Dr James Hamrick on Challenges With Understanding, Acting on What Constitutes Value for Patients

James Hamrick, MD, senior medical director at Flatiron Health, discusses some of the biggest challenges with trying to understand what constitutes value for patients and then turning that into actionable information.

Transcript

What are the biggest challenges in trying to understand what constitutes value for patients and then turning that into actionable information?

Interestingly, one of the big challenges is that it’s hard to get providers and care teams to not only buy in but change their workflows. Many of us have been doing things a certain way for a long time. I’m really encouraged that we’re starting to see practices think a little differently and understand that you have to design things around the patient.

I was speaking with a physician last night and then were talking about their multidisciplinary breast care team. This is a team where the patient can actually come in and the specialists are lined up to see the patient as opposed to the patients being lined up to see the specialist. So, you’ll often see a surgeon and a radiation oncologist and a medical oncologist making the time to be there at the same time for the patient so the patient can get all of the information in a coordinated way. That’s an important way that’s very built around the patient that actually leads to better care and a better care experience.