Sutter Health chief of digital health shares digital health integration insights

This interview is part of a series powered by HLTH and CHIME to highlight key insights and perspectives from leading executives speaking at ViVE

The pandemic has spurred many hospitals and health systems to rapidly scale virtual health over the past two years, accelerating planned implementation of digital health tools. At the ViVE conference in Miami Beach March 6-9, Sutter Health Chief of Digital Health Dr Albert Chan will take part in a panel discussion on the intersection of automation in healthcare and the patient experience called, Icing the Patient Experience Cake with Automation.

He’ll be joined on the panel by:

To view the full agenda, click here.

To register for ViVE, click here.

Chan offered a window into his experience of working in digital health at Sutter from behavioral health to patient portals and artificial intelligence, in response to emailed questions.

Note: This interview has been lightly edited  

You made a presentation last year reflecting on the transformation of scaling telemedicine at Sutter Health since the start of the pandemic. What progress has Sutter made with adoption of virtual health since then? 

Part of the progress comes through broadening the definition of this care delivery model and showing all the ways it can support patients and providers. Digital health is revolutionary in the way it streamlines services, reduces wait times, advances care equity and addresses physician shortages and burnout – solving the problems of today with the vision and innovation of tomorrow.

We made progress on numerous digital health fronts in 2021. Scout by Sutter Health™ is a digital tool that launched last year, which builds everyday resilience for young people 12 to 26 years old who experience anxiety or depression. We enhanced our digital waitlist capabilities via our online patient portal in 2021, which allowed people to see a doctor 14 days earlier on average for primary care and 22 days earlier for specialty care. We even integrated with HealthKit so patients can easily and securely share their health data from the Apple Health app. It really runs the gamut and has the potential for so much more.

Do you see any difference in the number of no-shows since you ramped up virtual visits? 

Our mental health teams have really seen some good progress when it comes to no-show rates. Due to new patient referrals via video, Sutter Health saw a decrease in no-show rates for both established and new patients, down to 5-10% (from 15-25%).

What insights have you gained from this experience from patients as well as from clinicians and nurses? 

Consumers are now accustomed to and expect the convenience of digital health – particularly for specialty services like behavioral health or chronic disease management that have shown great success and promise. We recognize and respect that desire.

Digital health capabilities can also streamline and optimize our clinical teams’ work. We’ve heard from them that this additional support can really make a difference given all they have faced throughout the pandemic. We’re exploring various ways to help clear a path for them. Our efforts include online scheduling redesign, more personalized settings in the EHR, as well as more secure options for clinical chat and image-sharing. 

Do you regard virtual visits as a permanent option in primary care? Do you see specialty care continuing to make video visits an option?

For Sutter, the future of healthcare is a digital hybrid – where in-person and digitally enabled care are seamlessly integrated to further enhance care quality, convenience and access for patients. 

One of the silver linings of the Covid-19 pandemic was the patient-empowerment of virtual care.  This was made possible by temporary relaxation of legislative barriers, modernization of administrative policies, and broad expansion of insurance coverage for virtual care, particularly enabling the patient’s continuity care team to provide these services. I believe our patients most benefit from integrated care delivery, in which patients can receive care virtually or in person, as best meets all of their care needs.  To continue the virtual care patient-empowerment we experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic, we need to make permanent legislation that enabled clinicians to deliver virtual care. We also need unwavering support from our insurance partners to provide access to hybrid care when patients need it, where they need it, and by the modality of care that makes the most sense for the patient’s need, from clinicians who know them best. 

Do virtual visits play a role in behavioral health delivery at Sutter Health?

Our mental health teams have been able to create more access through virtual visits. Since 2021, more than 80% of outpatient behavioral health visits shifted to virtual care. 

What are some examples of initiatives you’ve taken at Sutter Health to use digital health tools to improve the patient experience and improve patient outcomes?

Digital health tools can have a role inside and outside care facilities, which is part of the beauty and value. Take for instance Bedside Mobile. Hospitalized patients view “My Hospital Stay” via Sutter’s online patient portal from their personal smart device. Bedside Mobile provides an overview of the patient’s hospital visit, all in one snapshot. Information includes details about the patient’s hospital care team, lab results, medications, upcoming tests and any assigned educational materials. This helps patients and their caregivers feel more engaged, informed and supported, which can be extremely important in what can be an uncertain time for them.

We also launched the Care Companion-Health Pregnancy app, a new mobile-based extension of our online patient portal. In contrast to books that are generic and potential source of information overload, our pregnant patients have a digital care companion that provides personalized weekly advice. The app’s content features topics such as maternal safety and breast feeding. It also offers practical planning tips for medical leave and preparing to bring baby home. This is another example of Sutter’s commitment to providing patient-centered care for the whole family, at the right time and place.

How do you decide what digital health tools to adopt? What are some factors you consider? 

For us, our goal is to advance our digital capabilities in a way that creates better experiences for both patients and clinicians. It is more about evaluating where we can improve upon for patients as opposed to choosing a tool for novelty’s sake. We value collaborations that help support better outcomes and experiences across the entire patient care journey. We especially appreciate partners that understand the unique needs and circumstances surrounding healthcare, like heightened patient privacy regulations and information security needs.

What’s your take on AI in healthcare? What applications have you seen where it works particularly well? What limitations do you see for this tech? 

Artificial intelligence is one way we can enhance our digital capabilities in healthcare. It can complement the work of our clinicians—enhancing their ability to care for patients. Our work with Ferrum helps illustrate this approach. 

Their AI-powered quality platform is designed to improve quality in medical imaging, like CT scans, via a “second read.” The goal is to help find important diagnoses like lung cancers in the early stages, so that care and treatment can be accessed more quickly. These efforts can mean a higher likelihood of successful treatment. 

We’ve also seen how AI can help with everyday health needs. Sutter’s AI-powered symptom checker is available 24/7 via our website. The checker, which included a Covid-19 symptom option, was used 60% of the time after normal business hours to help people make informed decisions about next steps for care—whether that is an urgent care visit, a video visit or perhaps a visit to the emergency room. This type of navigation can help save time and avoid unnecessary costs—things that are very meaningful for patients, their families and our providers.

Picture: cyano66, Getty Images