Faces of Digital Health

This episode features Dr. Chelsea Sumner discussing NVIDIA's significant role in healthcare, particularly in its work with AI startups. Key areas of focus include NVIDIA’s contributions to medical imaging, genomics, and drug discovery, and its innovative tools like Clara and NIMs. The conversation highlights how NVIDIA collaborates with startups, its global footprint, and insights into AI’s transformative potential in healthcare.Key Points: NVIDIA’s Role in Healthcare: GPUs in Healthcare: NVIDIA's graphics processing units (GPUs) power AI and are pivotal in medical imaging, genomics, and drug discovery. Clara Platform: A suite of healthcare-focused AI tools supporting genomics (Parabricks), medical imaging (Moni), robotics (Isaac), and drug discovery (BioNemo). Collaboration with Startups: Inception Program: NVIDIA supports over 3,000 healthcare startups globally, offering them tools, resources, and access to venture capital (VCA). Diverse Startup Sizes: Startups range from small two-person teams to large-scale companies with 800+ employees. Examples of Partnerships: Mendel AI: Improved deployment efficiency by 75% using NVIDIA’s Inference Microservices (NIMs). Hippocratic AI: Developing empathetic AI avatars for patient interactions. Abridge: AI-powered clinical conversations that can generate clinical notes, saving clinicians time. What Are NIMs? NIMs (NVIDIA Inference Microservices): These microservices streamline AI model deployment, enabling faster and easier integration of AI models into applications. Key Healthcare Innovations: Genome Sequencing: NVIDIA set a world record for genome sequencing in under 6 hours, highlighting advancements in personalized medicine. GI Genius with Medtronic: AI-assisted colonoscopy tool leveraging NVIDIA’s technology to detect polyps, aiding in colorectal cancer prevention. J&J MedTech Collaboration: Connecting digital ecosystems for surgery to provide real-time insights to medical professionals. Global Healthcare Impact: NVIDIA operates in healthcare ecosystems worldwide, collaborating with startups and partners in North and Latin America, Europe, China, and APAC regions. Their technologies are integrated with global academic medical centers, research institutions, and conferences like RSNA and Health U.S. Future of AI in Healthcare: Digital Biology, Surgery, and Health: Key areas where generative AI will impact healthcare, from diagnostics to personalized treatment. Model Transparency (Model Cards): NVIDIA’s trustworthy AI initiatives include model cards, which offer transparency into AI models' development and data, aiding in mitigating bias. www.facesofdigitalhealth.comNewsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/

This episode gives an in-depth insight into healthcare digitalization in Portugal. Cátia Sousa Pinto, Head of Global Digital Health and International Affairs at SPMS - shared services of ministry of health of Portugal talked about healthcare digitalization in Portugal, European Health Data Space (EHDS), patient data and more.Key Points Summary Portugal's Digital Health System Design: To accelerate digital health development, Portugal created a national eHealth agency (SPMS) over a decade ago. SPMS Role: SPMS plays a dual role, not only regulating but also developing and maintaining ICT solutions for Portugal's healthcare system. This centralization helps prevent fragmentation and ensures interoperability. European Health Data Space (EHDS): EHDS is the EU's regulatory framework for cross-border health data sharing, building on initiatives like MyHealth@EU. The goal is to allow seamless healthcare across Europe, where any EU citizen can access healthcare in other countries as if they were at home. My Health at EU: A foundational initiative that enables cross-border exchange of health data like patient summaries and e-prescriptions between EU countries. Patient Data: Catia emphasized the importance of patients controlling their health data and being able to share it across healthcare providers. This includes e-prescriptions, laboratory results, and, eventually, medical images. Portugal's National Electronic Health Record: A key project for the country is the creation of a unified electronic health record system, allowing citizens to access all of their health data, both public and private, from a single source. Use of EU Funding: Portugal has allocated €300 million from the EU's recovery funds for digital health transformation, focusing on infrastructure, citizen-centric services, and reducing the burden on healthcare professionals. Challenges and Future Outlook: The integration of digital health into national governance and improving interoperability between systems remain ongoing challenges. Katia stressed the importance of moving towards real-time, structured health data to improve future healthcare outcomes. www.facesofdigitalhealth.comNewsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/Show notes:[00:02:00] - Overview of Digital Health in Portugal[00:06:00] - National-Level Initiatives and Successes[00:10:00] - European Health Data Space (EHDS) and My Health at EU[00:16:00] - Cross-Border Care and Digital Infrastructure[00:20:00] - The Role of SPMS in Portugal’s Digital Health Journey[00:30:00] - Challenges and Workforce Management in Digital Health[00:34:00] - Benefits of Centralization in Small Countries[00:38:00] - Electronic Health Records and Expanding Digital Services, Secondary use of data [00:42:00] - Portugal’s National Electronic Health Record[00:46:00] - Future Vision for Health Data Integration

In this episode Anne Forsyth, Director of Clinical Applications and Support at Women’s College Hospital in Canada, discusses the challenges and opportunities in optimizing healthcare IT systems, particularly in data management and digital literacy. She shares her experiences transitioning from a policy role to a hospital setting and emphasizes the importance of data governance, workflow design, and continuous improvement in digital health projects.Key Takeaways: Community and Collaboration: Canada’s digital health community is a significant asset in advancing healthcare IT. AI and Data Standards: The adoption of AI in healthcare is promising but requires robust data governance and standards. Importance of Fundamentals: Good governance, workflow optimization, and training are crucial in creating sustainable healthcare IT systems. Digital Health Literacy: Clinicians need focused training on using digital tools correctly rather than deep technical knowledge. Cybersecurity Preparedness: Hospitals must prioritize business continuity planning to prepare for potential cyber attacks. www.facesofdigitalhealth.com Newsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/ Show notes: [00:04:00] Optimism in Canadian Digital Health[00:06:00] The Role of AI and Data Standards[00:08:00] Transition from Policy to Practice[00:10:00] The Fundamentals of IT in Healthcare[00:16:00] Tackling Unstructured Data[00:22:00] Continuous Improvement in Healthcare IT[00:26:00] Digital Health Literacy for Clinicians[00:34:00] Cybersecurity and Business Continuity[00:38:00] Closing Remarks and Advice The importance of strong relationships with vendors and clinicians in solving technical challenges in healthcare IT. Final thoughts on the continuous nature of digital health optimization and the need for sustainable, well-communicated strategies.

In healthcare, consultants are present more often than we might realise: they work with healthcare providers to improve clinical efficiency, manage costs, implement new technologies, or streamline administrative processes. They can help with regulatory compliance, help insurance companies design new poducts, governments hire them to help with policy development, program evaluation, and implementation of new regulations. In this episode we take a look under the hood of consultancy work, where governments make biggest mistakes and how consultants approach problem-solving.Mehdi Khaled is Internal Medicine Doctor and Fortune 50 Health Tech Executive, with over 25 years of international experience. He has helped shaping many large-scale, transformative digital health projects across four continents and within 40 health systems. As a Managing Partner at Seha, he specializes in developing and executing cutting-edge health and digital health strategies, with a strong emphasis on the meaningful use of data to drive health system improvements.www.facesofdigitalhealth.comNewsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/ Topics covered: 00:04 - The Role of Consultants in Healthcare00:06 - Challenges of Accountability00:08 - Core Principles for Healthcare00:10 - Singapore’s Healthcare Success00:12 - Implementing Technology in Healthcare00:14 - The Balance Between Technology and Clinical Needs00:16 - The Importance of Clinical Engagement00:18 - Managing Technology in HealthcareExploration of the concept of "management debt," where poor decision-making leads to the accumulation of ineffective technologies.00:20 - Cultural Differences in Healthcare00:22 - Bridging the Knowledge Gap in Digital Health00:24 - Case Studies and Real-World Examples00:26 - The Need for Long-Term Vision00:28 - Lessons from Singapore and Catalonia00:30 - Technology-Driven Change in Healthcare00:32 - Overcoming Barriers to Innovation00:34 - The Future of Digital Health00:36 - Building Local Capacity00:38 - Avoiding Dependency on Consultants00:40 - Final Thoughts on Healthcare Consulting

Catalonia published a new digitalization strategy in 2017. It set a new path of the healthcare IT infrastructure, based on open-platform approach, focusing on data persistence with the use of openEHR data specification. In this discussion, you will hear from Jordi Piera Jiménez, Director of the Digital Health Strategy Office at the Catalan Health Service and Director at openEHR International, representing organisational members. He discussed specifics of the Spanish healthcare market, how far Catalonia came since 2017, how is Catalonia building, using and updating a multi-morbidity scoring system for patients which enables easier clinical decision making, cybersecurity attacks and ultimate improvement in information security measures, and more. www.facesofdigitalhealth.comNewsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/

Artur Olesch is Berlin-based journalist specializing in digital health, the founder of aboutDigitalHealth.com, and the editor-in-chief of ICT&Health International. In this discussion, he shares his thoughts on the European legislation of healthtech, his thoughts on most intriguing books in tech and AI, and more. His 3 book picks: Ray Kurzweil - Singularity is nearer Ethan Mollick - Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AIPhilip E. Tetlock, Dan Gardner - Superforecasting: The Art and Science of PredictionShow notes:03:00 About Ray Kurzweil - Singularity is nearer 10:00 Ethical use of healthcare data - how sharing is connected to democratic values 14:00 Data analytics and data use examples and inspiration17:00 DiGA in the field: do doctors know it 18:45 Approach to behavioral health improvement and the role of digital20:00 Book 2: Ethan Mollick - Intelligence 22:58 Predicting disease - yes or no? 26:00 Best insights from conference, top topic: ambient intelligence systems 35:00 Hopes and fears about the future of healthcare digitalizationwww.facesofdigitalhealth.comNewsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/

John Halamka is the President of the Mayo Clinic Platform and a leading expert in digital health and AI. He has traveled to 21 countries, helping to scale digital health solutions and address regulatory and ethical challenges in the reuse of healthcare data.Addressed topics in this discussion: 1. Differences in regulatory frameworks and cultural expectations across countries.2. Comparison of the U.S. and European approaches to AI and data exchange.3. Risks associated with generative AI and the need for a credibility scores.4. Observations from various countries on AI adoption. Importance of local tuning for algorithm validation.5. Data Standards and Future Trends.6. Advice for Governments and Healthcare Institutions: Encouraging a proactive approach to AI adoption -Starting with low-risk projects and building trust and reliability.Website: www.facesofdigitalhealth.comNewsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH9qYpFW-W8

You may not have heard about Prenuvo, but you probably know Kim Kardashian. Or perhaps you know about Prenuvo because of Kim Kardashian.Prenuvo offers whole-body MRI scans for $2500. About 3-4% of people get something discovered, 10% have detected changes that require follow-ups.Opinions about the usefulness of these scans are diverse, with some hesitation on the clinical side.At HLTH Europe, the CEO Andrew Lacy explained:🤔 How Prenuvo uses influencer marketing to attract new customers,🤔 whole-body MRI scans in light of other preventive whole-body scans and the emerging field of liquid biopsies,🤔 affordability/ scans as a status symbol,🤔 the future of prevention,... and more.www.facesofdigitalhealth.comNewsletter: fodh.substack.com

If you ever want to go to a healthcare innovation conference that doesn’t shy away from potentially controversive topics, HLTH is your place to go. In June 2024, the conference, which attracts 12,000 people in the US, came to Europe. At the center of the exhibition hall stood the Heart Stage focused on topics related to women’s health. Around it were the exhibitor booth and other stages, each designed with a different theme, each like a theatre setup that made speakers feel like stars. Why do people love going to HLTH? Because it’s focused on the experience of the attendees in “a little extra” way. The ticket includes meals, music, there were massage and hair salon in the middle of the exhibition floor, lots of evening networking events, from more formal but still unusual ones, such as the Phillips reception in a museum, to the closing evening with a concert by The Libertines. When the experience is good, and festival-live, it attracts people. When people come, you very quicky attract VIPs of the industry, who many hope to meet and do business with. Win win. In this episode, you will hear impressions and insights from speakers and attendees of the event. You will hear about: partnerships and investment in Europe, women’s health, the German market, what companies don’t understand about patient engagement, and AI. Speakers: John Halamka, President of Mayo Clinic Platform, Sara Schmachtenberg, Digital Health Venture Expert / Head of Data and Analytics, Europe & USA at Galen Growth, Simon Phillip Rost, the Chief Marketing Officer at GE Healthcare, Jen Horonjeff, PhD, Founder and CEO of Savvy Cooperative, and Ronnie Sharpe, co-founder and COO at Savvy Cooperative, Christophe Jauquet, Author & Professional Keynote Speaker on how business & technology shape a healthier, happier, more sustainable future.  Dorothée Marie-Louise Doepfer, Deputy Head of Digital Labs / Program Management Digital Health Accelerator & Community Building & Co-organizer Berlin Institute of Health at Charité. www.facesofdigitalhealth.comNewsletter: fodh.substack.com

Debates around equity and equality, especially concerning men and women and female representation, can become heated and divisive quickly. For a long time, female bodies have been perceived merely as male bodies with different reproductive organs. However, the differences go beyond that: 80% of people with autoimmune conditions are women, 66% of Alzheimer's disease patients are women, and symptoms of cardiovascular diseases present differently in women and men, among other disparities. These health issues significantly impact women's productivity.In today's episode, you will hear a recording from the Healthcare Business Women Ljubljana meetup focused on women's health. Joy Rios, founder of HIT Like a Girl Media joined the discussion on women's health and how the unique aspects of women's health are impacting digital health companies and businesses. While less than a quarter of CEOs in digital health companies are women, in femtech companies, 76% of founders, co-founders, and CEOs are women.Website: www.facesofdigitalhealth.comNewsletter: https://fodh.substack.com/Show notes: [00:02:00] Guest Speaker: Joy Rios[00:03:00] Current State of Women's Health Common associations with women's health: menstrual health apps (Clue), pelvic floor training (Elvie), sexual health (Rosy). Innovations in women’s health: apps for sexual assault victims, and addressing menopause and ovarian health. [00:04:00] Research and Development Only 4% of R&D budgets historically went into women's health topics. Inclusion of women in clinical trials has improved, but gaps remain in medical device trials. [00:05:00] Challenges and Biases[00:06:00] Policy and InvestmentWhite House initiative and Melinda French Gates’ $2 billion investment in removing barriers for women.[00:16:00] Impact of Abortion Rights on Women's Health Roe v. Wade overturned, affecting access to abortion and impacting startups in the field. Differences in state laws create challenges in providing consistent healthcare. [00:22:00] Inspiring Developments Policy changes in Mexico leading to increased female representation in politics. Mexico’s progressive stance on women in leadership positions. [00:26:00] Advice for Women in Healthcare Business Identify unique opportunities and unmet needs in healthcare. Understand regulations and compliance. Build a supportive community and collaborate.