Preview: Tech Symposium at The National by FCA

The National by FCA: technology will help doctors over the next 10-15 years go from reactive to proactive and predictive

From “Big Data” mining to artificial intelligence (AI) to “wearables, chiropractic and health care are in the midst of industry-level change in terms of diagnosing serious problems before they arise and advancing patient care. If you think these technologies are still far off in the future and will not impact your practice — think again.

“Technology is impacting the chiropractic offices, procedures and documentation more than doctors are currently aware,” says Brad Cost, president of Infinedi Electronic Data Exchange, who will be presenting during the Tech Symposium at The National by FCA in Orlando (see schedule in below). “Software, equipment, exams, tele-health and ‘Big Data’ are altering the way DCs input, code and record — and more change is coming!”

The approaching wave

Approximately 80% of health care executives say social, mobile, analytics, and cloud technologies have become core foundations at their organizations, according to the report “Digital Health Tech Vision 2019” by Accenture. Moreover, 89% of health care executives surveyed said they are working with at least one DARQ technology (Distributed ledger (widely-shared patient data), AI, extended/virtual reality, and quantum computing), which the report cites as four of the most important emerging technologies.

Distributed ledger includes technologies like blockchain for electronic health records, health care payments and identification, and quantum computing will allow organizations to deal with huge amounts of raw data to deliver personalized medicine, enhanced interoperability, and faster drug research and discovery. Of these four DARQ technologies, health care providers surveyed believe AI offers the greatest potential benefits.

Tech to meet a shortage of doctors

Many in the health care industry are predicting a shortage of MDs and DCs in the coming years, and technology will be needed to help meet patient needs amidst the shortage. The U.S. will see a shortage of up to 122,000 physicians by 2032 as demand continues to grow faster than supply, according to data published earlier this year by the Association of American Medical Colleges.

Chiropractic Economics will be addressing this in September with a special Chiropractic Colleges issue, created to help further enrollment growth in U.S. chiropractic colleges, to tout chiropractic as a viable and sought-after career, and to encourage current doctors of chiropractic to recommend schools to prospective students more often. DC recommendations, according to various studies and surveys, are the No. 1 reason students enroll in a chiropractic college.

“Technology is helping to transform access to care for millions of Americans and can be an effective tool in addressing the physician shortage,” writes Tom Cox, MBA, for Medical Economics. “With digital care coordination, analytics, and innovations such as telemedicine, we can bring a more proactive approach to health care and solve some of our industry’s greatest challenges.”

The data-driven Internet of Things (IoT)

It seems like everything in a modern medical office is a Bluetooth device or otherwise connected to the internet. At home it can be your refrigerator, coffeemaker, lighting or the entire “smart” home.

This is a new Industrial Revolution, and it’s driven by data. If you’re not keeping up with the trend, you’re being left behind.

According to Forbes, “Last year IoT devices outnumbered the world’s population for the first time, and by 2021 … one million new IoT devices will be purchased every hour.”

Jay Greenstein, DC, at The National’s Tech Symposium will moderate the session “Clinical Assessment in Treatment Using Emerging Technology.”

“Virtual reality and high-tech wearable devices are no longer just from a TV show called The Jetsons,” Greenstein said ahead of his upcoming sessions at The National by FCA. “In our session we will present video demonstrations as well as teaching the clinical thought process that will define today’s virtual technology tools within the chiropractic scope.”

Cheaper tech; Googling health

Technology will help doctors over the next 10-15 years go from reactive to proactive and predictive. The U.S. population is rapidly aging, and people are living longer due to better nutrition, better care and better technology. Many DCs are already riding the trend by catering partially or fully to this ever-growing demographic.

Regenerative medicine and stem cell-type technologies, for a while now used almost across the board in professional sports, are quickly making their way into more and more community MD and DC offices.

The formula is generally “Technology + Time = Lower Prices = Everyday Availability.”

One example is data encryption, which used to be only for mega-corporations and high-tech companies, but is now required of all doctors’ offices under HIPAA compliance. Now the mega-corporations are after bigger fish — medical data that will connect across the globe, and as with other technologies, it will eventually work its way down to every health care provider.

Google announced in June that it would team with Sanofi, a global health care solutions leader employing more than 100,000 in 100 countries, to establish a new “virtual innovation lab” for health care. It will use emerging data technologies such as artificial intelligence and “real-world” databases, and utilize real-time information to better understand patients and diseases, gain insights, increase efficiencies, and improve patient and customer experiences and outcomes.

“Big data” may seem out of reach, but it begins with local providers, whose best practices for data collection and utilization need to align with modern means, getting everyone on the same page.

Changing mindsets

Chiropractic has long been held back by traditional practices and conservative mindsets. The next 10-15 years will be transformational between AI, robotics, mobile health applications, and data-mining technology assisting in patient assessment and treatment.

Younger DCs are the first wave that grew up with smart phones, early versions of AI-imitating applications (“Hey Siri!”), and laser and robotic technology. For the older generation of doctors, these were subjects solely from comic books and science-fiction writers. Now data analytics and machine learning will be the primary movers heralding in a revolution in preventive medicine.

Managed Healthcare Executive recently profiled the United Kingdom’s National Health Service, which holds seven decades’ worth of health data records for an entire population. Think of the possibilities for learning from and applying this data for future care.

Ethics will also play a part moving forward when you’re talking about treasure troves of data and the public trust. Not only organizations, but individual doctors, need to be clear with patients about how they are handling data, the privacy of that data, and consent.

“It is our ethical responsibility as cutting-edge physicians to understand and use technology as it relates to reimbursement and improved patient outcomes,” Cost says. “Falling behind with the current and emerging technologies will cause DCs to become outliers in care delivery, or worse yet see their practices decline or run afoul of new regulations ushered in by technology.” 

SESSIONS: THE TECH SYMPOSIUM AT THE NATIONAL BY FCA

OFFICE OF THE FUTURE: HOW EMERGING TECHNOLOGY IS RAPIDLY CHANGING THE WAY WE TREAT, RECORD AND DOCUMENT PATIENTS

Description: Attendees will see how “Big Data” is driving decreased error rates, understanding patient populations, tracking individual providers’ reimbursements for accuracy, and discovering new areas for conservative care. Also discussed will be PMS and EHR with automated workflows that will be using current/future technology in regards to coding, billing and documentation, and wearable devices.
Moderator and Speaker: Jay Greenstein, DC;
Speakers: Brad Cost, CEO; Evan Gwilliam, DC; Kurtis Goos, CEO; Patrick Engracia, DC; Eran Orr, DC; Brian Capra, DC

TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS IN CLINICAL DOCUMENTATION

Description: Electronic Health Records have changed greatly through the use of automated workflow. Medicare is undertaking significant updates on how it pays for physician services, starting with MIPS and MACRA, which are both in effect this year. Take a deeper dive into documentation levels and understanding automated coding and accuracy in improving coding technology. Record confidently with improved coding technology knowledge.
Moderator: Brad Cost, CEO;
Speakers: Brian Capra, DC; Evan Gwilliam, DC

CLINICAL ASSESSMENT IN TREATMENT USING EMERGING TECHNOLOGY

Description: We are living at a time where virtual reality, high-tech wearables and advanced rehabilitation techniques are becoming the standard, and the results achieved far exceed anything captured by hand and sight in the past. Attendees will learn the assessment and treatment protocols that have been formed utilizing this incredible technology, and realize how simple it is to implement in practice — this is a can’t-miss course.
Moderator: Jay Greenstein, DC;
Speakers: Evan Orr, DC; Patrick Engracia, DC; Kurtis Goos, DC

TECHNOLOGICAL APPROACH TO PATIENT OUTCOMES & REIMBURSEMENT — KEEPING THINGS ETHICAL

Description: It is our ethical responsibility as cutting-edge physicians to understand and use technology as it relates to reimbursement and improving patient outcomes. Attendees will learn how to leverage data to ensure ethical business practices, compare norms and trending in this new day and age. Topics include Big Data: The Relevance of Human Health; Health Care vs. Technology … Or Are They the Same?; and Mindset.
Speakers: Brad Cost, CEO; Jay Greenstein, DC; David Bayer

For additional info go to thenationalchiro.com.

RICK VACH is editor-in-chief of Chiropractic Economics, loves to receive feedback, and can be reached at rvach@ChiroEco.com.