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 spoke with Kaveh Safavi, MD, JD, global health lead of Accenture Health.We discussed some of the results from Accenture’s 2021 Digital Health Tech Vision Report showing how the COVID-19 pandemic has forced healthcare organizations to adopt new technologies. We also talked about these technologies are influencing patient care and the role that they can play in a post-pandemic world.

Kaveh Safavi, MD, JD, global health lead of Accenture Health, discusses how the pandemic influenced the speed at which healthcare organizations adopted new technologies and how this adoption is impacting patient care.

Podcast: Adoption of Healthcare Tech in the Age of COVID-19 with Dr Kaveh Safavi

Telehealth services have increased since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. And health systems across the U.S. are taking advantage of the technology’s offerings and leveraging partnerships with digital health companies to improve patient outcomes and experiences.

 spoke with Brian Wayling, assistant vice president of telehealth services at Intermountain Healthcare to discuss a partnership between the health system and Amwell, how Intermountain is leveraging Amwell’s technology along with other digital health tools, and how other healthcare executives can deploy such technologies at their hospital or health system.

Brian Wayling, assistant vice president of telehealth services at Intermountain Healthcare, discusses use of the technology and a partnership with Amwell.

Podcast: Telehealth Partnerships and Offerings with Brian Wayling of Intermountain

While attempting to control the spread of COVID-19 among the suburban communities of Central Illinois, Blessing Health rolled out the Blessing Enhanced COVID Recovery Program. The program, powered by digital health company Cloud DX, included a tupperware with Bluetooth technology, PPE, and hand sanitizer, among other items, which patients could use to speak to their provider and have their health data managed.

Rose Ghattas, R.N., virtual health coordinator at Blessing Health, spoke with 

™ about the program, how it affects patients and providers, and advice for fellow healthcare executives who might want to utilize such technology.

Make sure to follow Data Book and CHE for more.

Blessing Health's virtual health coordinator, Rose Ghattas, R.N., discusses how the health system is using virtual care during the pandemic and how other healthcare executives could do the same.

Podcast: Leveraging Virtual Care During COVID-19 with Rose Ghattas, R.N.

Between artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots and personalized text message appointment reminders, it has become routine for health systems to leverage mobile-based technology in one way or another. At one health system, the surgical center is using text messages to inform surgeon's of their appointments for the day, all while sending reminders to patients. 

In this episode of Data Book, we speak with Lora Swenson, business manager at KU MedWest. Swenson will discuss how KUMedWest is leveraging PerfectServe's technology to improve the patient experience and make workflows more efficient. Swenson talks about the technology, how she implemented it into the surgery center at the hospital, how it benefits patients and physicians alike and what other C-suites and healthcare executives need to do to boast such a platform.

Make sure you like this podcast, subscribe and follow 

™ on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook to stay up-to-date on the latest health tech news.

 and let me know what you want to hear on upcoming episodes of the podcast.

Breaking Down the HHS Interoperability Rules

How C-Suites Can Help Physicians Experiencing Burnout (Part Three)

Med School Culture and Introducing New Health Tech (Part Two)

Lora Swenson, business manager at KU MedWest, discusses how a text message platform improves workflows and patient satisfaction.

Podcast: How Text Messages Can Improve A Surgeon's Workflow

This is the final part of a three-part podcast. Make sure you start by listening to parts 

Physicians are experiencing burnout at such high levels. In an effort to reduce the damaging effects of this epidemic, C-suites have an opportunity to intervene and implement practices that reinforce work-life balance and overall well-being. 

Janae Sharp, founder of Sharp Index, a nonprofit dedicated to reducing physician suicide and burnout, and Dalton Ruer, a data scientist storyteller, are back on Data Book for part two of a special three-part series about physician burnout.

In the final part of this three-part podcast, we will discuss protocol if a physician reports feeling burnt out, steps C-suites can take to reduce burnout in their health system and how physician performances can be impacted due to burnout.

AI, Big Data and Existing Challenges (Part Two)

How Clinical Decision Support Tools Can Improve Outcomes (Part One)

Steps executives can take to reduce burnout in their health system.

Podcast: How C-Suites Can Help Physicians Experiencing Burnout (Part Three)

This is part two of a three-part podcast. Listen to 

The medical school process is rigorous. Students who typically excel in school are faced with even more work and hours of being out in the field. The addition of technology in healthcare presents a new challenge for young professionals, who might not have had the time to learn how to use them. Although these innovations were made to improve efficiency, outcomes and patient satisfaction, they can also lead to burnout. And sometimes, the pressure and fear of potential burnout turns people away from entering the field, which could lead to an even worse provider shortage.

In part two, we discuss the culture of med school, how med school can better prepare young physicians to use new technologies and if a fear of burnout is keeping young professionals from pursuing a career in medicine.

Janae Sharp and Dalton Ruer discuss the culture of med school, learning about new tech and how both affect burnout and the decision to enter the field. 

Podcast: Med School Culture and Introducing New Health Tech (Part Two)

Physician burnout is an epidemic that appears to keep getting worse. The addition of technology to a provider’s workflow has unintentionally created additional burden. But technology can also be used to make healthcare delivery more efficient—if implemented properly.

Janae Sharp, founder of Sharp Index, a nonprofit dedicated to reducing physician suicide and burnout, and Dalton Ruer, a data scientist storyteller, join Data Book for a special three-part series about physician burnout.

In part one, we discuss the factors contributing to burnout, common misconceptions, and tech’s role in helping the problem.

Janae Sharp and Dalton Ruer join Data Book for part one of a three-part podcast on physician burnout to discuss tech implementation issues and data collection.

Podcast: Physician Burnout Misconceptions and Tech's Role (Part One)

Over the last decade, technology in healthcare has made incredible strides. From AI outperforming human experts to smartwatches that monitor a patient's heartbeat, it’s safe to say that the digitization of healthcare is improving outcomes and experiences. 

On this episode of Data Book, Shereese Maynard, M.S., MBA, a healthcare strategist and key opinion leader, discusses the technologies that influenced the last 10 years and makes projections on what the industry might expect in the future. Maynard also provides opinions about some past disappointments and the technologies and ideas she thought she would see but have not yet come to fruition.

Make sure you like this podcast, subscribe and follow Inside Digital Health on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook to stay up-to-date on the latest health tech news.

Using Analytics, Precision Medicine to Improve Preterm Infant Outcomes

How FDA Is Navigating the Digital Transformation

Playing a Medical Video Game for CME Credit

Shereese Maynard, M.S., MBA, discusses the influence of health tech in the 2010s and makes projections on what's to come.

Podcast: Health Tech in the 2010s and Beyond

In the digital age of healthcare, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is tasked with a difficult task: Approving safe and effective health tech, medical devices and digital health tools. As more entrants submit their technology to the agency, it is crucial that the federal regulator ensures the products will improve the lives of users.

At HLTH2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada, Amy Abernethy, M.D., Ph.D., principal deputy commissioner and acting CIO of the FDA, sat down with the hosts of Data Book to discuss how the agency creates new digital health guidances, the intersection of digital health and precision care, real-world data and the approach to approving new devices.

 and let us know what you want to hear on Data Book this season.

Featuring Amy Abernethy, M.D., Ph.D., principal deputy commissioner and acting CIO of the FDA.

Podcast: How FDA Is Navigating the Digital Transformation

Every year, physicians are required to earn continuing medical education (CME) credits to maintain, develop or increase their knowledge, skills and performance.

Traditionally, physicians attend conferences or webinars to get their credit. But rather than sitting through a lecture or taking a test, what if physicians could train and earn CME credit by playing a realistic video game on their phone?

At HLTH2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada, we sat down with Sam Glassenberg, founder and CEO of Level Ex, to learn more about his medical video game company and how physicians can benefit and earn credit from the technology.

Sam Glassenberg, CEO and founder of Level Ex, discusses the inception of Level Ex and developing a video game app that physicians can use to earn CME credit. 

Podcast: Playing a Medical Video Game for CME Credit

Sossong, who leads the company’s behavioral health efforts, spoke with us about the stress of the pandemic, expanding services to rural areas and integrating mental health with primary care.



Amwell’s Anthony Sossong talks about telemedicine, kids and mental health

Virtual care can reduce healthcare disparities even after the pandemic ends.

Telehealth Increased Healthcare Access for Hispanic, Low-Income Populations During COVID-19

A study documented shifts in telehealth use and ambulatory care during the first four months of the COVID-19 pandemic, from March to June 2020.

Patterns of Virtual Care and In-Person Ambulatory Contacts During the Onset of the Pandemic

Costs were lower for those who used telehealth services.

Exploring Costs Related to Increased Telehealth Use

The loss of privately insured in-state patients could likely hinder healthcare operations.

Out-of-State Telehealth Concerns, Fraud During COVID-19

Virtual care and telemedicine open up new avenues for patients to access their care. Patients no longer need to be in a physician’s office or hospital to receive care. Instead, patients can get their care in their homes or wherever is most convenient, all from a phone or computer. This allows patients to take more ownership over their health.

At HLTH2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada, Sean Mehra, co-founder and chief strategy officer at HealthTap, discussed the shift in healthcare towards less traditional care models.

Editor’s note: This interview has been lightly edited for style and clarity.

 I wouldn't say traditional healthcare is out the window. I think the industry is beginning to realize there's more and more healthcare, which doesn't require you being in a room with a doctor getting an exam. And the more we can find facets of those healthcare episodes that do not require you to be physically there, the more we can unlock tremendous efficiencies, increase convenience and cost savings by virtualizing new sessions — either by making the scarce human supply physicians accessible even if they're not near you because you can communicate them virtually, or by taking some facets of healthcare, which are relatively more simple or automatable, and replacing them with more automated AI methods.

Should Health Systems Fear Non-Traditional Healthcare Brands?

Digging Deeper: Non-Traditional Brands Moving Further into Healthcare

Health Systems Must Beware of Retail Telemedicine

The industry is beginning to realize healthcare can be accessed from different places.

Moving Away from Traditional Healthcare

Patients often see different specialists throughout their continuum of care to treat a multitude of conditions. From behavioral health specialists to hematologists, patients often bounce around from office to office to get their care. And their records don’t necessarily follow. Virtual care and telemedicine tools have a chance to change that.

Veeneta Lakhani is the senior vice president for health services at Vida Health. At HLTH2019, she discussed how virtual care can help address the disconnect in healthcare.

Editor's note: The following transcription has been lightly edited for style and clarity.

 Break down the silos, right? Today, we do too much of treating a patient with diabetes person in this way and then treating their hypertension then putting their mental health in yet another separate avenue with a separate set of care providers that they have to go to. In fact, none of these providers are really talking to each other.

We have to bring this together because it is one person and in order to kind of meet that person where they're at, you really need that continuity of care. Digital tools can provide that. It's not just about the medical record per se, but in terms of how they engage and if they're engaging through this one channel, it can start to try to bring all the pieces together.

Using Tech to Address Behavioral Healthcare Gaps

Defining Successful Digital Health Initiatives

Having all of a patient's data in one place gives a more clear picture of their health.

How Virtual Care Can Address the Disconnect in Healthcare

Health systems are rolling out digital health initiatives to improve patients’ outcomes and satisfaction. Whether the patient is being monitored using an app or wearable technology, these solutions need to be leveraged properly and measure outcomes.

At HLTH2019, Natalie Schneider, vice president of digital health at Samsung Electronics America, discussed what makes digital health initiatives successful.

Editor’s note: This transcription has been lightly edited for style and clarity.

 Classically it's improving access, cost and quality. And in the case of this cardiac rehab program we did in collaboration with Kaiser, we were able to reduce readmissions from 15% down to less than 2%, which is terrific.

And secondly, improved graduation rates. So typically, that's around 50% for the national average for patients to complete a cardiac rehab program. We were able to improve it to 87%.

The reason for both is we had this perfect marriage of technology using a smartwatch, a clinician portal and a patient companion app, as well as the calls from the cases

managers and it was combination of both of those that allowed us to accomplish that.

Why Digital Health Tools Focus on Chronic Conditions

Picky Eating mHealth App Provides Real-Time Data to Parents

The Importance of Real-Time Data from Digital Health Apps

What makes a digital health initiative successful? An expert explains at HLTH2019.

Healthcare is a field where employees have the opportunity to directly impact the lives of patients and their families every day. With new digital health innovations coming to market, technologies can improve patient outcomes and satisfaction.

At HLTH2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada, Luke Bonney, co-founder and CEO at Redox, and Mandira Singh, head of product and partnerships at Collective Medical, discussed why they work in the digital health space.

Editor’s note: This transcript has been lightly edited for style and clarity.

 I think for myself and for a lot of people in Redox, digital health and what we do specifically offers an opportunity to (a) solve huge problems and (b) solve problems that impact ourselves and the people we love.

 I actually started my career in finance. Initially I was an investment banker who covered retail, healthcare and consumer. And I'll never forget one of the first meetings I had with a biotech company. What really struck me was that these entrepreneurs who were so early — and being able to solve an infant indication &mdash; were just so passionate about what they were doing. And that is what has driven me through my whole career.

 We literally have a saying at Redox that we use to kick off almost every single one of our meetings, which is that ‘We are all patients.’ And it's true. And because it's true, it really helps ground us.

We’re impacting so many patients at Collective. We work with some very vulnerable patients, whether that's babies who are born addicted to methamphetamines or the homeless in California who are trying to find care that is continual and logical. These are very vulnerable patients.

And it says what we're building is not for the sake of building great technology. What we're building is technology that can fundamentally improve our healthcare.

the ability to impact those lives with scalable solutions and technology and it is a truly amazing opportunity.

There's just not that many places where you can find that alignment. So, when you do, you can become part of a team of people that are really passionate about the problem you solve.

This is an industry that is so ripe for changing and we've seen that change happen in real time, which is an amazing thing to see. There just aren't that many industries like that and I think that the path we're going as we continue to attract best in breed talent to the industry, we are going to see the system turn and change and that is such an exciting thing to be part of.

Part one of interviews featuring experts explaining why they got into the digital health space.

Why Did You Go into Digital Health?

As more non-traditional brands enter the healthcare space and mergers and acquisitions in the industry only 

facing more competition from major retail outlets.

But just because there are new, and more, players in the game, doesn’t mean health systems should be worried.

In Las Vegas, Nevada at HLTH2019, Sean Mehra, co-founder and chief strategy officer at HealthTap, discussed how health systems could ultimately benefit from non-traditional healthcare brands moving into the space.

Sean Mehra: Healthcare providers should realize that their strengths lie in the quality of excellent care delivery in whatever verticals or specialties they cater to. One of the strengths that these non-traditional healthcare players bring to the table is their ability to aggregate consumer demand at scale — either because they have fantastic marketing machines that convince people to walk into their stores, or amazing online traffic that gets people buying goods from their website.

If healthcare providers understand that their complementary strength is delivering excellent care, and their complementary strength is aggregating consumers and their demand and funneling them to the right suppliers, then there's really a way for these entities to work together.

I can see a beautiful marriage between these mass retailers, whether online or brick and mortar, becoming an excellent funnel of consumers to the best providers locally for certain types of use cases.

Tech Giants Will Continue Moving into Healthcare

How Software and Retail Partnerships Can Shape the Future of Healthcare

There are ways for the two to work off each other to improve outcomes.

Real-time data give both patients and physicians an opportunity to intervene early on if something alarming shows up. From vital signs to medication adherence, real-time data can lead to improved patient outcomes and decreased hospitalizations for patients.

At HLTH2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada, David Van Sickle, CEO of Propeller Health, a digital health company, further discussed the importance of real-time data from digital health apps.

Editor’s note: This transcription has been lightly edited for style, length and clarity.

 Real-time data are important in asthma and COPD because things can change so quickly for a patient with one of those conditions. They can be affected by their environment; they could have some kind of a viral infection that causes them to worsen. So, by monitoring the use of the medications that people take to relieve symptoms, we can get a pretty quick vital sign, if you will, of how people are doing and when they're not doing well and need more attention, as well as chronically. We want to understand who's not being optimally or appropriately managed and help them and their physician get them on the right treatment faster and as soon as possible.

Why Leveraging Real-Time Data is Important for Healthcare

Non-traditional brands like Uber, Amazon, CVS and Walmart continue to push further into healthcare. While this might create competition for health systems and physicians in the traditional healthcare office setting, the ultimate goal is to help patients stay healthy, which could mean accessing care in more convenient, new and different ways.  

At HLTH2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada, Sean Mehra, co-founder and chief strategy officer at HealthTap, and Veeneta Lakhani, senior vice president for health services at Vida Health, offered insights into non-traditional brands moving further into healthcare.

Editor’s note: The following transcription has been lightly edited for length, style and clarity.

 You're beginning to see a lot of non-traditional companies entering the healthcare space from retailers like Amazon who have a digital first strategy to retailers like CVS, Walmart and Walgreens that have always had a local brick and mortar strategy.

 I think this is an exciting time in healthcare. We're seeing a lot of evolution of non-healthcare brands and transportation organizations that are coming in to make sure that we can reduce barriers to people getting to the doctor's office and getting their breast cancer screenings. It's amazing. It's great to see that kind of outpour and that last line sort of support happen. That's an example.

 All of these players are beginning to realize this opportunity to cater to these U.S. consumers. Because they have an established relationship with so many U.S. consumers, either because they physically walk into their stores and pharmacies, or because they are going to the website to buy goods and services all the time, they're realizing that there's an opportunity for them to sell healthcare goods and services more affordably and more conveniently then otherwise available to them through their insurance company or local healthcare provider.

 We're seeing TV and technology organizations that are normally outside of healthcare now step in and really try to provide more continuity of care right from the home.

 So that's why it's not surprising when you see folks like CVS, Walmart, Amazon and Walgreens thinking about launching clinics and integrating them with their pharmacies and figuring out ways to give you discounts on the next over the counter cream or diaper rash ointment that you need to buy your baby.

 It’s an exciting time in healthcare to see all of that evolution. And it's going to take a village to get to where we need to get.

 All of this really boils down to a very interesting facet of healthcare, which all these players are go be paying attention to. And that is primary care because it is the part of healthcare that 

 80% of the time. If we could just see someone that's local and convenient for the cold and the sniffles before it becomes something worse, we can get people good healthcare at the right time and stay healthier.

Two experts give insights into why non-traditional brands are moving into the healthcare sector. 

, according to a survey conducted by American Well. But what are the drivers behind the adoption?

Danielle Russella is the president and general manager of the health plan solutions organization at American Well. At HLTH2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada, Russella discussed why reimbursement and better workflow efficiency could be behind the increased use of telehealth solutions. 

 I would say the biggest one on the provider front when you talk about provider adoption is around reimbursement. Providers were a lot more susceptible to wanting to incorporate technology into routine care for their patients when reimbursement played a role.

It takes it a step further, you know, parity — they want to be paid the same thing for seeing that patient as they would in the office setting. That was a huge barrier, and more and more health plans are now covering those visits and reimbursing providers for seeing members and patients. That's contributing widespread to adoption coupled with efficiencies. There's a lot more to do with a lot less providers, tools and capabilities and things that can allow the provider to be more efficient &mdash; technology is huge in that regard. Having the medical record and having information right in front of you. The ability if you have a canceled appointment, working at home, working in the in the morning, there's so many different ways that a provider can really tap into technology to become a lot more efficient.

Not to mention, think about load balancing and areas of specialty or rural areas where you might have the one psychiatrist who is not very reachable. Distance and radius play a huge factor in preventing access. So, if you're a provider sitting in the middle of Chattanooga, Tennessee, and you can project your expertise, using technology, it’s a great motivator for a provider.

And if they can get paid for it, it’s even better.

Reimbursement could drive the adoption of the tools.

Increasing Telemedicine Adoption

With the market for wearable devices heating up each day, health systems have a decision to make about which technology it should choose. What should health systems be looking for when making the choice?

At HLTH2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada, Natalie Schneider, vice president of digital health at Samsung Electronics America, discussed how healthcare executives should approach implementing wearables into their health system due to the wide array of options.

 The space has become so congested. I think when you walk through the exhibition hall here at HLTH, you just see hundreds and hundreds of really impressive digital health companies.

I think hospitals should think about first determining the KPIs that they want to move. Is it readmission rates? Is it the amount of hours spent documenting patient consults? What is it that you're trying to solve for?

Then back into which vendors are available to do that. It’s easy to become overwhelmed when you start with the vendors first and then try to back into which solutions they can solve.

How Wearable Tech Can Improve Patient Outcomes

Health systems need to establish what they want the wearable device to be used for.