Exploring the Future of Healthcare with Generative AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) is an active field of research and development with numerous applications. Generative AI, a newer technique, focuses on creating content—learning from large datasets to generate new text, images and other outputs. In 2024, many healthcare organizations embrace generative AI, particularly in creating chatbots. Chatbots, which facilitate human-computer interactions, have existed for a while, but generative AI now enables more natural, conversational exchanges, closely mimicking human interactions. Generative AI is not a short-term investment or a passing trend, this is a decade-long effort that will continue to evolve as more organizations adopt it.

Leveraging Generative AI

When implementing generative AI, healthcare organizations should consider areas to invest in, such as employee productivity or supporting healthcare providers in patient care.

Key factors to consider when leveraging generative AI:

  1. Use case identification: Identify a challenge that generative AI can solve, but do not assume it will address all problems. Evaluate varying levels of burden reduction across use cases to determine its value.
  2. Data: Ensure enough data is available for generative AI to provide better services. Identify inefficiencies in manual tasks and ensure data compliance, as AI results depend on learning from data.
  3. Responsible AI: Verify that the solution follows responsible AI guidelines and Federal recommendations. Focus on accuracy, addressing hallucinations where incorrect information is provided such as responses that are grammatically correct but do not make sense or are outdated.
  4. Total cost of ownership: Generative AI is expensive, especially regarding hardware consumption. Consider if the same problem can be solved with more optimized models, reducing the need for costly hardware.

Harnessing LLMs for Healthcare

John Snow Labs Healthcare with Generative AI Blog Embedded Image 2024

Natural language processing (NLP) has advanced significantly in recent decades, heavily relying on AI to process language. Machine learning, a core concept of AI, enables computers to learn from data using algorithms and draw independent conclusions. Large language models (LLMs) combine NLP, generative AI and machine learning to generate text from vast language datasets. LLMs support various areas in healthcare, including operational efficiency, patient care, clinical decision support and patient engagement post-discharge. AI is particularly helpful in processing large amounts of structured and unstructured data, which often goes unused.

When implementing AI in healthcare, responsible AI and data compliance are crucial. Robustness refers to how well models handle common errors like typos in healthcare documentation, ensuring they can accurately interpret how providers write and speak.

Fairness, especially in addressing biases related to age, origin or ethnicity, is also critical. Any AI model must avoid discrimination; for instance, if a model’s accuracy for female patients is lower than for males, the bias must be addressed. Coverage ensures the model understands key concepts even when phrasing changes.

Data leakage is another concern. If training data is poorly partitioned, it can lead to overfitting, where the model “learns” answers instead of predicting outcomes from historical data. Leakage can also expose personal information during training, raising privacy issues.

LLMs are often expensive, but healthcare-specific models outperform general-purpose ones in efficiency and optimization. For example, healthcare-specific models have shown better results than GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 in tasks like ICD-10 extraction and de-identification. Each model offers different accuracy and performance depending on the use case. Organizations must decide whether a pre-trained model or one trained using zero-shot learning is more suitable.

Buy Versus Build

When it comes to the “buy versus build” decision, the advantage of buying is the decreased time to production compared to building from scratch. Leveraging a task-specific medical LLM that a provider has already developed costs a healthcare organization about 10 times less than building their solution. While some staff will still be needed for DevOps to manage, maintain and deploy the infrastructure, overall staffing requirements are much lower than if building from the ground up.

Even after launching, staffing requirements are not expected to decrease. LLMs continuously evolve, requiring updates and feature enhancements. While in production, software maintenance and support costs are significantly lower—about 20 times less—than trying to train and maintain a model independently. Many organizations that build their healthcare model quickly realize training is extremely costly in terms of hardware, software and staffing.

Optimizing the Future of Healthcare

When deciding on healthcare AI solutions, especially with the rise of generative AI, every healthcare organization should assess where to begin by identifying their pain points. They must ensure they have the data required to train AI models to provide accurate insights. Healthcare AI is not just about choosing software solutions; it is about considering the total cost of ownership for both software and hardware. While hardware costs are expected to decrease, running LLMs remains a costly endeavor. If organizations can use more optimized machine learning models for specific healthcare purposes instead of LLMs, it is worth considering from a cost perspective.

Learn how to implement secure, efficient and compliant AI solutions while reducing costs and improving accuracy in healthcare applications in John Snow Labs’ webinar “De-clutter the World of Generative AI in Healthcare.”

Discover how John Snow Labs’ Medical Chatbot can transform healthcare by providing real-time, accurate and compliant information to improve patient care and streamline operations.

The Top Healthcare IT Events to Watch for in 2024

From artificial intelligence (AI) to predictive analytics, edge computing, and beyond, healthcare organizations have access to a wealth of technologies that can help improve patient care and clinical performance—and there are many more tools on the horizon. This year’s healthcare IT conferences will be full of valuable insights about how these solutions can lead to better patient outcomes while helping organizations overcome some of the industry’s biggest challenges, including cybersecurity threats, staffing shortages, budget constraints, and more.

Here’s a list of the top healthcare IT events that Carahsoft recommends you check out in 2024. We’re looking forward to seeing you!

MESC

August 12 – 15, Louisville, KY

The Medicaid Enterprise Systems Community (MESC) is a national conference and community for state, federal, and private sector individuals to come together and exchange ideas related to Medicaid systems and health policy affected by those systems. This year’s conference will include a track focused on the relationship of the Medicaid program to healthcare IT, with discussions on using data to improve outcomes, the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA), Medicaid claims and health information exchange (HIE) integration, and more.

Visit the Carahsoft booth #542 and check out a speaking session from Rob Courtney, Healthcare CTO at Carahsoft, on August 13th at 3pm.

GovExec Health Summit

August 16, Carahsoft Conference & Collaboration Center, Reston, VA

We’re thrilled to host this year’s GovExec Health Summit and welcome some of the top voices from both industry and government. This event will bring together healthcare leaders to discuss the tools and strategies they’re using to improve our nation’s healthcare system. They’ll share best practices, reveal their biggest challenges, and talk about the technologies and tactics they’re employing to make healthcare more secure, equitable, affordable, and available to all.

Sponsorships of this event are currently open to Carahsoft vendors. Contact healthcaremarketing@carahsoft.com for more information.

HIMSS AI in Healthcare Fall Forum

September 5 – 6, Boston, MA

HIMSS AI in Healthcare Fall Forum will cut through the AI hype with a comprehensive showcase of real-world examples illustrating the transformative potential of the technology across the healthcare continuum. You’ll learn best practices from industry peers and experts, learn how they use AI to overcome challenges and make their organizations smarter and more efficient, and glean actionable insights that you can use in your own healthcare setting.

Carahsoft is a proud sponsor of this year’s Healthcare Fall Forum and excited to share that our partner, SolarWinds, will be speaking at the event and showcasing at a kiosk.

GovCIO Health IT Summit

September 19, Bethesda, MD

Federal health IT leaders will converge at this year’s GovCIO Summit to discuss the latest developments in public health technology, including electronic health records modernization, emerging technology investments, data interoperability and sharing, and more. As always, the main focus will be on how organizations can run faster and better so they can deliver better services to customers.

Visit some of Carahsoft’s top vendors, including Leidos, ServiceNow, Snowflake and Splunk, to discover how their latest innovations are helping healthcare agencies achieve their mission of providing better and more efficient services to the public. Carahsoft is also looking forward to celebrating the winners of the GovCIO Health IT Flywheel Awards.

HIMSS Cybersecurity Fall Forum

October 31 – November 1, Washington, DC

Healthcare remains one of the most targeted sectors for cybersecurity threats. This year’s HIMSS Cybersecurity Forum will be focused on the tactics needed to combat increasing cybersecurity threats had on, providing best practices for organizations to proactively shield ever-expanding digital footprints. Discussions will center on the latest technologies available to protect data inside and outside enterprise walls.

Carahsoft is a proud partner of this year’s Fall Forum and will share exclusive offers with the company’s partner network ahead of the event.

NCQA Health Innovation Summit

October 31 – November 2, Nashville, TN

The Health Innovation Summit brings together leaders across the healthcare ecosystem to connect with innovators who are advancing healthcare quality through AI, data solutions, and more. This year’s conference will feature more than 60 sessions on topics centered around the themes of Equity, Digital Quality, Behavior Health, and Value-based Care.

Meet with Carahsoft representatives at the Summit and learn how our partners can help your organization meet its IT goals.

CHIME24 Fall Forum

November 5 – 8, San Diego, CA

The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives—CHIME—will host its annual Fall Forum, where digital health leaders will brainstorm, problem-solve, and develop initiatives to advance healthcare using the latest tools and resources. This year’s event will include new tracks featuring “Elite Exchanges” with top healthcare IT experts, the “Visionary Voices” of innovation leaders in the field, and even a CHIME Fun Run and Yoga Class.

Carahsoft is holding a focus group, hosted by Lawrence Stowers, Senior Business Development Manager, with one of our vendor partners.

Learn More About Previously Held Events:

229 Project CIO Roundtables

June 27 – 29, Napa, CA

229 Project CIO events are small gatherings of healthcare IT leaders who convene to discuss innovative solutions to the industry’s greatest challenges. This year the 229 Project will host a series of CIO Roundtables. Carahsoft will be there as part of our new and growing partnership with This Week Health, the organization behind the 229 Project.

Meet Carahsoft executives and learn about how technologies like AI, cloud computing, data analytics, and others are helping healthcare organizations deliver better patient care. Carahsoft is also offering sponsorship opportunities to interested vendors. Contact healthcaremarketing@carahsoft.com for more information.

Healthcare has undergone a lot of change over the past couple of years, and this year promises to be no different. New challenges require new strategies and technologies, and each of these events will deliver both. You’ll discover new solutions that will help your agency improve and modernize its service offerings to meet the needs of the moment while driving toward the future.

Please contact us at healthcaremarketing@carahsoft.com to learn more or to get involved in these events. For more information on Carahsoft and our industry leading healthcare IT solutions, visit our Healthcare portfolio, and for more about Carahsoft events, visit our Government Events page.

The Evolving Landscape of Cybersecurity in the Healthcare Sector

As the nation becomes increasingly interconnected through technology, industries are also utilizing new technology to meet patient expectations for quick diagnoses and access to results. However, when this technology usage includes personal or healthcare data that may be sensitive for patients or health systems, cybersecurity becomes paramount and necessitates the implementation of new cyber standards. The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), a global society focused on information and technology in the health ecosystem, held its annual HIMSS 2023 Healthcare Cybersecurity Forum in September. Here, industry professionals converged to innovate and discuss strategies for safeguarding the healthcare sector against cyber-attacks. To protect against breaches, the healthcare system must integrate and scale to achieve a more connected technological landscape across the industry to better serve patients.

Ransomware and Cybersecurity in Healthcare

By connecting and improving interoperability between healthcare systems/EHR platforms, overall patient service is improved; however, with features such as digital integration, migration to the cloud and the incorporation of remote workers, cyber vulnerability has simultaneously increased. Bad actors oftentimes target healthcare agencies with ransomware for hire. With the increased capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI), even inexperienced bad actors can create sophisticated and dangerous attacks. Due to the immense financial loss of these attacks, it is vital that agencies prioritize cybersecurity. Hospitals, other healthcare centers, and especially their third-party stakeholders, now face a new barrage of ransomware attacks and data breaches.

There are a couple of steps administrators can take to protect hospital systems, patients and stakeholders.

  • Implement ‘Security-by-Design,’ a strategy where providers ensure that all products are secure by design and default, with all IT solutions and enterprise environments.
  • Maintain pace with the evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) and utilize it to defend against bad actors.
  • Standardize a detailed incident response plan that includes a thorough business continuity plan.
  • Exchange defense strategies between stakeholders — a united front is stronger than trying to face threats alone.
  • Implement multi-factor authentication and zero trust on all end users so information is accessed by the parties that need to know.
  • Apply data encryption to systems to protect sensitive information against hackers.

AI in the Healthcare Industry

Carahsoft HIMSS Cybersecurity Fall Forum Recap Blog Embedded Image 2023While bad actors have utilized the capabilities of AI, the healthcare industry can also use it to improve cybersecurity. AI does not need breaks, and therefore can run all day reducing the time needed to identify a security breach by analyzing large amounts of data in real time. On a similar note, AI can identify multiple devices and manage network endpoint detection for large networks. AI has been used to predict Domain Name System (DNS) attacks before occurrence, preventing and mitigating these attacks. It can implement Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), analyze identities and manage risk. With its strength of detecting patterns, AI can distinguish subtle patterns of attack that would otherwise go unnoticed by people.

Due to the nature of this new technology, the healthcare industry must carefully decide whether it wants to implement AI, and to what extent it will be used. In terms of cybersecurity, AI may be the answer to providing a secure standard for an interconnected healthcare industry.

Partnerships to Strengthen Cybersecurity in the Healthcare Industry

To provide the best security for patients and stakeholders in the healthcare sector, the federal government and technology industry have joined the battle against bad actors in healthcare. Several federal agencies including the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), will lend a hand in bolstering the cyber posture of the American health system. The ASPR is working alongside Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and private sector partners to analyze the cyber threat landscape of the healthcare sector. Over the next year, the agency hopes to create a cyber division, introduce a cyber risk identification tool, track cyber incident reports and gain resources and buy-in from senior leadership. Another agency, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will strengthen cybersecurity by partnering with hospitals, health organizations and federal agencies, including CISA, that have additional information on cyber threats. Under the HHS, the Health Industry Cybersecurity Practices (HICP), a publication in response to the Cybersecurity Act of 2015, provides practical cybersecurity guidelines for the healthcare industry.

HICP covers several major threats that the industry faces, including:

  • Social engineering
  • Ransomware
  • Payment fraud
  • Loss or theft of equipment
  • Insider, accidental, or malicious data loss
  • Attacks against network connected medical devices

To counter said threats, the HICP has listed its top ten best cybersecurity practices. It advises to:

  • Protect email systems from phishing breaches
  • Implement endpoint protection systems to all hardware devices
  • Utilize identity and access management, regardless of the size of the health care organization
  • Check cyber posture to prevent data loss
  • Manage IT assets
  • Execute network management for wireless or wired connections before interoperating systems
  • Enact vulnerability management
  • Take advantage of incident response plans to discover network cyberattacks
  • Extend relevant cybersecurity practices to network connected medical devices
  • Establish and implement cybersecurity and governance policies[1]

By enabling organizations to evaluate capability against cybersecurity attacks, HICP aims to protect patients and stakeholders from private data loss.

While cyber attacks are always growing in complexity, the healthcare industry can evolve and provide superior service for its patients through the use of tested security strategies, AI and federal aid.

 

Visit Carahsoft’s Healthcare Solutions Portfolio to learn more about improving cybersecurity practices in the healthcare sector.

 
Resources:

[1] “HICP’s 10 Mitigating Practices,” Department of Health and Human Services, https://405d.hhs.gov/best-practices

*The information contained in this blog has been written based off the thought-leadership discussions presented by speakers at the HIMSS Fall Forum in September 2023.*

Becker’s 2023: Optimizing the Medical Field and User Experience Through AI

Medical practices are quickly entering an age where Artificial Intelligence (AI) is growing and expanding to help improve user and patient experience, as well as increase automation in the work environment. During the Becker’s Health IT + Digital Health + RCM conference, healthcare and IT leaders came together to discuss how to adapt to the latest trends in the field, including telehealth, cybersecurity, diversity and the simplification of healthcare through AI.

The implementation of AI in the medical world is increasing as doctors and researchers explore ways to make healthcare as seamless as possible for both doctors and patients. Telehealth, the ability to meet with a healthcare provider virtually rather than in-person, is an important process that doctors are utilizing as the patient population and their needs continue to grow. Doctors and medical staff will soon be able to: 

  • Use AI for administrative tasks to increase healthcare staff efficiency 
  • Continue to consolidate electronic medical records (EMR) onto a singular platform, making it easier for providers across a health system to access up-to-date patient information  
  • Close the access gap in more rural and underserved areas to collect data and maximize face time with patients 
  • Utilize technology to focus on holistic health and increase discussion about behavioral nudges, for example a smart watch mentioning that it is ‘time to stand’  
  • Improve the digital experience for patients of all demographics through easy access medical records and utilization of telehealth for older populations

Diversity in Telehealth Technology 

Carahsoft Becker's Healthcare Tradeshow Recap Blog Embedded Image 2023With the progression of AI and telehealth, hearing diverse voices on the implementation of these tools cannot be overlooked as medical professionals change the way they utilize technology. It is imperative that new technology is working to make medical support and processes simple for communities that may not have as many resources when it comes to telehealth and digital medical records. For example, a chat box that pops up on a medical practice’s website may have been created to help patients, but non-English speaking patients do not benefit if the box is not programmed to display and understand other languages.

Skillset diversity must also be considered when doing research. Instead of finding medical staff and researchers based only on a certain educational background, it is beneficial to consider candidates with a range of experience as well. Inviting different voices into the medical field can only benefit the way healthcare progresses and provides better outcomes to patients.

A Platform-First Approach: Creating Maximum Value for Enterprises  

It is important for medical companies to create maximum value within the applications and systems that they are paying for. Technology is evolving at such a rapid pace that often, by the time a new technology has been implemented by an enterprise, it is already basically obsolete and needs to be replaced. This is where the platform-first approach comes into play. With this approach, companies prioritize getting the most value from existing applications that are already purchased and installed in the enterprise. For example, ensuring that there is no overlap between the use cases of multiple apps a company is paying for. 

The platform-first approach includes:  

  • Leveraging platforms that are already currently in use 
  • Adding features that are easy to use with easily accessible interfaces  
  • Focusing less on training and more on hands-on experience 
  • Being selective in what tools and platforms are implemented 
  • Being agile and looking at a platform strategy instead of individualistic needs  
  • Ensuring that what an organization already has makes sense in regard to the bigger picture and is not being underutilized

Moving Forward: Maximizing Every Tool and Every Person 

Even with today’s fast-paced changes, there are processes and elements of healthcare that AI cannot replace. AI is rapidly growing and evolving, but it cannot take away the qualities of being a human, especially in the medical field. If a bot can do a simple task, such as filing paperwork, it is best to let the bot do it, and allow doctors to spend more personalized time with patients. It is ideal to offer digital opportunities in the workplace, but not to the extent that it hinders user experience. Technology can alleviate pressures and remove friction from a workforce, but at the end of the day, AI cannot replace the personal human element of care that a doctor provides to a patient.  

AI is not something to fear, but rather something to embrace in the areas where it meets providers and patients’ needs. It is also important that every voice is heard while technology advances, and minority groups are not left behind in the fast-moving AI path. Companies and researchers are focusing on where the demand is and either changing or providing additional technology as frictionless and simple as possible. 

 

Visit Carahsoft’s Healthcare Solutions Portfolio to learn more information and key insights for the IT and Healthcare industries. 

*The information contained in this blog has been written based off the thought-leadership discussions presented by speakers at the Becker’s Healthcare Summit 2023.*

AI Paving the Way for New Healthcare Innovations

With the boom of consumer facing artificial intelligence (AI) through Chat GPT and other tools, the discussion of AI applications within healthcare has also become a priority with exciting new developments. Pre-COVID, there was some hesitancy with telehealth, whereas now it has become a highly valued, main offering within the healthcare ecosystem. Similarly, AI is becoming a key mobilizer for improved patient outcomes and more efficient provider processes. Through the power of the cloud and supercomputing, AI is opening doors for transformational results throughout all aspects of healthcare including personalized medicine, medical research and trials, treatment efficacy and more. Once healthcare organizations better understand the benefits that AI unlocks for all stakeholders, they can take the next steps to apply it to their individual health networks.

Benefits of AI in Healthcare

Patients

The potential uses for AI in the medical field are endless and apply to all levels of healthcare with improvements for patients, healthcare providers and healthcare administrators. When organizations invest in AI, it decreases wait times for patients, optimizes appointment availabilities and increases overall access. AI can also interpret imaging and detect illnesses faster which minimizes treatment delays. Through wearable technology and personalized medicine, AI is enabling patients to gather health data and manage treatment from home. This customizable capability is especially valuable for rural or low-income patients to level out the social determinants of health and offer treatment through telehealth while saving on costs for all involved.

Medical Providers

Carahsoft AI in Healthcare Blog Embedded Image 2023AI can significantly reduce the administrative burden for medical providers by automating routine tasks and increasing bandwidth for front line staff to complete other medical duties. A hallmark capability for AI is analyzing data which it can aggregate from wide pools of information to suggest electronic health record (EHR)-based interventions, predict possible future patient ailments and offer a more unified, comprehensive picture. In a post-COVID-19 world, AI healthcare data applications offer the extremely relevant and desired ability of anticipating future public health crises through research and analytics. These AI forecasts can accelerate understanding for policy creation, reinforce healthcare resources and provide precision public health.

Healthcare Administrators

Applying for grants can be a time-consuming process, but with AI evaluating grant proposals, healthcare administrators can quickly identify which grants to apply for and which to pass. AI can also detect potential fraud cases. It is currently being implemented at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to make sure that applicable citizens receive the proper care and services they deserve, and by the Department of Health and Human Services to analyze counterfeit drugs to prevent fraud and preserve the efficacy of vital medications.[1]

Making AI a Reality for Individual Healthcare Networks

With these groundbreaking benefits, instituting AI is a clear case. Currently about 98% of healthcare organizations have or are planning to implement an AI strategy.[2] To make this a reality, healthcare organizations must focus on three main areas:

  • Understanding the technology capabilities, requirements and use applications
  • Educating providers and building trust with patients
  • Instituting privacy and security policies

Understanding what AI can do, which applications to pursue for individual hospitals’ use cases and what it takes to operate the technology, needs to be a collaborative effort between all levels of a hospital system. Many clinicians are burned out and looking for tools that will ease their burden while also improving care. Through proactive conversations with medical providers and C-suite stakeholders, CIOs and management can present the investment benefits and ultimately increase full system buy-in and ability to scale effectively and efficiently.

Educating medical ecosystems and patients with the digital skills and knowledge to utilize the technology resources is also important for proper usage and increased adoption. Once providers understand the potential of AI and the practical ways it can improve their workflows, they can be confident in using the tools and clearly articulating the information to patients. Trust is a huge component of thriving, effective care. Clearly presented information establishes that rapport with patients and clinicians. Overall, training re-establishes for providers and administrators the priorities of patient safety, professional accountability and protection from reputational, legal and financial risk to ensure that the AI technology is used responsibly. Through proper education, patients also feel empowered with how AI is being implemented in their care and the commitment of their medical team to pursue the safest and best outcomes.

The last key element to establishing the use of AI in healthcare and maximizing its benefits is keeping privacy and security top of mind. Hospital management need to consider what policies and procedures they will institute to protect patients’ data and prevent bad actors from exposing personal information or disrupting care. Data integrity is also vital to keep AI algorithms’ predictions and assessments accurate. Healthcare network administrators will need to evaluate the best method to securely store that data whether through a cloud provider or building encrypted data storage on premises using private AI with an internal high computing platform specific to the individual hospital. These management policies and governance frameworks will not only offer standardization, they will also help build trust with patients while providing enough flexibility for AI innovation and growth.

 

Ultimately the partnership of AI with medical experts enables the perfect balance to deliver rapid, actionable insights and improvements while humans manage the usage of the technology to ensure quality care for each medical case. The future of healthcare is patients being able to take greater ownership of their health through aggregating additional data and applying AI to achieve better treatments. Providers and staff will be able to maximize their time through AI optimizations and provide more proactive care based on AI predictions. These advancements will revolutionize the healthcare industry as we know it and pave the way for a healthier society. Some are calling AI the next quantum leap in technology, and healthcare should be at the forefront of leveraging the resources to drive improvement, accelerate innovation and save lives.

 

To learn more about how Carahsoft is enabling healthcare organizations to achieve technology innovations such as AI, visit our Healthcare Technology and AI and Machine Learning solutions portfolios and speak to a representative who can help meet your solution needs today.

 

Resources:

[1] “HHS CIO Karl Mathias Details 3 Promising Applications of AI in Health Care Sector,” GovConWire, https://www.govconwire.com/2023/05/hhs-cio-karl-mathias-details-3-promising-applications-of-ai-in-healthcare/

[2] “AI Survey: Health Care Organizations Continue to Adopt Artificial Intelligence to Help Achieve Better, More Equitable and Affordable Patient Outcomes,” Optum, https://www.optum.com/about-us/news/page.hub.ai-survey-health-care-organizations-adopt-artificial-intelligence.html

Transitioning Towards a Sustainable Healthcare Mindset at DHITS 2023

Since the Defense Health Agency (DHA) oversees the entire military health system, it knows how important it is for members of the military and their doctors to be able to access medical records quickly and universally. In August 2023, the DHA hosted the Defense Health Information Technology Symposium (DHITS) where military health system (MHS) stakeholders discussed its newest asset– the Military Health System (MHS) Genesis. With the creation of this universal health record database, military members’ health records can easily be accessed, whether they are active-duty or not. Currently being rolled out in waves, the MHS Genesis plans to expand health records accessibility between different military branches.

Benefits from MHS Genesis

While still new, the MHS Genesis already shows improvements in several areas which include:

  • Enterprise and Cultural Interoperability: Some doctors may have different views or standards than others. This universal system makes patient files easily accessible to any doctor, regardless of military branch or practice. Now, the IT systems and Electronic Health Records (EHR) work together seamlessly. Different military branches will be able to use the same uniform system when it comes to accessing patient files and records, making the job easier for both patients and doctors.
  • Patient-Centric Care: With the MHS Genesis technology enhancements, it is now easier than ever to meet patients at their home on a Tuesday through telehealth. Telehealth is especially important within the military to give patients flexibility in choosing appointments as well as requesting information or gaining access to their medical records.
  • System and Process Automation: Medical professionals struggle with the global constraint of time. The MHS enables providers to automate tasks, saving time on things like paperwork and allowing for more one-on-one patient care.

Carahsoft Healthcare at DHITS Tradeshow Blog Embedded Image 2023Next Steps for the MHS

Currently, the entire DoD is at an 86% implementation rate for the MHS Genesis. It is actively being used in all DHA locations in the U.S. with plans to incorporate the universal health record system into the remaining treatment facilities outside of the United States by the end of 2023.

As leaders within the MHS continue their journey into modernization and sustainability, it is important that they equip people with the right knowledge and skills to be able to deliver their future vision of what military medicine should look like. The number one purpose of this emerging technology is to ensure the medical readiness of the military. The MHS Genesis will help guarantee that this stays a top priority, as it creates better access to information and helps deliver that information to the decision makers. Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in medical settings is an exciting development that will help with diagnosing, personal assistants, risk analysis, forecasting and more. Through AI support, doctors will be able to spend more time on their patients and less time on large amounts of paperwork.

While the implementation of the MHS Genesis has been a success, all branches of the DoD must continue to communicate and collaborate openly and effectively. They must also involve other stakeholders by breaking down data silos and sharing freely what does and does not work in an enterprise setting. This will ultimately help with addressing public health challenges, ethically using AI in a medical setting, cybersecurity and more.

The MHS journey coincides with changing the deployment approach to a “sustainment” mentality. A sustainment mindset involves focusing on:

  • Optimization of user experience: Seeking feedback and continuing to adjust the technology to enhance user experience
  • Scalability: Scaling the success and implementing the changes across the enterprise if success is found with one configuration setup
  • Standardization: Creating a standard vocabulary and process for enterprise usage, so people communicate with the same terminology across the MHS

At the end of the day, the most important thing is that patients receive the care they need. Through the MHS Genesis and the IT solutions discussed at DHITS, the MHS hopes to greatly boost patient experiences, increase trust in the military health system, reduce healthcare provider burnout and give patients and clinicians access to data in real-time.

 

Visit Carahsoft’s Department of Defense and Healthcare solutions portfolios to learn more about DHITS 2023 and how Carahsoft can support your organization in these critical marketplaces.

*The information contained in this blog has been written based off the thought-leadership discussions presented by speakers at DHITS 2023.*

7 Key Takeaways from HIMSS23

In April, over 40,000 global health professionals converged in Chicago for the highly anticipated HIMSS23 Global Health Conference & Exhibition. Over the course of five days, healthcare, government and technology leaders discussed everything from wearable medical devices and artificial intelligence (AI) to cybersecurity and compliance. Here are some highlights and key themes from the conference.

  1. Change is happening quickly: The buzz around ChatGPT offers a perfect illustration of just how quickly AI has become part of our everyday lives. There are many applications for AI in the healthcare space as well. In procedure rooms, cameras with AI can ensure processes are being followed, and thereby helping avoid malpractice. One key question circulating at the conference was: how can regulations be put in place to protect patients and practitioners’ privacy as this new technology starts to be implemented?

 

  1. Carahsoft HIMSS 23 Blog Embedded Image 2023The cloud is here to stay: Underpinning many new technologies is the cloud. As more healthcare organizations use hybrid and multi-cloud environments, compliance becomes increasingly complicated and important. This is particularly true considering regulations and data protection laws are constantly changing. One benefit is there is a lot of overlap between compliance requirements. Looking for these common requirements (i.e. encrypting sensitive data) can help organizations navigate the seemingly complex world of compliance.

 

  1. Data presents a paradox: Data holds tremendous potential to transform healthcare operations, but the promise of data-informed decision-making must be balanced with both the data overload felt by those on the front lines, and the preservation of patient privacy. Electronic health records (EHRs) have made the lives of doctors and nurses easier in many ways, but they have also required workers to document much more granular information to meet regulation and reimbursement requirements. As such, many workers are skeptical of health IT’s ability to alleviate burnout. Integrating data into the culture of the organization is the best way to ensure everyone is capturing the proper data and maximizing new technology investments.

 

  1. Pursue interoperability: Not just having the data, but sharing that information is also crucial. By improving access to clinical data across institutions, we can discover new therapies, lower medical costs and improve patient care; however, interoperability also requires compliance and due diligence. At HIMSS23, panelists from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) described how next-generation database access control can facilitate data-sharing without moving large volumes of data. This promotes interoperability while preserving local protection policies. Additionally, panelists from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) emphasized the importance of Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) standards.

 

  1. Care is expanding beyond hospital walls: Increasingly, wearable technology is becoming a staple of healthcare, as it can help with monitoring everything from glucose levels to physical activity, in addition to supporting weight control and disease prevention. More than anything, wearables offer the opportunity to continue patient care outside the walls of the hospital, which reduces the cost of care. The data collected by wearable technology holds tremendous potential for analysis at both a patient level and the population level.

 

  1. Cybersecurity must be top-of-mind: While wearables have many benefits, they must be used with cybersecurity in mind. A continuous glucose monitor that connects to the internet and patient portal, for example, could put all patient data at risk if the device is compromised. That’s why an Institute of Electrical Engineers (IEEE) working group has developed a framework with Trust, Identity, Privacy, Protection, Safety, Security principles (TIPPSS) for keeping devices with sensors safe. The goal is to make TIPPSS the standard for clinical Internet of Things (IoT) devices first, then for other solutions.

 

  1. Privacy: Patient privacy was also a leading theme at HIMSS23. When working with AI, algorithms must be trained on large volumes of data. At the conference, panelists discussed how healthcare providers and tech companies can balance using this protected health information (PHI) to improve AI while still adhering to privacy laws like HIPAA. Data de-identification is one approach to get the most out of large volumes of data while maintaining patient privacy.

Overall a common thread throughout HIMSS23 was balance. Healthcare providers and tech companies must balance the promises of technology with due diligence, while working in partnership to develop innovative solutions. From data standards to data privacy, it is crucial to collaborate with the government to lay the right foundation for using these cutting-edge technologies.

 

Visit our Healthcare Solutions Portfolio to learn more about HIMSS 2023 and how Carahsoft can support your organization’s healthcare technology goals and initiatives.

*The information contained in this blog has been written based off the thought-leadership discussions presented by speakers at HIMSS 2023.*

Ransomware in Healthcare and Utilities

Carahsoft Ransomware Cybersecurity Blog Series Blog 2 Embedded Image 2023

The past two years have seen relentless cyberattacks employed by hostile nations to disrupt American security, public health and the economy. The current U.S. administration has announced its emphasis on fighting ransomware particularly within these critical infrastructures. New regulations are underway for 4 of the 16 sectors including healthcare and water, which is a part of the utilities sector.[1] In anticipation of the coming changes, here is a look into the current state of ransomware in healthcare and utilities, both of which have experienced some of the worst cyberattacks in recent years. By understanding the challenges in these fields, IT administrators can work to evaluate their individual organizational cybersecurity status and start to resolve issues before the enforcement of the new regulations begin.

USE CASE: HEALTHCARE

Unlike ransomware attacks on other sectors, cyberattacks within healthcare are threat-to-life crimes instead of economic crimes because they impede hospital operations and critical patient care. Ransomware attacks by foreign cybercriminals on hospitals are analogous to military strikes against healthcare facilities, which violate international warfare laws. Because of this, it is not only an IT system concern but a healthcare-wide risk that must be addressed with grave importance.

Recent Attacks

In 2020, Universal Health Services network was hacked by the Ryuk variant of ransomware resulting in all its IT systems shutting down and operations stopping at 250 hospitals. According to a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) report, the incident ultimately cost $67 million in lost revenue and recovery although $26 million was covered by cyber insurance.[2]

The devastating ransomware attack against Scripps Health in May 2021 cost the company $112.7 million with over a month of cleanup and extensive revenue loss. [2]  In light of this rise in attacks, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and HHS all issued admonitions that hospitals and health systems be on alert and strengthen their ransomware protection and emergency plans.[3]

Impact

On average, the HHS reported that each healthcare cyberattack cost $10.10 million including the ransom, business loss and remediation costs, ranking it as the most expensive sector for cyberattacks across all industries.[4] This is 41.6% higher than in 2020.[2]  Often, criminals target the healthcare sector because of the quantity and sensitivity of data available. Hospitals are also particularly susceptible due to the complexity of the IT infrastructure, 24/7 operations and the strong repercussions to the reputation of the organization, making them more likely to pay the ransom if an attack happens. Many healthcare organizations also employ a lot of legacy equipment and software as well as perform extensive amounts of file-sharing with many vulnerable endpoints. These areas are a security concern but some of these older systems are also imperative for regular operations and certain medical software to run.[4]

In addition to the immediate disturbance of operations, all of these hacks expose millions of patient records. For the general population, these healthcare breaches have tripled in their impact between 2018 and 2021, with 14 million people affected to now over 45 million. According to the HHS, healthcare institutions faced 373 ransomware attacks from January to July 2022.[2]  Cyber disruptions’ impact through delayed care in areas with poorer healthcare is magnified even more. Northwell Health’s Senior Vice President and Chief Quality Officer Mark Jarrett says: “Clinicians in general tend to think of this as an information technology issue, and it really isn’t. It’s a patient safety issue.”[5]

Carahsoft Ransomware Cybersecurity Blog Series Blog 2 Infographic Image 2023

Post-Attack Measures

Because of the unfortunate success of ransomware within healthcare, many institutions are seeking cyber insurance to offset the cost. The high number of incidents, however, has made it more difficult to obtain coverage until substantial cyber security defenses are in place.[6] While 79% of healthcare organizations possess cyber insurance, nearly all of them have had to improve their cybersecurity strategies to maintain coverage including incorporating new technologies, more employee training and other system process changes.[6]

The Censinet and the Ponemon Institute report, “The Impact of Ransomware on Healthcare During COVID-19 and Beyond,” noted that most healthcare institutions budget 3-4% of IT spending towards cybersecurity while financial firms spend an average of 6-14% to combat cybercrimes.[7] When healthcare systems invest in more cyber defenses, the overall impact of ransomware is dramatically lessened. For institutions with fully deployed cyber security measures, an IMB Security’s annual breach report discovered a 65.2% reduction in average breach cost and 74-day shorter detection and containment cycle versus companies without. This decreased the cost from $6.20 million to $3.15 million for those with security and a breach lifecycle of 323 days down to 249.[2] These results speak to the importance of implementing comprehensive cybersecurity protection and remediation tools in the healthcare sector.

USE CASE: UTILITIES

Similar to healthcare, ransomware attacks to the utilities sector are not just costly and inconvenient, they also impede critical infrastructure and have a wide impact radius to public health, safety and the companies’ bottom line. Utilities also underscore every aspect of daily life through electricity, oil, water and natural gas.

Recent Attacks

In May 2021, the Colonial Pipeline attack brought ransomware in utilities to the forefront of the public eye. The incident affected 45% of the fuel supply used on the U.S. East Coast, which generated a steep price increase and public panic.[8] Within two hours of access, the cyber criminals immobilized 100GB of critical data. As a result, the 5,500-mile pipeline system was closed for six days until the company paid $4.4 million in cryptocurrency as ransom. Reuters lists this cyber event as the most disruptive ransomware attack on record.[9]

Following the Colonial Pipeline hack, Congress issued a strong cybersecurity measure requiring critical infrastructure organizations to report an attack in three days and any payment of the ransom within one day. The goal is to increase information sharing and better equip the government to assist in these situations.[10]

Another large cyberattack in 2021 occurred in Florida when cybercriminals infiltrated the water treatment facility’s network through dormant software and spiked the sodium hydroxide level to 100 times its usual amount. Although the attack was detected and neutralized, the event unveiled a huge vulnerability in U.S. water systems due to minimal IT budgets, staffing shortages causing maintenance delays, outdated cybersecurity systems and other factors, making it easier for cybercriminals to breach the system unnoticed. Shortly after the news of the Florida water hack, three additional water treatment plant attacks across the country that had not been reported came to the surface.[11] Research indicates that this situation represents a consistent trend. Although large attacks on well-known businesses are often featured more in the news, small businesses experience more ransomware attacks but they commonly go unreported.[12] The limited resources available often make smaller local government and enterprises a preferred target for ransomware because it is more difficult for them to recover from an attack, thus making them more likely to pay the ransom quickly.[13]

Impact

Carahsoft Ransomware Cybersecurity Blog Series Blog 2-2 Infographic Image 2023

These major attacks in 2021 followed an already heightened evaluation of utilities’ security due to Executive Order 13636, which initiated the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cyber Security Framework of 2014,[14a] and the America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018,[14b] which required water systems threat risk and resilience assessments to be completed between March 2020 and June 2021.

Post-Attack Measures

Utilities companies often rely on a data backup strategy that replicates the system to a second data center if the primary server fails. This setup works well for natural disasters, but companies must be aware that the infection can also be duplicated on non-segmented backup copies which hackers prioritize attacking as well.

Within the electric power sector, operational technology (OT) is widely spread across data centers’ locations and connected through dedicated cables which allows additional control over networking. This however, increases the attack surface and restricts the network’s ability to adapt and reroute traffic to another safe location in the event of a cyberattack, because the system is hardwired to be isolated.[15] Companies must be careful not to assume the direct lines would be inherently secure and should continue to conduct system monitoring especially as these networks start connecting to other systems. In addition to geographical and system complexities, many utility organizations also have decentralized cybersecurity leadership, which can contribute to post-attack confusion and a lack of clarity on the recovery plan.[16]

While demonstrating the return on investment (ROI) of cybersecurity strategies can be a challenge until an attack has occurred, experts highlight the value of these measures by pointing out the impact that a compromised system can have on a company and the general public.[9]  With cybersecurity, success is ultimately demonstrated by the absence of cyber incidents. In the past, this led to a reluctance to invest in necessary cyber measures; however, this awareness is shifting as more companies are joining the initiative to secure their systems and networks.

In July 2022, national security advisors announced additional cybersecurity requirements will be instituted soon by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to defend national water systems from hackers.[17] To prepare for these new guidelines, companies within the utilities sector must evaluate their systems and work to improve their defenses and recovery plans now in the face of ransomware attacks.

LOOKING AHEAD

Critical infrastructure across the country has been overwhelmed by the influx of ransomware and data breaches. Looking at the data projections for the coming years reveals that these intrusions will continue to grow at an alarming rate. While legislation develops to address the current cybersecurity gaps, sectors like healthcare and utilities must actively take initiative to address system weaknesses and make it more difficult for cybercriminals to infiltrate. Investing in the necessary changes and updates is crucial for U.S. critical infrastructure organizations before their individual institutions become the next target. Now more than ever is the time to modernize infrastructure, get ahead of cyber requirements and build resilience against the threat landscape.

 

Learn about steps to address these cybersecurity concerns whether in healthcare and utilities or across all sectors in our Ransomware Security Strategies Blog. Find our full Ransomware Series here.

 

Resources

[1] “FACT SHEET: Biden-⁠Harris Administration Delivers on Strengthening America’s Cybersecurity,” The White House, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/10/11/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-delivers-on-strengthening-americas-cybersecurity/

[2] “Healthcare data breach costs reach record high at $10M per attack: IBM report,” Fierce Healthcare, https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/health-tech/healthcare-data-breach-costs-reach-record-high-10m-attack-ibm-report

[3] “Ransomware attacks on hospitals could soon surge, FBI warns,” CNET, https://www.cnet.com/news/privacy/fbi-warns-imminent-wave-of-ransomware-attacks-hitting-hospitals/

[4] “Ransomware 101 For Healthcare,” Forbes, https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2022/08/16/ransomware-101-for-healthcare/?sh=3bb3ca785b86

[5] “The pandemic revealed the health risks of hospital ransomware attacks,” The Verge, https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/19/22632378/pandemic-ransomware-health-risks

[7] “Ransomware in healthcare: it’s a matter of life and death,” NTT, https://services.global.ntt/en-us/insights/blog/ransomware-in-healthcare

[8] “Everything You Need to Know About Ransomware,” Ransomware.org, https://ransomware.org/

[9] “Ransomware Attacks in the Energy Industry,” CDW, https://www.cdw.com/content/cdw/en/articles/security/ransomware-attacks-energy-industry.html

[11] “The Critical Need to Protect Critical Infrastructure: Spotlight on Utilities,” Spy Cloud, https://spycloud.com/protect-critical-infrastructure-utilities-ransomware-ato/

[12] “How Utilities Can Reduce the Risk of Ransomware Attacks,” Energy Central, https://energycentral.com/c/pip/how-utilities-can-reduce-risk-ransomware-attacks

[13] “Ransomware Hits U.S. Electric Utility,” Trend Micro, https://www.trendmicro.com/vinfo/us/security/news/cybercrime-and-digital-threats/ransomware-hits-u-s-electric-utility

[14a] “NIST Releases Cybersecurity Framework Version 1.0,” NIST, https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2014/02/nist-releases-cybersecurity-framework-version-10#:~:text=In%20February%202013%2C%20President%20Obama,help%20organizations%20manage%20cyber%20risks

[14b] “What Does the New American’s Water Infrastructure Act (AWAI) of 2018 Mean to You?” Crawford, Murphy & Tilly, Inc., https://www.cmtengr.com/2019/08/20/americans-water-infrastructure-act/

[15] “How energy and utility companies can recover from ransomware and other disasters using infrastructure as code on AWS,” AWS, https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/industries/how-energy-and-utility-companies-can-recover-from-ransomware-and-other-disasters-using-iac-on-aws/

[16] “Ransomware and Energy and Utilities,” AT&T Business https://cybersecurity.att.com/blogs/security-essentials/ransomware-and-energy-and-utilities

[17] “White House Official: EPA to Issue Cybersecurity Rule for Water Facilities,” Nextgov, https://www.nextgov.com/cybersecurity/2022/07/epa-issue-cybersecurity-rule-water-facilities-white-house-official/375098/

Infographic Resources:

[6] “The State of Ransomware in Healthcare 2022,” Sophos, https://news.sophos.com/en-us/2022/06/01/the-state-of-ransomware-in-healthcare-2022/

[10] “Looking Back at the Colonial Pipeline Ransomware Incident,” Government Technology, https://www.govtech.com/blogs/lohrmann-on-cybersecurity/looking-back-at-the-colonial-pipeline-ransomware-incident

“The 2021 Ransomware Risk Pulse: Energy Sector,” Black Kite, https://blackkite.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/The-2021-Ransomware-Risk-Pulse-_-Energy-Sector.pdf

The Best of What’s New in Automation

 

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the conversation surrounding automation in government featured a lot of skepticism. For some, automation seemed too difficult or risky to implement. For others, it represented a threat to human workers. And for many, change in general is hard to embrace because it means leaving behind the familiar and venturing toward the unknown. But when COVID-19 infection rates skyrocketed, and when programs like unemployment insurance (UI) faced unprecedented spikes in demand, governments felt compelled to consider and adopt technologies they may have once resisted. And so, in 2022, the dialogue on automation has a much different tone. The focus has shifted toward identifying opportunities, challenges and best practices so that agencies can figure out where automation fits best. Learn how your agency or municipality can take full advantage of the growing momentum behind automation in Carahsoft’s Innovation in Government® report.

 

Modernizing Expense and Payment Management

“When you have an automated system, if someone is about to do something that is noncompliant, the system flags them. Depending on how an organization sets policy, the system can stop the employee completely or allow the spend to proceed but with a warning that the behavior is out of compliance and will be flagged. That impacts how people make their buying decisions. As part of auditing overall, AI, ML and other technologies also work together to detect abnormal or potentially fraudulent behavior. Continual noncompliant behavior is tracked, marked and reported on. In terms of decision-making, intelligent automated solutions give organizations actionable data—sometimes for the first time ever. Organizations can see where they are in their cash flow, their debts, and so on and use that data to make decisions that drive the business outcomes they need.”

Read more insights from SAP Concur’s senior director for state and local government, Jim McClurkin.

 

IIG GovTech Automation October Blog Embedded Image 2022Having an Automation-First Mindset  

“Some executives don’t realize how much repetitive work their teams do until we talk to their staff and then show them the power of the possible. The best ideas for automation come from the people doing the work, so simple education is the best way to prepare employees. We partner with organizations to help educate their end users and show them what’s possible. It’s also helpful to use terms like “digital employee” or “digital workforce” rather than the term “bot,” which isn’t always well received. People understand they can have a digital assistant right on their desktop. Adoption is important because state and local governments need digital workers to address their current and future workforce needs, just like the private sector.”

Read more insights from UiPath’s vice president of sales for state, local and education (SLED), Phil Calzadilla.

 

Getting Intelligent Automation Right  

“We’ve seen the most success where there’s initially enough investment to have an impact and get the organization behind it. Projects that are too small often pass below the visibility of executive leadership and tend to die on the vine. At the same time, projects can’t be more than the organization can chew at one time. The Covered California project started in a discrete area around document processing. Over time, they decided to apply analytics to it, and then improve workflows. Eventually, they added robotics to move the data to various systems. It became this very large but modular step-by-step layering in of different levels of automation. All of this resulted in an incredibly robust automation system that handles 50 million records a year and 300,000 processes per month, but it was done judiciously.”

Read more insights from Kofax’s vice president of public sector and federal sales, Jeremy Hogg.

 

Preparing For a New Wave of Automation

“Based on trends in the federal government, I expect both state and local governments to continue adopting the cloud over the next five to 10 years. As organizations consider new deployments in the cloud, it would be great to start with automation from the beginning. Instead of making it an after-the-fact approach, bake it into the solution from the start. Also, don’t be afraid to try new tools, and don’t be afraid to accept that you might need to get some training for your team. These are new skills, and enablement is valuable from the beginning.”

Read more insights from Cloudera’s principal solutions engineer, Ian Brooks.

 

Download the full Innovation in Government® report for more insights from these cybersecurity thought leaders and additional industry research from GovTech.

Opioid Management: Preventative Technology through AI and Machine Learning

The past few years have brought major challenges to the healthcare industry, which has illuminated the need for investment in technology. Specifically, data infrastructure to aid in preventative government intervention within the ever-growing opioid epidemic. This consists of data tracking potential populations that are most likely to develop opioid addiction through hospital records and social determinants. To achieve preventative intervention, the healthcare industry must invest in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) which can provide information about the process of shipment, distribution, and eventually inappropriate prescribing or drug diversion incidents.

Carahsoft Opioid Management Blog Embedded Image 2022Resources to Invest in AI and Machine Learning Healthcare Solutions

Right now, there are many mobile apps used in the healthcare industry designed to aid in opioid dose conversion; however, despite the availability of the technology there has been little done to address opioid-use disorder (OUD) in mobile health. Recently, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released the State Opioid Response Grant program to aid in opioid use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery services.[1] The grant provides state resources to invest in data tracking technology which identifies program performance across demographic groups and states. Data is invaluable in an effort to improve the outcome for clients and avoiding opioid-related deaths.

Technologies for Opioid Use Disorder Management

AI/ML are at the center of preventative efforts in the fight against the opioid epidemic. As hospitals, government agencies, and individuals input more data, computers are able to improve their algorithm autonomously in order to determine timing of intervention, inhibit drug craving and relapse, detect opioid intake, and classify pre- and post-opioid health conditions.

Opioid Management: Population and the Individual

Data tracking has the ability to intervene at a large scale as well as an individual level. AI/ML can give an overall snapshot of opioid treatment programs and how they are performing through studying outcomes across states and demographic groups. These insights can help SAMHSA detect ways to improve program effectiveness and change the way medical professionals approach the opioid epidemic, as well as patients. Machine Learning can be utilized in mobile health and wearable sensors to anticipate areas for intervention and withdrawal management to measure:

  • Client characteristics
  • General and mental health at intake and six month follow-up
  • Stress episodes
  • Skin temperature
  • Heart acceleration
  • Opioid usage patterns

This data collection is particularly important for addressing minority population needs and states with “anti-drug checking laws” as preventative action can deter opioid-related deaths where physical drug testing is not readily available. Medical organizations are also using prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMP) which allows healthcare providers to discern patterns in patient prescriptions to intercept “doctor shopping” and overprescribing. With the move towards telemedicine, many healthcare professionals are incorporating remote treatment for patients addicted to opioids. AI/Machine Learning provides mobile therapeutic treatment through the patient providing data including basic vitals and mental health symptoms.

Combating the Opioid Epidemic through AI and Machine Learning

The most glaring issue today for the opioid epidemic is lack of awareness of preventative technology. The State Opioid Response Grant program has given each state funds to aid in the effort to treat opioid use disorder; however, each year most of the money has remained unspent by the end of the fiscal year. This gives ample opportunity for government agencies and the healthcare industry to invest in crucial AI/Machine Learning technology to help end the Opioid crisis.

 

Carahsoft is proud to be a CHIME Foundation Firm member and to provide our support to the CHIME Opioid Task Force and it’s mission to use the knowledge and expertise of the nation’s healthcare IT leaders to stand united in the fight against the Opioid crisis. Visit the CHIME Opioid Action Center to learn unique insights of the opioid crisis and discover educational resources to address this ongoing global issue.

 

[1] “Opioid Use Disorder: Opportunities to Improve Assessments of State Opioid Response Grant Program,” United States Government Accountability Office, https://www.gao.gov/assets/720/717982.pdf