POTSDAM, NY – Global healthcare manufacturing needs the input on on-going decisions from the clinical side of the business to create better patient outcomes in the future for those with pulmonary conditions, according to a local physician.
St. Lawrence Health Pulmonologist Frederic Seifer, MD, was a recent panel member of a podcast entitled Healthcare 2040 – The Future of Chronic Pulmonary Care. The podcast was presented by MATTER, a premier healthcare incubator and innovation hub, in collaboration with Baxter, a producer of critical care, nutrition, renal, hospital and surgical products.
The discussion focused on the future management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). MATTER reported that in 2019 COPD was the third leading cause of death worldwide, causing 3.23 million deaths. In recent years, chronic pulmonary conditions have been further compounded by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and intensifying climate change.
Speaking as a healthcare provider in a rural part of New York, Dr. Seifer pointed out COVID-19 created a significant ripple effect in the medical industry.
“It accelerated the scope of telemedicine in this area. Three years after the onset of the virus, I now have a mixture of patients I meet with via telemedicine and those who come into my office,” he said. “The upside to this experience is providers and patients came to realize a lot of what pulmonologists and other healthcare providers do can be done remotely. Telemedicine is here to stay, and it does not have a negative affect on how patients are treated.”
When it comes to advances in technology that are available to his patients, Dr. Seifer pointed out if population health programs are predictive to work in Northern New York, that is proof it can be used in most any area.
“It doesn’t get more resource challenged than in the area where I live,” he laughed.
“I’d like to dispel a bias out there that patients in rural areas are not motivated to take care of themselves, to take part in clinical research, or to do anything productive; in fact, it is just the opposite,” he said.
Dr. Seifer made reference to a clinical trial technology he is using that entails 50 of his patients. He said among all the providers involved across the nation, his patient group has the best retention rate, which clearly demonstrates that individuals who live in a rural, resource-limited community can be effectively engaged in clinical research.
He further noted depending on how you define rural, half of the population of United States live in rural areas, and he believes the standard of care will become a combination of telehealth and direct patient care. Dr. Seifer also sees this as being a huge game changer in closing the gap in rural medicine.
COPD requires unique skill sets and solutions for effective management. This is a disease diagnosed by a specific test, spirometery; which, unfortunately, nation-wide, approximately only half of primary care providers have this device available to them.
As a result, there are millions of individuals who have yet to be successfully identified and treated for their disease. No other chronic disease has this diagnostic problem.
“The art of the physical exam is changing, and utilizing modern technology for remote assessment and examination of a person’s lungs should be considered a new best practice,” Dr. Seifer added.
He said advanced technology with the assistance of artificial intelligence is what providers and patients alike may be moving toward. As healthcare manufacturing, pharmaceutical research, and testing continues to advance, patient-provider collaboration will be even more critical to ensure successful outcomes.
The entire podcast is available at Healthcare 2040: The Future of Chronic Pulmonary Care - YouTube.
For the panel discussion, Dr. Seifer was joined by COPD Foundation President and CEO Dr. Ruth Tal-Singer, and Baxter Chief Scientist of Respiratory Health Division Tom Westfall. Baxter Vice President of Medical Affairs Carlos Urrea served as the event moderator.
Learn more about St. Lawrence Health’s Pulmonology services.
