INDUSTRY INFORMATION
GE HealthCare Study Reveals Barriers in Healthcare Q&A with Mathias Goyen, CMO EMEA, shares solutions to overcoming existing challenges. by Brenda Silva
As an industry self-check, the “Reimagining Better Health 2023” study was designed to take the pulse of the healthcare industry, and examine barriers and obstacles that still may exist. The study was conducted between August and October of 2022, and included responses from clinicians, patients, and patient advocates located in eight countries in North and South America, Europe, and the Asia- Pacifi c region. Mathias Goyen, Prof. Dr. med., chief medical
offi cer EMEA at GE HealthCare, shared the fi ndings of the study with Healthcare Purchasing News via email, and off ered insight on how imagining better health can be achieved with better communication and feedback throughout the healthcare industry.
Q
What was the driving factor behind the survey, and is it conducted annually?
As a newly independent company, GE HealthCare commissioned the “Reimagining Better Health 2023” study in service of the healthcare industry. Problem-solving starts with listening and under- standing, and insight into the patient and clinician experience is critical to collectively reimagining healthcare. We shared the fi ndings to provoke discussion, collaboration, and action across all stakeholders. It is not an annual study. Questions relating to technology solutions
addressed respondents’ general perception and experience with technology within their facili- ties and made no reference to any specifi c solu- tions or vendors. Any references in the study to technology
are inclusive of the entire spectrum of medical technology, such as medical devices, software solutions, electronic patient records, and other digital workfl ow solutions.
Q
Was there a top healthcare concern in common across the countries
and people surveyed, and if so, what was it (i.e. staff shortages, AI/technology concerns, supply chain challenges, etc.)? Overwhelmingly, clinicians and patients have a shared vision: a healthcare experience that is more human and fl exible, focused on the needs of patients and clinicians alike. And, while the goal is clear, the study revealed challenges to achieving this experience include distrust in artifi cial intel- ligence (AI), low technological interoperability across the healthcare system, workforce burn- out, fragmented care collaboration, and acces- sibility to care.
An illustration of the tension that comes with progress is that 60% of clinicians think it is very important to use advanced technology and make basic clinician tasks more effi cient; however, only 45% of clinicians say AI—a technology that has
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the potential to transform big data into usable data and help automate tasks—is ready for medi- cal use. In the United States, that number drops to only 29%. Since I am a radiologist, I often use the example of radiology. AI technologies are now taking over many of the administrative tasks for radiologists, giving them time and energy to focus on the parts of their job that can’t be left to technology—for example, applying their experience and training to thoroughly analyze complex cases and take the steps needed to create better patient outcomes. In this respect, AI has the potential to help rehuman- ize healthcare by giving the radiologist an oppor- tunity to get out of the darkroom and connect with the patient. AI also helps support radiologists to create more defi ned imaging reports, which can be used to make more informed clinical decisions with diagnostic confi dence.
Q
When it comes to “reimagining” healthcare, what role could the results of the survey play moving forward? The “Reimaging Better Health 2023” study defi nes a clear goal for the future of healthcare—a more human and fl exible healthcare system. It is a call to action across the healthcare industry to transform these insights into a path forward and collectively build a bridge to this desired future state. Within GE HealthCare, the study serves as an important reminder to maintain a vigilance on innovating in service of patients and clinicians who face health- care challenges every day. Firsthand insights are critical to gaining a deeper understanding of sys- temic problems and devising sustainable solutions.
Q
Among the trends that were noted in survey results, which one do you think will have the greatest infl uence—and potential benefi t—for the future of the healthcare industry? The future of healthcare is human and fl exible care backed by digital solutions, and this touches all the trends identifi ed in the study. We have an opportunity to create precision care that leverages a patient’s unique data via multi-modal sources to determine the most appropriate course of treat- ment and deliver the best possible outcome. Then, leveraging AI to help synthesize the data, generate insights, and identify relationships that weren’t seen before—while also helping hospitals use resources more effi ciently. As a radiologist, I’m most excited for the wide- spread adoption of AI to act as an intelligent assis- tant in the radiologists’ workfl ow and automating repetitive and tedious tasks, so radiologists can focus their time on providing a narrower diff er- ential diagnosis.
which one could have the most detrimental eff ect on the healthcare industry if not overcome, and why? Each barrier is critical in its own right and they are closely connected. As the study reveals, people, processes and technology must work in harmony. When any of these face barriers, it can have repercussions across the greater healthcare ecosystem. For instance, 43% of patients do not feel heard
Q
by clinicians, and just over half of clinicians don’t feel they have enough time and resources to care for both patients and patients’ families. At the same time, 40% of clinicians have yet to be convinced that medical technology enhances their clinical workfl ow and promotes effi ciency, and 55% say AI technology, in general, is not ready for medical use. AI and other digital technologies can automate
administrative tasks and help synthesize data for clinicians. Addressing the trust barrier has the potential to have a meaningful impact on other barriers, such as allowing physicians to spend more time with patients, perhaps ultimately leading to patients feeling heard and alleviating the time burden that clinicians reported.
technology, or more streamlined workfl ows, which off ers the potential to have the greatest impact on healthcare in the next fi ve years, and why? To achieve a human and fl exible healthcare experience, we must collectively work to address each of barriers identifi ed in the study. That said, technology has the potential to aid in driving change across many of the problems disrupt- ing the system. This is why I say the future of healthcare is human and fl exible care backed by digital solutions. At GE HealthCare, we’re working to unlock
Q
the potential of AI to help drive operational and clinical effi ciencies from reducing scan times, to helping with administrative tasks, and increasing diagnostic confi dence. Our Command Center, for instance, connects, integrates, and analyzes data across healthcare systems to improve hos- pital patient fl ow and quality. And, Critical Care Suite 2.0, an AI solution embedded within a mobile x-ray system, helps enable faster clini- cal decision making, helps improve triage deci- sion making and can help improve outcomes. These are just two examples of the ways we, as a healthcare industry, can leverage technology to problem-solve. HPN
From the choices of: better patient relationships, enhanced
With the barriers in healthcare that need to be addressed,
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