WASHINGTON — Today, Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Chairman Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) delivered the following remarks at a Health subcommittee hearing to examine how access to digital health data can help improve patient health and the challenges associated with adopting such technology.
As prepared for delivery.
“Good morning and thank you to the witnesses for being here today to discuss an important issue that I’m excited about: the power of digital health data.
“The U.S. is spending more on health care than ever before—$5 trillion annually—but Americans across the country are still getting sicker and sicker.
“The U.S. has a larger share of people with chronic diseases compared to other countries, and more than twice as many Americans with obesity and diabetes.
“Concerningly, chronic diseases make up 8 of the 10 top causes of death in the U.S.
“Approximately 20 percent of U.S. children are obese, 30 percent of young adults are disqualified from serving in the military due to their obesity, and 40 percent of adults are obese.
“While these statistics are alarming, we live in a time where Americans have access to better technology and more health information than ever to truly be the ‘CEO of their health.’
“This new technology can help patients in many ways – from encouraging healthier lifestyles and preventing chronic disease to better managing treatments at home.
“For example, wearable devices provide useful health data, like sleep and stress information, to inform medical care and lifestyle changes.
“For diabetes alone, wearables can improve treatment adherence and reduce health care costs by as much as 29 percent.
“Another technology, remote patient monitoring, allows physicians to observe vital patient data in real-time, wherever the patient is located.
“Studies have shown that remote patient monitoring reduces the risk of hospital readmission by 76 percent and can lower costs by up to $10,000 per patient.
“Access to health data also helps reduce health costs for employers. In fact, 72 percent of employers saw reduced health care costs after starting an employee wellness program that promoted physical activity.
“Despite the potential to lower health care costs and improve outcomes, only 36 percent of adults use a wearable device to monitor health data. Seniors are six times less likely than younger individuals to use wearables.
“I hope we can address these disparities to encourage more widespread use of technologies that can improve health.
“At the cutting edge of health technology is the promise of ‘artificial intelligence’ to better analyze patient data and improve workflows for health care providers.
“With 25 percent of new health care investment focused on AI technologies, we are finding new applications every day.
“For example, new AI software can aid providers in documentation and follow-ups, resulting in a 60 percent improvement in work-life balance for health care providers.
“However, as more digital health data is created and utilized within the health care system, we must also take care to ensure the technology is accurate and patient data is protected.
“I look forward to discussing these challenges and opportunities with our witnesses today, and I’m encouraged to work with my colleagues to reverse chronic disease by harnessing the power of digital health data.”
