An ALLOUT Talk with Dr. WARREN WEXELMAN: "HOW PHYSICIANS INTERACT WITH PATIENTS and PHARMA TODAY"

Alloutcoach

This summer I sat down with one of the most outspoken and passionate guests I have ever hosted at Alloutcoach and recorded a truly "AllOut", candid and colorful conversation that will leave you with calls to action to use Data and Technology not to only Count but to Connect in Healthcare. Dr. Warren Wexelman, a cardiologist, Associate Chief Medical Officer at Maimonides Hospital, renowned global keynote speaker, and lecturer addresses the latest trends in 1) virtual healthcare & telehealth and 2) interactions of healthcare professionals with pharma, biotech, and medical device companies to provide hands-on, real world case studies and recommendations to improve healthcare quality. 2:36 – Up to $250 billion could be shifted towards virtual healthcare in the future 2:45 – Only 1% of primary care visits in Medicare were virtual as of January 2020, which rose to 50% of all Medicare Patients by April 2020 10:08 – "Necessity is the mother of all invention" – Sir Isaac Newton case 10:56 – Doctor Patient Relationship is the single most important piece of healthcare 11:41 – Doctors check the pulse not to count the beats but to connect and touch the patient 12:38 – Since 1968, when Medicare first started in the U.S., physicians could speak to patients and bill for their time but it’s never used because it is not reimbursed 13:40 – Two of Dr. Wexelman’s patients died at home due to non-COVID cardiac reasons because they were afraid to seek healthcare 16:06 – New incentives for healthcare providers to use telehealth but the impact on the quality of care is not clear 16:13 – Many patients still have low access to technology or virtual care in certain areas 18:19 – Dr. Wexelman’s software company – AlphaMED Disease Management Systems, alphameddms.com 20:05 – Many physicians still not advanced in their use of technology 21:08 - Are the structures in place for physicians to be incentivized sufficiently to adopt telehealth? 22:07 – Obama administration brought upon “Meaningful Use” of electronic health records 23:02 – Physicians hate using their electronic healthcare records, which take them 3x the time needed to see a patient 23:57 – Electronic Healthcare Records were never designed to be shared everywhere 27:01 – Message to the government: make digital health devices available for home use, incentivize the healthcare providers 28:11 - Is Telepharmacy a possibility in our healthcare system? 29:29 – What should physicians be forced to only submit a prescription via a computer rather than the phone? 30:36 – Pharmaceutical Industry’s Adoption of Digital Health Technology 31:25 – How physicians engage virtually with pharma or med devices 31:56 – Why Physicians use Social Media – data from Scranton University 32:22 – How physicians shifted to attending virtual scientific conferences 33:41 – Medical Science Liaison (MSL) Society survey – how important is it to stay connected with MSLs during the pandemic? 34:32 – How frequently do physicians prefer to communicate with an MSL? 35:50 – Dr. Wexelman: "The term [pharma] has become a dirty word with healthcare providers, and everyone in the healthcare system to blame!" 36:26 – Where would we be without pharma today? 40:06 – Physicians in large healthcare systems not allowed to see pharma reps - Dr. Wexelman's “secure samples” software program 41:13 – Keeping information from physicians who “serve” is a “disservice” 41:48 – Physicians need to know information BEFORE it is published 42:18 – Pacemaker sales rep case study 45:51 – Medical Affairs and Sales partners in the Continuum of Healthcare 46:52 – Why restrict “samples”? particularly for some life-saving medications 47:06 – Drug prices - there should never be a question “do I take my diabetes medication or do I eat today?” 48:35 – It is not about the number of years of experience in healthcare or any other field, but about how you utilize the experience, or technology 50:14 – Dr. Wexelman referencing the Hippocratic Oath and what it means to him!