How unlocking the power of data can fuel better health outcomes

In this podcast Pamela talks with Nancy Flores, Executive Vice President & Chief Information and Technology Officer for McKesson Corporation.

Flores starts out the conversation talking about the unique complexities of healthcare – a sector with new entrants, new regulations, consolidation, pricing pressures, and an ageing population that needs ever more healthcare. But alongside the complexities, there are opportunities to disrupt.

IOT will change the game. Most healthcare data – almost a continuous stream – will be generated outside the hospital setting. This opens a multitude of new ways to improve service delivery, particularly to people in remote areas.

And Covid-19 pandemic also brought changes. There was a “Covid Jolt.” Companies, even those whose job isn’t innovation, had to pivot fast and operate with a new dynamism. And the challenge will be making sure that we keep that value.

The conversation also covers the question of the talent – how to recruit and retain the data scientists every industry wants. Is it just about the kids in hoodies, or can you get more value from your existing workforce? For Flores the sweet-spot is when you connect your people’s skills and talents to patient health outcomes, so your people understand the criticality of their work. When they realize they’re making a difference every day they come into work and give it their best.

As Flores says: “When you're in the business of supporting healthcare and the quality of a patient's life, technology and data become quite exciting.” Listen to this podcast, and you’ll see that’s putting it mildly. 

Key takeaways

• When you're in the business of supporting healthcare and the quality of a patient's life, technology and data become fascinating
• 80% of our health data is generated outside of the hospital setting
• A lot of silver linings came out of COVID-19 pandemic. History shows that mass disruption leads to innovation
• The best person to solve a particular business problem can often be that person three, four, or five levels down, who knows the business and has the experience
• When you focus on doing better for the goodness of the whole, it always works out to be good for you

For your convenience, full text transcript of this podcast is also available. Read the transcript.