TDP 134: UMass Memorial Health Care’s CQO & CCIO, Dr. Eric Alper: Strategies for Scaling Hospital at Home, Exploring the Intersection of Informatics and Quality, and How Incentives Drive Patient Care

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On this episode of The Digital Patient, Dr. Joshua Liu, Co-founder & CEO of SeamlessMD, and marketing colleague, Alan Sardana, chat with Dr. Eric Alper, VP, Chief Quality Officer and Chief Clinical Informatics Officer at UMass Memorial Health Care, about "Strategies for Scaling Hospital at Home, Exploring the Intersection of Informatics and Quality, How Incentives Drive Patient Care, and more..." Click the play button to listen or read the show notes below.
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Audio:

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Video:

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Guest(s):

• Dr. Eric Alper, VP, Chief Quality Officer and Chief Clinical Informatics Officer at UMass Memorial Health Care
• Dr. Joshua Liu (@joshuapliu), Co-founder & CEO at SeamlessMD

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‍Episode 134 - Show Notes:

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[00:00:07] Introduction to Dr. Eric Alper, Chief Quality Officer and Chief Clinical Informatics Officer at UMass Memorial Health Care;

[00:00:45] Dr. Alper discusses his motivation for entering medicine and the early influence of his mother, a nurse, on his career choice;

[00:01:29] His educational journey in computer science and the development of Histological, an educational platform during his medical studies;

[00:02:34] Transition from focusing on patient safety to leveraging IT for quality improvement in healthcare;

[00:03:55] The overlapping roles of informatics and quality in healthcare, and how they complement each other in enhancing patient care;

[00:07:07] Discussion on the evolving role of health systems as technology companies essential for delivering effective care;

[00:07:48] Insights into the Hospital at Home program at UMass, highlighting its initiation and the operational challenges faced;

[00:11:05] The benefits of Hospital at Home in patient care, emphasizing better outcomes and patient experience outside the traditional hospital setting;

[00:13:26] Strategies for scaling the Hospital at Home program, including increasing awareness and expanding patient eligibility;

[00:16:21] Exploring new service areas for Hospital at Home, like home dialysis and blood transfusions, to enhance patient care;

[00:19:06] Discussion on workplace safety improvements for healthcare staff in the Hospital at Home setting compared to traditional hospital environments;

[00:20:08] The role of AI in radiology at UMass, enhancing diagnostic accuracy and efficiency through advanced image recognition technologies;

[00:22:15] How AI facilitates efficient triage and specialist referrals in primary care settings, improving patient care management;

[00:27:10] The potential of ambient documentation technology to reduce clinicians' administrative burdens and improve job satisfaction;

[00:28:50] The potential of AI to manage vast patient data and automate follow-ups on actionable findings from diagnostic tests, such as chest X-rays, improving patient safety;

[00:29:15] How Dr. Alper's team is currently manually following up on actionable findings and how AI could enhance this process;

[00:30:17] Reflecting on the challenges of aligning healthcare incentives with quality goals, emphasizing the importance of doing the right thing for patient care;

[00:31:17] The critical decision-making process involved in technology adoption, and why focusing on strategic alignment and selecting the right vendor partners from the start is critical to success;

[00:33:14] The importance of not overwhelming healthcare staff with new technologies, ensuring ease of adoption and genuine improvement in patient care;

[00:34:06] Dr. Alper's passion for photography, and how his photos are used on the Epic splash screens at UMass, offering a moment of zen for clinicians amidst the chaos of healthcare;

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Fast 5 Lightning Round:‍

1. Favorite Book: "Good to Great" and "Crucial Conversations" for business insights, and "Project Hail Mary" for personal reading.
2. Person to Meet: Barack Obama.
3. Preferred Superpower: Super speed.
4. Belief in Healthcare: Concern over the antiquated use of pagers and the inefficiencies in the healthcare payment system.
5. Time Travel Wish: Witness the moon landing, reflecting his interest in astronomy and historical milestones.