Clinician burnout in the post-pandemic world is a global problem, with many clinicians contemplating leaving the healthcare profession. Unsurprisingly, workforce shortages have kept many patients waiting for treatment.
Amazon announced a new global program this week, AWS Healthcare Accelerator Global Cohort for Workforce Development, that seeks to help address some of the challenges facing healthcare workers today.
The program is open to startups worldwide and will operate in partnership with AlchemistX and Plexal across two time zones – US and EMEA. Startups must register by January 8, 2023, and a total of 20 startups will be selected – 10 for each region.
Jeff Kratz, general manager of AWS, Global Public Sector Partner, spoke with Healthcare IT News to share what a global cohort can expect from the AWS healthcare accelerator.
q. AWS has provided healthcare accelerators by region. Some of the goals of this first global accelerator are in terms of fostering collaboration and addressing the needs of healthcare organizations, as well as of the healthcare technology startups that serve them what?
ONE. We believe that global collaborations between healthcare organizations and technology providers can improve provider and patient experiences and patient outcomes, and that’s really what it is all about. of the AWS Healthcare Accelerator Global Workforce Development Cohort.
The challenges facing today’s healthcare workforce are being felt across the globe. Burnout has been a concern for years, but the pandemic has exacerbated the problem and made the need to grow and maintain a healthcare workforce a central focus.
That said, each country’s healthcare landscape is unique, so with this global accelerator, we’ll be providing region-specific guidance for parts of the program, like regulatory process and market approach.
Ultimately, our goal with this global team is to help healthcare organizations around the world solve critical staffing issues by training, retaining, and deploying providers. , caregivers, and related health professions to provide care in both new and existing settings.
While technology is not a silver bullet, we believe it can be a enabler, and an important part of this is using cloud-based technology that enables these solutions to scale. scale.
At the end of the program, all 20 startups will have mastered how the cloud can help optimize their tasks, will apply these concepts to their own solutions, and will be able to tell their unique story.
In addition, the AWS Accelerator team reviews and retains all submitted applications, not just selected winners, to look for ways to work with these organizations in the future.
Q. Can you explain more about how startups aiming to reduce personal workload or support health can access proof-of-concept opportunities with healthcare organizations through a machine Acceleration?
ONE. Yes, it’s important to note that in addition to frontline care workers such as doctors and nurses, support staff, including those working in healthcare IT, are feeling the pressure of greater.
At AWS, for example, we’ve received feedback from many customers that they don’t have enough staff to deliver new technologies, and this is one area this accelerator wants to address.
For example, we are looking for applications from startups focused on developing solutions to upskill the technical workforce, such as using machine learning (ML) to customized learning and rapid assessment or augmented reality (AR)/virtual reality (VR) simulation training. Other solutions may be aimed at automating repetitive or routine tasks.
We believe that one of the best ways to create impactful solutions is for companies to talk directly with customers to better understand their challenges and discuss solutions and ideas. potential.
During the acceleration, startups will have the opportunity to do just that.
Additionally, to help startups prepare for those opportunities, a week of the program focuses on best practices for connecting with investors, vendors, payers, partners. public sector and phased implementation/pilot. As part of this curriculum, venture capitalists will provide advice and feedback.
The culmination of the accelerator was Demo Day, where startups could showcase their technology and what’s next for them to a group of AWS customers, investors, and partners. Example: Our Health Equity team showcase day took place at the HLTH conference in Las Vegas this week.
Ask. There will be a number of AWS partner organizations available to connect with the team, including the American Hospital Association, National Health Service, CATI, and others, along with mentoring opportunities from experts. in the healthcare industry. how successful previous AWS healthcare accelerators Have you connected industry partners with startups? What are some examples that have benefited the healthcare industry?
One. Startups drive innovation and experimentation, solve challenging problems, create millions of jobs and drive economic development globally.
Our goal with accelerators is to give startups the support they need to scale their technology — ultimately improving provider experience and patient outcomes. — using the power of the cloud.
We are proud to be able to provide startups with access to a broad pool of high-quality experts as part of our accelerator program.
In the program, established healthcare organizations speak directly to the cohort. This personal connection provides an opportunity to discuss problems and solutions.
We’ve heard from many of our accelerators that exposure to the Amazon Partner Network, AWS, AlchemistX, and Plexal experts, and other healthcare industry leaders is important. the main reason they choose to enroll in the accelerator program.
And as a result, in each accelerator group, we’ve seen solutions that deliver on promise and deliver value to healthcare providers and patients.
For example, after the first accelerator, one of the participants, Gyant, announced an agreement with a national virtual healthcare provider to automate admissions and streamline visits. virtual care examination. And OneRecord, who recently announced their acquisition — within a year of their Team Intro Day — is delivering its solution to empower consumers with regard to healthcare information. their health.
Other examples are Birdie and Zócalo Health, which recently announced traction in their solutions to transform aged care at home and roll out virtual primary care for Latino patients, and PEP Health, who shared how accelerators help them scale the technology used to collect patient feedback with the goal of improving care.
Q. By 2023, the delivery of decentralized care through remote patient monitoring is expected to increase dramatically, with a quarter of the US adult population being treated with medical devices. RPM tool for chronic diseases, according to a new report. controller report. The market research organization predicts that RPM will play an important role in treating patients and minimizing avoidable hospitalizations. How this new global healthcare accelerator will help speed up delivery of technologies that support new ways of working in healthcare today?
ONE. We welcome innovations that improve the status quo in healthcare, and that’s what we’re looking for in the companies we’ll choose as part of our new accelerator.
AWS Healthcare Accelerator launches today focusing on three key needs in healthcare – workforce training, retention, and deployment. That third area really speaks to the opportunity for decentralized care, and the power of the cloud will be a major deciding factor in this.
Technologies that support decentralized care, such as healthcare in virtual wards, community facilities, and home care facilities, have huge potential.
For example, cloud-based video consultations and telehealth-enabled remote patient monitoring reduce the need for rehospitalization and follow-up visits. They can allow doctors to provide telemedicine during and after a health emergency.
Q. How will the accelerator help cohort participants ensure protections against the healthcare industry’s cybersecurity and compliance challenges?
ONE. AWS helps thousands of healthcare and life sciences organizations worldwide modernize and transform while meeting the most stringent security, compliance, and regulatory requirements.
A core component of the accelerator program is helping startup architects meet these requirements. AWS can provide expertise as we regularly obtain third-party validation against thousands of global compliance requirements, such as HIPAA in the US, General Data Protection Regulation of Europe, as well as national regulation such as the Digital Health Applications Ordinance in Germany and the Hébergeurs de Données de Santé certification in France, as well as non-governmental programs such as the Information Trust Alliance. Health news.
Andrea Fox is the senior editor of Healthcare IT News.
Email: [email protected]
Healthcare IT News is a publication of HIMSS.
