Using technology to elevate patient care and physician well-being – American Medical Association

Report on the Integration of Digital Technology in Healthcare to Advance Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: A Strategic Approach to Health Innovation

This report examines the strategic implementation of digital technologies within the healthcare sector, focusing on the initiatives at Northwell Health, as articulated by Dr. Deborah Mensch, Chief Medical Information Officer (CMIO). The approach underscores a commitment to leveraging technology not as an end in itself, but as a critical tool for advancing patient care, enhancing operational efficiency, and promoting physician well-being. This strategy directly aligns with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).

Advancing SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

The core mission to improve health outcomes is central to Northwell Health’s digital transformation, directly contributing to the targets of SDG 3.

Enhancing Patient Care and Quality Outcomes

The transition to a single, unified Electronic Health Record (EHR) system is a foundational project aimed at achieving key health targets. The benefits include:

• Data Transparency: A unified platform provides a complete view of a patient’s medical history across the system, ensuring continuity of care.
• Increased Efficiency: Visibility into previous tests and procedures helps avoid redundant diagnostics, reducing costs and improving the patient experience.
• Improved Quality of Care: Comprehensive data access allows for better-informed clinical decisions and care plans, contributing to better health outcomes for all.

Promoting Physician Well-being

Addressing physician burnout is a critical component of ensuring a sustainable health workforce, a key aspect of SDG 3. Innovations are being deployed to mitigate major stressors:

1. Reducing Documentation Burden: The use of ambient listening and AI-based tools is being explored to automate clinical documentation, a primary contributor to physician stress and long working hours.
2. Improving Work-Life Balance: By reducing administrative tasks that extend into personal time (“pajama time”), these technologies support the mental health and well-being of healthcare professionals, enabling them to provide better care.

Fostering SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

The strategic adoption of technology at Northwell Health exemplifies the principles of SDG 9 by building resilient infrastructure and fostering innovation within the healthcare industry.

Building Resilient Digital Infrastructure

The consolidation of over two dozen EHRs into a single Epic platform represents a significant investment in resilient and modern infrastructure. This initiative creates a stable and scalable foundation for future innovations and enhances the system’s capacity to deliver high-quality care efficiently.

Harnessing Augmented Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning

Emerging technologies are being evaluated for their potential to transform healthcare delivery in line with innovation goals:

• Predictive Analytics: Machine learning models can analyze patient data to identify individuals at higher risk for certain outcomes, enabling proactive interventions.
• Workflow Transformation: AI is viewed as a tool to enhance, not replace, clinical expertise. It has the potential to streamline workflows, improve diagnostic accuracy, and support medical education, pushing the boundaries of medical practice.

Promoting SDG 8 (Decent Work) and SDG 5 (Gender Equality)

The focus extends beyond patient outcomes to creating a sustainable and equitable work environment for healthcare professionals.

Commitment to Decent Work

By actively seeking solutions to reduce physician burnout, Northwell Health is contributing to SDG 8. Creating a work environment where physicians can focus on patient care rather than administrative burdens leads to higher job satisfaction and a more sustainable workforce.

Empowering Women in Health Informatics

Dr. Mensch’s leadership role and advocacy highlight the importance of gender equality (SDG 5) in technology and medicine. Initiatives like the Leveraging Informatics For Transformation (LIFT) program provide pathways for physicians, including women, to develop skills in informatics and lead transformative projects within their own practices, fostering a new generation of leaders in digital health.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
• SDG 5: Gender Equality
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

Detailed Explanations

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The article’s core focus is on improving healthcare delivery. It discusses using technology to “treat our patients more effectively and efficiently,” “improve patient care,” and enhance “quality outcomes.” The transition to a unified EHR system is aimed at achieving “continuity of care for each patient” and driving “more efficient care,” which directly supports the goal of ensuring healthy lives.
• SDG 5: Gender Equality: The article prominently features Dr. Deborah Mensch, a woman in a significant leadership role as Chief Medical Information Officer (CMIO). Furthermore, it includes a specific section where she offers advice to “women physicians early in their careers who want to explore digital health or informatics,” directly addressing the encouragement and empowerment of women in technology and leadership within the medical field.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: The article places significant emphasis on “physician well-being” and addressing burnout. It identifies the “documentation burden” as the “No. 1 complaint from almost every physician” and highlights how technology like AI can reduce this burden and the unpaid work during “pajama time.” This focus on improving working conditions and work-life balance for the healthcare workforce aligns with the goal of achieving decent work.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: The entire article is a case study on innovation within the healthcare industry. It details a major infrastructure upgrade at Northwell Health—consolidating “more than two dozen primary EHRs into one unified platform.” It also explores the adoption of emerging technologies like “augmented intelligence (AI),” “machine learning and predictive models,” and “ambient listening” to transform healthcare, which is central to fostering innovation.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including access to quality essential health-care services.
• Target 3.c: Substantially increase health financing and the recruitment, development, training and retention of the health workforce.
• Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making.
• Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men.
• Target 9.5: Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors… encouraging innovation.

Detailed Explanations

• Target 3.8: The article’s discussion on using a unified EHR for “data transparency” to “drive more efficient care” and improve “quality of care” directly relates to improving access to quality essential health-care services.
• Target 3.c: The focus on physician well-being, reducing burnout, and implementing training programs like the “LIFT program” (Leveraging Informatics For Transformation) are direct efforts to support the development and retention of the health workforce.
• Target 5.5: The article showcases Dr. Mensch in a key leadership role (CMIO) and explicitly provides advice to encourage other women physicians to pursue opportunities in informatics, thereby promoting women’s participation and leadership in this field.
• Target 8.5: The article addresses the concept of “decent work” by focusing on solutions to reduce the “documentation burden” and “pajama time” (unpaid overtime), which are significant factors affecting the working conditions of physicians.
• Target 9.5: The transition to a new EHR system, the implementation of AI and machine learning, and the creation of builder programs to train physicians as informaticists are all concrete examples of upgrading technological capabilities and encouraging innovation within the healthcare sector.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Patient quality outcomes
• Physician satisfaction and well-being metrics
• Reduction in documentation time or “pajama time”
• Representation of women in leadership and specialized roles
• Adoption of new digital health technologies
• Number of physicians trained in new skills (e.g., informatics)

Detailed Explanations

• Patient quality outcomes: The article explicitly states the need to “use data to understand how we’ll measure patient outcomes” with new technologies, implying this is a key performance indicator.
• Physician satisfaction and well-being metrics: The text mentions that “physician satisfaction surveys” were a key driver for changing the EHR system, indicating that satisfaction levels are a measured indicator. Physician wellness is a recurring theme.
• Reduction in documentation time or “pajama time”: The article highlights the problem of doctors “charting all hours of the night and on weekends.” The success of new AI tools would be measured by a reduction in this unpaid, after-hours work.
• Representation of women in leadership and specialized roles: By featuring a female CMIO and encouraging other women to enter the field, the article implies that the number and influence of women in these roles is a relevant measure of progress.
• Adoption of new digital health technologies: The entire initiative of transitioning “more than two dozen primary EHRs into one unified platform” is a measurable indicator of technological upgrade and adoption.
• Number of physicians trained in new skills (e.g., informatics): The creation of the “LIFT program” for “mid-level physicians at Northwell” implies that the number of participants and successful projects is an indicator of building capacity for innovation.

4. SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis

Source: ama-assn.org