Could AI solve the clinician burnout problem?

The Healthy Nudge

June 2023

Welcome to The Healthy Nudge. Each month, we'll get you up to speed on the latest developments in policy-relevant health behavioral economics research at CHIBE.

1) Could AI solve the clinician burnout question?

There have been a lot of questions around the use of artificial intelligence (AI); will it lead to our extinction? Should we ban AI chatbots in classrooms? (Two CHIBE-affiliated faculty argue no.) Will it kill jobs or worsen wealth inequities?

In a recent CHIBE meeting, one more AI-related question emerged: burnout is crippling clinicians; could AI help? CHIBE spoke with Drs. David Asch, Michael Parmacek, Judith Long, Kevin Johnson, and Anish Agarwal to delve into this question. Read the CHIBE blog post here.

2) How to lower deaths among women? Give away cash

A paper published in Nature led by CHIBE-affiliated faculty member Aaron Richterman, MD, MPH, with other CHIBE authors Lizzie Bair, MS, and Associate Director Harsha Thirumurthy, PhD, et al.

A new paper examines the effects of government-led cash transfer programs on all-cause mortality rates in low- and middle-income countries. Based on data from 37 countries, the paper found that cash transfer programs were associated with a 20% reduced risk of death in adult women and a 8% reduced risk in children younger than 5 years old. Read the paper here, the research brief here, and the New York Times coverage here.

3) Using advanced payments in population-based models to address equity

A Health Affairs paper by Joshua Liao, PhD, and CHIBE Associate Director Amol Navathe, MD, PhD

"Population-based payment models may not be designed to promote health equity without explicit intention—recognition that has spurred the emergence of new models focused specifically on reducing disparities in care. One promising design strategy would be to provide participating organizations with upfront payments that are earmarked explicitly for work that can address inequities." Read the full Health Affairs article here.

4) Employee telemedicine visits nearly 25% less costly than in-person for health systems

An AJMC paper led by Krisda H. Chaiyachati, MD, MPH, MSHP, with CHIBE authors Shivan Mehta, MD, MBA, and David Asch, MD, MBA, et al.

"Visits with a 24/7, co-payment-free telemedicine program established by Penn Medicine for its employees were 23% less expensive than in-person visits for the same conditions, according to a new analysis published in the American Journal of Managed Care. Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania found that the per-visit costs for the telemedicine program, called Penn Medicine OnDemand, averaged $380 while in-person encounters in primary care offices, emergency departments, or urgent care clinics during the same timeframe cost $493 to conduct, a $113 difference per patient." Read the Penn press release here and the paper here.

5) CHIBE faculty launch BEGIN Lab

CHIBE Associate Directors Drs. Alison Buttenheim and Harsha Thirumurthy are pleased to announce the launch of the Behavioral Economics and Global Health Insights (BEGIN) Lab. The BEGIN Lab seeks innovative solutions to persistent challenges that limit healthy lifespans globally. In pursuit of these solutions, the BEGIN Lab and its collaborators design and evaluate behavioral, structural, and policy interventions that have the potential to improve health outcomes. The overarching goal of the BEGIN Lab is to change behavior, impact policy, and end epidemics. Ongoing projects are taking place in partnership with researchers and organizations in several countries in Africa, South Asia, and Latin America. Learn more about the Lab at its website, and follow the LinkedIn page for the latest updates and news.

Top Tweet

Check out Dr. Aaron Richterman's Twitter thread about his team's paper published in Nature.

Awards

Dr. Paula Chatterjee won the Society of General Internal Medicine’s 2023 Best Published Research Paper of the Year Award for “Variation and Changes in the Targeting of Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital Payments.”

Dr. Carmen Guerra won the 2023 Excellence in Equity Award from the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Drs. Jonah Berger and Katy Milkman won Sage’s 10-Year Impact Award.

Job Opportunities

Part-time Senior Research Coordinator

This is a part-time position with the Center for Health Behavior Research. The Senior Research Coordinator position involves working on an NIH-funded physical activity study and several other research projects, and community engagement activities. Responsibilities include assisting with research project management and support; assisting with regulatory tasks and oversight; communication with local organizations and residents; writing scholarly reports and manuscripts; and other research-related tasks as needed. For more information and to apply, click here.

Full-time Research Coordinator

This is a full-time position with the Center for Health Behavior Research. This Research Coordinator will work on a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute physical activity study. Responsibilities include recruiting, enrolling, and tracking participants; providing support/technical assistance for participants in their use of the online platform and wearables used in the study; communicating with participants to ensure they complete the study procedures; maintaining confidentiality, study integrity, and regulatory procedures; assisting with data collection, management, and preparation for analyses; participating in team meetings; and helping prepare and write scholarly manuscripts. For more information and to apply, click here.