Lifestyle

Healthcare Leader Avantika Sharma Reveals How Digital Tech Solutions Can Improve Prior Authorization Procedures

Published

3 years ago

January 25, 2023

One of the most necessary and standard procedures in the healthcare industry is Prior Authorization (PA), which requires healthcare providers to obtain approval for a treatment or medication before delivering it to a patient. Unfortunately, PA is also one of the most inefficient processes in the healthcare industry and is currently facing a crisis.

This year, 70% of medical groups attested that PA claims increased, yet, at the same time, a study by the University of Colorado found that 93% of providers reported delays in care due to drawn-out PA processes. In short, claims are increasing, and one of the side effects is that delays are becoming more notable, if not longer. This is due to long-standing inefficiencies and problems swept under the rug for years, resulting in longer patient waiting times, increased burden on administrative staff, and even physician and clinician burnout.

At Brillio One Health, Healthcare Leader Avantika Sharma and her team are working towards streamlining and optimizing healthcare systems like PA to benefit healthcare providers, insurance payers, and, of course, patients. They work with international healthcare organizations to “covert digital disruptions into solutions that can position payers and providers ahead of the curve.”

She views the current workflow required to obtain PA for a procedure or treatment to be an area that requires extensive digital reform. According to Sharma, “technologically automating the Prior Authorization process at the level of providers and payers can drastically improve the patient experience by getting on-time approvals before surgery and reducing operational and administrative costs.”

The PA process is currently plagued by administrative complexities, time-consuming manual procedures, liabilities due to human error, and excess use of valuable resources. To illustrate, most documents are faxed or emailed and require physical signatures, even though the digital resources to replace those aspects of the process are well established. Not to mention using manual technologies to transmit documents has already been proven to be more likely to lead to incorrect information, missing documents, and excessive back-and-forth communication.

All that communication is done by large teams of administrators, who spend considerable time sorting and verifying numerous documents from different sources. This puts a huge burden on hospitals and insurance companies to staff those teams accordingly. It also contributes to complexity and redundancy on an administrative level.

There are also confidentiality issues that come with using manual systems to complete PA claims. According to Sharma, “using fax to transmit prior authorization forms minimizes the legal requirement to keep medical information confidential since it involves the production of a printed piece of paper that can be easily seen or taken by anyone walking past the machine when it prints or someone’s desk where it is awaiting processing.”

Even more alarming is the lack of coordination between the systems used by payers and providers. Despite the amount of communication required between these two entities to get a single claim passed, the current systems can vary from one organization to another. For example, 15 different providers might use 15 different websites, each with unique software and login information.

Sharma believes that adopting digital solutions on the part of providers and payers could result in major improvements in the PA process. Brillio’s human-centric approach includes the design and implementation of systems powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Natural Language Processing (NLP), among other technologies. These innovative systems are already present in our daily lives but can be combined to create efficient, constantly evolving solutions that benefit the healthcare industry.

Proposed solutions would certainly include the creation of standard systems for communication between payers and providers. An example of this is online portals and digital software that is standardized across all platforms. Optimizing this software would allow relevant personnel from both the medical and the insurance side to use their secure username and password to access the same PA documents, at different stages of the process. Other solutions might be using NLP to convert doctors’ notes into text compatible with online forms or using AI to develop approval processes for documents, thereby cutting down on the administrative staff needed to verify every signature or document in a PA claim file. Using electronic signatures, electronic health records (EHR), and opting for digital file sending are all essential solutions as well.

These solutions would be one piece in a larger movement that could radically change the healthcare industry in the United States. One rule introduced in early December 2022 by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services included the implementation of electronic PA processes for document attachments and signatures. It also included the required adoption of a Health Level 7 (HL7) Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources FHIR standard Application Programming Interface to support new digital systems. CMS predicted that implementing better digital systems, alongside other proposed solutions, for PA could save more than $15 billion over 10 years.

Most importantly, Sharma highlights the importance of putting the patient first. Lengthy PA processes can take days, if not weeks, to go through, and only a tiny fraction of them are approved without delays. Most PA claims are denied at the outset and require appeals and negotiation. A patient-centric healthcare system focuses on making sure sick people are given the care they need, when they need it, without waiting for their doctors and insurance providers to jump through hoops.

For more information, visit www.brillioonehealth.com.

Lifestyle

The Future of Education Through Patricia Vlad’s Eyes

Published

1 day ago

December 12, 2025

Michelle Langton

The traditional systems that once defined learning, rigid curricula, standardized testing, and a narrow focus on academic performance, are increasingly being questioned. And why is that?

Starting in the 1880s, thinkers like John Dewey advocated for a shift in teaching methods, leading to the rise of progressive education. Unlike traditional models that emphasize rote learning and job preparation, progressive education puts students at the center of the learning experience. Changemakers like Patricia Vlad also believe that hands-on, experiential learning is the key to deeper understanding. This approach prioritizes critical thinking, curiosity, and personal passions, encouraging students to become lifelong learners who actively engage with new ideas and problem-solving. Schools and parents that embrace this model focus not just on what students need to know but on how they can continue to grow and adapt throughout their lives.

As the world changes, so do the skills, knowledge, and adaptability students need to succeed. The future of education is about personalization, inclusivity, emotional intelligence, and meaningful learning experiences.

With years of global teaching experience, Patricia has seen firsthand how different education systems approach learning. She believes that the future of education must embrace neuroscience, technology, and self-awareness to create a system that is not just efficient but also empowering for students.

“Education should be about more than just passing tests. It should equip students with the skills to navigate life, understand their strengths, and feel empowered in their learning journey,” Patricia emphasizes.

The Future Belongs to the Emotionally Intelligent

Unlike technical skills that may become obsolete with automation, EI – our ability to understand and manage emotions, build relationships, and navigate challenges, remains uniquely human. It plays a crucial role in self-awareness, resilience, effective communication, helping individuals excel in both personal and professional life.

When it comes to EQ, think of it like this: Kids with strong emotional intelligence are better at handling stress, resolving conflicts, and overcoming challenges. Studies suggest that EQ is a stronger predictor of long-term success than IQ. And let’s be real, no matter how advanced AI gets, it will never replace the depth and impact of human connection.

How LevelUp Cultivates Emotional Intelligence Through Patricia’s Coaching

1. Learning Will Be Personalized and Strength-Based

Instead of forcing students to fit into a system, education will be tailored to each child’s learning style, strengths, and interests. Neuroscience-backed methods – such as learning based on attention spans, emotional regulation, and brain development research – will be used to create adaptive learning environments, allowing students to progress at their own pace.

Through tools like LevelUp, which incorporates the Big Five Personality Model, teachers and parents will have a better understanding of a child’s cognitive profile, enabling them to offer more personalized support.

2. Emotional Intelligence Will Be a Core Part of Learning

The future classroom won’t just cover maths, science, history, or even language – it will also focus on self-awareness, empathy, and social skills. As research shows language doesn’t just communicate thought; it actively shapes it. The intentional use of language can influence how the brain processes emotion, memory, and social connection – making it a powerful tool for developing emotional intelligence.

LevelUp integrates EI into its framework, ensuring students not only understand themselves better but also build confidence, manage stress, and develop strong interpersonal skills.

3. Education Will Be More Interdisciplinary

The future of learning will move away from isolated subjects and toward interdisciplinary education, where concepts from different fields are connected and applied to real-world problems.

For example, students might blend neuroscience with psychology to understand learning processes or combine technology and art to develop creative solutions.

4. Technology Will Support, Not Supplant Human Connection

In the classroom of the future, meaningful engagement between students and teachers will remain at the heart of learning. Peer collaboration, hands-on projects, and real-time feedback from teachers will continue to be irreplaceable elements of education.

Technology will play a supporting role enhancing, rather than dominating, the learning process.

Whether through gamified modules, virtual simulation, or adaptive platforms, tools like LevelUp will be used intentionally to deepen understanding and personalize feedback, always in service of human connection, not as a substitute for it.

5. Schools, Parents, and Students Will Work Together

Education won’t be confined to the classroom. Parents will play a bigger role in guiding their children’s learning, using tools like LevelUp to track progress, support emotional development, and encourage curiosity at home.

By strengthening the parent-child-teacher connection, education will become a team effort, ensuring every student receives the support they need to reach their full potential.

A Future Built on Empowerment

By combining neuroscience, technology, and emotional intelligence, Patricia is helping to reshape education into something that prepares students not just for exams, but for life itself.

A truly effective education system values each student’s creativity and passions—not just their ability to recall information. Instead of just delivering information and expecting rote memorization for test scores, teachers encourage active, hands-on learning through projects, experiments, and peer collaboration. This approach allows students to explore topics that genuinely interest them, making learning more engaging, meaningful, and personal.

The LevelUp platform, developed under Patricia’s leadership, is contributing to a growing shift toward education that is rooted in self-awareness and real-world readiness. Additionally, emotional intelligence is a core part of learning, not an afterthought.

One story that sticks with Patricia is that of a student named Ethan, who had always been labelled “distracted” in class. His teachers described him as bright but inconsistent, often zoning out or fidgeting during lessons. When his LevelUp profile revealed high reactivity and strong openness, a new picture emerged: Ethan wasn’t disengaged—he was overwhelmed by too much information at once and thrived when topics were explored through hands-on, creative activities.

With this insight, his teacher began breaking tasks into smaller steps and introducing art and building projects tied to the curriculum. For the first time, Ethan started raising his hand during class and even stayed back after school to show his work. “We’d been trying to ‘fix’ him when all we needed was to understand him,” his teacher later shared.

It was a small shift, but for Ethan, it changed everything.