Wen Dombrowski, MD, has been in the field of clinical informatics since the 1990’s. Back then, her work involved building diabetes databases for community health centers.
Today, she’s a geriatrics physician executive at Resonate Health, a role that sees her combining technology, social media, and business solutions to help patients with complex conditions.
Dombrowski is also one of only a fistful of social media influencers to sit in the top slot of the #HIT100 list.
[Also: Steve Sisko: 'Healthcare literacy' surge coming soon]
We reached out to Dombrowski ahead of HIMSS16 to discuss what she’s hoping to find at this year’s conference, what trends she expects to see taking hold in 2016, and what she sees as the untold benefit of social media for healthcare.
Q: What’s something about you that even your devout followers likely don’t know?
A: My early days in Clinical Informatics were in the 1990's building diabetes registry Access databases for community health centers in inner-city of Chicago. As part of an IHI (Institute for Healthcare Improvement) Diabetes Learning Collaborative, I learned to track key clinical measures and use the data to identify and reach out to patients with gaps in care.
Q: One health IT prediction for 2016?
A: In 2016 we will see more direct-to-consumer telemedicine and other digital health services. Mainly because consumers are increasingly demanding easy-access user experience of healthcare, and also because technologies are maturing while state and federal payment policies are starting to cover telehealth. I really like this recent quote: "The digital strategy of a healthcare organization must be aligned with everyday consumer experiences in other industries," from @dchou1107.
Q: What is the untold benefit of social media in healthcare today?
A: Social media is not only an information-sharing tool — it catalyzes online and local conversations about what are the problems and potential solutions in healthcare. While social media is rich in content for anyone to learn about a diverse array of topics, the online interactions between individuals can be encouraging, thought provoking, and motivating people to action.
See all of our HIMSS16 previews
Q: What are you most looking forward to learning about at HIMSS16?
A: I am looking forward to reconnecting with my Health IT colleagues from around the country and brainstorm how to accelerate healthcare innovation so that patients can truly get the best care. At the HIMSS16 conference I am planning to participate in the sessions related to Physician Informaticists, Long Term & Post Acute Care Providers, Women in Health IT, and HX360 Innovation Leaders.
Q: What inspired you to apply for the Social Media Ambassador program?
A: I am already active in using social media to promote awareness of the benefits and challenges of using technology to improve health and care. I helped plan the #HIMSS16 Physician IT Symposium, so I was already planning to be at HIMSS sharing about the latest ideas and discussions happening there.
Twitter: @SullyHIT
This story is part of our ongoing coverage of the HIMSS16 conference. Follow our live blog for real-time updates, and visit Destination HIMSS16 for a full rundown of our reporting from the show. For a selection of some of the best social media posts of the show, visit our Trending at #HIMSS16 hub.
