Knowing that many tech solutions end up being not as effective as health systems would have hoped, two health system executives gave examples of tools they believe have made a significant impact on staffing issues at their organizations. One is a wearable patch that continuously monitors inpatients’ vital signs, and one is a platform that allows providers to fill open shifts with local nurses.
Dr. Brian Clear, an addiction treatment physician and chief medical officer of Bicycle Health, believes that telemedicine is one way to improve access and reduce the inequities inherence in addiction treatment. The other is education.
Providers must abandon paternalism and treat patients like partners in the decision-making process when drawing up care plans, according to Chris Waugh, Sutter Health's chief design and innovation officer. Instead of prescribing a major lifestyle overhaul without considering a patient's unique life circumstances, providers should "recognize that it's about the tiny things and the accumulation of marginal gains,” he said.
Patient communications platform Artera teamed up with healthcare AI startup Hyro to launch a new chatbot-style assistant for providers’ websites. Using the information already available on the provider’s website, the chatbot can answer patients’ questions 24/7. Some sample questions include “What are the office hours for the radiology department?” and “Where do I park for my visit?”
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