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“The power of any type of EHR is how it’s being utilized, not only by clinicians but also by your patient population,” said Raymond Lowe, SVP and CIO at AltaMed Health Services. In this interview, he talked about how his team’s recent Epic achievement, how they’re leveraging data to help enable “culturally competent care,” and why it’s not always wise to chase perfection.
“Nurses and doctors didn’t go to school to become data entry technicians; and yet, a lot times, that’s what we feel like we’re doing,” said Gregg Nicandri, MD. In this interview, he talks about how URMC is leveraging technology to offload some of the burden, and shares his thoughts on the evolving CMIO role and what it takes to successfully drive change.
Addressing health inequities is going to require systemic changes in national policies. In the meantime, however, “there are measures that clinicians and technologists can implement that will have an impact,” according to John Halamka, MD, who discusses how Mayo Clinic is working to create AI platforms and algorithms to change outcomes.
By laying a solid data foundation and leveraging tools like virtual triage, healthcare organizations can take significant steps toward providing equitable care, according to Renee Broadbent. In this piece, she talks about the progress SoNE Health has made, and what still needs to happen.
The key to impressing Kent Sona, VP and CIO at Methodist Health System? Take ownership of a problem, even if it doesn’t fall under your purview. “Own and run with it,” he said during a recent interview. Sona also talked about forming strong vendor partnerships, addressing social determinants, and understanding the why.
“AI is going to provide care pathways, care navigation, and triage to an environment that has fewer practicing clinicians,” said Dr. John Halamka in a recent webinar. But the algorithms can be flawed, and CIOs need to do proper diligence.
As remote and hybrid models become the norm, the onus is on leaders to “find ways to collaborate and connect when we don’t pass each other in the hallway,” said Tracy Elmer, Chief Innovation Officer at TrueCare, who talked about the value of listening.
For clinical and IT leaders, the most important goal is to “act as a strategic partner” when approached with an opportunity, and identify the right technology that can be a force multiplier, said David Kaelber, MD, CMIO at MetroHealth.
If you’re only using social determinant data to send referrals, you’re taking advantage of about one percent of the opportunity, said CIO Ray Lowe. In this interview, he talked about the work his team is doing to improve health at the individual level, and why he believes “we’re just scratching the surface” when it comes to SDoH.
When it comes to leverage social determinants of health data to provide better, more individualize care for patients, there’s still a long way to go, said Ray Lowe, CIO at AltaMed Health Services. “We’re just getting started.”
