Welcome back to Gateway to Informatics, where we share the latest in informatics, research, and healthcare. In this fourth episode, hosted by Dr. Philip Payne, Chief Data Scientist at WashU Medicine and Director of I2DB, we explore how data and AI can enhance personalized risk assessments while preserving the essential human connection in healthcare.
The decisions patients make about their care are deeply personal. Dr. Mary Politi is dedicated to ensuring that patients can make the most informed decisions possible. As a professor of surgery in the Division of Public Health Sciences at WashU Medicine, Dr. Politi studies health communication and decision-making. Her research focuses on how data can be used to personalize risk assessments. In this episode, listeners will learn how technologies like artificial intelligence can improve this process. Dr. Politi emphasizes the importance of grounding these technologies so they complement rather than replace the human connection.
Dr. Politi, an expert in using electronic health records and decision support tools, discusses the importance of dynamic communication between providers and patients. She shares the key challenges and opportunities encountered in developing data-driven decision support systems. “The goal is to empower patients to be active participants in their care decisions,” explains Dr. Politi.
She also discusses her work on personalized risk calculators, including a tool she helped create to support breast reconstruction decisions for cancer patients. She delves into the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and the need to overcome barriers such as differences in language and perspectives. Additionally, Dr. Politi reflects on her own career journey, offering advice for those interested in pursuing research at the intersection of psychology, informatics, and healthcare.
Tune in to gain valuable insights from Dr. Politi on the promising future of data-driven decision support in healthcare.