Reflections on Vive2025 #vivevent that last week ended up in Nashville, TN
Several key topics dominated the discussions, reflecting the current priorities and challenges in the healthcare industry:
?? **Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Healthcare**: AI's integration into healthcare was a central theme (read it as if do not pronounce AI 20 times per conversation you are not talking something bright :), with conversations moving from theoretical applications to practical implementations. Discussions highlighted AI's role in enhancing clinical workflows, reducing administrative burdens, and improving patient engagement. Michael Pfeffer, Chief Information and Digital Officer at Stanford Health Care, noted that ambient AI has become indispensable, stating that discontinuing such tools would lead to significant pushback from clinicians.
?? **Cybersecurity Measures**: In light of increasing ransomware attacks on healthcare systems, cybersecurity emerged as a critical concern. Experts emphasized the adoption of zero-trust architectures and AI-powered threat detection to safeguard sensitive patient data. The discussions underscored the necessity for health systems to demand higher security standards from vendors to prevent disruptions.
?? **Interoperability and Data Sharing**: The challenge of data silos persists, hindering seamless access to patient records and real-time insights. Conversations at ViVE 2025 focused on leveraging data lakehouse solutions, such as Databricks, to unify structured and unstructured data from multiple sources. This approach aims to enhance care coordination and reduce duplicative procedures by improving data interoperability.
?? **Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM)**: RPM gained attention as a means to extend care beyond traditional settings. Implementing continuous patient monitoring programs using wearable technology has shown promise in improving patient outcomes. However, experts like Sarah N Pletcher, MD MHCDS, Chief Digital Health Officer at Houston Methodist, cautioned about the challenges of data management, emphasizing the need for systems that can curate and interpret vast amounts of patient-generated data effectively.
?? **Digital Pharmacy Evolution**: The transformation of pharmacy services was discussed, particularly in response to the decline of community pharmacies. Health systems are investing in their pharmacy services and co-locating them with primary care clinics to improve medication adherence and clinical outcomes. This strategy aims to provide more integrated and accessible pharmaceutical care to patients.
