Empowered Patient Podcast

Dr. Michael Mbagwu, senior Medical Director at Verana Health, a real-world data company helping to accelerate clinical research using EHR data and other data to unlock insights about clinical practice patterns. The company is also addressing systematic bias in clinical trials by using real-world data and analyzing demographic information and geographic representation to get an accurate view of the obstacles patients face in getting the most advanced treatments.

Michael elaborates, "We have very secure and advanced technologies where we deliberately use clinical and other data scientists to walk through the data, ensure it's really what we want, and give insights. Big data is not big data is not big data, and the ability to unlock insights very much depends on who's the one looking through it. So, at Verana, we do it all together. We have a very multidisciplinary team that is working on all of these data sets, and we have just a great thing going on regarding the insights we're able to provide."

"First and foremost, the data itself isn't always contained in just one place. And by that, I mean yes, loosely, we have an idea of what an EHR is. That's what I, as a doc, will type in. When patients come in, they'll talk about their symptoms or something that's happened to them. We will type that and list it. So that's one part of the electronic medical record. But there are other parts."

"There's billing, there can be images, there can be MRIs. In ophthalmology we use different instruments, photographs of the retina and different scans and that sort of thing. Those aren't necessarily in the EHR. They might be something that the computer also accesses, but again, not from just one source. So, understanding what data is available and breaking down all the silos of that so that we can ingest and get a 360° view of patient journeys is something that we work very hard at Verana to do."

#VeranaHealth #DigitalHealth #RealWorldData #RWD #LifeSciences #Ophthalmology

veranahealth.com

Listen to the podcast here

Dr. Michael Mbagwu, senior Medical Director at Verana Health, a real-world data company helping to accelerate clinical research using EHR data and other data to unlock insights about clinical practice patterns. The company is also addressing systematic bias in clinical trials by using real-world data and analyzing demographic information and geographic representation to get an accurate view of the obstacles patients face in getting the most advanced treatments.

Michael elaborates, "We have very secure and advanced technologies where we deliberately use clinical and other data scientists to walk through the data, ensure it's really what we want, and give insights. Big data is not big data is not big data, and the ability to unlock insights very much depends on who's the one looking through it. So, at Verana, we do it all together. We have a very multidisciplinary team that is working on all of these data sets, and we have just a great thing going on regarding the insights we're able to provide."

"First and foremost, the data itself isn't always contained in just one place. And by that, I mean yes, loosely, we have an idea of what an EHR is. That's what I, as a doc, will type in. When patients come in, they'll talk about their symptoms or something that's happened to them. We will type that and list it. So that's one part of the electronic medical record. But there are other parts."

"There's billing, there can be images, there can be MRIs. In ophthalmology we use different instruments, photographs of the retina and different scans and that sort of thing. Those aren't necessarily in the EHR. They might be something that the computer also accesses, but again, not from just one source. So, understanding what data is available and breaking down all the silos of that so that we can ingest and get a 360° view of patient journeys is something that we work very hard at Verana to do."

#VeranaHealth #DigitalHealth #RealWorldData #RWD #LifeSciences #Ophthalmology

veranahealth.com

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Dr. Todd Sachs, Chief Medical Officer at AccessHope, highlights why socioeconomic disparities in cancer mortality have widened. The key is access to screening tests, often limited by the cost and location of the testing facility. Geography also impacts access to sub-specialists with the most current information available. Todd emphasizes the importance of removing these geographic barriers and increasing collaboration between sub-specialists and community oncologists with access to National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Centers to ensure patients benefit from the latest innovations and evidence-based treatments.

Todd explains, "With the amount of information coming out, it's challenging for patients because there's more information for them to have to sort through and sift through and understand to decide what's best for them. That same amount of information is challenging for a community oncologist because I don't know how they keep up with all of the advancements and best practices. They're taking care of 20 to 30 people a day and treating a variety of different types of cancers. I think it's almost unrealistic of us to expect a community oncologist to be that jack-of-all-trades. The knowledge that we're increasing because of the advances is wonderful but also widening the gap."

"What does that mean in everyday use? We've seen that community oncologists may over-utilize a treatment, under-utilize it, or mis-utilize it because they're unaware of new guidelines or treatments. This happens much more in cancer and less likely with diabetes, hypertension, or cholesterol because the amount of information in those particular conditions or diseases is far less than what you're seeing in cancer."

"That's why we feel that at AccessHope, that complex should be reviewed by an NCI CCC expert, and that's why AccessHope was born. We were born to be, I would say, in essence, the chassis between the individual and their families to the renowned experts at these centers, regardless of where they live."

#AccessHope #Cancer #CancerCare #SDOH #HealthEquity #NCICCCExpert

myaccesshope.org

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Dr. Todd Sachs, Chief Medical Officer at AccessHope, highlights why socioeconomic disparities in cancer mortality have widened. The key is access to screening tests, often limited by the cost and location of the testing facility. Geography also impacts access to sub-specialists with the most current information available. Todd emphasizes the importance of removing these geographic barriers and increasing collaboration between sub-specialists and community oncologists with access to National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Centers to ensure patients benefit from the latest innovations and evidence-based treatments.

Todd explains, "With the amount of information coming out, it's challenging for patients because there's more information for them to have to sort through and sift through and understand to decide what's best for them. That same amount of information is challenging for a community oncologist because I don't know how they keep up with all of the advancements and best practices. They're taking care of 20 to 30 people a day and treating a variety of different types of cancers. I think it's almost unrealistic of us to expect a community oncologist to be that jack-of-all-trades. The knowledge that we're increasing because of the advances is wonderful but also widening the gap."

"What does that mean in everyday use? We've seen that community oncologists may over-utilize a treatment, under-utilize it, or mis-utilize it because they're unaware of new guidelines or treatments. This happens much more in cancer and less likely with diabetes, hypertension, or cholesterol because the amount of information in those particular conditions or diseases is far less than what you're seeing in cancer."

"That's why we feel that at AccessHope, that complex should be reviewed by an NCI CCC expert, and that's why AccessHope was born. We were born to be, I would say, in essence, the chassis between the individual and their families to the renowned experts at these centers, regardless of where they live."

#AccessHope #Cancer #CancerCare #SDOH #HealthEquity #NCICCCExperts

myaccesshope.org

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Dr. Jim Woody, CEO and Director of 180 Life Sciences, discusses the company's vision for safer pain and inflammation management. Their earlier work on anti-TNF therapy revolutionized the treatment of conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. Now 180 Life Sciences focuses on additional indications of inflammation, fibrosis, and cognitive dementia for using anti-TNFs. Jim highlights their research on the anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of cannabinoids and the potential of synthetic cannabinoid analogs for pain management and appetite suppression.

Jim elaborates, "Many years ago, I was Chief Scientific Officer at a company called Centocore, and they were one of the first companies developing therapeutic monoclonal antibodies. One of them that we developed was called anti-TNF. It was Infliximab, which was the FDA name that it received. In your body, circulating around, there are hundreds of small proteins. Those that modify the immune system are called cytokines, and most of them are good actors. One of the bad actors is what they call tumor necrosis factor. It was given that name because of some mouse studies in cancer that were done, although they turned out to be incorrect."

"My colleagues in the UK, Dr. Marc Feldmann and Dr. Ravinder Maini had data suggesting that rheumatoid arthritis inflammation and pain were driven by TNF. We were the first to treat ten patients with anti-TNF in this program, in the whole world. Now, anti-TNF is the therapy of choice for rheumatoid arthritis, which, of course, is severe inflammation of the joints."

"We also found out that TNF was driving these inflammations in Crohn's disease, Psoriasis, and in Ulcerative Colitis. We discovered all of those from Centocore, and now anti-TNF is the largest-selling class of biologics, at almost $40 billion a year. The current favorite is Humira from AbbVie, but J&J, who bought Centocore, still makes a billion dollars a year from Infliximab sales or its brand name Remicade."

#180LifeSciences #LifeSciences #CBD #Biotech #Fibrosis #AntiTNF #DupuytrensDisease #PainManagement #Inflammation

180lifesciences.com

Listen to the podcast here

Dr. Jim Woody, CEO and Director of 180 Life Sciences, discusses the company's vision for safer pain and inflammation management. Their earlier work on anti-TNF therapy revolutionized the treatment of conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. Now 180 Life Sciences focuses on additional indications of inflammation, fibrosis, and cognitive dementia for using anti-TNFs. Jim highlights their research on the anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of cannabinoids and the potential of synthetic cannabinoid analogs for pain management and appetite suppression.

Jim elaborates, "Many years ago, I was Chief Scientific Officer at a company called Centocore, and they were one of the first companies developing therapeutic monoclonal antibodies. One of them that we developed was called anti-TNF. It was Infliximab, which was the FDA name that it received. In your body, circulating around, there are hundreds of small proteins. Those that modify the immune system are called cytokines, and most of them are good actors. One of the bad actors is what they call tumor necrosis factor. It was given that name because of some mouse studies in cancer that were done, although they turned out to be incorrect."

"My colleagues in the UK, Dr. Marc Feldmann and Dr. Ravinder Maini had data suggesting that rheumatoid arthritis inflammation and pain were driven by TNF. We were the first to treat ten patients with anti-TNF in this program, in the whole world. Now, anti-TNF is the therapy of choice for rheumatoid arthritis, which, of course, is severe inflammation of the joints."

"We also found out that TNF was driving these inflammations in Crohn's disease, Psoriasis, and in Ulcerative Colitis. We discovered all of those from Centocore, and now anti-TNF is the largest-selling class of biologics, at almost $40 billion a year. The current favorite is Humira from AbbVie, but J&J, who bought Centocore, still makes a billion dollars a year from Infliximab sales or its brand name Remicade."

#180LifeSciences #LifeSciences #CBD #Biotech #Fibrosis #AntiTNF #DupuytrensDisease #PainManagement #Inflammation

180lifesciences.com

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John Erwin, CEO of Carenet Health, discusses their recent survey of patients and providers covered by commercial insurance companies or the government programs Medicare and Medicaid. While there is growing interest in using conversational texting and other digital tools, patients still want to talk with a human. The report reveals that Medicare/Medicaid members are more satisfied with their health plans than those covered by commercial plans, suggesting these plans can learn from government programs to improve the patient experience.

John explains, "Predominantly, we focus on two areas. One is around virtual care, so 24 hours a day, we have clinical and non-clinical teams that help support members and patients with anything and everything, from a prescription refill to "Help me talk to my doctor." So, virtual care 24 hours a day is one core business."

"Then the other one is reaching out to members and patients around activities that would make sense for them to do on their healthcare. For example, do you have a primary care physician? Do you go in and see them? Have you done all the right things your plan benefits allow you to receive? So, we are good at utilizing data to ensure that we're getting in front of the consumer so that they can get the care and support they deserve through their benefits."

"We were interested to find this out because we all are transitioning from all kinds of communication styles, be it in-person or by telephonic. The COVID opportunity changed a lot of how people are interacting. We help patients with all the different support mediums, whether text messages two-way with your doctor, speaking with a registered nurse, or talking to one of our engagement specialists. So, we're just hopeful that we get to talk to people in the right channel at the right time for them."

"What surprised us a little bit on the survey was that people still prefer to be spoken to, and they prefer the timeliness and relevance of that conversation. So, while they're happy to embrace other technologies, they still find a huge amount of comfort and support through the telephonic channel, which we do a lot of. We spoke to 20 million people last year just having a conversation about where they're heading on their health journey."

#CarenetHealth #HealthInsurance #HealthInsurers #PatientEngagement

carenethealthcare.com

Listen to the podcast here

John Erwin, CEO of Carenet Health, discusses their recent survey of patients and providers covered by commercial insurance companies or the government programs Medicare and Medicaid. While there is growing interest in using conversational texting and other digital tools, patients still want to talk with a human. The report reveals that Medicare/Medicaid members are more satisfied with their health plans than those covered by commercial plans, suggesting these plans can learn from government programs to improve the patient experience.

John explains, "Predominantly, we focus on two areas. One is around virtual care, so 24 hours a day, we have clinical and non-clinical teams that help support members and patients with anything and everything, from a prescription refill to "Help me talk to my doctor." So, virtual care 24 hours a day is one core business."

"Then the other one is reaching out to members and patients around activities that would make sense for them to do on their healthcare. For example, do you have a primary care physician? Do you go in and see them? Have you done all the right things your plan benefits allow you to receive? So, we are good at utilizing data to ensure that we're getting in front of the consumer so that they can get the care and support they deserve through their benefits."

"We were interested to find this out because we all are transitioning from all kinds of communication styles, be it in-person or by telephonic. The COVID opportunity changed a lot of how people are interacting. We help patients with all the different support mediums, whether text messages two-way with your doctor, speaking with a registered nurse, or talking to one of our engagement specialists. So, we're just hopeful that we get to talk to people in the right channel at the right time for them."

"What surprised us a little bit on the survey was that people still prefer to be spoken to, and they prefer the timeliness and relevance of that conversation. So, while they're happy to embrace other technologies, they still find a huge amount of comfort and support through the telephonic channel, which we do a lot of. We spoke to 20 million people last year just having a conversation about where they're heading on their health journey."

#CarenetHealth #HealthInsurance #HealthInsurers #PatientEngagement

carenethealthcare.com

Download the transcript here

Dr. Lishan Aklog, CEO of Lucid Diagnostics, discusses the current diagnostic landscape for esophageal cancer and the need for early detection. The current diagnostic tool, an upper endoscopy, is an invasive procedure requiring anesthesia. The EsoGuard, a noninvasive simple cell collection procedure, uses molecular diagnostics to detect pre-cancerous cells within minutes. This test is particularly beneficial for screening those with risk factors such as chronic heartburn, being male, a smoker, or obese.

Lishan explains, "To prevent it, you have to pick it up at the pre-cancer stage because, unlike many other cancers where detecting earlier stage cancer, stage one cancer is a victory with a real potential for a cure, such as in breast cancer and colon and others, that's not the case here. You have about a 50% likelihood of dying even if you pick up esophageal cancer at the earliest stages. So, our mission and the opportunity here is to prevent about 16,000 cancer deaths a year by detecting the pre-cancerous conditions before it actually becomes cancer."

"Using modern molecular techniques, we can identify the pre-cancerous cells at their earliest stage, which is groundbreaking. There is no other cancer that can be detected in the early pre-cancer stage at the 80% levels that we're able to do with this new test called EsoGuard. It's been on the market for a few years. So, that completely changes the landscape. Now, we have the opportunity to offer a very simple, noninvasive test that can detect the pre-cancerous condition in 80% of people. It also detects the cancer in 100% of people who happen to be unfortunate enough to have that. It is great opportunity, great shift in the landscape thanks to great science."

#LucidDiagnostics #EsoGuard #UpperEndoscopy #EsophagealCancer #PreCancer

luciddx.com

Listen to the podcast here

Dr. Lishan Aklog, CEO of Lucid Diagnostics, discusses the current diagnostic landscape for esophageal cancer and the need for early detection. The current diagnostic tool, an upper endoscopy, is an invasive procedure requiring anesthesia. The EsoGuard, a noninvasive simple cell collection procedure, uses molecular diagnostics to detect pre-cancerous cells within minutes. This test is particularly beneficial for screening those with risk factors such as chronic heartburn, being male, a smoker, or obese.

Lishan explains, "To prevent it, you have to pick it up at the pre-cancer stage because, unlike many other cancers where detecting earlier stage cancer, stage one cancer is a victory with a real potential for a cure, such as in breast cancer and colon and others, that's not the case here. You have about a 50% likelihood of dying even if you pick up esophageal cancer at the earliest stages. So, our mission and the opportunity here is to prevent about 16,000 cancer deaths a year by detecting the pre-cancerous conditions before it actually becomes cancer."

"Using modern molecular techniques, we can identify the pre-cancerous cells at their earliest stage, which is groundbreaking. There is no other cancer that can be detected in the early pre-cancer stage at the 80% levels that we're able to do with this new test called EsoGuard. It's been on the market for a few years. So, that completely changes the landscape. Now, we have the opportunity to offer a very simple, noninvasive test that can detect the pre-cancerous condition in 80% of people. It also detects the cancer in 100% of people who happen to be unfortunate enough to have that. It is great opportunity, great shift in the landscape thanks to great science."

#LucidDiagnostics #EsoGuard #UpperEndoscopy #EsophagealCancer #PreCancer

luciddx.com

Download the transcript here