1. Digital Tools and Platforms
CVS use different digital oils to support optimal outcomes. The technological infrastructure deliver support to patients where and when they need it to better manage their condition and improve outcomes also enable CareTeams to offer targeted support tailored to each plan member’s unique needs, ultimately helping lower overall health care costs.
Secure Messaging
Since introducing on-demand, secure, messaging between CVS SpecialtyCareTeams and patients, CVS Health has continued to expand the use and range of digital channels for patients to receive information about their care. As of January 2021, secure messaging is available to members across 36 complex conditions.
Wearable devices and apps
CVS Health have developed a wearable sensor for patients with multiple sclerosis to capture additional data from the patient experience.This app interprets movements and tracks symptoms and walk test results from a patient with multiple sclerosis . The CareTeam receives and reviews data from patients using the MS app and wearable device to help detect new or worsening symptoms, document event occurrences, and provide early indications of ineffective therapy or dosing. This helps improve clinical outcomes, providing a more complete patient profile to help support better results.

With the positive results of the MS app. CVS Health piloted an oncology symptom tracking tool – enhanced with CareTeam support – to drive better outcomes and experiences.The app is designed to help keep patients on appropriate therapies, ensure they can
tolerate their therapy and manage side effects, direct them to needed care, and reduce emergency room admissions from side effects or symptoms. CVS Specialty patients can track their symptoms in real time and have the option to connect with their CareTeam through secure messaging for personalized support. This on-demand support helps them navigate to the right level of care – ultimately helping improve outcomes and potentially lowering overall health care costs.
CVS Platform
The platform CVS Health uses is called Vendor Benefit Management. The platform is aimed at streamlining the administrative processes required for health plans and employers to offer a suite of wellness options to plan members. CVS Caremark clients will have access to data on negotiated prices, simpler billing and real-time eligibility verification on the platform.
The first company to partner with CVS on the platform is Big Health, which offers Sleepio, a digital tool aimed at improving sleep. Sleepio uses cognitive behavioral therapy to offer an individualized program to help people sleep better, according to the announcement.
With Microsoft as a foundation, CVS Health built an integrated data platform and suite of analytical and advanced machine learning tools to address the individualized needs of patients. The resulting patient engagement strategies
include mobile alerts for flu vaccines or an annual cancer screening, side-effect counseling from a pharmacist for a new medication, and even reminders for those at risk of developing melanoma that it's time to buy sunscreen. This personalized care is expected to improve patient outcomes.The new solutions coming to the platform are:
- Daylight: An app from Big Health that offers digital cognitive behavioral therapy for people with anxiety.
- Naturally Slim: An online education program that offers personalized lessons on nutrition and strategies to lose weight.
- Vida: A weight loss program that pairs patients with one-on-one coaching through phone and video calls.
- Weight Watchers: This long-standing weight loss program has gone increasingly digital, offering an app that includes meal planning and recipes, fitness tracking and community support.
- Kurbo: A digital health platform for kids aged 8 to 17 that encourages a healthier lifestyle through education videos, games and weekly video coaching.
These five tools join Sleepio, Hello Heart, Hinge Health, Torchlight and Whil on CVS’ platform.
1 million Caremark members have access to Point Solutions Management, and that’s only expected to grow. CVS is also continuing to evaluate where there’s a demand from plan sponsors for digital tools for the future.
The role of digital health in managing care is not expected to slow down any time soon either, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic accelerates the use of such tools. The goals of digital health and more traditional clinical care are “complementary”
2. Ethical or legal breach in the corporation’s digital history.
In June 2021 CVS Health suffered of a database leak which lead to 1B user
records exposed online. The database belonging to the healthcare and retail giant, which was not password protected, was discovered at the end of March by independent cybersecurity researcher Jeremiah Fowler, according to a report published by Website Planet, which conducts research into unsecured internet data.The database, which was approximately 204 gigabytes in size and totaled 1.1 billion records, had no form of authentication in place to prevent unauthorized entry, the researchers said.
The data exposed online included customer email addresses, user IDs and customer searches on CVS Pharmacy websites for COVID-19 vaccines and other medications, according to the report.
The data, collected from both CVS Health and CVS.com, represent website visitor logs that show everything visitors searched for, which is valuable analytical data for companies to see how customers are interacting with their platforms.
CVS Health said it worked with the vendor to quickly take the database down.
3. E-marketing research and tool used by the corporation and the outcome.
CVS Health use extensive clinical databases — one of the broadest plan member health databases in the industry — to identify opportunities to help reduce costs
for clients and improve outcomes for their members. As a pharmacy benefit manager (PBM), CVS Caremark has access to millions of pharmacy claims, which allow a real-time look at the pharmaceutical market, enabling us to identify trends and patterns that can affect payors’ benefit spend. Analysts can also identify which plans could be most impacted by these trends.The Interactive RxInsights tool allows account teams to review these patterns, using the clients’ own data, in near real time. This tool helps CVS Health proactively develop solutions, and make appropriate recommendations to address a specific trend.
References
3 keys to CVS Health's Growth Strategy: AHA. American Hospital Association. (n.d.). Retrieved April 13, 2023, from https://www.aha.org/aha-center-health-innovation-market-scan/2022-04-26-3-keys-cvs-healths-growth-strategy
Darin, B. (n.d.). Using analytics to identify targeted solutions. CVS Health Payor Solutions. Retrieved April 13, 2023, from https://payorsolutions.cvshealth.com/programs-and-services/cost-management/using-analytics-to-identify-targeted-solutions
Digital Tools. CVS Health Payor Solutions. (n.d.). Retrieved April 13, 2023, from https://payorsolutions.cvshealth.com/programs-and-services/care-management/digital-tools
Lagasse, J. (n.d.). CVS health partners with Microsoft to advance digital-first strategy. Healthcare Finance News. Retrieved April 13, 2023, from https://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/cvs-health-partners-microsoft-advance-digital-first-strategy
Landi, H. (2021, June 16). CVS health database leak left 1B User Records Exposed Online. Fierce Healthcare. Retrieved April 13, 2023, from https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/tech/cvs-health-database-leak-leaves-1-billion-user-records-exposed-online
Minemyer, P. (2019, June 11). CVS launching platform to allow PBM clients to manage supplemental benefit contracts . Fierce Healthcare. Retrieved April 13, 2023, from https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/payer/cvs-launching-platform-to-allow-pbm-clients-to-manage-supplemental-benefit-contracts
Minemyer, P. (2020, July 29). CVS adds 5 more solutions to its platform to assist PBM clients in managing Digital Health Tools. Fierce Healthcare. Retrieved April 13, 2023, from https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/payer/cvs-adds-5-more-solutions-to-its-platform-to-assist-pbm-clients-managing-digital-health-tools