Over the course of a four-day conference hosted in the heart of Nashville, digital health leaders convened to discuss the future of the healthcare industry.
Summarized below are three key topics that made their way into virtually every conversation, from the show floor to the stage.
1. Techquity
The top word that seemed to be on everyone’s tongue was “techquity,” the use of technology to improve health equity. With new technologies that leverage AI, there is a valid concern that the gap in health equity could grow wider if stakeholders are not intentional.
Fortunately, discussions at ViVE sparked hope, highlighting the myriad of programs and technologies that are helping the industry “mind the gap” in health equity. As we enter the “Age of Adoption”, a time when organizations and governments are furiously adopting sustainable solutions across sectors, organizations building equity and inclusion into their business strategies will stand apart as leaders in this new age. Evidence of progress was visible at ViVE through partnerships between companies, organizations, and individuals, proving health leaders are ready – and willing – to work together to make techquity more than just a buzzword and instead a vital part of this new age. Standout examples include:
- A panel where Kirsten Brecht Baker, CEO of Jeenie, unpacked how Jeenie’s mobile platform enables video or audio calls with a live interpreter for on-demand language assistance 24/7 to break down language barriers during healthcare crises and/or appointments. This solution seeks to address the increased risks associated with patients with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) receiving care without language assistance, including medication errors and inadequate assessment.
- An interview with an Amazon Web Services (AWS) representative announcing the AWS Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) Scholarship program, in collaboration with Udacity, to help underserved and underrepresented high school and college students learn foundational concepts to prepare for careers in AI and ML.
2. Burnout
The most promising conversations around the looming concerns of burnout and dropoff were grounded in innovative, upstream digital solutions to stop the crisis before it becomes unmanageable. Healthcare burnout is not new; the National Academics of Medicine cited studies reporting burnout among physicians and nurses ranged from 35% to 54% in 2019, even before the global pandemic took an incredible toll on the mental and physical health of healthcare providers and support staff. The issue of burnout became even more exacerbated by the pandemic and the time to address it is running out.
Luckily, leaders at ViVE proved they are on the case, offering innovative and AI-driven solutions to mitigate the crisis. Examples included, but were not limited to:
- Atalan, a female-founded company, is on a mission to bring burnout, and ultimately turnover, to an end by catching it before it starts. Utilizing ML, Atalan’s technology can identify healthcare workers who are at high risk of burning out, allowing leadership to begin making changes and intervening ahead of time. This upstream solution will enable the industry to retain top talent and avoid errors that could cause safety risks for patients and doctors and avoid the costs associated with those errors.
- A partnership and associated research between insurer MetroPlus, Bain & Company, and AWS found that 85,000 of its insured members were in need of medical or social support. However, calculations showed that the manpower and hours needed to reach out to that many members could take three months. Enter artificial intelligence! Instead of having healthcare workers manually reach out, chatbots were created and deployed to connect with each member based on their needs, offering resources and even questionnaires to further tailor next steps. Not only were patients served and health crises potentially prevented by proactive outreach, but manpower and hours were salvaged, further reducing burnout and strain on the system.
3. (AI-Driven) Apps
Today, many patients are meeting their providers and taking an active role in their wellness without leaving their front door. While this concept is not new, COVID-19 propelled the use of telehealth forward and has evolved the standard of care.
Patient interactions with healthcare providers are often episodic, and the ability to actively monitor health – especially in the case of chronic disease – is ripe for improvement. Although, with burnout already on the rise, and many patients limited by time, logistics, and economic situations, how is continued contact possible? The answer: there’s an app for that.
From apps monitoring mental health–like HealthRhythms, Augmental Technologies, and Valera Health–to examples like Jeenie (mentioned above), it is clear the power of health is in patients’ pockets. However, the app that stole the show wasn’t displayed in a booth or presentation but was instead baked into virtually every conversation among conference attendees: ChatGPT. When discussing the tech, the excitement around the possibilities, particularly in healthcare, was palpable. And while the general consensus among many remains that we must proceed with caution and strategy, it is clear that there are opportunities to propel healthcare further by leveraging the new tech.
Discuss these digital healthcare trends and more by contacting our Antenna Health team.
Author
Vanessa Donohue
VP, Health
Contact the Antenna Health team.