Let’s be frank: the healthcare industry needs help. Medical records have far too many inconsistencies, patients struggle to find ways to transfer information from one doctor to another, and as the world slowly begins to reopen and the focus on health increases, the industry is going to have to lean on modern technology more than ever in order to track and maintain records as it relates to COVID-19.
“There are several like electronic health information systems out there and their operability is pretty poor. You have to be able to get that information [to your doctors]. You have to be able to integrate it and make it accessible to your patients, as well as your primary care providers. And, that’s something that we do better than anybody else.”
Claire Hough is the CTO of Carbon Health, a tech-enabled healthcare provider that is developing data-driven programs in an effort to help modernize the healthcare industry by removing the boundaries of health care to create high-quality experiences. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Claire details how Carbon Health has used technology and data to solve a wide array of issues in healthcare, including the delivery care model. Plus, Claire dives into her past experiences scaling startups such as Netscape, Napster, and Udemy.
Main Takeaways
- User Error: There’s a saying when it comes to data, “garbage in, garbage out.” When it comes to data entry, this still applies because there is still far too much room for user error. Workers are manually inputting data in spreadsheets allowing for a margin of error, and this is one of the biggest problems facing the healthcare industry. By using an automated system that removes the physical person from that process, you can access a clearer picture of your data without concerns about input accuracy.
- Not Enough Information: The healthcare industry is overrun with processes that are not streamlined or convenient for patients. When a patient gives information to a physician or an urgent care provider, that information remains only with those sources rather than shared widely to the patient’s broader healthcare team.. By creating a central record system that controls every aspect of the healthcare process, companies are able to not only have the most accurate information regardless of where a patient is seen, but it creates a better overall customer experience for your patient who no longer have to repeatedly provide the same information.
- Built to Scale: When you’re scaling your engineering teams, you have to think about what the company is going to look like in the near future and not just what you need in the present. Make sure the people you are bringing on can work in a fast-paced environment and possess multiple skill sets.
For a more in-depth look at this episode, check out the article below.
Article
Let’s be frank: the healthcare industry needs help. Medical records have far too many inconsistencies, patients struggle to find ways to transfer information from one doctor to another, and as the world slowly begins to reopen and the focus on health increases, the industry is going to have to lean on modern technology more than ever in order to track and maintain records as it relates to COVID-19.
“There are several like electronic health information systems out there and their operability is pretty poor. You have to be able to get that information [to your doctors]. You have to be able to integrate it and make it accessible to your patients, as well as your primary care providers. And, that’s something that we do better than anybody else.”
Claire Hough is the CTO of Carbon Health, a tech-enable healthcare provider that is developing data-driven programs in an effort to help modernize the healthcare industry by removing the boundaries of health care to create high-quality experiences. On this episode of IT Visionaries, Claire details how Carbon Health has used technology and data to solve a wide array of issues in healthcare, including the delivery care model. Plus, Claire dives into her past experiences scaling startups such as Netscape and Napster.
Started in 2015, Carbon Health is a modern tech-enabled healthcare provider designed from the ground up with the mindset of putting the patient first and delivering quality healthcare experiences for all.
“[The healthcare industry] has not been providing good healthcare to underserved or marginalized communities,” Hough said. “When COVID hit, [those communities] were hit very hard. Our mission is to really make sure that we can provide that quality care for all through our technology platform.”
That technology platform has been a big driver of COVID-19 testing and vaccinations in the state of California, which is Carbon Health’s home base. When the pandemic struck, Hough said the company partnered with the City of Los Angeles, helping people quickly identify where they could find testing centers for COVID-19 and allowing them to book an appointment within the app.
Now as the world begins to slowly reopen and the number of people vaccinated continues to rise, Hough said Carbon Health is stepping up once again with its vaccine pass. The way the pass operates is fairly simple: once an individual receives a COVID vaccine, they receive a link to the pass, which is HIPAA-compliant and secure. Hough said the biggest driver for these passes is to make sure states have accurate information when it comes to their vaccine records.
“We are racing to our mission of getting as many people vaccinated as possible,” Hough said. “When we vaccinate people in L.A., we actually sync with the state database. All states are supposed to have this database of everyone who’s vaccinated, but again, this is a data problem. They also had some problems with some data [because it’s put in manually], so whether this is 95% accurate, 99% accurate, that’s all questionable.”
Hough said the hope is that by offering these digital passes, it’ll help automate the process and eliminate some of the user error that comes with manual data entry, allowing states to not only have a better understanding of the number of people within their borders who are vaccinated but help give employers piece of mind when their workers come back to work.
To hear more about Carbon Health and how Hough is helping the company scale beyond the State of California, checkout the full episode of IT Visionaries!
To hear the entire discussion, tune into IT Visionaries here.
