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How AI technologies improve the patient experience Jun 07, 2021

Show notes

This episode is sponsored by the Dragon Ambient eXperience at Nuance. The exam of the future has arrived with clinical documentation that writes itself.

Recently, I participated in a virtual webinar, "How AI technologies improve the patient experience," along with Dr. Jesse Affonso, orthopedic surgeon at Cape Cod Orthopedics. We discussed the difference between patient experience and patient satisfaction, the correlation between the two, and the role technology plays.

In a nutshell, I think it's this: A poor patient experience can lead to low patient satisfaction. A good patient experience can lead to high patient satisfaction. According to the Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality, the patient experience encompasses the range of interactions patients have with the health care system and includes several aspects of health care delivery such as timely appointments, easy access to information, and good communication with health care providers. At the same time, patient satisfaction is about whether a patient's expectations about a health encounter were met.

This all begs the question: How can one improve the patient experience and satisfaction?

Patients want the best care possible. And physicians want to provide the best care possible. The fusion of art and medicine can deliver a better patient experience with AI-powered, voice-enabled documentation that's revolutionizing health care.

Jared Pelo is an emergency physician and chief medical information officer, Dragon Ambient eXperience at Nuance.

https://www.nuance.com/healthcare/campaign/demo/dax-group-demos.html?cid=7010W000002T9aqQAC&utm_campaign=DHX_AO_202008_DAX_livesteam_demo_digital&utm_medium=Display&utm_source=kevinmd

Artificial intelligence, COVID-19, and the future of pandemics Jun 06, 2021

Show notes

"Machine learning is only as good as the information provided to train the machine. Models trained on partial datasets can skew toward demographics that often turned up in the data—for example, Caucasians or men over 60. There is concern that "analyses based on faulty or biased algorithms could exacerbate existing racial gaps and other disparities in health care." Already during the pandemic's first waves, multiple AI systems used to classify x-rays have been found to show racial, gender, and socioeconomic biases.

Such bias could create a high potential for poor recommendations, including false positives and false negatives. It's critical that system builders are able to explain and qualify their training data and that those who best understand AI-related system risks are the ones who influence health care systems or alter applications to mitigate AI-related harms."

Richard E. Anderson is chairman and chief executive officer, The Doctors Company and leader, TDC Group of companies.

He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Artificial intelligence, COVID-19, and the future of pandemics." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/11/artificial-intelligence-covid-19-and-the-future-of-pandemics.html)

Blockchain in health care and in your portfolio Jun 05, 2021

Show notes

"The future of health care will be focused on prevention rather than focused on performing excessive medical treatments, diagnostic tests, and procedures. Many centralized processes, services, products, and entities will become unbundled, including insurance, hospitalization, inpatient and outpatient coding, medical billing, payments, patient care, medical education, licensure, and certification. Physicians, including Leah Houston, MD, are developing blockchain-based platform technologies for improved physician credentialing.

The current applications of blockchain technology that are currently being worked on in the field of health care include enhanced data security, transparency to financial operations, eliminating excessive administrative burden and waste, decreasing billing cycle complexity, improved methods for recording, storing, and access data records, credentialing, and supply chain management.

Obviously, with blockchain just still a nascent technology, a whole host of other unnamed applications are possible, as the sky is the limit."

Christopher H. Loo is a physician and author of How I Quit My Lucrative Medical Career and Achieved Financial Freedom Using Real Estate.

He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "What does blockchain mean for health care?" (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/12/what-blockchain-mean-for-health-care.html)

Patient satisfaction through a hospitalist lens Jun 04, 2021

Show notes

"In addition to leaking private information to an unauthorized individual who just happened to ask for Ms. Mann by name, Larry commanded Nigel to worsen this HIPAA violation. Given the tone of his command, Larry must have felt right proud of his informing an aggressive, unconfirmed querent. If so, perhaps he should have paged Nigel prior to blindly succumbing to clamorous callers.

During all of his back-patting, did Larry consider that maybe the unauthorized querent was unauthorized for a reason; that maybe the querent's aggressive nature may overwhelm even Ms. Mann who may have hoped not naming that person would prompt staff to shield her from the unwelcomed? With that in mind, can Larry be certain he expertly met Ms. Mann's needs? By jeopardizing Ms. Mann's privacy (or safety), did Larry meet patient satisfaction goals?"

Adedotun Adewusi is a hospitalist and co-author of Under the Collar: Frank Conversations about Healing that Harms: Simply Speaking.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "By jeopardizing privacy, did this physician meet patient satisfaction goals?" (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/adedotun-adewusi)

An update on prostate cancer treatment Jun 03, 2021

Show notes

"Even though prostate cancer patients are anxious to receive treatment, they still want to minimize their exposure to anyone outside their COVID bubble. One procedure that is especially attractive to our patients is focal therapy high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU).

Focal therapy HIFU is appropriate for patients whose prostate cancer is diagnosed at a higher grade and stage, but is still confined to the prostate. We use guided imagery to locate and destroy only the diseased portion of the prostate. It is done quickly (approximately two to three hours), in a single session. Patients like the ability to get in and out, with minimal exposure to the health care system. Focal therapy HIFU is ideal for this."

David A. Silver is a urologist.

He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "The ideal elective surgery during a pandemic." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/02/the-ideal-elective-surgery-during-a-pandemic.html)

Why do physicians fail to focus on their personal finances? Jun 02, 2021

Show notes

"We need to crawl before we walk and walk before we run. The first step is to establish your why. Why do you want the financial freedom to practice medicine because you want to, the way you want to instead of because you have to? Without a why, even achieving financial freedom can be an empty victory.

After this, start your financial education. Pick a personal finance book and read 10 pages a day. Read one finance blog post each day. Small efforts will lead to big rewards.

After this, you are ready to develop your own written financial plan and start your financial well-being journey!"

Jordan Frey is a plastic surgeon and can be reached at The Prudent Plastic Surgeon and on Twitter @jordanfreymd.

He shares his story and discusses his KevinMD article, "Why do physicians fail to focus on their personal finances?" (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2020/12/why-do-physicians-fail-to-focus-on-their-personal-finances.html)

Medicine's contribution to my family Jun 01, 2021

Show notes

"My children are embarking on their own lives now. While their paths are not taking them into medicine, I see how medicine has influenced their lives. They are committed to investing in themselves to reach their desired outcomes. They understand the value of dreaming big as they create a life and career they may not envision before. They help others. They enjoy the process through the long hours of study and hard work. From that perspective, it was worth it all."

Stephanie Wellington is a physician and can be reached at Nurturing MDs.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Medicine's contribution to my family." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/03/medicines-contribution-to-my-family.html)

Reflecting on COVID-19 and combustion May 31, 2021

Show notes

"Decreasing the burden of combustion material, whether from a cigarette, a power plant, or an engine, will not only pay off now in reducing COVID-19 but also in future pandemics and in reaping the health care benefits of decreasing the constant toll of tobacco and air pollution in our communities. As physicians and others in health care who want to do all we can to bring an end to this pandemic and build healthier futures for our patients and loved ones, we should make sure to reach out to our local city council, county, and other elected officials to take fuel away from COVID-19 by advocating for clean air. "

Erika Maria Moseson is a practicing, board-certified pulmonary and critical care physician. She is founder, Air Health Our Health, an educational website and podcast on the importance of healthy air and a stable climate, and can be reached on Facebook and Instagram.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "An anniversary: Reflecting on COVID-19 and combustion." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/03/an-anniversary-reflecting-on-covid-19-and-combustion.html)

How I lost sight of my own health care while creating a women's health care company May 30, 2021

Show notes

"My world tumbled upside down. I was managing taking care of three children from home, helping them navigate the realities of our new world while trying to keep my staff employed and safe. I sadly said goodbye to many team members as they made the difficult choice to stay home. We had to figure out how to deliver health care in this new world, where PPE was not widely available, and so many questions lingered about the virus.

I had to put the needs of patients, staff, and my children before my own. That's what we all do as mothers and as physicians. I underestimated how long the sacrifices would last. I watched my schedule increase from three days of patient care to five, along with running the business and managing employees, recording podcasts, and holding educational events. We run a health care business to educate, advocate for, and empower our patients. Yet, in the midst of all this, here I was at the helm, the unhealthiest I had ever been. I had abdominal pain, insomnia, anxiety. I had walked away from working out and was not careful about the food I was choosing to put into my body."

Somi Javaid is an obstetrician-gynecologist and founder and CEO, HERmd.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "How I lost sight of my own health care while creating a women's health care company." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/02/how-i-lost-sight-of-my-own-health-care-while-creating-a-womens-health-care-company.html)

Shame and the medical profession May 29, 2021

Show notes

"We can't escape shame. But don't despair, dear reader, because shame resilience can be cultivated. There are mental-fitness skills that can be learned which are self-perpetuating. I taught myself these skills and, in doing so, healed my own wounds – you can, too. Once you have the skills to recognize and manage shame in a healthy way, you'll no longer be held hostage by the perceived need to betray yourself by pretending to be someone other than who you are. An enormous weight is lifted, and the world feels safer when viewed through a lens of self-trust.

There's no better investment you can make in yourself."

Tracey O'Connell is a radiologist and physician coach. She can be reached at her self-titled site, Tracey O'Connell, M.D.

She shares her story and discusses her KevinMD article, "Why we deny our imperfections in medicine." (https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2021/04/no-one-taught-us-the-skills-to-cope-with-feeling-bad-about-ourselves.html)

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