Implications of artificial intelligence for medical education

Although digital health has occasioned huge changes for medicine, the issues it provokes have yet to be integrated into teaching and learning across the medical education continuum. This question is all the more pressing given that the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) systems, discussed here as a specific example of healthcare’s digitalisation, are associated with a fundamental paradigm shift in teaching. Whereas 20th-century medical education models relied on experimental results evolving into a recognised standard that then informed textbook teaching, today this sequencing no longer holds. The speed at which new health AI technologies are developing, being introduced into clinical practice, and being used by patients requires equipping doctors to deal appropriately with experimental techniques that have not yet become part of a generally accepted body of knowledge. Agile teaching and educated guesswork about which treatments will benefit patients the most are crucial for enabling physicians to lead the introduction of such technologies without simply being forced to react to them.

The full comment can be downloaded below.  

Nurturing the digital baby: Open innovation for development and optimization

The primary aim around developing and optimizing an electronic health record is to improve patient care and population health. The objective of this study is to design and evaluate an action research approach for the optimization of the design of a summary page artefact within an electronic health record for newborn healthcare. An action research approach was chosen for its participatory democratic process for developing practical knowledge and solutions. Collaborative workshops lead by an independent graphic facilitator with a ‘bottom up’ approach, involving self-selected motivated members from multidisciplinary healthcare teams, were designed and conducted. To evaluate this approach, insights were drawn from behavioural and design science paradigms to demonstrate that knowledge and understanding of the design problem and its solution were acquired in building the optimized summary page artefact. Information system development for healthcare requires consideration not just of what we do but how and why we do things. Our analysis demonstrates that action design research represents an agile and lean approach for successful optimization and implementation of information system development in healthcare.

The full article can be viewed at this link.  

PRESCRIPTION PRICE TRANSPARENCY AND THE PATIENT EXPERIENCE

As stories about sticker shock and the cost of care dominate headlines and policy discussions, healthcare organizations are looking for cost-effective ways to improve patient outcomes and experience. Prescription price transparency tools hold particular promise. We already know that providers want greater price transparency for their patients. In fact, 74% of U.S. physicians say they want to see a patient’s medical benefit information before prescribing, and 59% want to compare the cost of similar medications. 

Are patients equally eager to talk medication costs and coverage at the point of care? Surescripts commissioned a survey of 1,001 U.S. patients to understand their prescription challenges, desires and behavior—and how their experience with their prescriptions affects the healthcare decisions they make.

The full Surescripts report can be viewed at this link.  

What big tech companies aren't saying about HHS data rules

Hospitals and doctors are pitted against patient data advocates in a strident debate over HHS plans to facilitate data sharing with software companies. But the biggest tech players — Google, Facebook, Amazon and others — have largely remained on the sidelines.

Health care professional groups have flooded HHS with comments on upcoming data sharing rules, expressing worry that developers could sell patient data for advertising and marketing purposes. They are urging HHS to add privacy provisions before finalizing the rules, which would force providers, vendors and insurers to adopt common standards so patients can share their information with apps they choose.

The full Politico article can be viewed at this link.  

Bringing a Spotlight to the Influences of Social Determinants of Health

It is my distinct honor as President Elect for the American Association of Cancer Education (AACE) to write this editorial that highlights the importance of addressing social determinants of health (SDH) in cancer education research and practice, and to invite you to our upcoming conference. The 2020 International Cancer Education Conference (ICEC), held October 14–16, 2020, in College Park, MD, USA, centers on: “Using Cancer Education to Address Social Determinants of Health”. The conference, organized in partnership with three leading organizations: the AACE, the Cancer Patient Education Network, and European Association of Cancer Education, brings together multidisciplinary professionals to share transdisciplinary cancer education research, policy, and practice innovations across the cancer care continuum. Your participation in this meeting will further generate new ideas that consider “context” and transcend beyond individual factors in cancer prevention, early detection and diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, and end of life.

So what are social determinants of health and why should cancer education professionals care about them? The World Health Organization (WHO) defines social determinants of health as “the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age. These circumstances are shaped by the distribution of money, power and resources at global, national and local levels. Social determinants of health are mostly responsible for health inequities - the unfair and avoidable differences in health status seen within and between countries.” This powerful definition, widely supported by leading health organizations worldwide, outlines a lofty mandate for all engaged in the health care of individuals, families, and populations. As such, the impact for the field of cancer education is significant. All involved must proactively collaborate and exchange ideas to escalate our impact.

The full editorial can be downloaded below.  

The health care crisis no one is talking about

There are certain issues that you’d expect to be top-of-mind for older Americans, whether it be Social Security, Medicare, or scams that target seniors. But as I traveled through my district this year and held workshops for seniors across Maryland, there was one topic that I was surprised came up again and again: loneliness.

The crisis of social isolation and loneliness currently affects almost half of our population, and seniors are front and center.

The full article from The Hill can be viewed at this link.  

Robotic medicine may be the weapon the world needs to combat the coronavirus

With top government health officials warning it is only a matter of time before there is a COVID-19 outbreak in the U.S., it’s not likely that specialized masks and respirators, or canned goods and Clorox, will be sufficient to fight a global pandemic. Viral outbreaks like COVID-19 highlight the growing role new medical technology — in particular, ideas from the field of robotics — can play in fighting the spread of novel infectious diseases. But medical experts say it will be a mistake if innovation rolls out only when the world is on edge.

The full CNBC article can be viewed at this link.  

The Challenges Of Combating Rare Diseases - And Five Innovations Making A Real Difference

February 29, 2020 is Rare Disease Day, an annual event that aims to raise awareness amongst the general public and decision-makers about rare diseases and their impact on patients' lives.

I’ve seen first-hand the difficulties that patients with rare diseases can face. In my first week as an NHS geneticist, I met a child who, despite seeing highly specialised doctors for over a year, had not yet been diagnosed because their symptoms, findings and lab tests matched no known disease. It was only after trawling medical databases and case studies that I was able to find the likely diagnosis, subsequently confirmed. The disease was so rare that naming it here could identify the patient.

Rare Disease Day, established in 2008 by the European Organisation for Rare Diseases (EURORDIS), has helped to amplify the great work being done by patient associations, which are supported by international and national organisations such as EURORDIS and NORD, to bring together those who suffer from rare diseases and empower them to drive positive change. Recently, this issue has been put in the spotlight by Dr. Lisa Sanders’s New York Times column and a Netflix documentary series. However, rare diseases still receive much less attention than other medical challenges.

In this piece, I want to examine why this is, and look at the innovations that are helping to bridge the gap.

The full Forbes article can be viewed at this link.  

How Virtual Reality Is Benefiting Seniors

It’s usually the youth that is associated with cutting-edge technology, but we’re seeing an unlikely group of early adopters emerge—the elderly. Virtual Reality (VR) is being used to better the lives of senior citizens all over the world by reducing loneliness, improving their mental health and transporting them to far-flung places without needing to leave the comfort of their home. 

The full Forbes article can be viewed at this link.  

How telehealth is the Netflix of medicine—and why it matters

Telehealth has existed since the 1950s, but it feels as though the term really burst onto the health care innovation scene within the past five years. With the booming app economy, which analytics firm App Annie has predicted will eclipse $6.3 trillion by 2021, users have integrated their devices into everyday tasks, including visits to the doctor.

Yet no single telehealth app or provider has emerged as leader of the pack in the same way that Instagram, for instance, dominates the photo- and video-sharing social media game. Telehealth remains a highly competitive landscape. Beyond user-friendliness and affordability—the hallmarks of a successful app—our experience at Privia shows that a standout telehealth service should fulfill the following criteria. 

The full AMA article can be viewed at this link.