Digital health gets an upgrade | Whitney Isola | TEDxFergusonLibrary

Introduction

The speaker introduces herself and discusses the healthcare industry.

Healthcare Industry

• The healthcare industry is an important part of the economy, but there is a disconnect between those who consume healthcare and those who decide on pricing and programs.

• Technology was supposed to help bridge this gap, but it has not been successful in improving the patient experience.

• The speaker suggests that we need to look back in order to move forward.

Chapters 1 & 2: Electronic Medical Records and Workflow Optimization

The speaker discusses the first two chapters of healthcare technology.

Electronic Medical Records

• Chapter one of healthcare tech was the introduction of electronic medical records.

Workflow Optimization

• Chapter two of healthcare tech was focused on workflow optimization and automation.

Issues with Chapters 1 & 2

The speaker discusses how chapters one and two did not improve the patient experience.

Patient Experience

• Despite being important foundations for today's healthcare technology, chapters one and two did not improve the patient experience.

• In fact, some argue that they made it worse by having doctors focus more on their computers than their patients.

Shift in Payment Models

The speaker discusses how payment models were shifting during this time period.

Changes in Healthcare

• Payment models were favoring large healthcare systems while community hospitals were getting acquired, driving up costs for patients.

• Rural hospitals were getting gutted or closing down, decreasing access to care.

• Provider shortages were beginning to set in, particularly in primary care.

Telehealth

The speaker discusses how telehealth could have helped during this time period but was not trusted.

Provision of Healthcare via Telehealth

• Telehealth could have helped provision healthcare, but patients did not trust it.

• Providers were concerned about the risk of lawsuits due to the inability to perform physical exams.

• Payers were hesitant to reimburse at the same rates as in-person care.

Incrementalism

The speaker discusses how incrementalism led to a lack of progress.

Pilot Programs

• Instead of making major shifts, there were ten thousand pilot programs that did not lead to significant progress.

COVID-19 Pandemic

The speaker discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic forced changes in healthcare technology.

Changes During Pandemic

• The pandemic highlighted the need for more nimble healthcare technology.

• Telehealth services were quickly expanded and reimbursed at the same rates as in-person care.

• Remote patient monitoring was expanded into more services and quickly codified.

• Trusted organizations began communicating with patients about these options.

Conclusion

The speaker concludes by discussing the importance of broadening solutions and options available to patients.

Digital Health

• Broadening solutions and giving more consumerism in healthcare is incredibly important.

• There are many companies and bright minds working on trying to connect the dots for digital health.

Introduction

The speaker discusses how digital solutions can be used to improve healthcare and make it more consumer-driven.

Digital Solutions for Healthcare

• There are hundreds of apps that can act as a personal care team.

• Tools like automatic blood pressure monitoring and daily check-ins can be sent to care teams or family members.

• Opening up digital ecosystems will enhance the safety of digital data, drive innovation in research and development, help physicians make better treatment decisions, and give patients ownership of their own data.

Chapter Three: Consumerism in Healthcare

The speaker introduces chapter three, which focuses on leveraging digital solutions to drive more consumerism in healthcare.

Three Asks

• Believe in the changes that are coming.

• Ask a lot of questions and advocate for yourself.

• Give just a little bit of trust into this digital Health Revolution.