|
Advancing Data and Analytics to Further Veteran Care
VHA’s Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning (OHIL) supports data and analytics projects that leverage vast amounts of clinical data to improve Veterans’ health issues without compromising patient privacy and the process of delivering quality care.
This summer, data experts, VA leaders, and frontline staff convened in Washington D.C at the International Summit of AI in Healthcare’s DataX session track. The DataX session track showcased some of the data and analytics work being done in VA and highlighted how this work is impacting clinical care for Veterans.
“VA is a leader in terms of bringing data into the clinical world,” said Dr. Rebecca Resnik, Clinical Psychologist and President of the Maryland Psychological Association. “I am excited to see VA as leaders in this space.”
The Gold Standard of Data
DataX gave attendees an opportunity to learn more about current and future states of data analytics within VA. The three-day session track consisted of 23 industry leaders divided among six panel discussions about how they can remove barriers, improve data policy, and enhance the information sharing process.
In one panel, Dr. Amanda Lienau, Director of Data Analytics Innovation for OHIL facilitated a discussion on a promising data innovation pathway that allows for the development of algorithms and models without releasing protected health information.
 
Above: (Left) Dr. Amanda Lienau speaks on a panel while (right) data experts speak on the future of data in Veteran health care.
“I am really excited about this method as one method to open up data, making it much more accessible to more people,” Dr. Lienau said. “The next step is: can we unlock wearables data? Can we unlock social media data? What kind of data can we unlock and pair with Veterans healthcare data?”
Optimizing Veteran Health Care
The DataX session track also provided an opportunity for attendees to learn about and collaborate on new data and analytics innovations for Veterans. One technology that was piloted captures the conversation during a medical appointment and then uses AI to create medical notes for the health record and for patient use. This utility could significantly reduce administrative burden for providers.
Another analytics innovation aims to optimize care for Veterans with Pulmonary Fibrosis by reducing delays that prevent a timely diagnosis. The data solution will identify patients in a timely manner, triage care based on the highest risk of adverse outcomes and connect patients to specialists in their area.
Optimizing Administrative Processes
Other discussions involved leveraging AI to maximize health care efficiencies and revenue collection for clinicians. One tool involves using AI to optimize claims processing so clinicians can focus on Veteran’s priorities. Another AI software optimizes the scheduling process. Prior to the pilot, there were an average of 26 days between the initial request to the date the first appointment is made. After using this innovation, that number was reduced to 7 days.
Data Innovations in VA
Each panelist brought unique ideas and insights to the DataX session track. They showcased the numerous ways data and analytics contribute to the quality of Veteran’s health care. Despite the diverse topics that were highlighted during the session track, a common thread among all the panels was building trust and making data accessible to Veterans.
“Quality and trust are quite interlinked. Patients trust providers that they feel care about them,” said Dr. Bhavika Kaul, an investigator at the Veterans Affairs Center for Innovation in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety. “The more patients see we are building infrastructure; they will be more open to receiving care at their VA facility.”
REGISTER TODAY: The Incubator RETURNS Next Month!
VHA Innovators Network (iNET) is offering a six-part virtual workshop experience (one hour per session) open to all VA employees this fall! The Incubator series starts Thursday October 12th. These impactful classes, aimed at fostering innovation and teaching VA employees new problem-solving skills will cover topics like making time for innovation, understanding human-centered design, and effective storytelling to support projects. This is a great opportunity to expand your knowledge and skillsets. Don’t miss out – join the innovation revolution and empower yourself with the tools to make a real difference.
Participants can attend as many of the six available sessions as they’d like, and recordings will be available after each live session. Register Here. Please note, this form is only accessible to VA employees.
Get an Inside Look at the VHA Shark Tank Competition on C20
Don’t miss the chance to learn about VHA Shark Tank’s profound impact on Veteran health care, how to watch the competition at the 2023 VHA Innovation Experience (iEX), and success stories from previous participants. Special guests include:
- Blaine Fitzgerald, National VHA Shark Tank Coordinator
- Leandro DaSilva, 2022 VHA Shark Tank Panelist
- Deirdre Quinn, 2022 VHA Shark Tank Winner (Contraception on Demand)
Tune in to C20 on Thursday, September 28, at 12:00 p.m. EST for a special feature on VHA Shark Tank. For additional details and instructions on accessing the episode, visit the C20 SharePoint page. Please note, this link is only accessible to VA employees.
Service to the Citizen Awards Ceremony
Over the past five years, the Public Service Leadership Academy has recognized over 700 public servants at the Service to the Citizen Awards. Recognizing the valuable contributions to building trust in government helps to transform to a “service-oriented” culture, driven to deliver on the mission of government.
The Service to the Citizen Program recognizes those public servants and their industry partners who demonstrate excellence in delivering services that impact the publics' lives and rebuild trust in government. Last Friday, seven of the awardees from across OHIL attended the in-person awards ceremony in Washington, DC., in addition to Kristopher Teague, Executive Director of VHA Innovation Ecosystem, and Madison Coffey, Communications Officer for VHA Innovation Ecosystem.
Above from left to right: Service to the Citizen Award Winners Dr. Akshar Abbot, Dr. Saraswathy Battar, Allison Amrhein, Melissa Tran, VHA IE Executive Director Kristopher Teague, Dr. Indra Sandal, Taylor Hooker, Danielle Hagan, and VHA IE Communications Officer Madison Coffey.
Congratulations to all our winners in continuing the tradition of innovation excellence across the Innovation Ecosystem, OHIL, and VHA. You can read more about our winners and the rest of the 2023 awardees on the Service to the Citizen website.
Want to learn more about innovation at VA? Visit our website, scan Diffusion Marketplace, and explore VA Pathfinder to learn more about our opportunities.
|
