Dr John Rumsfeld on the Digital Transformation of Cardiovascular Medicine

The digital transformation of the cardiology field in the coming years will have a huge impact on the delivery of healthcare, said John Rumsfeld, MD, PhD, chief innovation officer at the American College of Cardiology.

Transcript (slightly modified)

In what ways have technology advancements already improved cardiovascular medicine and patient outcomes?

Well, that’s a very big question because the world of cardiology is one that is actually very technology focused. Over many years we’ve seen amazing advancements and pacemakers and defibrillators and interventional cardiology, and now, transcatheter valves. Technology even informs on how pharmaceuticals have advanced, as well. In parallel, we’ve seen some advancements in the technical world of how hospitals are run—certainly in monitoring patients in coronary care units, for example. We even have some things that have reached out beyond the hospital walls—things starting to creep like telemedicine, pre-hospital EKGs, and so forth. But, when you ask that question, what really jumps to mind for me is not how has the core of medical technology influenced cardiology, I think most people know cardiology is a very technology intensive field, but the real question is: what lies at the future for the digital transformation of healthcare?

I think the question on everybody’s mind around technology and innovation right now is: what are we going to do with digital health, with analytics such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, and precision medicine? How are we going to change the way we deliver care, so-called care delivery innovation, where we move from a primary focus on hospitals and clinics to also including care for patients at home where they live, where they may be monitored by wearable sensors, etc? So, when you ask how has technology already changed cardiology, it’s fundamentally changed it over the last 50 or 100 years—it’s a high-tech field. But, I think what’s really exciting is to look forward at the next 5, 10, and 20 years, and expect or hope for the digital transformation of healthcare delivery.