At the RALLY 2024 InnoPower event highlighting Minority Business Week, a diverse panel of experts explored the future of health care, discussing everything from artificial intelligence to innovative treatment approaches. The conversation centered on how these advancements could reshape patient care and improve health outcomes for all.
Moderated by Erin Albert, vice president of pharmacy relations and chief privacy officer at Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company, the panel was the only all-women health care conversation at the two-day event.
The three other speakers were Camie Wright, vice president and chief medical officer for CareSource; Elizabeth Hagerman, chief innovation officer for the University of Wisconsin Health; and Ethel Massing, director of innovation and Parkview strategic enterprises at Parkview Health.
With a wealth of knowledge under their belts, the speakers discussed a range of topics from the current issues facing health care to the future of AI.
“For our health system, the number one topic on everyone’s mind is access,” Hagerman said.
Wright describes a similar situation for CareSource patients. Most patients are utilizing the emergency department and urgent care rather than the doctor’s office, which is where they should be getting preventative care. Wright also discussed the issues in health equity and making sure that all populations have equal access to care.
“We are opening more facilities than ever and every facility we open is full,” Massing said.
To address these issues, innovation is needed, according to Massing and the other speakers. Approaching a large organization can be tricky, however.
“My advice to innovators and startup companies is to be very clear about asking ‘what do you think you can do for the health care system’?” Hagerman said.
With innovation comes technology. Artificial intelligence is at the forefront of many conversations regarding health care and the future of diagnosing and treating patients.
“There is a tremendous amount of concern about privacy and making sure that we’re not using any artificial intelligence that might somehow put our members at risk,” Wright said.
Some AI has already been rolled out. Ambient listening is a method of using AI in appointments to transcribe what the patient is saying. This eliminates the need for doctors to track everything the patient says and instead focus more on listening.
Telehealth has grown in recent years since the pandemic, but AI has not been implemented at the same level. Concerns range from data possession to privacy rules to ensuring a patient is not told the wrong diagnosis or instruction.
“What needs to be presented so people feel comfortable adopting that technology?” Hagerman said.
As Wright points out, older generations and minorities may be less likely to adopt AI-based health care when going in for a visit. These questions about adaptation, data collection and implementation have yet to be answered, they explain.
The ideal world for the three speakers is a healthy population. Focusing on preventative care rather than fixing problems is where health care should be in the U.S., Wright said.
“How can we give the patient the treatment they want, where they want it, when they want it?” Messing said.
For more information about RALLY, visit rallyinnovation.com.
Contact Health & Environmental Reporter Hanna Rauworth at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram at @hanna.rauworth.
