September marks National Recovery Month — a time to recognize those who have been affected by substance use or mental health issues, including those who have been impacted by the opioid crisis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 128 people die every day from opioid-related drug overdoses. This year marks an especially challenging time due to the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on opioid overdose rates, in addition to the ongoing overprescribing of opioids — resulting in an increased vulnerability for patients. 

Recently, Interlace Health had the privilege of hosting and presenting with a group of health IT executives from MEDITECH, Salesforce, and CereCore. The exclusive virtual roundtable discussion focused on their experiences leading through the pandemic, strategies for ensuring a safe return to work, and thoughts on what the future of care delivery might look like. It was a remarkable “inside look” into how several leading organizations are responding to the unprecedented challenges we’re facing in the healthcare IT industry.

It’s still all about people.

Despite the tumultuous events of this year, in particular the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare providers have remained focused on the central part of their jobs: treating and caring for people.

Many providers express growing frustration with their EHRs, and having to adjust their workflow to meet the needs of the technology. Problems with IT usability often contribute to physician burnout, which is why I decided to pursue the field of clinical informatics. Why should technology create burdens for care teams, instead of making their jobs easier? And, more importantly, what can we do about it?

Healthcare organizations without strong partnerships often find themselves in silos, lacking the right resources and guidance to be efficient with their technologies and reach their full potential.

MEDITECH’s Professional Services offers a personalized approach to help solve this problem, sharing technical knowledge and speciality services that drive predictable and positive outcomes. 

By providing experienced professionals coupled with industry-leading tools and techniques, our Professional Services team collaborates with organizations to help meet specific EHR objectives and execute on deliverables. Here are five examples of how Professional Services helped drive positive outcomes:

At the peak of the coronavirus surge in Massachusetts, I took a leave of absence from my position as a Marketing Solutions Specialist to care for COVID-19 patients. I’m a young nurse with an active license and felt I had a responsibility to help my community. Volunteering at Boston Hope Medical Center (BHMC), the field hospital constructed in the Convention and Exhibition Center, gave me the opportunity to make a difference as this poorly understood pandemic raged on. Little did I know, the experience would provide unique insight into the power of a well-designed EHR in managing the turmoil surrounding clinical care during a public health crisis.

In reflecting on how much we rely on data, it’s possible to say that we have become physical representations of it; people, companies and industries can be reconstructed as ever-expanding archives of information.

Putting trust in the digitized, invisible realm of data can have unintended implications — while data can bring confidence in thought and action, universal connectivity also carries with it the undertow of a global threat, a darker side of exploitation, blackmail, and ransomware.

In 2020, we know that physicians are facing challenges like never before. As technology transforms at a rapid pace to support clinicians, we have had the opportunity to connect with a number of thought leaders in the field.

When new providers enter the field, they need to be ready to deliver quality care to patients, and it’s important that they’re equipped with healthcare technology experience to complement their medical expertise.

In addition, the continually changing healthcare IT landscape poses another challenge for medical professionals.

One of the most important topics in health IT today, cloud technology is being used to securely provide greater access to patient data, facilitate interoperability, and enhance scalability. 

I recently discussed MEDITECH’s journey to the cloud as part of Empower Caregivers, one of Google Cloud’s new Healthcare and Life Sciences Webinar Series, and described how we’re delivering real benefits for providers and patients. Check out the video and executive summary to learn more.