#20: Why Education and Data Are About Asking the Right Questions (with Lucy Chen, Informatics Manager at Fresenius Kabi)

What you’ll get out of this episodeListen in as host Tim Fitzpatrick chats with Lucy Chen about how her transition from transplant pharmacist to informatics manager has expanded her perspectives on patient and clinician education.In this episode you’ll discover:How patient education resources are not a size fits all and there are many gaps that are left in this area. For example, many CKD patients have troubled vision and the generic PDFs are not easy for them to see or comprehend.Many clinicians are too busy to learn about learning science, let alone apply in their own interactions with patients. When a patient can be provided with background information about their diagnosis prior to their appointment, they can be involved in the conversation with the clinician, rather than receiving a brain dump of the diagnosis and next steps. But how do we ensure patients can build that foundational knowledge to have those conversations?In a recent study, Lucy and her team learned how technology impacts both the illness experience and the healthcare experience for patients. Examples of online health information include peer support and patient portals for accessing lab results. Basic tools can be helpful, but it all comes back to asking the right questions and listening to your patients.Quotables“Prior to this, I had a shallow understanding of education. My thinking was that if people know the right information they can do the right thing to take care of their health. But, because we had this opportunity to really dive deep into the inner worlds of patients and hear them speak about their experiences. I think learning from their providers and their peers really plays a much deeper and more impactful role than simply knowing what to do. Speaking to their peers and learning what that experience is like, it gives people back what chronic illness often takes from them. Sort of confidence and agency over their lives, and sort of a connection where chronic illness is often isolating” #FresniusKabi on Ep 20 @t-minus10 w @trfitzpatrick Recommended ResourcesWhat is medical informatics? (NIH)Roles and Impacts of the Transplant Pharmacist: A Systematic Review (CJHP) What Patients Like — and Dislike — About Telemedicine (HBR)Certified Professional in Healthcare Information and Management Systems (Credly)Digital Medicine: A Primer on Measurement (Karger)Digital inclusion as a social determinant of health (Nature)User Experience (UX) Measures (Node Health)Join the ConversationAre you a healthcare innovator? Tell us what topics and people you’d like us to cover in future episodes:Lucy Chen on LinkedInFresenius Kabi on LinkedIn"Among the reasons the telehealth connection seems to resonate with patients is that providers can actually seem more attentive on-screen. One patient commented that while her doctor always seemed distracted by a computer screen during in-person visits, during video visits the doctor looked directly at her."Surprising and interesting results indeed”. @ Lucy Chen on LinkedIn“Fascinating that Germany has a regulatory fast track for #digitaltherapeutics which will be covered by statutory health insurance (90% of population). Anyone know what's the reimbursement landscape in Canada and elsewhere in the world?” @Lucy Chen on LinkedInT-Minus 10 on LinkedInIKONA Health on YouTubeAbout Your HostTim Fitzpatrick is the CEO of IKONA Health, a company using neurobiology and immersive technology to improve how patients learn about their care and treatment options. Tim co-founded IKONA based on his own patient experiences while serving in the US Navy and now in the VA health system. He has served as Principal Investigator on multiple federal research grants, has co-authored papers on learning science, VR, and mental health in the age of COVID-19, and has partnered with top healthcare investors and institutions including the National Science Foundation, Department of Defense, National Artificial Intelligence Institute, StartUp Health, On Deck, FundRx, MATTER and NVIDIA.