HIMSSCast

Thom Bales, U.S. Health Services Advisory Leader at PwC, delves into the pressing challenges in healthcare, such as skyrocketing costs and the impact of digital health. He highlights how digital advancements can enhance efficiency and reduce costs, especially in home care. The conversation touches on disparities in digital health access, particularly for complex Medicaid patients, and innovative solutions like street medicine. Bales emphasizes meeting diverse patient needs through personalized digital health strategies that engage busy demographics.

The discussion highlights upcoming healthcare trends and the financial impacts of telehealth as 2025 approaches. Emerging wearable technology and its role in remote patient monitoring are examined, alongside challenges in physician pay and economic pressures. Cybersecurity needs in the face of burnout and budget cuts are underscored, as well as AI's evolving role in healthcare. Additionally, unexpected retail clinic closures raise significant questions about integration with hospitals and the future of sustainable healthcare practices.

Restore patients’ trust in voice calls with branded call authentication 

Ryan Vega, Chief Health Officer for Vantiq and expert in agentic AI, discusses the revolutionary role of AI in healthcare. He highlights practical applications that enhance emergency responses, improving triage and real-time support for first responders. The conversation delves into how agentic AI can streamline healthcare operations, akin to contractors in construction, and the importance of seamless technology integration. Vega emphasizes real-time data processing for better adaptability in unpredictable situations, foreseeing a transformation in patient care.

Brian P. Callas, Health Strategy Lead at Accenture, dives into the pivotal role of generative AI in alleviating the clinician shortage in healthcare. He discusses how technology can automate mundane tasks, allowing clinicians to focus more on patient care. The conversation highlights compelling examples of successful digital tool implementations that enhance productivity and improve patient outcomes. Callas emphasizes the need for human-machine collaboration and a strong digital infrastructure to combat clinician burnout and transform healthcare delivery.

"We're at this place where we're still in the early days of what this technology looks like," says Oriana Beaudet, the American Nurses Association's VP of nursing innovation. ANA is watching the space closely.

The challenge of achieving clinical trials that are both accessible and scalable.

Kelly Arduino, a healthcare industry leader from WIPFLE, dives into the transformative role of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems in healthcare. She discusses how ERP connects with electronic health records to streamline financial and patient data, ultimately boosting staffing efficiency and inventory control. The conversation also emphasizes the importance of integrating Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems to enhance patient experiences. Additionally, Arduino explores the growing role of AI in these systems, presenting both opportunities and challenges for healthcare organizations.

Cybersecurity expert Scott Alldridge of the IT Process Institute/IP Services discusses zero trust and micro-segmentation in healthcare, leadership's role in a security culture, and much more.

Mark Polyak, President of Analytics at Ipsos, and Dr. Lukasz Kowalczyk, a physician at Peak Gastroenterology Associates, dive into the intricate balance of trust in healthcare amidst the rise of AI. They discuss alarming findings revealing a decline in patient trust during the pandemic, the role of AI in restoring or worsening this trust, and evolving perceptions of healthcare professionals. The duo emphasizes the importance of empathy, personalized communication, and the need for careful integration of AI into medical practices.