7 of our favorite podcasts from 2019

Each week, the “Perspectives on Health and Tech” podcast delivers expert analysis around the latest health and tech developments and their impact on providers and consumers across the continuum of care. As we close out this decade and look to 2020, here are some of the most important episodes from 2019:

1. Robert Altemose on using real-time analytics to improve clinical outcomes

Robert Altemose, MSN, RN, director of clinical operations analytics, AdventHealth

As the health care industry continues its march toward value-based care, a proactive approach is essential to improving quality outcomes. Real-world clinical experience, paired with cutting-edge IT infrastructure and modern technology, can save providers time and bolster the patient experience. In this podcast, Robert discusses how moving from retroactive to near real-time data analytics can empower clinicians in delivering higher quality care.

2. Tackling physician burnout with data and analytics

Janae Sharp, founder, The Sharp Index

The rise of burnout among U.S. physicians is a major issue in the health care industry. A 2019 survey by Medscape noted that 44% of physicians reported feeling burned out. In some specialties, that number is more than 50%. In this episode, we’re joined by Sharp, who started a nonprofit dedicated to reducing physician suicide through awareness and data science. She examines physician burnout and the steps that can be taken to reduce this serious problem.

“We know that suicide rates and burnout for physicians starts in medical school, so you can’t put all the blame on the technology that gets introduced later. When we’ve been surveying [physicians], we’ve found a very distinct divide between mental health status and burnout … We’re trying to focus on providing help for those who are willing.” — Janae Sharp

3. Using advanced data analytics to make health care delivery more efficient and accurate

Dr. Srinivasan Suresh, vice president, CIO, CMIO, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh

Dr. Suresh shares his thoughts on how using data to predict future trends, events and behaviors can save time, money and support providers in delivering better patient-centered care. He also delves into how organizations can overcome the challenges of implementing new technology in the clinical setting.

4. Transforming rural health care through population health strategies

Tim Putnam, president and CEO, Margaret Mary Health

Chelsea Bressers, senior director and sales leader, Cerner

Nearly 20 percent of all Americans live in rural communities, but rural health care providers face several challenges that their urban counterparts don’t experience. In this episode, Chelsea talks to Tim, who leads a not-for-profit, critical access hospital in Batesville, Indiana, that serves more than 65,000 residents. He offers his perspective on how technology and population health strategies can improve the health of entire communities.

“One rural hospital closes every month, 46% of rural hospitals have been identified as at-risk financially and 700 rural hospitals have been marked for potential closure.” — Tim Putnam

5. Creating a common electronic health record for Service members and Veterans

Mr. John Windom, executive director, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Travis Dalton, president, Cerner Government Services, Cerner

Mr. William Tinston, program executive officer, Defense Healthcare Management Systems

The health record modernization effort for the departments of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) is the largest health system transformation in history, both in terms of size and complexity. When complete, approximately 18 million Service members, Veterans and their families will have one common record. In this roundtable, three experts reflect on how the innovations being developed through this massive effort will help physicians solve big problems for patients and empower a lifetime of seamless care.

6. How Shriners Hospitals for Children used the essential clinical dataset to improve pediatric health care

Jenny Horn, senior director and regional clinical executive, Cerner

Marjorie McEttrick-Maloney, chief nursing officer, Shriners Hospitals for Children

Ellen Murphy, informatics nurse specialist, Shriners Hospitals for Children

Cerner brought together a group of clients in 2016 to define the essential clinical dataset (ECD) for adult hospital admissions. In a nutshell, the ECD decreases the number of patient registration questions to only what’s most necessary. In this episode, three nursing leaders from Cerner and Shriners Hospitals for Children consider how improvements to nursing documentation processes can improve care team satisfaction and patient outcomes.

“Nurses create and use a lot of data to provide care for our patients. We wanted to streamline their workflows and processes. Our goal (in implementing the ECD) is to allow nurses to spend the majority of their time at the beside with patients and families instead of hunting and pecking in the EHR.” — Ellen Murphy

7. Using technology and data analytics to battle the opioid crisis

Alan Staples, senior solution strategist, patient safety, Cerner

In the second episode in our four-part series on the opioid crisis, Alan discusses options for safer pain and opioid management and how technology can support care teams and patients in their efforts to combat this public safety epidemic.

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