Baker Institute panel to explore the use of technology to deliver health care

MEDIA ADVISORY

David Ruth
david@rice.edu
713-348-6327

Jeff Falk
jfalk@rice.edu
713-348-6775

Baker Institute panel to explore the use of technology to deliver health care

HOUSTON – (April 29, 2014) – A panel of leaders from academia, government, insurance and industry will discuss how information technology can be used effectively to improve health care and how to address the policy and regulatory impediments to progress at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy May 6.

This panel discussion is part of the Medicine, Research and Society Policy Issues Series, a joint project between the Baker Institute Science and Technology Policy Program and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and is open to the public. It is co-sponsored by the Baker Institute Health Policy Forum.

Who: Kyle Janek, executive commissioner of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission; Dr. Hagop Kantarjian, professor and chairman of the Department of Leukemia, MD Anderson Cancer Center, and scholar in health policy at the Baker Institute; and Dr. Lee Newcomer, senior vice president for oncology, genetics and women’s health at UnitedHealthcare.

Dr. Lynda Chin, professor and chair of the Department of Genomic Medicine, MD Anderson Cancer Center, will serve as moderator. 

Edward Djerejian, founding director of the Baker Institute, will give welcoming remarks.

What: “The Use of Technology to Deliver Health Care” event.

When: Tuesday, May 6, 7:45-9 a.m. Breakfast will be served at 7:45 and the discussion will begin at 8.

Where: Rice University, Baker Hall, Doré Commons, 6100 Main St.

Faced with uncertainty about changes in health care and the emerging crisis of an aging population, the government, insurers and providers are increasing their efforts to reduce costs, improve quality and expand access to care, according to event organizers. One evolving area of innovation is the development of information technology platforms to support doctors’ decision-making and to enhance research capabilities and health management through adaptive learning systems. However, it remains unclear how these technologies should be implemented and what implications they have for health care delivery and health management, organizers said. The panel will address implementation and implications.

Members of the news media who want to attend should RSVP to Jeff Falk, associate director of national media relations at Rice, at jfalk@rice.edu or 713-348-6775.

A live webcast will be available at http://bakerinstitute.org/webcasts.

For a map of Rice University’s campus, go to www.rice.edu/maps/maps.html.

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Founded in 1993, Rice University’s Baker Institute ranks among the top 15 university-affiliated think tanks in the world. As a premier nonpartisan think tank, the institute conducts research on domestic and foreign policy issues with the goal of bridging the gap between the theory and practice of public policy. The institute’s strong track record of achievement reflects the work of its endowed fellows, Rice University faculty scholars and staff, coupled with its outreach to the Rice student body through fellow-taught classes — including a public policy course — and student leadership and internship programs. Learn more about the institute at www.bakerinstitute.org or on the institute’s blog, http://blogs.chron.com/bakerblog.