Over the last few years, we have seen great improvements in many industries due to technology. This is especially true in healthcare, where it plays a pivotal role in improving patient outcomes and driving research forward. At Acoer, we see novel advancements, such as blockchain and AI, as solutions to some of the current challenges and burdens in the healthcare system, especially in the realm of cancer research and care. This is why we have created our Cancer Trials Explorer and Cryptographic Data Mesh, which synthesize data from disparate sources and allow for ethical AI. To explore further the impact of these innovations, we spoke with Dr. Owais Durrani, a renowned emergency medicine physician, STEM advocate, and medical analyst based in Houston, TX. Dr. Durrani has a diverse background, with significant contributions to STEM education, the integration of blockchain in healthcare, and efforts to address social determinants of health.
Q1: How do disparate data systems impact patient care, and what are some of the challenges faced by healthcare professionals due to siloed data, especially in areas such as oncology where there are often multidisciplinary teams working together?
Dr. Durrani: "There is no question in my mind that we have the answers to many of the challenging questions we face in healthcare and cancer care, but don’t have the answers due to data system issues. Even on the most basic level, seeing a patient’s visit date from a hospital across the street is challenging. Those issues become magnified when we look at data in the realms of oncology treatment and research. Complex agreements and time-consuming processes make quick analysis of broad sets of data very difficult and ultimately lead to poor patient outcomes. Yes, data privacy is important and should be paramount, but a lot of the obstacles can be brought down without compromising patient data."
Q2: How do you see tools like Acoer's Cancer Trials Explorer, which synthesizes data from different sources, improving cancer research and patient experience? What benefits can accessible and transparent data on clinical trials bring to oncologists, researchers, and patients?
Dr. Durrani: "It is truly an exciting time in medicine with technology being able to safely allow care teams to find the best treatments for their patients. I am particularly excited by how tools like the Cancer Trials Explorer can allow cancer patients to truly get the individualized care that they need. It is no secret that many minorities don't receive the care that would serve them best due to receiving one-size-fits-all care. By having doctors that have access to data and research for their particular demographic, it is my hope we won't see some of the heartbreaking statistics we do now when it comes to many diseases like cancer in minority populations. We have talked about Medicine 3.0 for a while now, but we are finally seeing tools that will allow the average person to see the fruits of what is possible."
Q3: What are the most pressing ethical concerns you encounter with novel technologies in healthcare, such as AI?
Dr. Durrani: "Historically, we have seen that during times of innovation and fast change, those that are underrepresented are left behind. We need to make sure that representative voices of everyone are part of the decisions that are made with how we should use technologies such as AI. AI is only as good as the data sets that it is provided with, so if we give it a biased and flawed data set the results we will get will also be flawed. The initial stages of how any new technology is implemented will have downstream impacts for decades to come, so we must get it right."
Q4: How important is patient privacy in the development of AI technologies in healthcare, and what are your thoughts on how decentralized data solutions, like Acoer's Cryptographic Data Mesh, can help protect the security of patient data?
Dr. Durrani: "Patient privacy is paramount. Health data is sacred, and in my opinion, a patient should always have the final say in how and where the data is used. Historically, data has been siloed by large institutions with barriers that make it difficult to share safely with outside entities for research purposes. I am optimistic that we will see more collaboration and willingness to share data due to tools like the Cryptographic Data Mesh. These tools will allow relevant stakeholders to use data with permission in a safe and compliant manner, without the data having to be moved and patient privacy being protected."
Q5: Do you have any other thoughts or insights you'd like to share about the work Acoer is doing and its importance in healthcare and cancer research?
Dr. Durrani: "Cancer is something that impacts us all one way or another. Technology that removes barriers to new breakthroughs and equitable care is here now, and I am excited for patients to get better outcomes when they hear that dreaded six-letter word."
Dr. Owais Durrani’s insights highlight the potential of technology in cancer care, emphasizing the importance of data integration, ethical AI, and patient privacy. Acoer's tools like the Cancer Trials Explorer and Cryptographic Data Mesh are leading the way in making cancer treatment more personalized, with secure and transparent data. As we continue to make further advances in this area, it is crucial to ensure that these advancements benefit all patients, particularly those in underserved communities.
For more information on our work or to see a sneak peek of upcoming updates to Cancer Trials Explorer and Cryptographic Data Mesh, please contact us here.