R. Scooter Plowman MD, MBA, MHSA, MSc

To follow up on Dede Ainbinder recent post: If we use the current EHR data to build a AI clinical decision support tool it is unlikely to capture our clinical decision making process. EHR's are inherently designed to maximize billing and minimize risk of litigation. A clinical decision support tool based on this data will likely do the same. There is a large sunken cost fallacy here where we continue to hang on to garbage data. Just because the data gathering and storage process was capital and time intensive doesnt mean the data is valuable. To truly capture the clinical decision process we need to capture data which sits outside billing and litigation. Its hard to imagine a future where this data isnt used for billing and cannot be called upon during litigation. #EHR #healthdata #clinicaldecision

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One key reason why healthcare technologies like AI, telemedicine, and software haven't structurally lowered costs or broadened access for the entire system after decades of experimentation (excluding pure financial engineering of payer contracts) is the limited reimagining of care delivery itself, with asynchronous telemedicine as a notable exception. In the same way that digitizing physical paper failed to exploit the capabilities of a new computing medium for word processing, hosting physician-patient conversations over video does not transform the actual delivery of care. In telemedicine, many of the inputs (e.g., clinician time) and therefore cost structures of in-person care persist, which is why we often see fee-for-service telemedicine companies struggle to achieve economies of scale (i.e., growing revenues non-linearly while growing costs linearly). Until we deconstruct the components of a medical appointment – from intake and triage, to chart review, history gathering, physical examination, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up – we will continue to be underwhelmed by the disconnect between the transformative potential of these technologies and real-world patient/system impact. I’m optimistic that the emergence of reliable and performant medical AI agents will urge us to perform this deconstruction and redesign the fundamental building blocks of a “medical appointment.”

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AI is revolutionizing the healthcare industry, transforming the way professionals deliver care and how patients experience it. I shared the stage with Glen Tullman, CEO of Transcarent, and Mark Cuban, Co-Founder of Cost Plus Drugs, at #CES2024, where we delved into this topic. ​ During our #CES conversation, Glen highlighted one of the most significant impacts of AI: Its ability to automate administrative tasks could liberate physicians from tedious paperwork and bureaucratic hurdles. ​ With these tasks streamlined, healthcare providers can redirect their focus toward what truly matters: their patients. ​ Beyond efficiency gains, AI also holds the promise of revolutionizing the patient experience. ​ Through personalized algorithms and predictive analytics, healthcare providers deliver treatments and interventions tailored to each patient's unique needs and circumstances. ​ This means better results and happier patients who trust their doctors more. ​ AI is not just a technological advancement. ​ It's a catalyst for positive change in healthcare. ​ I'm excited to see how it will keep improving healthcare for everyone.

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🌟 Generative AI and Healthcare Transformation: A New Era of Innovation 🌟 I am constantly asked about #AI applications for healthcare transformation. I continue to take people back to the pain points or problems being solved. The healthcare industry is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by the integration of generative AI. This revolutionary technology is currently reshaping the way we approach care management, early disease detection, and administrative tasks. Early Benefits of Generative AI: Enhanced Care Management: AI serves as a "co-pilot" for healthcare professionals, assisting in managing patient care more efficiently and accurately. This leads to improved patient outcomes and more personalized care plans. Early Disease Detection: AI's ability to analyze vast amounts of unstructured data enables early identification of diseases, potentially saving lives and reducing healthcare costs. It's a game-changer in preventive healthcare. Reducing Clinician Burnout: By automating repetitive administrative tasks, AI allows clinicians to focus more on patient care. This not only improves job satisfaction but also enhances the quality of care provided. Affordability and Efficiency: AI-driven processes streamline operations, making healthcare more affordable and accessible. From optimizing workflows to reducing operational costs, AI is paving the way for a more sustainable healthcare system. Challenges and Considerations: Ethical and Legal Frameworks: Ensuring AI is used responsibly requires robust ethical, legal, and policy frameworks. Trustworthy AI adoption is crucial for patient safety and health equity. Technology Infrastructure: Organizations need to update their technology infrastructure, including cloud capabilities, to fully support AI implementation. As we embrace these advancements, it's essential to stay informed and engaged in the conversation about how AI can continue to transform healthcare for the better. #HealthcareTransformation #GenerativeAI #HealthTech #Innovation #AIinHealthcare Thanks to sources McKinsey & Company (https://lnkd.in/g7HZHEST) and MedCity News (https://lnkd.in/gi95t4qJ)

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Here’s your recap of last week’s health IT news 🗞️ 👇 🤖 AI Clinician Assistant • Avaamo launched an AI ambient scribe solution with support for over 50 specialties with pre-trained models. • Wound AI, an AI clinical decision support solution built by VANTIQ, Telemedicine Solutions, LLC, and NTT DATA, launched and is now available 📞 AI Contact Center • Premier Inc. awarded a group purchasing agreement to TeleVox Healthcare. 🏥 AI Facility Management • Medely has integrated with Oracle, allowing users to leverage Oracle’s Cloud HCM capabilities. 🌡️ AI Remote Patient Monitoring and Triage • The Alliance for Smart Healthcare Excellence—established by care.ai, now a part of Stryker, and developed with assistance from CHIME—was established to promote the Smart Hospital Maturity Model (SHMM). 📈 Data & Analytics • Epic expanded its set of APIs available to developers to support USCDI v3. • Health Catalyst will acquire Intraprise Health, a cybersecurity provider; it was also selected for analytics and interoperability by CyncHealth, Iowa’s health information exchange (HIE). • Health Commons Project acquired OneHealthPort • Socially Determined released a new application that helps organizations access data for minors. 🧾 Orders & Fulfillment • Surescripts is expanding its Medication History for Populations product to health plans, enabling care management teams to identify gaps in care and improve outcomes. 🧑‍💻 Virtual & At-Home Care • Mass General Brigham launched a partnership with the New England Center and Home for Veterans to provide hospital at home services for veterans experiencing homelessness. • MedStar Health expanded its partnership with DispatchHealth to support care transitions.    🍎 VBC • i2i Population Health is partnering with CureMD to surface actionable data to providers at the point of care. 🧠 Food For Thought • Brendan Keeler shared an interesting post differentiating AI solutions across augmentative vs. autonomous and then further breaking down each. One take we found interesting was, “Active interfaces are fun, but ultimately have some of the same problems as Siri - they require explicit engagement and cognitive overhead to use. This means their adoption and impact often fall short of expectations - users must actively remember to use them and overcome the friction of engagement.” https://lnkd.in/eR39qFpK --- Want the latest healthcare tech news delivered to your inbox each week? Sign up here 📬 👉 https://lnkd.in/e2UJ3ckP

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Learn about ethical and practical integration of AI, focusing on creating systems that improve patient care without compromising physician autonomy or patient privacy from speaker Jesse Ehrenfeld MD MPH at AIMed24. He advocates for responsible AI use that supports clinical decision-making, enhances patient safety, and alleviates administrative burdens on healthcare providers. #AIMed24

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Here’s your recap of last week’s health IT news 🗞️ 👇 🥼AI Clinician Assistant • Suki : The AI scribe announced an SDK and APIs enabling developers to integrate ambient documentation into their applications. • Apricot: The gen AI pre-seed startup focused on reducing documentation overhead for home health nurses launched. • Tampa General Hospital + Palantir Technologies: The health system and the software platform are partnering to develop an AI care coordination and decision support platform. ☎️ AI Contact Center • Mediktor + Sensely: The AI symptom triage solution acquired the conversational member engagement platform. 📋  Patient Administration • Oracle (Cerner) + Loyal: The EHR now offers integration with the patient engagement solution through its Healthcare Marketplace. • HubSpot: The CRM and marketing platform announced it will now offer HIPAA support and sensitive data tools. 🏥 Provider and Practice Administration • LeanTaaS: The AI-enabled facility management solution released updates including: mobile-first live view of OR schedule, predictive staffing automation, and a gen AI solution allowing decision-makers to glean staffing and scheduling insights. ⚕️ Clinical Operations • Keragon: The HIPAA-compliant automation platform launched out of stealth with a $3M funding round. 🧑‍💻 Virtual and At-Home Care • AvaSure + CLEW: The virtual care platform is partnering with the AI-powered remote patient monitoring and analytics company to improve patient outcomes. 🍎 VBC • Evolent + Machinify, Inc.: The VBC org acquired AI Authorization assets from the AI operating system platform.    • ProgenyHealth, LLC + Wildflower Health: The maternity and NICU case management solution is partnering with the women’s health VBC enabler to “help health plans fill gaps, collapse silos and integrate into existing clinical and operational workflows.”    • Health Catalyst + Carevīve: The population health data and analytics company has completed acquisition of the cancer care management solution. 🧠 Food for Thought: • This article provided an interesting look at Nebraska Medicine’s efforts to design a next-generation hospital room, including the four technologies they’ve selected to anchor their work. https://lnkd.in/em-u-a5v    • McKinsey released a survey of 200 global health system executives on their investment priorities. Among the notable findings, 88% listed AI as an area of high potential impact, yet only 40% have implemented any solution thus far and over 20% don’t have plans to invest in the next two years. https://lnkd.in/eK3CeqQ2

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Oracle Health announced plans to launch a next-generation EHR platform in 2025, incorporating advanced cloud and AI capabilities. This new EHR will feature Oracle's clinical AI agent, voice-activated navigation, and Health Data Intelligence, which integrates patient data from over 300 sources to enhance clinical workflows and improve patient outcomes. The platform aims to replace traditional EHRs, which often dictate rigid workflows, with a more dynamic system that allows for personalized care plans. Oracle Health emphasizes that the new EHR is a complete reinvention rather than an upgrade of the previous Cerner system. Additionally, Oracle plans to become a Qualified Health Information Network to facilitate standardized data sharing across the healthcare ecosystem. Executives at Oracle also unveiled new cloud applications to improve patient management and streamline front-office operations, reinforcing the company's commitment to enhancing healthcare accessibility and data utility while addressing interoperability challenges in the industry.

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To meet CMS’ commitment to have all #Medicare beneficiaries in value-based payments (VBP) by 2030, payers have to dig deeper into #VBP design flaws and explore new strategies like: •Creating a coordinated set of VBP model designs to cut wasteful or inefficient spending without asking one participant to forgo all the revenue. •Introducing real savings requirements for shared savings, or implementing a risk-score growth cap to encourage better care practices. •Leaning into mandatory participation in new VBP programs to help ALL types of Medicare beneficiaries – not just larger-scale organizations. Read more about how these solutions can help accelerate VBP adoption in a recent Health Affairs article I wrote with Amol S Navathe and Daniel Shenfeld (linked in comments) #HealthcareonLinkedIn

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We are at the start of the Healthcare and Life Sciences-specific Foundation Model revolution. John Snow Labs Medical LLMs are now available in Amazon SageMaker JumpStart on Amazon Web Services (AWS). In the very near future there will be hundreds, if not thousands, of industry-specific large data models that will out perform generalist models. Of course, many groups will choose to enrich general models with proprietary data to make them more specific, using services such as Amazon Bedrock but there will be pretrained models ready to go 'out of the box'. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eUHq8AuX

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Key trends and takeaways from HLTH 2024: 1. AI's Evolving Role: AI dominated discussions, with executives acknowledging its potential while also recognizing challenges in accuracy and clinician trust. There's a shift towards focusing on the practical applications of AI, with a call for partnerships to ensure reliable testing and implementation. 2. Infrastructure Focus: Beyond the glitzy AI tools, there's a growing emphasis on the "picks and shovels" needed for healthcare data accessibility, including infrastructure, compliance, and interoperability. Executives believe that improving data flow will facilitate the effective use of AI. 3. Middlemen Under Scrutiny: Pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) faced criticism for their role in rising drug costs, with discussions highlighting misaligned incentives and the need for transparency in healthcare pricing. 4. Women's Health Spotlight: Women's health initiatives gained attention, particularly following government funding announcements and personal stories shared by advocates. However, investment in women's health remains minimal compared to overall healthcare funding. 5. Interest in Psychedelic Medicine: The potential of psychedelics for treating mental health conditions garnered significant interest, with discussions about funding and research moving forward, especially within the Veterans Affairs system. Executive Takeaways: Leaders from various sectors emphasized the importance of consumer-focused strategies, collaboration, and the need for responsible AI usage. There was a consensus on the critical role of addressing healthcare accessibility, improving patient experiences, and fostering innovations that genuinely enhance care delivery.

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Caveat emptor on #healthcare #AI: “A routine #tech checkup revealed the #algorithm decayed during the covid-19 pandemic, getting 7 percentage points worse at predicting who would die, according to a 2022 study.” Keep in mind that it is *not* “one and done” with algorithms, rather you need to always update the algorithm via re-training, more recent data, more relevant data. If you are purchasing #medicalAI, ask these questions. Ensure there is ongoing #QA and measures of #reliability. #Healthtech has a checkered history of overpromising. #Tech vendors also seek to create dependencies where you can’t “fire” then or replace them. Also, whoever was the internal champion may seek to obfuscate rather than identify issues, for fear of loss of face or even job loss. Given all the ways things might not be clear after purchase, then leverage your full buyer power while considering new tech to buy.

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🚀 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗘𝗛𝗥 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 🚀 Why does the user interface of an Electronic Health Record (EHR) system matter? Because it can save time, reduce errors, and improve patient outcomes. Recent studies reveal just how impactful thoughtful design can be: 💡 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: 1️⃣ A redesigned EHR interface reduced task times by 27.7% for clinical staff while boosting screening rates for depression, fall risk, and substance misuse. 2️⃣ Adjusting how tests are displayed cut unnecessary diagnostic orders by over 40%, showcasing the power of design to influence behavior. 3️⃣ Poor UX/UI—cluttered screens, inconsistent terminology, and excessive clicks—drives clinician burnout, but user-centered design and AI tools are paving the way for change. By prioritizing intuitive interfaces, AI integration, and clinician involvement in design, we can unlock new levels of efficiency, satisfaction, and care quality. 👩‍💻 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝗛𝗥 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀: 1️⃣ Canvas Medical: Combines no-code and developer-centric tools to empower personalized EHR solutions. Perfect for creating flexible, user-friendly interfaces. 2️⃣ Healthie: A cloud-based, ONC-certified EHR that seamlessly blends practice management and patient engagement features. 3️⃣ ElationEMR: Focuses on efficiency with a layout that allows clinicians to view multiple data points on a single screen. 4️⃣ DrChrono by EverHealth: Pioneers iOS-based EHRs with innovative features, including secure medical data transfer via Apple AirDrop. 5️⃣ Modernizing Medicine® Gastroenterology, formerly gMed®: Builds specialty-specific EHR platforms, offering tailored solutions for dermatology, orthopedics, and beyond. 🎨 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁: Fuselab Creative , a D.C.-based UX/UI agency, is raising the bar in healthcare design with: ✔️ Intuitive EHR interface designs that reduce clinician burden. ✔️ Smart healthcare dashboards that turn complex data into actionable insights. ✔️ A commitment to human-centered design to create transformative user experiences. 🚀 𝗘𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵: ✔️ AI & Automation: From voice-command prescriptions to AI-enhanced note-taking, smart tech is reshaping workflows. ✔️ Mobile-First Interfaces: Optimized designs for tablets make healthcare data more portable and accessible. ✔️ Predictive Analytics: Helping clinicians make data-driven decisions with AI-powered diagnosis tools. ✨ 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: Better EHR design means faster workflows, enhanced patient engagement, and improved health outcomes. It’s not just about technology; it’s about rethinking healthcare delivery from the ground up. 💬 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲? Which startups or trends excite you the most? How can health-tech innovation improve EHR design? Let’s discuss in the comments! 👇 #InVCMafia #VentureCapital #StartupEcosystem #healthcare #EHR #uiux

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I often get asked how wearables can be incorporated into health programs. One area that is promising is atrial fibrillation. Fitbit (now part of Google) recently launched a feature that makes it even easier to do so. https://lnkd.in/ebGK37yt Wearables such as Fitbit and Pixel watch can detect an irregular pattern and send users an alert through an Irregular Rhythm Notifications (IRN) feature that nearly 10 million people around the world have opted into. (more details in this study of 455,699 people https://lnkd.in/ejpP2Fya) With user consent, healthcare stakeholders can now access this data through the Fitbit Web API, enhancing proactive care strategies. Specifically: 📊 Health plans can develop large-scale Afib monitoring programs for early detection - shown to be cost effective in an independent analysis in JAMA https://lnkd.in/eTYqG7Sq. 🏥 Hospitals can integrate IRN data into a heart health program. When a patient receives an Irregular Rhythm Notification, the hospital can set up appropriate testing such as event monitors and echocardiograms to make a formal diagnosis and look for underlying issues. 🔬 Researchers can incorporate this data into studies, making it easier to understand the nuances of atrial fibrillation and the impact of Irregular Rhythm Notifications on outcomes. Not only are wearables a great tool for detection, they can also help promote lifestyle measures which are the first line treatment for atrial fibrillation per the American Heart Association guidelines (section 5.2 here https://lnkd.in/esbG3u8v) Grateful for the entire team that made this work possible including Brian Gaillardetz, Dushyant Vipradas, Heena Goel Sethi, Grant Campfield, Florence Thng, Jessica (Otero) Bidle, Tony Faranesh, Lori Huss, Matthew Kenny, Aleksandro Grabulov, Amy McDonough, and so many more!

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Unveiling the Future of Patient Care: Discover how our Proprietary Sepsis Prediction Model can revolutionize early detection and improve outcomes. Watch to learn how AI-driven insights are transforming the fight against sepsis in healthcare! Nauman Jaffar Douglas Slakey, MD,MPH SenSights.AI™ Abby Aboitiz #HealthcareInnovation #SepsisAwareness #AIinHealthcare #PatientSafety

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The focus at Omada Health is keeping humans at the center of care. We see our members mention this special relationship repeatedly. The latest from Omada proves just that, as the company announced a pledge to Healthcare AI Commitments underscoring its goals of using AI to empower human-led care teams to drive behavior change at scale. This commitment means plans to continue pursuing cutting-edge technologies that enable more personalized and equitable care for members. With billions of actionable health data points to draw on Omada is utilizing AI and machine learning to help scale member/care team interactions. Learn more about this commitment in the latest release: https://lnkd.in/gSCiDgg2

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John Snow Labs is transforming how we create patient cohorts using generative AI. By leveraging multimodal clinical data, their innovative solutions allow healthcare professionals to segment high-risk patients and provide precise, personalized care. With the ability to answer natural language questions and explain answers with cited sources, this tool is a game-changer for population health management. Learn more about how this cutting-edge technology can enhance patient outcomes! Learn More: https://lnkd.in/dWWZeBGj #HealthcareInnovation #PatientCohorts #GenerativeAI #ClinicalData #PersonalizedCare #HealthTech #PopulationHealth #JohnSnowLabs #AIinHealthcare #MedicalAI #HealthData #PatientOutcomes #HealthcareTech

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This recent study shows the powerful impact general-use LLMs can have on diagnostic accuracy. Two additional takeaways for me: 1️⃣ AI tools have the potential to dramatically increase access to information. In health care, this can mean improved diagnostic accuracy, better outcomes, lower costs (through more efficient care, without so many costly investigations). ➕ That may also mean the potential to widen the scope of generalists or lower-trained cadres of health workers. Can the primary care physician evaluate a condition further before considering referring to the specialist in the American suburbs? Can the community health worker safely and more comprehensively manage HIV patients in a low-income country? 2️⃣ Educating the health care workforce on the possible applications of AI to their daily work is critical to its success. Just as with any new tool. This AI education must be baked into medical, nursing, pharmacy, physiotherapy, and CHW programs. And it must be foundational to on-boarding to any new job or organization. #ai #health #healthworkers #healthworkforce #clinical #physicians #nurses #chw #healthcare #healthsystems Full article: https://lnkd.in/g76_cFcH https://lnkd.in/gREiUTSi

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Technology, innovation, and game-changing healthcare. #bestofthebest Proudly to partner with healthcare disrupter Transcarent! Reinventing the status quo by removing the complexity in access to care when patients need it most. Patients can now proceed to bariatric surgery without the useless delay of criteria created by insurance companies. Thanks to employer-funded healthcare, patients can improve their health faster with life-changing bariatric surgery at NO COST to the patient. #gamechanging #bariatricsurgery #healthcaredisrupter #healthcare #patientsfirst #affordable #access #bariatricsurgeon

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