Digital health is enabling us to provide healthcare at any place
Listen to the full conversation
Our 62nd guest on The Big Unlock podcast was Nick Patel, MD, Chief Digital Officer of Prisma Health. Nick discussed how COVID-19 is transforming the healthcare industry with emerging digital health technologies like online scheduling, virtual visits, chatbots, remote patient monitoring, and artificial intelligence with Paddy Padmanabhan, CEO of Damo Consulting. He also spoke about having data-driven automation to improve healthcare delivery.
Healthcare needs to look beyond EHR
The healthcare industry has transformed from paper to EHR and has seen the disruption caused by digital transformation. However, no one was really focusing on patient experience and access. Digital transformation must look beyond EHR and hardware infrastructure. The industry must aim to take remote patient monitoring, AI, and other emerging digital health technologies to the next level. And for all this to happen, healthcare systems must be brought together for better collaboration and interoperability.
“I’ve seen healthcare transform from paper to EHR and the disruption that caused digital health and digital transformation.” – Nick Patel, The Big Unlock podcast, Episode #62
Ambulatory visits will convert to virtual visits; however, SDOH will need to be considered
In the wake of COVID-19, in-person visits came to a halt and health systems had to overnight switch to a virtual care model. Providing continuous care is the most important thing and how it can be virtualized is something health systems are continuously working on. Since March 2020, Prisma health has completed over 360,000 virtual visits.
While there was a dramatic shift towards virtual care, social determinants of health, such as lack of broadband access and technology challenges in older and high-risk patients, also must be considered. A vast population is still unable to access virtual visits or do not have access to it.
“About 20-30 percent of all ambulatory visits will flip to virtual visits.”– Nick Patel
Technology is the next stage of evolution
Patients today expect a retail experience from healthcare throughout their journey. It is important for physicians to get a 360 view of patients. This is possible only when discrete, non-siloed data is available and is continuous throughout all systems, no matter where you are. By introducing automation in healthcare processes and digital front doors, health systems can improve care delivery.
“Patients want a retail experience. They don’t want to fill out paperwork everywhere they go. Healthcare technologies must be an interconnected ecosystem that is efficient, intuitive, and can take advantage of automation driven by data.” – Nick Patel
