Becker's Speaker Series: 4 questions with Patientory Founder and CEO, Chrissa McFarlane

Chrissa McFarlane serves as Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Patientory.

On Saturday, September 23, Chrissa McFarlane will speak on a panel at Becker's Hospital Review 3rd Annual Health IT + Revenue Cycle Conference. As part of an ongoing series, Becker's is talking to healthcare leaders who plan to speak at the conference, which will take place September 21 through September 23 in Chicago.

To learn more about the conference and Chrissa's session, click here.

Question: Looking at your IT budget, what is one item or expense that has surprised you in terms of ROI? How so?

McFarlane Chrissa headshot

Chriss McFarlane: I think the most surprising item when it comes to ROI in hospitals is investments in a good security system. Continuing advancements in technology come with both pros and cons. Technology helps industries conduct business better, but on the flip side, they enable hackers access private information for multiple reasons, such as identity theft, ransom or black market crimes. This can have a cascading effect and result in millions of dollars of losses.

The healthcare industry is especially at risk since the information is personal and often accompanied by financial information. In fact, the financial services sector is the only other industry that's targeted more than healthcare.There were more than 112 million healthcare data breaches in 2015, costing more than $6 billion in total damages, representing a more than 800 percent increase breaches since 2014. This not only impacted companies financially, but had a big impact on consumers’ trust in the entire healthcare IT systems.

With the recent Wannacry ransomware attack, the focus on data breaches just intensifies. The lack of financial resources and cybersecurity personnel are often cited as reasons for not having a good cybersecurity system. However, given the increasing trend in threats, a good cybersecurity system could save companies millions and protect their reputation.

Q: Finding top tech talent is always a challenge. Say a CIO called you up today to ask for an interview question that would distinguish the best candidates from the mid- to low-performers. What question do you suggest he or she ask?

CM: "Your CTO has just assigned you to lead an important project involving a new technology you have never worked with before. How would you get started? Who do you bring into the fold?

A culture based on innovative technologies and pioneering change requires hiring people with soft skills that can handle working out of their comfort zones. Working to disrupt the way things have always been done necessitates a mindset of embracing the unknown. This question gives us insight into how new candidates handle products with which they have less expertise. What steps would they take to overcome a knowledge gap and ensure they still get things done on time? Are the able to embrace new challenges that push them into areas where they have limited experience? We are looking to find top talent who has a vision for what is next and can develop solutions to get us there.

Another question I like to ask is, “The purchase team is unwilling to proceed with the purchase of a system from Vendor X and instead recommends Vendor Y. Vendor X is someone the health IT team recommends. You’re the IT lead who is driving the purchase. How will you handle this situation?”

All things being equal on the skills side, a true performer will be one who is a team player and can work with a wide variety of stakeholders to get things done. It's surprising how big a role soft skills play when it comes to working in organizations!

Q: We spend a lot of timing talking about the exciting innovation modernizing healthcare. It's also helpful to acknowledge what we've let go of. What is one form of technology, one process or one idea that once seemed routine to you but is now endangered if not extinct? What existed in your organization 2-5 years ago but not anymore?

CM: Patient notes on pen and paper! Given the necessitation of EMRs, almost all provider setups have switched to logging patient records on some sort of an EMR system. This has been good for the industry, as having patient information electronically available makes it readily accessible to multiple players in an organization and saves on mountains and mountains of paperwork (literally)! However, anything digital comes with the risk of cyberattacks, which can be costly to any industry.

Q: Tell us about the last time you were truly, wildly amazed by technology. What did you see?

CM: This is a difficult one. There is so much happening and at such a fast pace! There are multiple advancements that continue to amaze me, from augmented reality and artificial intelligence to 3-D printed organs and AI-powered patient access solutions. However, if I had to pick one item, I would like to speak about blockchain technology. It is an undeniably ingenious invention, which has many applications and is being leveraged in multiple industries, from financial services to real estate and healthcare. This technology is the next big thing and will disrupt industries.

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