The Collective Voice of Health IT, A WEDI Podcast

From a recent WEDI Health Equity Workgroup meeting, we welcome Tammy Weaver, VP Physician Professional Data with the American Medical Association

From WEDI's 2023 Spring Conference, 4 patient advocate professionals discuss how regulations and innovation are affecting patients. How close is the work of payers, providers and vendors to achieving "patient nirvana".  Panelists: Andrew Scholnick (AARP), Melissa Williams (National Patient Advocate Foundation), Anna Hyde (Arthritis Foundation), Dr. Nicole Purcell (Alzheimer's Association). The moderator was patient advocate, influencer, and host of the HITea podcast, Grace Vinton. 

From the WEDI Archives: Dr. Steve Waldren, Vice President and Chief Medical Informatics Officer of the American Academy of Family Physicians discusses how AAFP's Innovation Lab has embraced the power of artificial intelligence to aid their physicians with numerous functions and processes. 

Matthew has a great conversation with Aaron Patzer, founder of AI-based health care company Vital about how artificial intelligence is quickly evolving in the industry. The former founder of Mint.com discusses AI's benefits, challenges and considerations as the emerging technology plans to redefine the patient experience. 

In June, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a new primary care model – the Making Care Primary (MCP) Model – that will be tested under the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation in eight states. We welcome CMS Deputy Administrator and Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation Director Dr. Liz Fowler to discuss the Making Care Primary Model, the process in developing the model, and it's connections with health equity. 

Matthew chats with Derrick Higgins, Head of Enterprise Data Science and Artificial Intelligence at Health Care Service Corporation (BCBS of Illinois, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas). Derrick discusses how his organization is leveraging artificial intelligence, his thoughts on future applications, and federal government role in AI governance. 

From WEDI's 2023 Spring Conference. The Health Care Payment and Learning and Action Network (HCPLAN) established the Health Equity Advisory Team (HEAT) to help identify and prioritize opportunities to advance health equity through alternative payment models (APMs). The HEAT’s goal is person-centered and focuses on leveraging APMs to help make needed care more accessible, drive better patient outcomes, and reduce disparities.  We welcomed HEAT's co-chairs, Dr Marshall Chin from the University of Chicago and Karen Dales from Amerihealth Caritas to discuss the group's work and their mission to address and eliminate health disparities while identifying payment models that aid communities. The session was moderated by Michael Pattwell from Edifecs who also serves as WEDI's Payment Model Workgroup Co-Chair.  

From WEDI's 2023 Spring Conference, Michael and WEDI Board Chair Ed Hafner chats with Jonathan Burow, VP Customer Experience and Digital Transformation with Independent Health. Jonathan discusses best practices for measuring customer satisfaction across product lines and engagement channels including call, chat, website and app. 

The concept of intersectionality describes the ways in which systems of inequality based on gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, class and other forms of discrimination “intersect” to create unique dynamics and effects. Regarding healthcare, collecting data on intersectional social factors like race, ethnicity, gender identity, and sexual orientation can help identify disparities experienced by specific populations in order to develop initiatives that target community’s needs thus yielding (hopefully) positive health outcomes. Matthew speaks with 4medica President Gregg Church on how incorporating intersectionality and Social determinants of health (SDOH), healthcare systems can improve the quality of data used to address health equity.

Michael welcomes Scott Gray, CEO of Clincierge, a patient concierge services provider in clinical trials. The two discuss the current state regarding diversity in clinical trials and how the need for minority participation can help serve a more accurate, realistic population, establish trust between patients and providers, and improve the patient experience.