Change is never easy in healthcare. For clinicians, it often feels less like innovation and more like an extra layer of work. Yet the right technology—when it’s thoughtfully designed—has the potential to shift that narrative.
To explore what that balance looks like, Healthcare IT Today connected with Dr. Michael Blackman, Chief Medical Officer at Greenway Health. In this candid Q&A, Dr. Blackman discusses the pressures clinicians face, how AI can serve as a co-pilot, and the metrics that matter when measuring technology’s true impact. He also shares what Greenway is building next to support its vision of the “Automated Healthcare Practice.”
I think a lot of clinicians aren’t necessarily pushing back on change, they’re pushing back on more work disguised as change. Do you agree?
Yes, we need to look to what the system can do to help navigate the work, but there must be value from any changes. Healthcare is a team effort and work needs to be appropriately distributed.
Since COVID, “Do more with less” has become the healthcare industry’s default mantra. How can technology help without adding to the burden and causing more burnout?
AI and related technology presents a real opportunity to “flip the script.” We have a chance to remake the EHR into a true helper: an assistant that reduces documentation burden and surfaces relevant information at the right time. To avoid adding to burnout, these tools must be intuitive, seamlessly integrated, and designed with clinician input.
Everyone wants to automate the busywork. But where do you think human judgment still needs to lead? In other words, how can technology stay a co-pilot?
Technology should remain a support tool, and part of that involves ensuring users receive appropriate education and training. When it comes to decision support, I like to think of AI as a quick second opinion. It can reinforce existing plans and suggest other things to consider. In all cases, a human must review the information and make the final decision.
How should success be measured when it comes to technology for clinicians?
We are looking at this in several ways, ranging from the impact on specific users to the effect on the overall practice. While time savings is certainly an important benchmark, it is not the only one. We also consider quality and outcomes. If a new tool can measurably improve outcomes, that may justify additional time. That said, we are conscience of the time constraints and the burnout clinicians are experiencing, so we focus on automating tasks that can be safely automated.
Greenway has put a lot of focus on improving clinician workflow through the application of AI. We’ve spoken a lot about this in the past. Now that we are a few years in, what are the supporting metrics that Greenway is tracking for the use of AI?
We have made progress with Greenway Clinical Assist, starting with ambient documentation. We’re tracking not only time savings, but also improved patient engagement, which many clinicians have reported. Many physicians have shared that Greenway Clinical Assist is helping bring joy back to the practice of medicine. At the same time, we recognize that there is still more progress to be made.
What exciting things is Greenway is working on?
We’re working on a group of technical enhancements that support The Automated Healthcare Practice. These improvements are designed to streamline medical practice operations and provide better workflows for every member of the care team, including task prioritization and more efficient data collection. We’re also continuing to advance Greenway Clinical Assist so it can capture orders and other discrete information during the visit, eliminating the need for additional steps afterward.
Where can people connect with Greenway this fall?
This fall, we’re looking forward to connecting with healthcare leaders at ENGAGE, our Customer Summit in November. It’s a great opportunity to share our latest innovations, hear directly from users, and collaborate on the future of healthcare technology.
Changing the Narrative
As Dr. Blackman makes clear, technology can’t succeed in healthcare by asking clinicians to simply “do more.” Instead, success comes when tools make the work lighter, patient care stronger, and the practice of medicine more joyful.
Learn more about Greenway Health at https://www.greenwayhealth.com/
Greenway is a sponsor of Healthcare Scene.
