The October 26 Lunch & Learn webinar featured Dr. Omar Mohtar, MD Ph.D., Founder of ParaDocs Health, and shed light on the pivotal intersection of health and technology, particularly the role of Machine Learning (ML) in Electronic Medical Records (EMR).
November 15, 2023 / Lena Pham (University of Houston)
The central focus was on addressing a critical issue in healthcare: the need to optimize time for both patients and doctors. Dr. Mohtar emphasized the importance of increasing face-to-face interaction and reducing the time spent on repetitive manual paperwork, a key concern identified through his extensive survey of clinics nationwide.
The findings posed several concerns, indicating that patients now spend less than 10 minutes with their doctors, amidst a surge in paperwork (a fivefold increase since 2010) and a looming shortage of healthcare professionals. Through shadowing patient visits, Dr. Mohtar unveiled a staggering statistic - approximately 15 hours per week were dedicated to manually repetitive tasks aimed at proving the work to health plans for financial reimbursements.
ParaDocs Health's approach to this predicament was introduced as a paradigm shift, posing the question: What if quality care and reporting could be optimized without burdening healthcare providers? The general pitch involved enabling doctors and patients to engage on a human level while AI/ML technology seamlessly handled background tasks, capturing repetitive work and proposing the next steps of care for doctor approval or enhancements if necessary.
The webinar highlighted a five-week pilot study in a mid-sized clinic, demonstrating tangible results. The implementation of AI/ML technology led to a 10-minute time saving per visit, increased revenue, and improved patient engagement. Dr. Glenn David of Cypress Physician Association attested to the effectiveness, stating that working with ParaDocs Health allowed him to dedicate more time to patients and efficiently manage necessary paperwork for reimbursement.
The webinar concluded by emphasizing the potential of integrating AI/ML technology into healthcare workflows to alleviate administrative burdens, optimize fiscal accountability, and most importantly, enhance patient-doctor relationships. Dr. Mohtar acknowledged certain challenges in EMR implementation and the need for improved patient engagement in the automation of care gap orders. Despite these however, the webinar provided a compelling case for the transformative impact of ML-enabled EMR on the healthcare landscape.
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