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![Podimetrics CMO Talks Supporting Patients Living with SDoH Challenges](https://hitconsultant.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Rothenberg-Head-Shot-2-1.jpg)
In an interview with HIT Advisor, Dr. Gary Rothenberg, Chief Medical Officer of Podimetrics talks about how healthcare know-how will help help a deal with social determinants of well being (SDoH) to reinforce the connection between the affected person and doctor/care staff.
How can well being know-how play a job in serving to to handle social determinants of well being (SDOH) on the subject of diabetes care?
Dr. Gary Rothenberg, Chief Medical Officer at Podimetrics: Whereas I’m an enormous believer within the worth of know-how in constructing a brand new healthcare ecosystem that’s centered on worth versus filling hospital beds, I feel this can be a lengthy play.
Right now, sufferers — together with these dwelling with diabetes who I help in my function as a clinician, in academia, and as a director of medical affairs — are going through debilitating points particular to SDOH. These SDOH challenges range enormously — from not having sufficient cash to purchase their much-needed insulin to not having a automotive to get to a physician’s appointment.
Whereas tech can and will need to have a job to play — together with serving to to establish probably the most at-risk sufferers we will goal for help — we, as clinicians, have an enormous function to play ourselves as leaders of the affected person care staff. Being an efficient healthcare supplier remains to be a human talent to observe and excellent. It requires that we speak to individuals, contact them with our fingers for examinations, and troubleshoot their fears and considerations.
The important function of neighborhood well being has been round for a couple of many years inside U.S. well being techniques. If neighborhood well being work was the reply to addressing SDOH, wouldn’t we be additional alongside in fixing these issues by now?
Dr. Rothenberg: Brief reply, no. The inhabitants of individuals going through SDOH challenges has continued to develop 12 months over 12 months, and the pandemic solely additional exacerbated these points — particularly for individuals who have been already susceptible earlier than COVID got here our approach. In tandem, we haven’t had the will increase in investments particular to neighborhood well being work to maintain up with this rising demand.
Basically, now we have a reasonably vital provide and demand difficulty at hand — that means extra individuals needing help and fewer neighborhood well being employees and associated sources to help them.
We want extra authorities funding in neighborhood well being — notably in relation to workforce investments — so as to considerably rework neighborhood care. Additionally, the main target should be on worth, not fee-for-service, so as to drive towards measurable, long-lasting change for sufferers dwelling with SDOH challenges.
How is well being know-how, and particularly well being tech utilizing AI, uniquely capable of deal with points pertaining to SDOH?
Dr. Rothenberg: I discussed threat stratification earlier than. AI has a particular function to play right here. The fact is that the healthcare trade — and clinicians particularly — are wealthy in knowledge however poor in insights — that means that whereas now we have entry to a variety of knowledge, there’s not a lot data we will derive from that knowledge at present when and the place we’d like it most.
That is the place I see an enormous alternative for AI — in with the ability to cull via huge quantities of information, derive actionable insights, and supply these insights to the care staff on the level of care and/or earlier than an in-person or digital seek the advice of.
With the suitable coaching and medical steerage, AI can and will play an enormous function on the subject of huge knowledge and layering on analytics with the top purpose being to help the healthcare system’s transition to preventive, proactive care.
Curiosity within the potential of well being tech, and particularly the usage of AI, and its capacity to handle long-standing challenges resembling SDOH stays excessive. Is AI a powerful reply to the issues related to SDOH identification and help?
Dr. Rothenberg: AI isn’t the end-all, be-all reply to addressing SDOH. It’s, nevertheless, an enabler of innovation that may assist drive a much-needed change in figuring out our most susceptible sufferers and getting them entry to the kind of care that matches their wants and focuses on worth. Nonetheless, that’s going to take extra time. And whereas I’m simply as excited as others about ChatGPT, I nonetheless don’t assume it’s prepared for healthcare prime time.
There are different non-AI varieties of innovation particular to SDOH that excite me personally and have nearer-term potential — for instance, the “meals is medication” motion and the associated current announcement from Instacart Well being.
Constructing on this announcement, Boston Kids’s Hospital is now among the many first well being techniques to leverage Instacart Well being supplier merchandise for its sufferers, establishing new meals as medication packages to assist them get the nourishment they should handle and preserve their well being. Meals performs such a vital function in our well being and well-being, and the concept that know-how can break down entry limitations to nutritious meals actually holds the potential to stop severe and expensive power illnesses like diabetes — a illness that adversely impacts individuals of coloration at present in a really vital approach.
What’s the way forward for well being tech in relation to addressing SDOH?
Dr. Rothenberg: The way forward for well being tech on the subject of addressing SDOH ought to appear to be this in healthcare:
Preventive — Tech identifies the sufferers most prone to well being points;Proactive — Tech helps clinicians and care groups simplify engagement with these sufferers early and infrequently;Personalised — Tech helps enhance affected person expertise and supply insights/help in a personalised, patient-centric approach from the consolation of their dwelling when attainable; andPassionate — Tech ought to assist make individuals and excited to have interaction and take part in their very own care and well-being, and it ought to, in flip, reignite ardour for affected person care with physicians as nicely.
About Dr. Gary RothenbergDr. Gary Rothenberg is a board-certified podiatrist with greater than 20 years of expertise that features academia, medical observe, and analysis. His analysis focuses on stopping decrease extremity issues related to diabetes. As Podimetrics’ Director of Medical Affairs, he additionally serves as an Affiliate Professor of Inside Medication within the Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Diabetes on the College of Michigan. He graduated from the Ohio School of Podiatric Medication and accomplished his major podiatry medical residency coaching and podiatric surgical residency on the College of Texas Well being Science Middle.
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