The Collective Voice of Health IT, A WEDI Podcast

This week, Michael welcomes Julie Rezek, CEO of Advata. Advata provides advanced data analytics software to improve decision-making and optimize administrative efficiencies in healthcare. The company's revenue cycle management solutions are powered by predictive analytics, actionable artificial intelligence, machine learning, and robotic process automation.  What is the present and future of data analytics in healthcare and how can it remain responsible while also changing the way the industry manages inefficiencies and increases productivity

Data breaches from healthcare vendors, which are considered “business associates" under HHS’ Office of Civil Rights breach portal have grown over the past 5 years, including 116 reported business associate breaches since November 2022 which have affected over 17 million patients. Michael chats with Phil Englert, Director of Medical Device Security for the Health Information Sharing and Analysis Center (H-ISAC) about the industry's concerns regarding security concerns with third party vendors and medical devices.  Learn more about H-ISAC at www.h-isac.org

Matthew speaks with Ed Hafner, Chair of WEDI's Board of Directors and AVP Payer Strategy-Medical Network with Change Healthcare, and Robert Tennant, Vice President, Federal Affairs with WEDI.  The National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics (NCVHS) Standards Subcommittee hearing took place Jan.18 & 19, examining the new and updated transaction standards and operating rules. Robert testified on behalf of WEDI, presenting the feedback the association received from its Member Position Advisory (MPA) session in late 2022. The first day focused on the X12 proposal to move to the 008020 version of the Dental, Institutional, and Professional Claim (837) and the 008020 version of Health Care Claim Payment/Advice (835). Day two included the CAQH CORE proposal to move to updated and new operating rules. Learn more about WEDI's MPA here- https://www.wedi.org/2023/01/20/wedi-testimony-ncvhs-x12-caqh-core-hearing/ Learn more about NCVHS' Hearings here- https://ncvhs.hhs.gov/meetings/standards-subcommittee-hearing/   

Matthew chats with Matt McBride, Co-Founder and CEO of Mend (Mend.com) a patient engagement and telehealth platform designed to help healthcare organizations scale their practice and care for more patients.  Matt discusses the change in telehealth usage over the past several years and how healthcare must continue to evolve and incorporate emerging technologies to offer patient a more seamless, efficient, equitable and satisfying experience. 

From WEDI's National Conference this past October in Washington DC, Civitas Networks for Health's CEO Lisa Bari hosts an engaging panel on the power of Health Information Exchanges with Nichole Sweeney, General Counsel and Chief Privacy Officer for CRISP and Elizabeth Killingsworth. General Counsel and Chief Privacy Officer for Manifest Medex.    Learn more about HIEs and Civitas Networks for Health at https://www.civitasforhealth.org/

Matthew talks about the importance of data with Epic's Phil Lindemann, VP of Business Intelligence and Dave Little, MD, Clinical Informaticist.  Epic manages electronic health records for more than 250 million patients and is now expanding clinical trials by kicking off a Life Sciences program to help speed up the development of new therapies. Providers across the world use Epic to conduct more than 100,000 active research studies with 4.7 million patients.    Additionally, they discuss the importance of companies providing data for the greater good of Americans' lives. Large data sets like Epics’ Cosmos can provide health officials with the data needed to enact changes. This allows doctors to learn from thousands of other hospitals and support researched-health needs like adverse trends in healthcare and outbreak detection.  Learn more about Epic's work below epic.com epicresearch.org epicshare.org Here’s a link to a fentanyl study referenced in the episode : Only 5% of Overdose Patients Tested for Fentanyl, #1 Killer of Americans 18-45 (epicresearch.org)

Michael chats with Durwin Day, Health Information Manager with Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC). Durwin also is a long standing member of WEDI's Board of Directors and is the co-chair of its Attachments Subworkgroup.  Durwin offers his initial thoughts on the PA and Attachments proposed rules, the role of FHIR and a glimpse into the potential discussions that will take place during his Attachments Subworkgroup meetings.  If you are a WEDI member, participation in any workgroup meeting is a benefit you should take advantage of. If you are not a member, visit wedi.org to learn more about the association. 

This episode is part of Telehealth Awareness Week, #TelehealthisHealth Michael has a fascinating conversation with Cloud DX CEO Robert Kaul. Cloud DX is working on developing healthcare within the relatively new and mysterious metaverse, which consists of virtual and augmented reality experiences that we haven't even begun to scrap the surface of. Additionally, the two discuss the role of remote patient monitoring and how it can improve access to care for the chronically ill and those living in rural regions. 

WEDI is a proud partner for Telehealth Awareness Week #TelehealthisHealth To commemorate Telehealth Awareness Week, Matthew sits down with Robin Farmanfarmaian, a professional speaker and healthcare entrepreneur working with cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence Software, Device and Pharma companies poised to impact 100M patients. Within these companies, she focuses on strategy, business development, revenue and fundraising. Robin's latest book, "How AI can Democratize Healthcare; Shifting Care from the Clinic to the Point of the Patient", is available this month at https://democratizinghealthcare.ai/ . Learn more about Robin at https://www.robinff.com/ Matthew and Robin discuss the trend in healthcare away from in-person care to at-home delivery, behavioral health, virtual therapeutics and remote patient monitoring. 

This episode is sponsored by MCG. MCG artificial intelligence and technology solutions, infused with this objective clinical expertise, enable hospitals, health plans, TPAs, and government agencies to prioritize and simplify their workflow.  Matthew chats with Zack Kimble, Staff Data Scientist for MCG Health about various levels of artificial intelligence that MCG is working on, including machine learning and natural language processing. How is AI aiding healthcare in prioritizing utilization reviews, support appropriate level of care, determine appropriate clinical documentation and so much more.