Becker's Hospital Review

33 INNOVATION detectors are all based on algorithms or con- tinuous machine learning. ey have applied consumer products like search, wayfinding maps on their websites and other things. Al- gorithms for care management will begin to become more common. Mayo Clinic Platform program Validate will ensure these AI-based algorithms are fit for purpose, that they serve well the population they are intended for. And the Deliver prod- uct is working out how they can be available for clinicians or people who want more con- trol over their health. ese algorithms are already powerful diagnostic tools. For most health systems, these algorithms will be em- bedded in EHR workflow, products like radi- ation oncology or EKG devices. n 2021's brightest health tech innovations, per 5 hospital executives By Katie Adams H ere, five executives from health systems across the country answer the question, "What was the most impactful health tech innovation in 2021?" Editor's note: Responses were lightly edited for clarity. Aaron Martin. Chief Digital and Innovation Officer at Providence (Renton, Wash.): Access optimization in healthcare. Aggregating patient demand, navigating pa- tients to the right care venue (physician, retail, urgent care, telehealth, emergency department, etc.) and then load balancing the supply of clinician time to increase patient access and satisfaction while lowering clinician burnout. In 2022, it will be patient engagement — creating opportuni- ties for delivering health services, education and products to patients between episodes of clinical care to truly build a long-term relationship with the patient. Karen Murphy, PhD, RN. Chief Innovation Officer at Geisinger (Danville, Pa.): The most impactful health tech innovation in 2021 was the evolving use of remote patient monitoring. We saw an increase in 2020 due to COVID, but in 2021 the industry began to understand the potential of connecting with patients digitally to monitor their health. Remote patient monitoring carries a tremendous value proposition. Monitoring patients in their home provides crit- ical information to providers. Early warning signs can alert providers to intervene to prevent disease progression. In- terventions such as medication adjustments can be made to prevent further exacerbation. Remote patient monitoring, when used correctly, will lower total cost of care by avoiding emergency department visits and potentially, readmissions to the hospital. As the use of remote patient monitoring increases, it will be important for tech companies to integrate with additional sys- tems such as the EHR. This will enhance the ease of use for providers. As the technology advances, patients will be more empowered to engage in self-management in a manner that will improve clinical outcomes. The use of this technology will most definitely become mainstream moving forward. Thomas Graham, MD. Chief Innovation and Transforma- tion Officer at Kettering Health (Dayton, Ohio): I believe that the biggest needle-mover of 2021 was the transition of virtual care from a peripheral technology to an essential tool. Sure, advances in precision medicine, diagnostics and therapeutics, medical devices and data analytics are impres- sive; however, the most impact was seen when we were fi- nally forced to flip the switch and adopt what was a novelty as a vital instrument in our day-to-day care. The familiarity (both physician and patient) that grew from our pandemic experience will change the paradigm of healing, give rise to myriad derivative technologies and even change the regulatory/legislative landscape. I am just as prone to chase the next "shiny metal object" as the next innovation thought leader, but once in a while we need to recognize an elegant recalibration of a technol- ogy that was repurposed at the time we needed it most. I believe "Telemedicine 2.0" is here to stay and will pro- vide a strong foundation on which to build tomorrow's advancements. Jeffrey Sturman. Senior Vice President and Chief Digi- tal Officer at Memorial Healthcare System (Hollywood, Fla.): In the face of COVID, I think you would have to say that all virtual health capabilities have expanded greatly and evolved further in 2021, thus being the most impactful to what we do. Through virtual health, we have continued to care for patients, advanced our ability to engage con- sumers in new ways, created more points of access and matured a focus on value-based care. Virtual health broad- ly includes telehealth, e-consults, e-visits, e-ICU, remote patient monitoring in inpatient and outpatient settings, and many other areas where we have helped our providers engage consumers effectively. There are many other innovations that we have initiated that will rise to creating a tremendous ongoing impact. Namely, a focus on artificial intelligence and robotic pro- cess automation are helping with staffing shortages, cre- ating consistent delivery of care, and automating much of the revenue cycle. Our introduction of creating an om- ni-channel experience for our consumers, putting much more decision-making and capability into the hands of consumers via voice, chat, text, email and self-service, is a game changer for the healthcare industry. Finally, a focus on intelligent voice assistance to increase satisfaction for providers and patients alike. Mark Kandrysawtz. Chief Innovation Officer at WellSpan Health (York, Pa.): The most impactful tech in- novation of 2021 was the rapidly increasing focus on ap- plication of AI in healthcare — both for enterprise business functions and care delivery. We see rapidly growing focus across the landscape; from innovators in Silicon Valley to research occurring in universities and medical schools and experimentation happening at the community health lev- el. At WellSpan Health, we've made investments in clinical and consumer AI, and are experimenting with using AI to transform our enterprise to make care more affordable, more effective and easier to use. n

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