{"id":72070,"date":"2023-05-31T01:05:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-31T05:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hitconsultant.net\/?p=72070"},"modified":"2023-06-01T00:29:33","modified_gmt":"2023-06-01T04:29:33","slug":"podimetrics-cmo-sdoh-challenges-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hitconsultant.net\/2023\/05\/31\/podimetrics-cmo-sdoh-challenges-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"Podimetrics Director Talks Supporting Patients Living with SDoH Challenges"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Podimetrics
Dr. Gary Rothenberg, Director of Medical Affairs at Podimetrics<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In an interview with HIT Consultant, Dr. Gary Rothenberg, Director of Medical Affairs at Podimetrics<\/a> talks about how healthcare technology<\/a> can help support a focus on social determinants of health (SDoH) to enhance the relationship between the patient and physician\/care team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can health technology play a role in helping to address social determinants of health (SDOH) when it comes to diabetes care?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Gary Rothenberg, Director of Medical Affairs at Podimetrics: <\/strong>While I am a big believer in the value of technology in building a new healthcare ecosystem that is focused on value versus filling hospital beds, I think this is a long play.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, patients \u2014 including those living with diabetes who I support in my role as a clinician, in academia, and as a director of medical affairs \u2014 are facing debilitating issues specific to SDOH<\/a>. These SDOH challenges vary greatly \u2014 from not having enough money to buy their much-needed insulin to not having a car to get to a doctor\u2019s appointment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While tech can and must have a role to play \u2014 including helping to identify the most at-risk patients we can target for support \u2014 we, as clinicians, have a huge role to play ourselves as leaders of the patient care team. Being an effective healthcare provider is still a human skill to practice and perfect. It requires that we talk to people, touch them with our hands for examinations, and troubleshoot their fears and concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


<\/strong>The critical role of community health has been around for a few decades within U.S. health systems. If community health work was the answer to addressing SDOH, wouldn\u2019t we be further along in solving these problems by now?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Rothenberg: <\/strong>Short answer, no. The population of people facing SDOH challenges has continued to grow year over year, and the pandemic only further exacerbated these issues \u2014 especially for those who were already vulnerable before COVID came our way. In tandem, we haven\u2019t had the increases in investments specific to community health work to keep up with this rising demand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Essentially, we have a pretty significant supply and demand issue at hand \u2014 meaning more people needing support and fewer community health workers and related resources to support them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We need more government investment in community health \u2014 particularly in relation to workforce investments \u2014 in order to significantly transform community care. Also, the focus must be on value, not fee-for-service, in order to drive toward measurable, long-lasting change for patients living with SDOH challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How is health technology, and in particular health tech using AI, uniquely able to address issues pertaining to SDOH?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Rothenberg: <\/strong>I mentioned risk stratification before. AI has a specific role to play here. The reality is that the healthcare industry \u2014 and clinicians in particular \u2014 are rich in data but poor in insights \u2014 meaning that while we have access to a lot of data, there\u2019s not much knowledge we can derive from that data today when and where we need it most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is where I see a huge opportunity for AI \u2014 in being able to cull through massive amounts of data, derive actionable insights, and provide those insights to the care team at the point of care and\/or before an in-person or virtual consult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the appropriate training and clinical guidance, AI can and should play a huge role when it comes to big data and layering on analytics with the end goal being to support the healthcare system\u2019s transition to preventive, proactive care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interest in the potential of health tech, and specifically the use of AI, and its ability to address long-standing challenges such as SDOH remains high. Is AI a strong answer to the problems associated with SDOH identification and support? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Rothenberg: <\/strong>AI isn\u2019t the end-all, be-all answer to addressing SDOH. It is, however, an enabler of innovation that can help drive a much-needed change in identifying our most vulnerable patients and getting them access to the type of care that fits their needs and focuses on value. Still, that\u2019s going to take more time. And while I am just as excited as others about ChatGPT, I still don\u2019t think it\u2019s ready for healthcare prime time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are other non-AI types of innovation specific to SDOH that excite me personally and have nearer-term potential \u2014 for example, the \u201cfood is medicine\u201d movement and the related recent announcement from Instacart Health. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Building on this announcement, Boston Children\u2019s Hospital is now among the first health systems to leverage Instacart Health provider products for its patients, establishing new food-as-medicine programs to help them get the nourishment they need to manage and maintain their health. Food plays such a crucial role in our health and well-being, and the idea that technology can break down access barriers to nutritious foods truly holds the potential to prevent serious and costly chronic diseases like diabetes \u2014 a disease that adversely impacts people of color today in a very significant way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the future of health tech in relation to addressing SDOH? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Rothenberg: <\/strong>The future of health tech when it comes to addressing SDOH should look like this in healthcare:<\/p>\n\n\n\n