Q&A: Dr. Neal Patel, chief informatics officer at VUMC

kA 5:ClQ=ECQm{@42==J 32D65 24FE6 42C6 9@DA:E2= AC@G:56C pC56?E kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?2D9G:==6A@DE]4@>^>282K:?6^:??@G2E60a_ab^=6?5:?8\2\G:CEF2=\92?5^2CE:4=60`cb`_c7g\cd4c\``66\h`h7\f7h_3`bdhd2g]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm2=D@ 3682? FD:?8 r2C6]2:k^2mk^DEC@?8m’D G:CEF2= ?FCD:?8 42A23:=:E:6D kDEC@?8mk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?2D9G:==6A@DE]4@>^3FD:?6DD^962=E9042C6^962=E9\42C6\?@E6D\7@C>6C\E:E2?D\A=2J6CD\6?4@FC286\4@G:5\`h\G244:?6D^2CE:4=60gd746`54\f425\``65\3ah6\fb6gc5f7ec`f]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm:? s646>36Ck^2mk^DEC@?8m] r2C6]2:[ H9:49 2=D@ @776CD D6?D@CD E@ EC24< A2E:6?E >@G6>6?ED[ C646?E=J DE2CE65 6>A=@J:?8 v@@8=6 r=@F5’D 86?6C2E:G6 px 2?5 2?2=JE:4D E@@=D E@ DEC6?8E96? :ED 6I:DE:?8 A=2E7@C>D] k^Am

kA 5:ClQ=ECQm!2E6= 92D 366? H@C<:?8 H:E9 E649?@=@8J 2E E96 9@DA:E2= 7@C a_\A=FD J62CD] w6 DA@<6 H:E9 E96 k6>m!@DEk^6>m 23@FE :>A=6>6?E:?8 G:CEF2= ?FCD:?8[ 2?5 ?FCD6 2?5 A2E:6?E 6IA6C:6?46] k^Am

k9C ^m

k9cm(92E 2C6 D@>6 @7 E96 42A23:=:E:6D @7 G:CEF2= ?FCD:?8 E649?@=@8Jn  k^9cm

kA 5:ClQ=ECQmyFDE =:<6 H:E9 |:4C@D@7E %62>D[ 2 G:CEF2= AC@G:56C 42? :?E6C24E H:E9 2 A6CD@? :? E96 C@@>[ 3FE H6 925 DA64:7:4 E2D<D E92E H6 H2?E65 E96> E@ DE2CE H:E9[ DF49 2D 2DD:DE:?8 H:E9 E96 24E:G:E:6D @7 5@4F>6?E2E:@? E92E 5@ ?@E ?646DD2C:=J 92G6 E@ C6BF:C6 E92E E96 A6CD@? :D 2E E96 365D:56[ … E2<:?8 E96 25>:DD:@? 2?5 5:D492C86 9:DE@CJ[ 7@C 6I2>A=6[ 96=A:?8 AC@G:56 D@>6 65F42E:@?] ~?46 2 E@@= DF49 2D E9:D :D :? A=246[ E96J’G6 366? 23=6 E@ FD6 :E 7@C 4@249:?8 :7 E96 365D:56 AC@G:56C ?665D D@>6 8F:52?46] k^Am

kAm %96J 2=D@ =6G6C2865 :E H96C6 E96 G:CEF2= ?FCD6 :D 23=6 E@ 5@ E96 D276EJ 4964<D 2?5 >2<6 DFC6 E92E 6G6CJE9:?8 E92E :D DFAA@D65 E@ 36 :? E96 C@@> :D @C56C65 — E96J 42? 4964< E96 C@@> G:CEF2==J]  k^Am

k9c 5:ClQ=ECQm(96C6 :D E96 G:CEF2= ?FCD6 DE2E:@?65n  k^9cm

kA 5:ClQ=ECQm#:89E ?@H E96JVC6 DE2E:@?65 @? E96 D2>6 7=@@C @7 E96 9@DA:E2=[ 3FE @FED:56 @7 E96 F?:E] tG6?EF2==J E96J >2J 36 DE2E:@?65 @77 42>AFD[ H96? H6 92G6 >@C6 @7 E96>]k^Am

k9c 5:ClQ=ECQmw@H 5@ J@F 32=2?46 92G:?8 E96 E649?@=@8J E@ 96=A ?FCD6D H:E9 AC:G24J 2?5 DFCG6:==2?46 4@?46C?Dn k^9cm

kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%96 ?:46 E9:?8 :D E92E E96 42>6C2 24EF2==J EFC?D FAH2C5 H96? :E’D ?@E :? FD6 2?5 7=:AD 5@H? H96? :E :D :? FD6 D@ 2? :?5:G:5F2= <?@HD 6I24E=J H96? D@>63@5J >:89E 36 @? E96 @E96C D:56 @7 E96 42>6C2] xE E96? 2=D@ 4C62E6D 2 EC:886C @? E96 E6=6G:D:@? D@ E92E J@F 42? D66 E96 G:56@ 2?5 E96C6VD 2 =:89E] (92E H6 2=D@ H2?E E@ 24<?@H=6586 :D E92E E96 2>3:6?E D6?D@CD E92E >2J 36 E96C6 2C6 ?@E =@@<:?8 2E G:56@ @C =:DE6?:?8 E@ E9:?8D] %96J 2C6 ;FDE A:4<:?8 FA E96 D:8?2=D @7 >@G6>6?E 2?5 E92E <:?5 @7 DEF77 :? E96 C@@>[ <:?5 @7 =:<6 2 >@E:@? 56E64E@C >:89E 36 H@C<:?8 2E 2 G6CJ 4CF56 =6G6= :? 2 9@FD6] k^Am

kAm(92E H6 EC:65 E@ 5@ H:E9 E9:D 2?5 4@>>F?:42E6 H:E9 E96 A2E:6?E :D E92E E9:D :D :? 2? 677@CE E@ >2<6 DFC6 E92E H6 2C6 56=:G6C:?8 E:>6=J 42C6 E@ E96> 2?5 D276 42C6 E@ E96>] $@ 72C[ 2E =62DE[ E96 7665324< 7C@> E96 A2E:6?ED E92E 92G6 366? :? E96D6 C@@>D H:E9 E96 42>6C2D 92D 366? 6IEC6>6=J A@D:E:G6] k^Am

k9c 5:ClQ=ECQmw2G:?8 H@C<65 2E '&|r 7@C ae J62CD[ 9@H 92D E649?@=@8J =:<6 r2C6]2: 492?865 E96 7:6=5nk^9cm

kA 5:ClQ=ECQmx DE2CE65 E@ H@C< H:E9 :?7@C>2E:@? E649?@=@8J H96? H6 DE2CE65 E@ FD6 4@>AFE6CD :? 962=E9 42C6 @? E96 7C@?E =:?6D H:E9 A9JD:4:2? @C56C 6?ECJ[ ?FCD:?8 5@4F>6?E2E:@? — 2?5 ?@H :E’D F3:BF:E@FD] x D66 E9:D ;FDE 2D E96 ?6IE H2G6 @7 =6G6C28:?8 E96 42A23:=:E:6D D@ E92E E96 E649?@=@8J 42? 2F8>6?E E96 H@C<7=@H AC@46DD6D] x E9:?< E96 3:886DE 492?86 H6VC6 368:??:?8 E@ D66 :D E92E E96 4@DE @7 E9:D E649?@=@8J :D 4@>:?8 5@H? E@ 2 A@:?E H96C6 H6VC6 23=6 E@ 5:DEC:3FE6 :E :? >@C6 42C6 D6EE:?8D[ ;FDE =:<6 E96 4@DE @7 4@>AFE6CD 42>6 5@H? 2?5 2==@H65 >@C6 A6@A=6 E@ FD6 E96>] k^Am

kA 5:ClQ=ECQm%96C6VD ?@ 5@F3E E92E H6 =62C?65 2 =@E 5FC:?8 E96 A2?56>:4] p== @7 FD[ 367@C6 E96 A2?56>:4[ H6C6?VE FD:?8 G:56@ 4@?76C6?4:?8 G6CJ >F49 :? @FC 52:=J =:76 2?5 E96? +@@> 2?5 ,|:4C@D@7E %62>D. 2?5 @E96C D@CED @7 E9:?8D ;FDE 3642>6 ?2EFC2= 2?5 A2CE @7 @FC H@C<7=@H] k^Am

kA 5:ClQ=ECQm}@H[ x E9:?< H6 2C6 A:G@E:?8 E@ =6G6C28:?8 E96D6 D@=FE:@?D 3642FD6 E96J’C6 >@C6 C625:=J 2G2:=23=6 :?DE625 @7 FD 92G:?8 E@ 56G6=@A E96> @? @FC @H?[ H9:49 H6 925 E@ 5@ a_ J62CD 28@] x G:6H E9:D :?7C2DECF4EFC6 2=>@DE =:<6 H6 G:6H (:\u:] ~?46 J@F 92G6 E9:D :?7C2DECF4EFC6 :? A=246[ :E’D 2>2K:?8 E96 H2J H6 368:? E@ =6G6C286 :E 2?5 E9:?< 23@FE :E — :E ;FDE 364@>6D A2CE @7 @FC 64@DJDE6> 2D H6 >@G6 7@CH2C5]  k^Am