The Atlanta Innovation Forum recently hosted an “AI and Healthcare Innovation” panel at the Atlanta Tech Village. As a PR firm in Atlanta with many clients in health tech and AI – and often focusing where those industries overlap – it was no surprise to us that data bias became a major discussion point only minutes into the event.
While health information privacy law and policy are designed to protect patient information, they also cause considerable data access and fragmentation issues. And those issues aren’t merely a pain point for health tech innovators. As the Intent Solutions panelist at the event stressed, data silos actually prevent AI from helping to solve serious healthcare crises like opioid addiction.
As the creators of the smart pill dispenser tad™ (an acronym for “take as directed”), Intent Solutions works to improve drug compliance and outcomes. Yet just as critical are the insights providers gain from tad into what happens to prescription medications – including highly regulated drugs like opioids – once they go home with the patient. The more we know about adherence, the better equipped we are to reduce misuse and abuse when it comes to the addiction epidemic.
Another Atlanta Innovation Forum panelist, FraudScope, confirmed what we know from our work with cybersecurity client Sophos: Medical records are valuable commodities on the dark web, with multiple studies showing that healthcare is attacked more than any other industry. FraudScope uses AI to accelerate the identification of healthcare fraud, waste and abuse. Whether it is fictitious claims or unneeded procedures and unfounded diagnoses, healthcare fraud wastes money that could be going to direct patient care and, more severely, can put lives at risk. Identifying and reducing fraud will be a critical focus as healthcare and tech evolve together.
“AI and Healthcare Innovation” event panelist Florence, a clinical trial software company, discussed the importance and balance of humanity when it comes to tech. Innovations in healthcare – perhaps even more so than other industries – can’t be built without people-first design and real-world testing. How can we make sure that technology enables involvement and excites participants, instead of creating barriers? That’s an especially important concern for non-techy patients or those struggling to grasp fully their diagnoses. Through its work in building a connected network to speed trial progress, Florence also is connecting humanity and technology.
From data access to security threats to tech design, innovations in health and wellness AI are both inspirational and challenging. The fact that our health is quite literally a matter of life and death only adds gravitas as everyone – from founders to investors to marketers and more – works to deliver solutions in this fast-paced, ever-changing world. We’re so thrilled to be in the front row for it all!
