TRANSFORM YOUR FEDERAL HEALTH AGENCIES WITH TECH INNOVATIONS

By Jason Roys

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS ARTICLE 

This article will review emerging technologies that are as important to federal health agencies as the private sector. These will include artificial intelligence, cloud computing, telehealth, virtual reality, the Internet of Medical Things, 3-D printing and genomics. 

We will review 11 federal health agencies, including the four goals of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Strategic Plan for technology use. 

TECH INNOVATIONS IN FEDERAL AGENCY HEALTHCARE 

Information technology – using computers in business and daily life – is like sliced bread. It’s everywhere, and federal health agencies are no exception. As computing power burgeons, so does its ability to improve the care of patients in our healthcare systems.  

The federal government is a major player in the healthcare field. Federal health agencies manage systems and resources – and people – with the help of information technologies.    

The Federal Health IT Strategic Plan for 2020-2025 directs the U.S. government’s efforts to improve access to electronic health records and to allow patients to manage, and shop for, their healthcare. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) developed the plan with help from more than 25 federal organizations.   

During fiscal year 2019, the United States government spent nearly $1.2 trillion on healthcare. Of that, Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) spent more than $1 trillion. Veterans’ medical care claimed about $80 billion.  

Federal public health agencies have been quick to take advantage of the latest technological innovations. Their guidelines direct those in healthcare – researchers, providers, and payers – to strengthen their use of IT tools. They have three goals: 

• Give patients easy access to their sensitive personal information. 
• Help them to communicate with their providers. 
• Allow them to track and manage their care.  

This plan directs the use of health information technology by public health agencies. However, it also serves as a model for quality improvement and IT additions made by private sector healthcare services.  

Let’s look at some of the technologies that are strengthening healthcare delivery and support right now:    

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND BIG DATA ANALYTICS   

Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers fast-acting solutions in healthcare as it diminishes the need for time-consuming and labor-intensive processes.  Federal agencies use AI in medical diagnostics, in advanced assistance in surgery, and even in the workflow of clinical settings.  An Optum survey on the use AI in healthcare notes that in 2020, 83 percent of healthcare organizations reported using AI in their workplaces. The survey says an additional 15 percent planned to develop uses for AI in their organizations. In addition, Big Data and machine learning allow organizations to use the massive volumes of data created as digital technologies are adopted to monitor health analytics.  

CLOUD COMPUTING   

The use of cloud computing in healthcare increases storage capabilities and processing power for healthcare analytics. It also reduces the need for rooms full of computers in health care settings. Sending information to the cloud allows for the integration of medical accounting practices. This leads to solutions for handling sensitive information in human resources, billing, security, networking, identity management.   

Cloud computing allows for ease in access to data, streamlined storage and management, consistent backup and quick recovery. It also is being explored for smart data applications and interoperability among systems. All these functions can save time, space, and hassle.   

TELEHEALTH   

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the use of telehealth (also called telemedicine). As many patients lost direct access to their healthcare facilities, they became more accepting of telemedicine. At the same time, telemedicine developed new, broader services. Quickly, private and government healthcare systems, practices, and patients adopted telemedicine. Federal government and industry guidelines on telehealth have shifted during this time. 

One aspect of telemedicine that bears mentioning is that it lowers the need for personal protective equipment (PPE) for caregivers. At the same time, it allows patients to see their practitioners’ entire faces, despite social distancing. Overall, telemedicine reduces the need for office space, increases healthcare access for the elderly and infirm, and conserves medical supplies. 

VIRTUAL REALITY   

One remarkably interesting aspect of the adoption of healthcare information technology is the use of virtual reality in healthcare training. Surgeons-in-training during the height of the COVID-19 scare were able to train, despite the limited number of in-person cases and their inability to gather, by using virtual reality technologies.   

This kind of training will likely continue, because it offers a “level playing field” to students. It allows them to practice a variety of surgeries and surgical techniques. Virtual reality also allows them to practice, alone in a room, at any time that suits their schedule.    

INTERNET OF (MEDICAL) THINGS   

The Internet of Things (IoT), that network of objects embedded with software and sensors and other technologies to collect and then exchange data over the internet, is growing fast. The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) is no exception. The IoMT involves internet-connected medical devices, as well as new hardware and software, to strengthen healthcare information technology. The IoMT allows for products that need little or no interaction with humans to be developed. Medical devices can be connected, smart diagnoses can be made, and patients can be managed remotely.    

3-D PRINTING   

The healthcare industry keeps finding new uses for 3-D printing. Lightweight, inexpensive biomaterials are used to construct artificial organs and prostheses and replace bone and tissue. Smart materials are used in 3-D printing so that they respond in a controllable way in various settings. This technique improves the time spent in production and reduces the outlay of financial resources, too. 3-D printing allows the creation of patient-specific models of organs, as well as personalized surgical instruments that can better fit either the surgeon or the patient’s specific need. 

GENOMICS   

Researchers are developing genomics tools that use molecular biology to determine the structure and mapping of genomes. The adoption of genomics processes into current healthcare workflows could ensure that genomics tests can be offered to patients.   

Genomic sequencing, for example, can point out any DNA mutations to which a particular patient might be susceptible. This allows a physician to develop a plan to minimize the damage that the disease will do.   

OTHER INNOVATIONS IN HEALTHCARE  

The IT innovations just reviewed are not the only developments shaping the future of healthcare in our country. Other exciting advances include:  

• Immunotherapy. This technology has the potential to significantly extend survival rates for cancer patients. 
• Point-of-care diagnostics. This offers more convenient and timely testing at a specific location (not necessarily a medical location). 
• Social media. Among its many potential uses, social media provides a way to extract data about consumer experiences and healthcare trends.
• Biosensors and trackers. Smart, wearable devices are built into watches and clothing to help patients and providers monitor heart rates and other signs. 
• Convenient care. This involves the use of technology to provide more medical care at retail clinics and urgent care centers.  

THE FEDERAL HEALTH AGENCIES   

Now that we understand the HHS strategic plan’s intent to bolster the use of health information technology, let's take a quick look at the eleven HHS agencies. Eight are in the U.S. Public Health Service and three are human services agencies. All of them benefit from the healthcare technologies mentioned above.    

• The Administration for Children and Families (ACF). This federal agency works toward promoting the economic and social well-being of children, individuals, families, and communities. It offers educational programs in partnership with states, tribes, and community organizations.  
• The Administration for Community Living (ACL). This federal agency helps older Americans and people with disabilities by increasing access to community support and resources.  
• The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) works to produce evidence that will improve healthcare in the U.S. This agency provides data that can lead to safer, better, more accessible, more equitable, and more affordable health care.   
• The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). This agency works to protect citizens from exposure to toxic substances and a diminished quality of life by monitoring exposure to environmental hazards.  
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This agency works to protect public health by providing direction and leadership in the prevention and control of diseases. It also responds to public health emergencies.  
• The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). This agency combines oversight of Medicare with the federal portion of Medicaid, the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, the Health Insurance Marketplace, and other quality assurance tasks.  
• The Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This agency works to ensure that food is pure and safe and wholesome; that drugs for humans and animals, biological products, and medical devices are both effective and safe; and that any products that emit radiation are safe.   
• The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). This agency works to provide healthcare to those who are economically or medically vulnerable, or those who are geographically isolated.  
• The Indian Health Service (IHS). This federal agency works to provide both American Indians and Alaska Natives with comprehensive health services.  
• The National Institutes of Health (NIH). This agency supports behavioral and biomedical research, conducting research in its labs, training researchers, and promoting the collection and sharing of medical knowledge.  
• The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA). This agency works to improve access to programs and services for those who suffer from or are at risk for addictive and mental disorders, while supporting their families and communities.  

THE FEDERAL HEALTH IT STRATEGIC PLAN FOR 2020-2025  

We’ve discussed the HHS Strategic plan. A look at the main goals will help us consider ways in which the healthcare technologies described above might fit into our future. The plan’s four overarching goals are:  

• To promote health and wellness in three ways: advancing safe health IT practices, improving patients’ access to helpful personal health information, and integrating the HHS data with that of federal, state, regional, and local agencies.  
• To enhance the delivery and experience of care in four ways: strengthening price transparency, reducing the regulatory and administrative burden on providers, using health IT both to strengthen clinical practice and to connect patients to care, and supporting the management of health IT resources and the development of a national workforce that is confident in using health IT.  
• To build a data-driven ecosystem supporting innovation and research by advancing the transfer of health data at both the individual and population levels and by strengthening research through health IT and data.  
• To connect healthcare with data by encouraging the development and the use of health IT by establishing expectations for data-sharing, by improving the infrastructure for tech and communications, and by promoting individual privacy in secure health information practices. 

GUIDANCE ON TECHNOLOGY 

Many federal agencies use consultants to help them integrate new technology and use it to their best advantage.   

SDV International has a proven record of serving government and private healthcare organizations by providing complementary, often integrated professional solutions. SDV International understands the healthcare environment and provides capability and delivery capacity to its healthcare clients.