ChilCast: Healthcare Tech Talks

Data Liquidity for Clinical Trials: Patient Autonomy and the Rise of AI with UBC and SEQSTER

Wed, 29 May 2024 06:00:00 -0400

Join us on this episode of the Chilcast as we discuss use cases for real world data and the future of medical research. We're joined by industry experts Aaron Berger, SVP of Evidence Development Solutions at the clinical research organization UBC, and Ardy Arianpour, CEO and Co-Founder of SEQSTER, the first one-click, patient-mediated platform for clinical data aggregation.

Hear how these two have worked together to enable greater data liquidity in the clinical trials process, reducing physician administrative burden (and cost), creating new opportunities to accelerate the development process by expediting recruitment and the collection of medical histories. As health data continues to be digital gold for the companies that are able to effectively leverage it, learn how one partnership around RWD has had far-reaching implications about the future of trial design, post-market surveillance, and more.

Be sure to follow us on LinkedIn and take a look at our research to stay up to date on the health IT industry.

Providence's Blueprint for Value-Based, Data-Driven Healthcare feat. Deepak Sadagopan

Tue, 12 Mar 2024 14:00:00 -0400

Deepak Sadagopan, COO of Population Health at Providence and CEO of Health Connect Partners, joins us on this episode for an in-depth conversation on the transformative power of new healthcare technologies. We unpack the complex shift toward value-based care, how data and analytics solutions are fueling this progression, and the complexity of developing a comprehensive population health strategy across disparate populations with different needs.

We navigate the possibilities of technology in enhancing health equity, while scrutinizing the practical economic implications of this shift. In a world where healthcare IT is evolving at breakneck speeds, yet the system writ-large has been loathe to change, we explore what has changed in the past 15 or so years: the pivotal role of wide adoption of electronic health records, the mandate to develop a complete digital health strategy, and the promise of interoperability initiatives like TEFCA to improve information sharing across the healthcare landscape.

Sadagopan, a seasoned veteran in healthcare system operations, sheds light on Providence's journey towards capitation, and what it takes to manage a sprawling network of care with a focus on delivering patient-centered quality within the context of numerous different value-based contracts.

We round off our discussion by considering the impact of healthcare technology investments, weighing the significance of ROI against the broader spectrum of patient outcomes and health equity. Join us as we uncover the advancements in healthcare information infrastructure and how Providence prioritizes patient-reported outcomes in their operational improvement efforts, pushing the envelope on what it means to deliver modern, quality care in America.

Regulation as a Forcing Function for Innovation feat. Micky Tripathi, HHS' National Coordinator for Health IT

Tue, 13 Feb 2024 10:00:00 -0500

I recently spoke with Micky Tripathi, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, about assessing value in digital health / healthcare IT investments and how federal action can help coordinate progress in healthcare technology. We discussed the role of federal policy, highlights from recent ONC legislation, and opportunities ahead.

Join us on a journey through Micky's unconventional path from political science to spearheading health data interoperability initiatives, and glean insights into the transformative impact of federal regulations like the 21st Century Cures Act on the adoption of healthcare IT.

In our candid exchange, we scrutinize the evolution of health information exchange networks and the essential role of governance in safeguarding data integrity and trust. With the ONC's craftsmanship of the SDOH playbook under the Biden-Harris administration, we break down the quest for health equity through data integration initiatives like USCDI and TEFCA.

Having established a digital baseline, the industry now looks to innovate upon that core to truly begin unlocking value from these assets. There is still so much untapped potential to utilize health data for major initiatives, such as the Cancer Moonshot program or solving for the maternal health divide.

For those passionate about influencing healthcare policy, we close with Micky's advice on how to wield your voice through public comment opportunities. Tune in for this opportunity to hear from a vaunted pillar of healthcare IT policymaking, and learn about his future vision for digital health.

Unlocking the Value of Data-Driven Healthcare with Keith Figlioli of LRVHealth

Mon, 29 Jan 2024 10:00:00 -0500

In this episode of the Chilcast, John Moore interviews Keith Figlioli, Managing Partner at LRVHealth and host of the Health Care is Hard podcast. Continuing the theme of the Health Impact Project series, the two discuss current market conditions in healthcare and how various stakeholders are assessing the value of digital health implementations today.

Keith shares insights from his experiences at Explorys and Premier, as well as what he learns from the conversations he has with other industry leaders in his current role. He notes we are entering the "second wave" of digital health focused on fundamentally transforming how and where care is delivered, largely driven by the macro force of ongoing clinical scarcity.

Figlioli emphasizes that healthcare organizations must keep innovating despite economic challenges. Successful technologies will demonstrate clear cost reductions or revenue growth. He believes priorities include automating administrative tasks, improving patient scheduling, integrating medical evidence into EHRs, and streamlining prior authorizations.

Looking ahead over the next decade, Figlioli sees major changes coming in specialty care similar to recent disruption in primary care, with private equity becoming more involved. He advises health systems to carefully define their competitive differentiation and not spread themselves too thin. Partnerships will become increasingly important.

Moore and Figlioli agree the market is resetting to more realistic dynamics after a period of excessive hype and overvalued companies. But substantial venture funding continues to flow into digital health focused on true transformation.

Can We Get Some Service!? Delivering Patient Value in the Digital Age with Grace Cordovano, PhD, BCPA

Wed, 17 Jan 2024 15:00:00 -0500

In our third guest episode for the Health Impact Project, we invited our friend Grace Cordovano, PhD, BCPA, to discuss the value of healthcare technology from her perspective as a patient advocate. In addition to running her advocacy practice, Enlightening Results, and her startup, Unblock Health, Grace is also involved with the Cancer X Initiative, the Sequoia Project, and the National Academy of Medicine's AI Code of Conduct Project. She also happens to be one of our favorite people to follow on LinkedIn.

During this conversation, Dr. Cordovano speaks to her experiences working with patients, noting the toll of patient administrative work, the impact of financial toxicity, and the role of technology in improving access to care – in particular clinical trials for cancer treatment.

We talk about the value of healthcare organizations from the patients' perspective, where the most important outcomes are focused on reducing suffering and appropriately aligning with each individual's values – making sure to see them as a person and not as just a statistic or their diagnosis. This brought remote patient monitoring, palliative care, and digital tools into the conversation, as these have all been shown to greatly improve quality of life in the right situations.

Most of our discussion can be summarized in one particularly compelling statement that Grace made, and which underlies much of her policy-focused work: anything in healthcare that touches the patient should be aligned with giving that individual a competitive advantage against their diagnosis. This perspective is so compelling and easy to grasp, but not one we hear anywhere near often enough.

Key Takeaways:

The patient administrative burden continues to worsen and it's clear that only proper regulation will be effective in curtailing this. Just like with provider-facing solutions, this is an area where information technology can be particularly effective in supporting users' needs.
Better access to clinical trials, and greater diversity in these trials is essential to creating healthy populations – particularly in cancer care and rare disease treatment.
Remote monitoring and home care are [re-]emerging as particularly effective models of care that improve quality of life, but there are many considerations to take into account in each case when deciding if its appropriate.
It is crucial for any company or organization touching patient lives to incorporate the perspective of actual patients in the development of their solutions and services, otherwise "patient-centric" is merely lip-service to a current buzzword.

The Health Impact Project: GAAP for HCIT ROI? LOL GTFO

Fri, 05 Jan 2024 13:00:00 -0500

In the second Chilcast episode featuring the Health Impact Project team, we go deeper with our exploration into the challenges of assessing the value of digital health and health IT implementations. This conversation explores the history of recent legislation and regulation that impact the healthcare sector, specifically the interplay between technology regulation pushed via HHS and care model innovation pushed by CMS. We also introduce the idea of a healthcare innovation version of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), with a brief exploration of why nothing like this exists already. As with most of these episodes, we conclude with a call for a collaborative conversation to drive industry maturity and improve patient outcomes.

The conversation captured on this episode, as well as the next group one, both tie into our recently published article, "When world's collide: How two decades of regulation both advanced and hindered our transformative vision of healthcare innovation."

Takeaways

Legislation has played a significant role in shaping the adoption of IT in the healthcare industry, but has come up against care model reform legislation that often doesn't neatly align with IT maturity. This has created extra burden on decision makers who must balance these prerogatives.
Challenges remain in assessing the value of technology, especially due to the complexity of current shifts in the economics of care.
Our industry needs to develop its own equivalent of generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) for evaluating the impact and return on investment (ROI) of health technologies. This is complicated by the moral mandate of the healthcare industry, where the outcomes of "free market forces" are not always best for the population being served. Any calculation of ROI needs to account for this double bottom line.
Collaboration and a shared understanding of value are essential for driving industry success with technology use cases, which in turn should improve outcomes and experiences.

Deciphering the Value Equation for Health Tech with Bessemer Venture Partners

Tue, 19 Dec 2023 10:00:00 -0500

In this episode of the Chilcast, John Moore interviews Steve Kraus (Partner) and Sofia Guerra (Vice President) at Bessemer Venture Partners' (BVP) Cambridge, MA, office, about how venture capital firms perceive the value and impact of health technologies.

Key topics discussed:

BVP takes a "bilingual" approach with expertise in both healthcare and technology to identify innovative opportunities. With healthcare being far behind other industries in digitization and consumerization, they're able to apply expertise and insights from other enterprise technology adoption to healthcare.
Major challenges facing healthcare technology companies include long sales cycles, fragmentation into niche solutions, and financing risk. However, there is strong talent for building cutting-edge health products now.
To drive adoption, developers need to first create end user love. Know who your users are going to be, what they really want from a solution, and then deliver on that.
In healthcare, it's critical to show both clinical outcomes and financial ROI. Appeal to key decision makers - CTOs, CMIOs, CIOs.
Major societal healthcare challenge is marginal outcomes at too high costs, largely due to the fee-for-service payment system. Value-based care helps address this, but we're still figuring out what this means from both an economic and regulatory standpoint.
Consumer engagement remains a huge unmet need. Giving consumers choice drives efficiency and quality as it has in other industries.
Disruptors like Amazon and Microsoft will have impact by focusing on their core competencies in areas like consumer experience and AI automation.
The market downturn will persist through 2023 into 2024 but strong companies will emerge from the noise during this period as the broader markets rebound. Continued innovation opportunities will also arise from new regulations and the evolving needs of a changing market.

Achieving Transformation and Defining Health IT Value with John Glaser

Thu, 07 Dec 2023 12:00:00 -0500

On this episode of the Chilcast, host John Moore III interviews John Glaser, Executive in Residence at Harvard Medical School and healthcare [technology] industry veteran. The conversation delves into the factors that determine whether a transformation strategy will be successful, and how to think about assessing the value of healthcare IT implementations, highlighting the need for organizations to have a customized, agreed-upon approach based on their specific goals.

Key Takeaways:

Assessing the value of digital health and health IT implementations in the healthcare industry requires a tailored approach based on the specific needs of each organization.
Financial return on investment (ROI) should not be the sole metric for assessing the value of technology, as it can overlook other important factors such as patient experience and clinical outcomes.
There are 5 specific factors required for any organizational transformation strategy to succeed.
Collaboration among multiple stakeholders is crucial for driving value and reducing costs in healthcare. Technology needs to be seen as an enabler of strategic initiatives, not as the initiative itself.

The Health Impact Project: What is this? Why now?

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 11:00:00 -0500

In the world of healthcare, where patient experience / quality of life and physician’s ability to feel fulfilled in their work are key drivers of success, defining ROI with a sole focus on finance just didn’t match what we were hearing from colleagues and seeing in the headlines.

Nearing the 15 year anniversary of HITECH, and 20th of the founding of the ONC, it seems like the industry is having a reckoning with the fact that it is still exceedingly difficult to quantify the impact of the billions of dollars of investment that have been made in IT.

After intentionally interrogating this observation with dozens of discussions validating that gut feeling, a few brilliant, deeply experienced, and like-minded folx came together to work on developing a path forward that better aligns with the actual goals of various technology investments across the sector. The team that has come together around this effort are:

After months of working on how to approach this, we’re thrilled to introduce our effort to the world, the Health Impact Project. We officially soft-launched the effort last week with the initial installment of our five-part manifesto, Assessing Health Tech Value in the Next Decade. In addition to the written word, we will be producing a series of podcasts under the Chilcast banner.

For our first podcast, get to know the team as we dive into what motivated each of us to come together for this work, the values we each bring to the table, why this has been hard for the industry to date, and what makes this work so mission-critical today.

Key Discussion Points:

1:24 - Our motivation to come together to work on this
4:54 - The values we each bring
9:46 - Why is this so dang hard in [US] healthcare?
17:35 - What makes this work so critical *now*?

Building Responsible AI for Healthcare with Dr. John Halamka, Suchi Saria, and Jody Ranck, DrPH

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 11:00:00 -0500

On this episode of the Chilcast, we tackle the main topic of 2023 with three of the leading voices in the industry – the responsible development of AI for healthcare use cases with John Halamka, Suchi Saria, and moderator Jody Ranck.

Key takeaways from this episode:
- Our experts highlight the need for a balanced approach to regulation and innovation – need to ensure safety and ethical development, but don't want to stifle new advancements either.
- It is proven to be critical that diverse perspectives and voices are included in both the regulatory and development processes.
- Collaboration and continuous learning are crucial for responsible AI implementation in healthcare.

Chapters:
0:00 Introductions
4:25 Mayo Clinic Platform
7:02 Overview of The Coalition for Health AI (CHAI)
8:31 Bayesian Health Overview
11:12 Current Regulatory Discourse
23:24 Managing Tradeoffs and Social Impact
30:19 Accelerating Evidence-Based Medicine
34:30 Who Gets a Seat at the Table?
40:41 Can "Hallucinations" be Valid Hypotheses?
42:25 Evaluation as Part of the Innovation Cycle
50:41 What is the Threshold for AI Accuracy to be Implemented in Care Decisions?
54:25 Regulation Impact on Innovation
56:39 Regulation of Applications vs Models

A Redeterminations Disaster: The Necessity of Patient Engagement with Carrie Kozlowski and Ed Marx

Tue, 03 Oct 2023 19:00:00 -0400

In this episode of the Chilcast, Managing Partner John Moore is joined by Carrie Kozlowski, COO and co-founder of Upfront Healthcare, and Ed Marx, CEO and Founder of Marx Advisory, to discuss the importance of engagement, trust, and technology as part of community outreach in the context of the ongoing post-PHE Medicaid redetermination process.

The episode opens with an introduction to the problem: the concerning number of individuals who have lost Medicaid coverage so far – approximately 38% of those evaluated, largely due to trivial administrative issues – and the significant impact to children when health access is denied during key developmental years. This is also a significant financial hit to already struggling disproportionate share hospitals (DSH means high Medicare / Medicaid populations), creating significant uncertainty around ongoing access to care in some of these communities if margins are eroded any further, possibly resulting in closures or reduction in services provided.

The three then get into a discussion about some of the social factors contributing to this issue, how technology can address aspects of the problem when applied appropriately, and the importance of recognizing that everyone is different so you really need to meet people where they are to have a meaningful impact. A lot of ground is covered, so it’s best to just go and listen.

Key Takeaways:

1. Focus on the patient: The guests emphasize the need for a patient-centric approach, understanding patients' unique needs and preferences, and delivering culturally sensitive content in multiple languages and literacy levels.

2. Utilize technology effectively: Technology plays a crucial role in patient engagement – but keep in mind that the right people and processes are critical to achieve the intended outcomes of any tool. Leveraging the right data and adopting an omnichannel care approach can improve both communication and outcomes.

3. Collaborative system redesign: Collaboration and system redesign are essential in driving change. Leaders should work together across departments and with community representatives to implement innovative outreach and activation campaigns. Education and buy-in from local leaders is a must to establish trust.

4. Experimentation and adaptation: Healthcare systems must be willing to adapt quickly and experiment with new approaches, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. Learning from companies outside of healthcare and incorporating community awareness can lead to more consumer-friendly care experiences.

5. Prioritize the patient and equity: The guests stress the importance of prioritizing what is best for the patient as a whole person and taking steps towards equity. Providing a hyper-personalized experience and focusing on the wellbeing of entire communities are some of the best ways to drive better outcomes.

Getting Real with Healthcare Data

Wed, 13 Sep 2023 19:00:00 -0400

On this episode of the Chilcast, John Moore III, Managing Partner of Chilmark Research, sits with Joshua McHale, a consulting analyst at Chilmark who was the lead author for the recent report, Getting Real with Healthcare Data: RWD/RWE Enabling New Models of Research and Care Delivery. They discuss the importance of RWD/RWE in healthcare delivery and research today, notable findings from the report, and advice for folks starting or getting deeper into their RWD strategy.

Questions? Comments? Feel free to reach out at podcasts@chilmarkresearch.com. We'd love to hear from you.

Audio editing and production handled by Colin Kingfisher.

Inclusive, Affirming, Accessible: How to Support LGBTQ+ Health Needs with GLMA and OutCare Health

Wed, 02 Aug 2023 10:00:00 -0400

On the Pride edition of the ChilCast, we feature two very special guests in an exciting and sobering look at the ways in which LGBTQ+ people interact with (and are often failed by) the American healthcare system and the technology within it.

How can healthcare tech enable this marginalized population to receive better care and better outcomes? Where is the intersection of technology, access to care, and health equity? We dive into all this and more on this special edition episode.

Chilmark Research is proud to feature our two distinguished guests, both of whom bring robust backgrounds in LGBTQ+ healthcare and advocacy to the discussion:

Dr. Dustin Nowaskie is a queer, nonbinary psychiatrist who is making waves in the world of LGBTQ+ healthcare. With a deep personal identification and a strong civic commitment, they have dedicated their career to improving the lives of LGBTQ+ individuals.

Alex Sheldon is a professional researcher, strategist, and advocate with over 15 years of experience in the field of human rights with a concentration in LGBTQ+ rights. Prior to joining GLMA, Alex was the Head of Research & Social Impact at an LGBTQ+ start-up company, where they specialized in economic inclusion for LGBTQ+ people. Alex currently serves on the Board of Directors at the Equality Federation.

Resources from this episode:

OutCare Health:

OutCare Health (outcarehealth.org) is a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting health equity for LGBTQ+ communities worldwide. OutCare's mission is to empower LGBTQ+ people with comprehensive information, resources, support, and education, including an affirming healthcare provider directory, mentorship, education, training, research, community building, support groups, webinar series, blogs, and much more. OutCare's vision is to create a world where every LGBTQ+ person has access to quality healthcare and feels empowered to live their healthiest, most authentic life.

OutCare’s OutList is the largest international directory of LGBTQ+ affirming providers. People looking for providers can access the directory at outcarehealth.org/outlist. Providers can join the directory at outcarehealth.org/add-provider-listing.

OutCare empowers patients and community members with affirming healthcare, resources, and support. Learn more at outcarehealth.org/patient-resources.

OutCare empowers providers with affirming education, training, and many more resources. Learn more at outcarehealth.org/provider-solutions.

GLMA:

GLMA is a national organization committed to ensuring health equity for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) communities and equality for LGBTQ+ health professionals in their work and learning environments. To achieve this mission, GLMA utilizes the scientific expertise of its diverse multidisciplinary membership to inform and drive advocacy, education, and research.

GLMA's website: https://www.glma.org/
GLMA's press release about the lawsuit in TX to defend gender-affirming care: https://glma.org/news_manager.php?page=27415
Info on GLMA's Annual Conference on LGBTQ+ Health:
(ChilCast listeners receive a 30% discount with code 2023chilmark30)
https://www.glma.org/conference.php
Info on how to become a GLMA member: https://www.memberleap.com/members/newmem/new-mem-reg.php?org_id=GLMA

Father, Husband, Leader, Visionary: Remembering John Moore Jr.

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 14:00:00 -0400

Responsible, Ethical AI Through Philosophy and Data Science

Wed, 05 Jul 2023 14:00:00 -0400

On this episode, we had the opportunity to have a conversation with one of the leading philosophers of technology and AI, Dr. Mark Coeckelbergh, and data scientist Jona Boeddinghaus, who are founding members of Dai.ki, a collective of ethical, legal, design, and data science practitioners passionate about responsible AI.

Our conversation ranges from how we need to think about power and AI, to regulatory discourses and their limitations, to an overview of a case study of a recent engagement they led with a hospital in Basel, Switzerland on implementing a large language model in medicine and healthcare.

May 2023 Update: A New Report, Generative AI, Care Inequities; and Farewell, PHE

Wed, 07 Jun 2023 19:00:00 -0400

On this episode of ChilCast: Healthcare Tech Talks, the Chilmark team explores the headlines from May 2023 in the world of healthcare IT.

We've also released our latest report on Hospital at Home technologies, featuring a new format!

What impact will generative AI and its woeful lack of oversight have on healthcare? How can health systems respond to the glaring gaps in care for underserved populations? And was it too soon to end the Public Health Emergency for COVID-19?

We dive into these topics and more on this month's recap. Follow the link here referenced in the discussion as well as a transcript.

April 2023 Update: HIMSS Recap and the AI Surge

Wed, 10 May 2023 09:00:00 -0400

The Chilcast is back with the second installment of our monthly recap series! Join the team as we touch on topics ranging from our personal experiences at HIMSS, generative AI, Epic's GPT-4 integration, Google - Med-PaLM 2 rollout, MEDITECH partnership, and more!

HIMSS has wrapped up, and it was an extraordinary event. 35,000+ attendees from around the world gathered in Chicago to connect with like-minded individuals and discuss the latest trends in the industry. The conference was jam-packed with enlightening sessions, exciting panel discussions, and opportunities to catch up with old industry friends.

Did you miss us at HIMSS? No worries, please be sure to reach out to J3 or Colin to get something on the books as soon as possible.

Check out our analysts' post-HIMSS recaps here:

HIMSS’23: Another Round by Elena
HIMSS’23: A First-Time Experience by Fatma
HIMSS’23: AI Hype Overload by Jody

View the full show notes for this episode on our website here: https://www.chilmarkresearch.com/chilcast-healthcare-tech-talks---april-industry-update/

March 2023 Update: HIMSS plans, VC/PE in health care, Meta Pixel vs HIPAA, AI ethics, and more

Wed, 05 Apr 2023 14:00:00 -0400

Abbreviated show notes below. View all links and the full notes in our blog post about this episode here.

ACA Preventive Care mandate challenged

STAT article about the preventive care mandate case

SVB / Banking / Private Investment in Healthcare

Podnosis interview with Mary Bugbee re impact of PE on rural care
Mariana Mazzucato, The Value of Everything
Foley & Lardner on the growing scrutiny of PE

John

ATA2023 quick recap

ATA and Foley & Lardner drafted this response letter to the DEA

Elena

HIT Like a Girl Podcast
Upcoming report on Hospital at Home Market Trends

Fatma

TEFCA and QHIN update

The Royal Court Arrives: coverage of the first round of QHINs to receive certificates of recognition
John met with Paul Wilder, Executive Director of the CommonWell Health Alliance, at HIMSS22 to discuss TEFCA and QHINs

Zus Health Funding

Our interview with Jonathan Bush from HIMSS22, “Healthcare Data Platforms: Getting to Network Effects”
Jonathan Bush's health data startup Zus Health raises $40M

Jody

Meta Pixel vs HIPAA

Background on the issue at Bloomberg Law
CA judge reminds us how unprepared the judicial system is to handle data privacy cases.
Book Club: Data Cartels: The Companies that Control and Monopolize our Information

AI / ChatGPT

Jody’s report from late 2022: AI and Trust in Healthcare
ChatGPT in Health and Medicine post by Jody
Hidden in Plain Sight: Reconsidering the Use of Race Correction in Clinical Algorithms
Jody’s interview with Dr. Tania Martin-Mercado about AI bias
LinkedIn group on ethical AI frameworks in healthcare

AI & Trust: The Tipping Point

Thu, 09 Mar 2023 13:00:00 -0500

Artificial intelligence applications have seemingly been near the point of widespread implementation for many years, across many industries including healthcare. But as emerging technologies like ChatGPT begin to dominate the public discourse, parallel healthcare applications are still suffering both in reputation and implementation.

As public confidence in the healthcare system continues to decline, it will be difficult to implement any AI applications effectively before a foundation of trust is built between patients and health systems. How do we get to a place where we once again trust our care providers and, by extension, the technologies they deploy?

Dr. Jody Ranck's recent Market Scan Report "AI and Trust in Healthcare" for Chilmark Research looks at these issues and more, which he discusses with Chilmark Analyst Elena Iakovleva in the latest episode of ChilCast: Healthcare Tech Talks.

Redefining Digital Health with Froedert Health's Dr. Bradley Crotty

Mon, 13 Jun 2022 09:00:00 -0400

Digital and app-based tools have long held the promise of improving care delivery for patients and providers alike. But in the world of healthcare, which is characteristically slow to adopt new technologies, how does a patient/consumer receive value or a favorable outcome via the use of technology? And how can these tools improve the experience of doctors everywhere, who are already being asked to participate in a myriad of tech solutions in addition to their daily practices?

We sat down with Dr. Bradley Crotty to dive into these issues. The Chief Digital Engagement Officer at Froedtert Health, Dr. Crotty is responsible for overseeing the digital transformation of the organization, as well as leading the digital engineering group and the product team within the health system.

When it comes to adoption of these solutions, winning over the hearts and minds of users is always a challenge. Dr. Crotty's experience working directly with clinics and publishing in peer-reviewed journals is helping to strike at the systems in place—often designed to maintain the status quo and minimize risk—and truly transform what it means to be a healthcare consumer in the digital age.

Breaking Through the Paper Wall with Mike McSherry

Fri, 27 May 2022 09:00:00 -0400

In this latest executive interview, Mike McSherry speaks with Chilmark VP John Moore III about how his past successes in consumer tech and an entrepreneur-in-residence opportunity at Providence prepared him for tackling patient engagement in the healthcare industry.

During our conversation, Mike recounts how he and his team explored 70+ startup ideas with Providence stakeholders – patients, nurses, physicians, executives – before settling on the Xealth concept. As veterans of the industry are aware, the idea of a centralized, vetted app marketplace for providers to activate patients has been attempted a few times since the mass adoption of smartphones.

We have followed this area closely for years, but to date, no startups have actually found a successful business model. The reasons for these failures (for lack of a better word) are many-fold, and each attempt needs to be examined in its own context to truly understand what arrested progress. That said, one consistent fact emerges: this is a complex model that requires buy-in from multiple healthcare stakeholders and adoption from two notoriously difficult to engage populations (patients and physicians). And as the concept of digital therapeutics continues to gain traction, the need for a viable "digital formulary" becomes that much more critical to the industry.

So why do Mike and his team think they'll be successful where others have failed? You'll have to listen to the podcast to hear their rationale for what makes Xealth different from previous solutions – we make sure to press him a bit on the topic, since it's our view here at Chilmark that this type of offering is critically important to integrating these new digital tools into care provision workflows in an effective way. Patients / consumers of health care are increasingly accustomed to the self-service, mobile-enabled options offered in other critical aspects of their lives, and a truly modern digital health ecosystem is incomplete without providing an option to utilize that for positive behavior change.

We'd love to hear your thoughts or feedback on this interview in the comments!

Walled Gardens to Network Effects with Jonathan Bush

Fri, 13 May 2022 09:00:00 -0400

Bias in AI: Illuminating the Unseen with Dr. Tania Martin-Mercado

Thu, 28 Apr 2022 08:00:00 -0400

On the latest episode of Chilcast: Healthcare Tech Talks, we are delighted to feature an interview with Dr. Tania Martin-Mercado, an expert in clinical research, biotech and public health. She joins Chilmark Senior Analyst Jody Ranck for a discussion on the issue of bias in AI: how it’s harmful to patients individually and our culture as a whole, how to add diversity to data teams in meaningful and authentic ways, and what organizations can do to tackle this issue as more algorithms are deployed for care delivery.

Time to Move Beyond 'Sick Care' to True Health Care

Thu, 14 Apr 2022 08:00:00 -0400

It takes all types, especially to throw a mammoth conference like HIMSS. Payers, providers, investors and solutions vendors all gather together in their tens of thousands under one roof to discuss the future of technology in healthcare. From all over the world, the experts in the field travel to learn, give presentations, network with their peers, and attempt to divine the future of the market.

But one group is usually underrepresented: educators. Injecting new blood and fresh ideas into healthcare tech will be an important component of revitalizing our battered healthcare system. Yet professors and universities in the sorely needed tech education sector were few and far between at the conference this year.

To be sure, medical and nursing schools occupied a solid place in the conference agenda. Provider systems nationwide are in the midst of a nerve-wracked hand-wringing session when it comes to the looming staffing crisis, which is already bad and getting worse. However, if someone wants to work in healthcare without being a doctor or a nurse, the options are less clear.

We were able to sit down with Dr. Gabriela Wilson, Professor and Co-Director at the Multi-Interprofessional Center for Health Informatics, UT-Arlington, to discuss these issues and more. She brings decades of experience in biochemistry, biotechnology, molecular biology and informatics to the table, along with a wider global perspective on healthcare in America.

HIMSS21 Interviews: Lightbeam's Jerry Shultz on Enabling a Sustainable Path to Value-Based Care

Fri, 25 Feb 2022 12:00:00 -0500

The path to implementing value-based care in the U.S. healthcare system has been fraught with challenges and peril. There’s quite a bit of momentum when it comes to maintaining the current model, as well as the financial incentives already in place. As COVID drags on, hospital systems are facing staffing shortages, physician burnout and a slew of financial setbacks.

It’s no surprise that switching to a VBC model has often taken a backseat as a priority, as providers around the country focus on putting out the immediate fires and making sure they can stay afloat. But as always, there is potential to grow and change. Health IT vendors are developing solutions that can assist providers with data collection and management, patient monitoring, and more, with the goal of enabling a shift away from the volume model.

Aiming to eliminate “alert fatigue” and aid in physicians being able to care for more patients at once, without spending a disproportionate amount of time fiddling with an EHR or platform, organizations like Lightbeam Health Solutions are setting the stage for a transition to value-based care.

We sat down with Lightbeam Health’s President, Jerry Shultz, at HIMSS ’21 to discuss this issue, how providers can both save money and better serve their patients, the future of value-based care, and more.

Platform Thinking for Healthcare: A Discussion with Vince Kuraitis and Randy Williams

Wed, 09 Feb 2022 10:00:00 -0500

In recent years we have seen a great deal of speculation about how the big tech players such as Amazon, Google, Apple and Microsoft would bring their platform business models to healthcare and disrupt business as usual. This has proven to be a more difficult hill to climb than expected, but the platform business model goes well beyond the platform natives in big tech. In a podcast with Vince Kuraitis and Randy Williams, we explored the nature of platform business models, how they differ from traditional business models and how they may impact the future of healthcare.

Traditional business models create products and services through production side integration that are delivered in a linear value creation process. Value capture is through optimization of production and the focus is on owning the supply chain. Gatekeepers are common and consumers experience friction when trying to access services. Rapid Covid tests are a great example in healthcare because they are developed manufactured and distributed by producers while consumers must go through gatekeepers to access.

Platform business models unlock new sources of value both on the creation side of the transaction, but also on the consumption side. Their function is to facilitate matches and consummate exchanges of goods/ services, thereby creating value for all parties. Platforms are usually less constrained by owned inventory. Often by using data and digital tools, platforms improve customer experience by increasing access to products, matching preferences, increasing convenience, and eliminating gatekeepers.

HIMSS21 Interviews: Castell Health's Andrew Sorenson on Analytics for PHM During a Pandemic

Wed, 02 Feb 2022 17:00:00 -0500

Recorded on location at HIMSS21 in Las Vegas. Listen in as Andrew Sorenson, Chief Analytics Officer at Castell Health, speaks with John Moore III about lessons learned during the pandemic and the driving philosophy behind his work with the population health services organization spun out of Intermountain Healthcare.

HLTH21 Interviews: Biofourmis' Sheeza Hussain on RPM, SaMD, and Importance of Data Science

Tue, 01 Feb 2022 11:00:00 -0500

At HLTH21 in October, we sat down with Sheeza Hussain, the Chief Commercial Officer of Biofourmis, to discuss the future of virtual care and her experience with taking hospital-at-home and remote patient monitoring to the next level. Utilizing their FDA-approved software as a medical device (SaMD) in combination with remote patient monitoring (RPM) data from [practically] any device, their predictive analytics add a layer of reliability and robustness to current virtual and home care models. Throughout this discussion, Sheeza's passion for improving the quality of life for patients through these new tools shines through, and it's easy to see why she was just added to the Becker's list of Women in Health IT to Watch in 2022.

Previously a software engineer, she comes into her role of CCO as someone with a knowledge of both the software and the user sides of the business, working with providers, physicians, and potential partners to maximize Biofourmis’ impact. We spoke with her about her goals for their platform, as well as the specifics of their comprehensive solution, from devices to demographics and from software to support. You can also watch this interview on the Chilmark website here.

Connect with Sheeza: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheezahussain/
Biofourmis: https://biofourmis.com/technology/

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Video and podcast content produced by Elizabeth Hughes, Ricardo Celis, and John Moore III
Audio production by Colin Rogers

Blockchain Revisited: Healthcare Use Cases for 2021 and Beyond

Wed, 19 Jan 2022 13:00:00 -0500

Several years ago, amidst the surge in interest in blockchain applications in healthcare, Chilmark Research published our own report on trends and companies in this space. We recognized it was still the early days, and there was a tremendous amount of hype but few demonstrable results. Then came the ICO craze, with companies scrambling to find ways to tokenize various healthcare business functions. It did not turn out well and proved a significant setback to the budding industry as a whole.

Recently, Senior Analyst Jody Ranck, DrPH, spoke with Ed Bukstel, an early adopter and developer of blockchain tools, to get an appraisal of the current state of blockchain activities in healthcare. You can read more of Jody's thoughts on this topic in the Chilmark Research post sharing this podcast.