profits, healthcare organizations, and technology providers, working in collaboration with local communities and Public Health agencies, have embarked on the Vaccination Equity Initiative (VEI). The goal of VEI is to deliver vaccinations and other essential health services to those who are underserved, vulnerable, or have low access to healthcare. Further information about VEI, including how organizations can participate, may be obtained by contacting VEI@Microsoft.com.

One example of how technology can help address vaccine hesitancy comes from our partner Zencity. Zencity is using Azure Cognitive Services to analyze a variety of public data sources—including social sentiment—in order to help Public Health officials understand the underlying concerns of their citizens.¹ Using this insight, mayors, Public Health officials and other government leaders can create communication plans and outreach programs to overcome vaccine hesitancy.

As vaccine rates continue to increase globally and laboratory tests are widely available, worldwide efforts to reopen economies and restore international travel have also created an urgent need for secure, verifiable health information. Businesses, entertainment and sports venues, academic institutions and governments worldwide increasingly need a trustworthy way to verify vaccination status or laboratory test results for those returning to onsite activities and public spaces. Individuals who have been vaccinated or tested for COVID-19 want to access and store a free paper or digital copy of their records to easily carry and share, without fear of misplacing an immunization card or disclosing unnecessary information when sharing their results.

To fill this emerging need, in 2020 Microsoft joined in forming VCI, a voluntary coalition of public and private organizations committed to ensuring individuals have access to a trustworthy and verifiable copy of their COVID-19 vaccination records and test results. The VCI-developed SMART Health Cards framework is being used worldwide to create vaccine certificates that adhere to core principles, including interoperability, equity, privacy, and security.

While there is still a long way to go in the global fight against COVID-19, the new wave of cloud technology will play a significant role in defeating this crisis.

It will also help us prepare for the next one. Because this is not the last global virus we will see.

¹ Governing – “A Powerful Tool for Overcoming Vaccine Hesitancy”, May 19, 2021.

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Public health organizations are chartered with ensuring the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities. Their scope of responsibility is wide-ranging and varies from country to country, and they are required to provide direct healthcare services to their citizens, including epidemiology and disease prevention.

In the area of providing care, public health organizations, along with their commercial health counterparts, face a variety of challenges: a virtual explosion in the amount of collected information; fragmentation of data and formats across providers and care teams; spiraling cost escalation; and a shortage of staff and resources to keep up with the workload caused in large part by an aging population.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that by 2050, 22% of the population will be over the age of 60. The WHO further states that health systems need to be realigned to meet the needs of the aging population and that all countries need an integrated system of long-term care.¹ 

Public health officials and practitioners continue to assess new technologies to help them transform healthcare services to keep up with these growing demands. Technology, when combined with new and novel approaches, enables public health organizations to drive down costs and improve health outcomes. In-home care is a way to address these challenges, contain costs, and improve the patient’s overall well-being and care experience. This is an area undergoing rapid digital transformation as public health organizations adopt modern technologies.

Aspects of home care employing modern technologies include:

• Remote Patient Monitoring helps create and maintain a full picture of a patient’s health and well-being by connecting devices in the field and harnessing the power of the Internet of Things (IoT) to track wellness and detect, troubleshoot, and resolve patient issues in real-time.
  Example: Care-givers are equipping elderly patient’s homes with sensors embedded in the floor and furniture for issues ranging from “slip and fall” detection to signal an alert to the caregiver if the patient has remained in bed for an extended period of time. These sensors, combined with wearable technologies that monitor the patient’s vital signs (e.g. heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, etc.), can provide vital information to the patient’s care team.
• Mobile Care Worker helps health organizations carry out their extended mission by building a customized mobile care solution based on a health customer’s specific needs and priorities to serve residents in their homes. Additionally, IoT and other technologies, along with the care-giver’s mobile device can provide oversight to ensure these visits are carried out when and where they are scheduled (in an electronic visit verification scenario—an important compliance aspect of home care for many public health agencies).
  Example: Certain countries have begun empowering postal workers with capabilities to check on remote elderly patients with mobile care solutions to collect information to update health records while out on regularly recurring routes. This helps to maximize existing efficiencies and empower staff to be impactful in new ways.
• Virtual Consult utilizes enablement and configuration within Microsoft Teams to facilitate a telehealth solution that can reduce onboarding time, consolidate communication and collaboration agility, and ease user adoption for an organization.
  Example: Traveling to a patient’s home is time-consuming and can be costly—especially in rural communities where the travel distances can be significant from one patient’s home to another. Virtual consultations are becoming a more popular complement to—and sometimes replacement of—in-home visits made possible by the video-teleconference capabilities within Microsoft Teams.
  Common scenarios include:
  • Checking in on the patient when receiving a non-emergency alert (e.g. elevated blood pressure). Video allows the caregiver to check in on the patient and observe their state in a way that a phone call cannot;
  • Behavioral Counseling: video enables the counselor to pick up on non-verbal cues in a way audio-only (e.g. phone call) interactions cannot.
• Healthcare Bot employs an AI-powered service for healthcare that integrates medical content from trusted sources, including details on conditions, symptoms, medications, types of doctors, procedures, and more.
  Example: AI-driven technology can be leveraged to provide automated triage functionality to respond to and interact with patients during a time of crisis. Questions that assess the levels of pain and types of injuries, while recording the information in healthcare standard terminology are invaluable to care teams who will need to follow up with patients based on need and severity.
• Operational Analytics embrace predictive models and innovative technologies to create actionable insights and outputs to better manage individual and population health outcomes.
  Example: Streamlined operations and reduced costs are benefits of analytics models enabling healthcare care executives and clinicians to share information and analyze structured & unstructured data. This empowers them to make more informed choices at the point of decision by utilizing improved KPI’s such as medical quality and patient safety.

Public health solutions create experiences that give residents control over their health data and provide insights that facilitate self-care and family support. Technology-driven solutions deepen patient insights to gain a 360-degree view of care metrics and enable a personalized care continuum.

Care teams at different levels within the municipality are able to connect with patients, increase communication and collaborate more efficiently in real-time to address issues from benign single-patient monitoring through pandemic-level crises that necessitate a broader reach and level of interaction. Delivering a connected and personalized customer service experience to empower care teams is an evolving requirement, and Microsoft provides solutions to enable secure, compliant collaboration and faster decisions, as well as help care teams to form, communicate, and do more for their residents.

Visit Microsoft in Health and Microsoft in Public Health and Social Services to learn more. Also, download the IDC white paper on Public Health and Social Services.

References:

¹World Health Organization

The post Today’s technology is transforming home health care appeared first on Microsoft Industry Blogs.

When it comes to rates of incarceration in the United States, the statistics are grim. According to the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), every year $81 billion is spent on keeping people in correctional facilities across the country. Out of the staggering number of people behind bars, almost 80 percent will return to a correctional institution within three years of being released. This is not just an isolated problem: according to the UK House of Commons Library, in 2017 and 2018 in England and Wales, it costs on average £37,543 ($45,986 USD) a year to keep just one person in a correctional facility, and the situation is alarming and costly. But what if cloud-connected systems and artificial intelligence (AI) could offer solutions, finding ways to harness the wealth of data inherent in public safety institutions, and use it to the advantage of administrators and inmates alike?

AI is at the forefront of an effort to increase institutional safety at correctional institutions and help reduce re-entry. While allocating housing to inmates may be mundane, it can have huge implications for inmate and staff safety. Having the ability to leverage data to understand risk during intake, and ultimately to inform housing decisions, can ensure safety and successful re-entry. Considering all of the available information about a new or returning inmate, a slew of data points could be used to look for insights and patterns of success. This data could alert staff to potentially volatile housing matches or even recommend matches that are likely to be successful. In the vast majority of correctional facilities, housing decisions are made on the fly, based on just a few data points. Using AI to create a more holistic view of inmates can go a long way to increasing their safety and lessening the likelihood of recidivism.

In addition, intelligent solutions could help make sure staff are forewarned about the number of people arriving on any given day so that more appropriate staffing choices can be made. Knowing exactly how many staff members to have on duty, and when, has the potential to save correctional institutions a great deal of resources. When it comes to making decisions about where to house inmates or how many staff to schedule, more information can lead to more successful decision making. It’s a simple equation that has AI and intelligent cloud technology at its heart.

Replacing the on-premises, paper-laden processes with cloud computing can truly transform correctional facilities. Traditional corrections management handles a huge amount of data that is too often siloed. Storing and surfacing data in the cloud makes the difficult task of turning paper-based data into valuable insights easier. It’s not just about institutions streamlining inmate names and arrivals; data-driven insights can ultimately save money, keep inmates safer, and foster better outcomes for correctional facilities.

Technology can also make life better for inmates during and after their time behind bars. When it comes to education and skill-building for inmates, cloud-computing can have a positive impact on what is, for most, a difficult experience. The Microsoft cloud platform is already being put to innovative use by correctional institutions to make inmate education more effective and modern. For example, in South Australia, the Department for Correctional Services uses Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365 to help inmates gain relevant skills and education to better prepare them for life after release. In this case, transforming inmate education required stringent security controls and an evergreen platform that would reflect the technology standard in today’s job market. It’s an inspiring example of how using technology creates a more effective and positive experience for inmates.

Correctional organizations carry with them a vast amount of institutional knowledge. When combined with highly secure, data-driven insights gained through intelligent solutions, it can help these institutions harness deeper insights and ultimately improve public safety. Plus, all the potential efficiencies and cost-savings are rooted in Microsoft security features. With an evergreen platform and the backing of billions of dollars of security investment, Microsoft cloud-based solutions are some of the most trusted out there.

The future of public safety institutions is optimistic, thanks to highly efficient and people-focused technology. Combining data-driven insights with a human-centric approach, Microsoft technology can help corrections facilities bring a new perspective to what they do, all in an effort to deliver better outcomes. When AI and cloud-friendly transformation enters the public safety and justice space, it’s not just the business side that benefits—people and lives could be changed for the better.

To learn more about intelligent solutions designed with public safety in mind, listen to the GovPod podcast online, or via Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or Spotify.

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As once forgotten diseases start to reappear, state and local government agencies are looking to find new ways to ensure positive health outcomes for their citizens. I had a conversation with Steve and Claire Murchie at Envision Technology Partners. Their WebIZ immunization registry system is leveraging new technologies to help state and local government combat the recent outbreaks of diseases like mumps, measles, and other preventable illnesses.

Steve and Claire, recent measles outbreaks have reignited focus on the importance of immunizations so I’m hoping you can provide an update regarding what state and local governments are doing to ensure proper tracking of children’s vaccinations.

Yes, measles is a big issue – already in early April 2019 we have exceeded the number of cases nationwide for all of 2018. But it’s also mumps, pertussis and even hepatitis A, which has killed more than 40 people in one state alone. These are all vaccine-preventable diseases, which points the cause to less vaccine acceptance. The reasons for that are complex, but information is the best tool to combat vaccine hesitancy, and immunization information systems (IIS) are the primary tool used to track, measure and understand vaccination patterns at a public health level.

I understand health agencies in Delaware and Philadelphia are embarking on immunization data sharing that has the potential to improve immunization compliance and in turn diseases outbreak outcomes. Please tell us about that.

Due to various laws in the US, we don’t have a national registry of immunizations, so responsibility is passed to the state or local jurisdictions to run their own IIS. Until recently, there hasn’t been a clear legal and technology mechanism to facilitate sharing of data between two independent jurisdictions. For the past several years, though, there has been a project sponsored by the Office of the National Coordinator in the Department of Health and Human Services to kickstart this sharing of immunization data, allowing states to maintain a more comprehensive view of patient protection within their populations. ONC’s contribution has included both standardization of the data use agreements between jurisdictions, and they have also stood up a messaging hub which supports the actual data integration.

While the pilot has been open to all public health jurisdictions, the first to complete a production connection were the State of Delaware and the City of Philadelphia. Both happen to use our IIS platform – WebIZ – but we’re actively trying to include some other neighboring jurisdictions as well. The project is described in this March 2019 issue of AIRA’s (American Immunization Registry Association) SnapShots newsletter.

So, Envision’s WebIZ solution is the backbone of this data sharing success. Please tell us more about that solution and where it’s implemented.

WebIZ is used in twenty state, local and territorial jurisdictions overseen by the Centers for Disease Control. We’re a standardized, commercial-off-the-shelf solution that is highly configurable but managed as a single code base. As a result, we can deliver software quickly and reliably without a lot of site-specific customization. And our customers benefit by receiving all enhancements which are paid for by any other customer, which leverages their investment dollars. Like many state and local government agencies, public health has faced years of diminished budgets, so that is a real benefit to them.

Some of the WebIZ implementations are on the Azure Government Cloud. Why are governments choosing that option, and what are the benefits?

State IT budgets are also under pressure, so there is both a movement away from home-grown IIS applications to vendor-supplied solutions, as well as increased support for cloud-based solutions. We were an early adopter of the Azure Government Cloud and have transitioned most of our larger sites over to it. We include hosting as a requirement, and it actually makes our job a lot easier. IIS tend to have a lot of moving parts – web interface, messaging interface, flat file and vital records imports – so it helps if we can have unfettered access to help diagnose problems that may arise. Managing the application infrastructure – which is mostly IaaS today, but starting to take on more PaaS flavors – also means that we have more control over operational upgrades for performance, scalability and security.

Please tell us about innovations in the immunization registry market. With AI being the center of so much attention, is there anything you’re doing to utilize AI to improve immunization registration?

If there is any silver lining to the recent outbreaks, it’s that public health agencies are spending more time slicing and dicing their data in order to learn more about their populations. We’ve been receiving many requests for assistance creating data extracts, and we’ve been adding functionality to make it easier for customers to analyze their own data, but there is a lot of variability in the technical resources available to immunization programs. So, we’ve been looking at tools like Power BI to increase the options available to less-technical users, while expanding the power of more advanced analytics through machine learning and related features. Some of the machine learning features have potential in our ongoing challenges with patient-matching, which plagues most large-population, multi-contributor databases.

Get more information about WebIZ. You can also request a free trial of Microsoft Azure Government and learn more about Microsoft’s Health and Human Services Solutions.

The post Measles and mumps? Data sharing on the cloud to improve public health appeared first on Microsoft Industry Blogs.

Social services are about people helping people. But coordinating efforts among the different experts who administer care can be difficult. And this can lead to frustration for the people they’re trying to help. As our populations get older, and we have to manage more long-term health conditions and new issues like loneliness and social exclusion, we must look for new ways of working.

In the latest episode of our Government podcast series, I invited some of my colleagues to share their thoughts on how emerging technology like AI, the Internet of Things (IoT), and blockchain can help connect aspects of social services, resulting in a better experience for workers and the people they serve.

[msce_cta layout=”image_center” align=”center” linktype=”blue” linkurl=”https://discover.microsoft.com/government-podcast-series-episode-4-social-services/” linktext=”Listen to the latest episode” ][/msce_cta]

Data privacy above all else

Privacy should be the first topic in any discussion about sharing medical data. Laws like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the United States and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union require organizations to protect personal data. And because of that, progress on sharing data between parties—and especially between jurisdictions—has been slow.

On the podcast, Andrew Hawkins—a senior director at Microsoft for local and regional government across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa—told me that maintaining trust in these quickly changing systems depends on transparency. He says, “Citizens need to have the ability to know how their data is being used and that caregivers or emergency technicians are working according to a specific plan.” Without that trust, these social services programs will never get off the ground.

Blockchain—much more than bitcoin

Blockchain is familiar to most people as the technology behind cryptocurrencies like bitcoin. But you can also think of it as a shared, highly secure digital record. Anybody who has access can add a block of data, but once a new block is added to the chain, nobody can remove or change it. In a social services scenario, this could serve as a way for multiple parties involved in a person’s care to share information and see what care has been administered in the past.

The first block in a person’s chain would contain basic information—like name, date of birth, long-term medical conditions, and so on. Subsequent blocks could contain changes to that data, but the original blocks would remain as a historical record. Then, each time the patient receives treatment, gets a prescription, or sees a professional, a new block is added. Instead of hospitals, municipalities, specialist health providers, addiction-treatment facilities, and other organizations keeping their own records, everyone is working with the same set of case notes—so past mistakes don’t get repeated and the patient gets a better standard of care.

Insights surfaced with AI

Sharing data between organizations—provided the proper privacy regulations are respected—should lead to better outcomes. And with AI, social care workers could soon have a helping hand to provide new insight into problems.

By putting intelligent technology to work on the data, caseworkers can quickly build up a full picture of a patient from a complex history of case notes. Andy Pitman, who works with health services organizations across local and regional governments, told me that AI can also help people reduce the amount of routine work they do by reducing duplication and errors—like ensuring one prescription doesn’t overlap with another—or by flagging potentially fraudulent claims.

You can listen to the full podcast here: Improved Social Services Through Technology.  And to see all the other podcast episodes visit our Gov Pod homepage.

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Home is where the heart is, they say. This is the driving sentiment for state child welfare agencies committed to helping more than 428,000 children in the U.S. find the right home with a foster family.

Placing each child in an appropriate environment is integral to the child’s healthy development. Across the U.S., child welfare agencies are charged with recruiting, licensing, training, and retaining high-quality child welfare providers. The first step in this journey is to promote foster parenting and cultivate interest among individuals interested in fostering, which requires child welfare agency directors and recruitment managers to create and execute measurable marketing campaigns. These campaigns must efficiently target individuals that want to make a difference and communicate the right message to increase foster care placements.

Shortage of foster care parents

Few roles are quite as challenging as recruiting for a child welfare agency. With limited budgets and personnel resources, agencies must diligently scrutinize every available dollar, making recruiting for new foster families an incredible challenge. Agencies grapple with an increasing number of children entering the foster care system, in part due to the opioid crisis since many children have been taken out of the care of their addicted parents.

Complex, industry-standard marketing automation platforms and analytics tools that global enterprises enjoy aren’t options for resource-restricted state agencies’ marketing needs. Instead, agencies often resort to inefficient and time-consuming manual marketing practices using less robust tools—billboards beside the road, bus stop advertisements, basic email marketing systems, and consumer-grade social media publishing systems—that aren’t designed to work within an expansive ecosystem.

The inefficient and ineffective methods for generating interest among potential foster families results in lower in-home foster care placements. For example, an estimated 1 in 7 children in the child welfare system is placed in a group home or institution rather than in a private family home. Research shows that living in a group home or institution can adversely affect a child’s overall development, making them more likely than youth living with foster families to test below standards, drop out of school, or get arrested.

In addition, group placements are 7 to 10 times costlier than placing a child with a foster family. Child welfare agencies looking to help more children need an improved way to get their message out to potential foster parents. Specifically, directors and recruiters need fast and intuitive solutions to create new outreach campaigns. They also need greater visibility into who engages with their campaigns to support retargeting strategies. Plus, agencies must measure, analyze, and report on their campaigns to optimize their approach to connect children in the child welfare system with foster parents.

Foster Care Recruitment Solution powered by Microsoft and Adobe

Microsoft and Adobe have teamed up to deliver a technology solution specifically designed to assist child welfare agencies reach and recruit potential foster parents. This cost-efficient solution improves how agencies engage with potential foster parents across all communication channels and provides data and insights that help organizations refine strategies and improve outcomes.

Connected digital experiences with Microsoft Dynamics + Adobe Experience Manager Forms

Allows agencies to manage messaging to potential foster parents across channels and platforms. Organizations can create and edit branded forms to capture information from potential foster parents in the Microsoft Dynamics database.

Defined audiences with Adobe Target + Adobe Campaign

Agencies can determine the most suitable target audience of potential foster parents based on behaviors, attributes, and more. They can segment based on these attributes for personalized campaigns that are relevant for each segment.

Personalized marketing with Microsoft Dynamics + Adobe Campaign

Agencies can use known user data from the Microsoft Dynamics CRM to personalize marketing campaigns, achieving greater engagement with potentials and greater loyalty among existing foster parents. Drag-and-drop functionality accelerates campaign development, scheduling, and execution across online and offline channels—freeing up recruitment managers to focus on other high-value activities.

Optimize with Adobe Analytics + Microsoft Power BI

Campaign managers can aggregate data about opens and clicks to measure preferred communication channels, frequency preferences, and other metrics to refine campaigns for more effective outreach. They can access and share robust reporting and data visualizations from many input sources, with at-a-glance campaign metrics to measure ROI and stay informed.

Better outcomes for foster children

Every child needs a home and a family that can support and champion them throughout the fostering process. Child welfare agencies continue to search for new and better ways to carry out their mission amid tight budgets and stretched resources.

The Foster Care Recruitment Solution powered by Microsoft and Adobe empowers child welfare agencies to efficiently recruit more foster parents, ultimately placing more children in the homes that best support their well-being.

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