SeamlessMD Podcast - Episode 35 - Using Digital Patient Engagement to Curb the Opioid Crisis

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Video:

In this episode of the SeamlessMD Podcast, Dr. Joshua Liu, Co-founder & CEO at SeamlessMD, and marketing colleague, Alan Sardana, chat with Jessica Chung, RPh, PharmD, Patient Education Specialist at SeamlessMD on "Using Digital Patient Engagement to Curb the Opioid Crisis". See the show notes below for details.

Guest(s): Ms. Jessica Chung, RPh, PharmD, Patient Education Specialist at SeamlessMD

Dr. Joshua Liu (@joshuapliu), Co-founder & CEO at SeamlessMD

Episode 35 – Show notes:

[0:29] Introducing Ms.Jessica Chung, RPh, PharmD, Patient Education Specialist at SeamlessMD;

[1:06] Why traditionalopioid risk scoring (e.g. SOAPP, DIRE & PDMP) can be problematic, as theyaddress potential opioid risk & track number of prescriptions but do notinfluence patient adherence or behavioral change;

[6:19] How digitalpatient engagement platforms like SeamlessMD can support both patients & cliniciansby delivering timely education (e.g. expectation-setting, opioid scheduling, safedisposal etc.) and by tracking opioid consumption in Oral Morphine Equivalents(OME);

[10:19] How Ms. Chung worked with a team at Atrium Health led by Dr. Dionisios Vrochides, MD, PhD, to develop a more comprehensive opioid risk-scoring calculator that references real patient opioid consumption data from 2018-2019, factors such as age, weight, height, smoking history, substance use, etc. and leverages digital patient engagement to gamify a patient’s score & influence behavior to adjust their score before surgery;

[14:43] How SeamlessMD’s opioid tracker has multiple variations:

1. The basic tracker – customizable to follow formularies of specific hospitals, collects information such as the most common medications and dosages used, and converts consumption data into OMEs;

2. The Universal Opioid and Doses Tracker – Listing of the most common opioids and doses for patients to compare & receive subtle reminders about alternatives to opioids for pain management;

[20:44] How SeamlessMD sendsdata back to clinicians, giving providers access to patient dashboards tovisualize population trends post-surgery (e.g. opioid consumption & painscores) as well as individual patient trends;

[22:55] How Atrium Health is using both historical data and SeamlessMD’s opioid tracker to compare opioid risk scores pre-surgery and opioid use post-surgery, thereby determining the efficacy of the new scoring tool;

[26:37] Why providers are interested in SeamlessMD’s opioid tracking capabilities since consumption data was previously unavailable, and how providers seek to collect data on opioid-sparing pain management modalities such as Tylenol use;

[28:10] Why patients like SeamlessMD’s opioid tracker for the depth of information provided, the complementary therapy education, the highly personalized aspect of the program, the easy-to-use self-reporting capabilities for pain levels and opioid intake, as well as for the daily check-ins that help keep patients accountable;

[33:50] Lightning Round Questions:

Q1: Aside from basic necessities, what is something you need every day to be happy?

A1: “Good sleep; I need a solid 8 hours so I always plan ahead. ”

Q2: If you could travel to any location or time in history and live there for a week, where would you pick and why?

A2: “Ocean City in Maryland; I’ve been going there every year since I was 11 and I really enjoy it there. I really like the boardwalk, and they have all-you-can-eat crab in almost all their restaurants.”

Q3: What is one of your fondest memories from your childhood?

A3: “Going to a live Elephant Show with my Dad, and getting to take a photo with a person dressed up as an elephant at the end of the show. ”

Q4: What is something in healthcare you believe that others may find insane?

A4: “We’re taught that generic drugs and brand-name drugs are virtually the same, but personally for me I much more prefer brand-name drugs.”

Q5: If you were not in healthcare, what would you be doing?

A5: “I played cello for most of my life from when I was a child, so I would probably be a cellist.”