Following the presentation, the audience will:
1. Gain knowledge how to successfully integrate data in electronic health records using novel platforms.
2. Learn how Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles can identify implementation barriers and facilitators in piloting innovative health digital tools.
3. Gain insights in developing strategies to address resource gaps of provider and patient digital health literacy.
Digital healthcare refers to a broad, multidisciplinary concept that underscores the intersection of technology and healthcare. It applies to digital transformation and encompasses telehealth, wearables and immersive technology, electronic health records, mobile health (mHealth) apps, and personalized medicine. The VA is leveraging digital technologies in healthcare to ameliorate barriers to prompt access to care. Innovators within the VA continue to explore agile solutions to connect Veterans to the soonest and best care. Data Arch is a set of products that allows data from external sources to integrate directly into the VA’s electronic health record (EHR) system. Data Arch automates the upload of relevant data into the EHR, enabling providers to access important information all in one place and have a more complete view of Veterans’ health. One significant impact is the timely delivery of Pharmacogenomics (PGx) results, a critical decision support tool that helps prescribing providers tailor medications of patients based on their genes. VEText is another innovative solution for the transition of care through a 30-day post discharge, automated text-messaging program that aims to reduce hospital readmissions. This messaging program increases patient engagement with tailored post-discharge text messages and raises the bar for patient satisfaction through quality communication. Next Level Personal A.I. Health Coach was developed to provide personalized, connected, continuous, and compassionate care using A.I.. One use case for this app is helping the patients with medicationadherence. As a support tool, it alerts the patient’s care team when necessary. By enabling patients to track their health and by having easy access to their providers, the patients are likely to stay engaged. MIRAH is a Measurement-Based Care (MBC) A.I.-driven platform that utilizes evidence-based practice of using systematic and routine assessment of patient-reported progress and outcomes to inform treatment decisions. This digital platform is designed to deliver personalized and measurement-based care, a framework that transcends the narrow focus on symptom reduction. The adoption of digital technologies at various VA medical centers provided essential learnings. By involving patients in their care and treatment plans, digital health systems have remodeled the provider-patient relationship. Digital technologies facilitate the simplicity of direct, shared access to a patient’s health status. This enhances the relationship’s sense of partnership, transparency, and trust. With opportunities to improve healthcare, digital healthcare technologies also come with risks and drawbacks. Data interoperability is a continuous difficulty due to the enormous amounts of data collected from numerous systems that store and code data differently. This makes it difficult for healthcare providers to access and share patient data, which can negatively impact patient outcomes. Privacy, security, data ownership and ethical concerns are significant with increasing growth of mobile-based health apps and connected health systems where massive data (Personally Identifiable Information or Protected Health Information) is being collected. At the VA, adoption of digital solutions with rigorous safeguards continue to offer valuable insights into the potential of digital transformation. Lessons from implementation serve as a foundation for further exploration of novel applications of these rapidly evolving digital healthcare technologies.