A featured contribution from Leadership Perspectives, a curated forum for enterprise technology leaders, nominated by our subscribers and vetted by the CIOApplications Editorial Board.

MetroHealth Systems

Harnessing Technology for Better Healthcare

David Kaelber is an experienced medical professional with over 15 years of expertise in clinical informatics. Kaelber served as a physician for Metrohealth between the years 2000-2006. In 2006 he undertook Masters of Public Health program from Harvard University to gain deeper understanding of public health dynamics. In 2008, he returnedtoMetroHealth as Chief Medical Informatic Officer.

In an exclusive interview with CIO Applications,David Kaelbershared his invaluable insights concerning the future of the industry, the ensuing challenges and the possible solutions.

Could you explain your role atMetroHealth and your primary responsibilities in bridging clinical and technical aspects in healthcare?

Since 2008, I have held the positions of Chief Medical Informatics Officer and now Chief Health Informatics Officer at MetroHealth, the prominent safety net health care system in Cuyahoga County. I lead a team of 35 full-time members and several hundred part-time members and volunteers.

As a physician with PhD in biomedical engineering, I have been aware of the crucial need to bridge the gap between technology and clinic. The awareness prompted me to explore the field of clinical informatics. After completing clinical informatics fellowship, I gained valuable insight into the business and operation aspects in healthcare.

One of the cornerstones of health information technology (health IT) is value. It is crucial to remember that we install technology toimprove something that is of inherent value to the healthcare system.

Could you talk about some of the most pressing challenges currently faced by the healthcare sector in adopting and implementing health IT and digital health solutions?

Implementing health IT is a resource intensive process,as each project demands a substantial allocation of resources, including time, money and people.

Especially post-pandemic, we are facing extreme resource limitation, making it increasingly challenging to allocate necessary resources for heath IT.The value derived from implementing Health IT can vary significantly across diverse healthcare systems. This underscores the idea that the effectiveness of a technology is not solely determined by the technology itself, but rather by how it is applied and integrated within a specific healthcare context.Another notable challenge lies in the imperative need to prioritize projects, considering the abundance of initiatives within the health IT domain. Real-world constraints compel us to embrace a selective approach in our strategic decision-making. Consider a scenario where there are 1000 projects,but our capacity requires us to whittle it down to 20. The task of selecting out projects from extensive list of possibilities presents a challenge.

Could you talk about the technologies or tools you are utilizing in addressing the challenges in this domain?

Health information exchange (HIE) is a critical component of improving healthcare.HIE is a comprehensive network connectivity that stores patient data and medical history, which can be accessible by different facilities providing a holistic understanding of the patient's health profile.

Additionally, Communication tools that significantly evolved during the COVID-19 pandemicare greatly enhancing the interactions between healthcare professionals and patients. Tools such asTelehealth, remote patient monitoring, epic’s care companion, enables healthcare professionals to engage with patients beyond traditional in-person visits.

It is crucial to remember that we install technology to improve something that is of inherent value to the healthcare system.


Lastly, Data analytics is crucial in making informed decisions in healthcare system. Leveraging the analysis of medical records and patient-contributed information, healthcare workers can make better data-driven decisions to enhance the quality, care, optimize billing, and understanding patient need.

As an ending note, what advice would you like to share for individuals, companies, or our readers looking to make a meaningful impact in the field of healthcare informatics?

I firmly believe that value proposition is of utmost importance in health IT. Overall performance can be significantly enhanced by optimizing the value a technology can bring. Furthermore, it is equally important to establish enduring partnerships with technology vendors.

In addition, I would like to mention an emerging concept in health IT called social drivers of health. The concept highlights the social factors that could be affecting the patient’s health. Over 80 percent of patient’s health is driven by the social factors that extend beyond conventional medical care. This includes factors such as patient’s financial security, transportation availability, stable housing, nutritious food and social connectivity.

Would you like to add anything else to the article?

In the swiftly evolving realm of health IT, I foresee Chat GPT as the forthcoming pioneering technology.While the true value of AI remains a subject of ongoing debate, I perceive AI as a tool that humans can leverage to potentially augment their productivity and capabilities.

The articles from these contributors are based on their personal expertise and viewpoints, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of their employers or affiliated organizations.