As we near the end of 2017, we’ve rounded up 10 blogs from the past year that sum up where we have been in health care and the direction we’re headed. From perennial health IT topics to the technologies that will shape tomorrow, the Cerner blog has covered an array of issues and ideas that have far-reaching implications in the year to come. As we head into 2018, revisit these 10 blogs featuring insights from thought leaders and unique industry perspectives.
Health Care Industry, or Consumer Health Industry?
Cerner President Zane Burke addresses the need to proactively and strategically manage the evolution of health IT solutions to embrace consumerism in health care. Although the industry has been slower to adapt to this consumer-first focus, the proliferation of smart devices, apps and wearables has the patient more involved in their own health and care than ever before. By engaging with and understanding its consumers, we can define and drive value as we look to the future.
How IoT and AI are Changing the Business of Health Care
John Gresham, vice president and general manager of DeviceWorks and Interoperability at Cerner, considers the shift in the conversation surrounding the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence. Where the health care industry once focused on enabling point-to-point connections for individual devices to automatically send valuable data to a person's electronic health record (EHR), cloud-based computing is now driving a higher level of consumer engagement.
Using Big Data to Advance the Athletic Training Industry
Kevin Ricks, associate athletic trainer at the University of Notre Dame, discusses how sports medicine is creating a culture of data-driven outcomes for competitive athletes on and off the field. When nutritionists, strength and conditioning coaches, physicians and mental health experts can analyze various data collected by smart devices, apps and wearables, they’re better equipped to collaborate on optimizing long-term health outcomes and short-term performance for their athletes.
How Data Can Bridge the Gap Between Personalized Medicine and Care
Joan McClure of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and Cerner’s Susan Stiles explain how increasing innovation in genomics is driving the effectiveness of personalized medicine in cancer treatment. Although the concept of personalized treatment strategies is not new, clinical data stored within our EHRs is helping advance further innovation and discoveries in genomics. To ensure the success of personalized medicine, we need interoperable EHR systems that can manage data in a useful and holistic way.
Where Does Emotional Design Fit in the Health IT Industry?
Cerner’s Vice President of User Experience Paul Weaver reflects on the importance of emotionally centered design in health IT by considering a game design theory known as “Mechanics, Dynamics and Aesthetics.” The combination of these three concepts provides an opportunity to create a user experience that elevates a product or solution and conveys a deeper meaning. While abstract in nature, the idea of emotional design has a real-world application in the clinical setting, where it has the potential to engage users and reduce stressors for physicians and caregivers.
Fighting the Opioid Epidemic with Predictive Analytics
It’s no secret that America is facing an opioid epidemic. Jennifer Conner, senior director and solution executive of State and Public Health at Cerner, argues that combating the opioid epidemic starts with using data to define the prevalence within a geographic area. Access to prescription data can help us understand these insights, which leads to actionable insights that empower us to take steps toward preventative care. Statewide prescription drug monitoring programs, coupled with EHR data, can connect data and proactively identify at-risk patients before it’s too late.
How Open Standards Foster Collaboration in Health IT
In this episode of The Cerner Podcast, Kevin Sheckleton, senior principal architect and distinguished engineer at Cerner, discussed how open standards, including SMART Health IT and the HL7® FHIR® standard, are driving collaboration and innovation within health IT. Clinical Decision Support Hooks, also known as CDS Hooks, is an emerging standard with the potential to add considerable power for developers and clinical communities alike. Listen as Scheckleton discusses how CDS Hooks work and the impact of open standards on the industry.
Deloitte’s Bill Copeland on Provider-Sponsored Health Plans
Bill Copeland, vice chairman and U.S. Life Sciences & Health Care Leader at Deloitte, appeared on The Cerner Podcast to discuss how provider-sponsored health plans are supporting organizations in managing targeted populations. As the model gains momentum with health systems and hospitals, Copeland considers challenges, benefits and how the provider-sponsored plan market might change in the coming year.
Physician Perspective: Engaged Empathy in Health Care
Priti Lakhani, director of Physician Alignment at Cerner, illustrates the importance of empathy in health care by reflecting on a friend’s recent hospitalization and subsequent experience. Clinical empathy can happen with verbal and nonverbal cues but can result in an emotional connection that improves the experience for both the patient and clinician. By teaching empathy to medical students and helping established clinicians learn to practice empathy, caregivers can promote effective communication and connect with the patient in a meaningful way.
3 Things to Know About Cerner’s Free Consumer-Directed Health Record
Cerner President Zane Burke took the stage at the 2017 Cerner Health Conference to make an announcement regarding interoperability and health care consumerism: Cerner is providing a free, consumer-directed health record for patients. By placing the patient at the center of care, we’re embracing the patient as part of the care team. Cerner will also be extending CommonWell services through 2020 at no cost to its clients. Finally, Cerner is committed to emphasizing next-generation interoperability by leveraging a standards-first attitude to drive the industry forward into 2018 and beyond.
Stay tuned in 2018 to see how we transform health care next, and be sure to follow Cerner on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to stay up to date with the latest from our blog.
