On our latest episode of The Huddle, Sheetal Shah, founder of MettaHealth Partners discusses the evolving realm of AI, the role DCESs and other health care professionals can play in embracing and adopting AI technology, and the importance of keeping a human element in the technology. Learn more about MettaHealth Partners here: MettaHealth Partners Learn more about the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) here: National Institute of Standards and Technology Stay up to date on all things related to diabetes technology on danatech: Diabetes technology for healthcare professionals | Danatech Learn more about MettaHealth Partners here: MettaHealth Partners Stay up to date on all things related to diabetes technology on danatech: Diabetes technology for healthcare professionals | Danatech
On our latest episode of The Huddle, Sheetal Shah, founder of MettaHealth Partners discusses the evolving realm of AI, the role DCESs and other health care professionals can play in embracing and adopting AI technology, and the importance of keeping a human element in the technology.
Learn more about MettaHealth Partners here: MettaHealth Partners
Learn more about the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) here: National Institute of Standards and Technology
Stay up to date on all things related to diabetes technology on danatech: Diabetes technology for healthcare professionals | Danatech
Kirsten Yehl
Hello, and welcome to ADCES's podcast, “The Huddle: Conversations with the Diabetes Care Team”. In each episode, we speak with guests from across the diabetes care space to bring you perspectives, issues, and updates that elevate your role, inform your practice, and ignite your passion. I'm Kirsten Yehl, Director of Research and Development at the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists.
This week, I sat down with Chief Executive Officer and founder of MettaHealth Partners, Sheetal Shah. We talked about the many implications of AI and the importance of keeping the human element involved in technology and how the diabetes care and education specialist can be a leader in AI implementation.
Sheetal, welcome to The Huddle.
Sheetal Shah
Thank you. I'm so excited to be here. How are you?
Kirsten
I am doing awesome, especially because I'm talking to you about one of our favorite topics, which is artificial intelligence. So happy that you're here, especially when we start talking about artificial intelligence as it relates to the diabetes care and education specialist. This is a really hot topic these days. Anytime I have questions, because sometimes AI, when we talk about artificial intelligence, there's so many definitions. It's such an emerging topic. And then to think about how broad it is, how it really relates to some of the specific work we're doing in health care. That's what I always call you. That's why I'm so excited you're here to have this conversation. And maybe we can just really drill down into this. How can we make AI valuable in the health care system so that patients and clients can benefit? But before we jump into all of that, I would love for you, because I know you and we have great coffee and wine chats, I would love for you to introduce yourself to our audience so they get to know you a little bit too.
Sheetal
Yeah. And thank you so much. I'm just so thrilled and humbled to be here with you, Kirsten. And thank you so much for the opportunity. So yeah, so a little bit about myself. So full disclaimer, I'm not a data scientist. I actually consider myself a non-technical person. But my background, my first kind of exposure to this area of data science was about a decade ago. I worked at a company that supported providers who are participating in value-based care models. And I was so happy to be there. Worked mostly on like the data integration and interoperability side. But one of my bosses came to me and was like, “hey, Sheetal, can you help project manage this data science team?” And I was like, sure.
I had no idea what data science was. My background is a public health person. I'm in health policy, but I was like, yeah, like I'm happy to learn. And I had really no educational or work experience in data science up until that point. But I was so blessed and so fortunate that I got to work with amazing data scientists and data engineers that were like, Sheetal we can teach you. This is basically the gist of what it means. And at that time, Kirsten, we were working on supporting providers who are participating in a model called bundle payments. And specifically, one of the first initiatives through the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation was the Bundle Payments for Care Improvement model. And so the providers that we were supporting were, you know, folks that were either in health systems or provider offices that were rolling out the value-based care model.
And in that program, they were really interested in also understanding folks that could potentially be readmitted into the hospital after an initial stay. And so one of the initial projects that I played a very, very small tangential role in project managing was developing a predictive readmission risk model for the providers who were supporting Medicare beneficiaries in that program. And then after that, I subsequently worked at different health care startups, worked with amazing AI and machine learning engineers and data scientists, and got to work on a variety of products in the private sector before kind of moving then transitioning into consulting where we got to do more work on the data. And then most recently supported basically a challenge that was in the Food and Drug Administration and Veterans Affairs Office to help predict areas of morbidity and mortality with veteran’s heart health. So that's a little bit about my background and exposure to data science. But as you said, it's a completely emerging and evolving field. And so all of us, think are trying to keep up with all the new applications and the use cases and how we can help build trustworthy AI systems.
Kirsten
It's so funny just listening to you talk about your background, which is incredible, by the way. I didn't even know half of that stuff, so I got to learn a little bit along the way. So much, I think, with data science, artificial intelligence. I know we're going to talk about really what that is in a second. Sometimes I think it's just not being afraid to jump in and ask questions, right? And just being that problem solver or just figuring it out. And if you're one of those people that can do that, they can solve puzzles like that translation piece or being that purple person is just a really important space to be. Okay. I would love to hear you talk a little bit about AI and what it is and what it means to our listeners. I will say like just hearing you talk for a couple of minutes there, you talked a lot about predicting and that's kind of what AI can do, right?
Sheetal
Yeah. And I'll take a step back and talk a little bit about, from my perspective, right, there's so many different applications of artificial intelligence. And one of the great applications of it is being able to help predict outcomes, typically based on historical data sets and algorithms. But I like to make it clear to people that AI is not just about data and algorithms. It's about building systems also that uphold, I think, the values that we all care about, which is fairness and inclusivity and compassion. And I think one of the things when we talk about AI use cases, a lot that comes up is around machine learning and predictive analytics. But some of the use cases that I like to focus on, which I think are super valuable to folks, is also about just reducing provider burden. Some of the different products and features that we've worked on relate to this area of robotics process automation, chatbots, and you what I like to tell the folks that I work with, especially in the social service profit realm and in public health departments, if you're an organization that is still mostly manual or paper-based, my goal is to tell folks like, let's kind of transition that into a more digital ecosystem, and artificial intelligence can help with that. So if you're someone that was manually entering data into spreadsheets, or maybe you're collecting information on forms and that data is valuable to you and you want to be able to look at it via a dashboard or in some way that a machine can use it. I've been like, artificial intelligence can help with that too. And so I think there's just so many different applications and use cases for this really broad area of artificial intelligence that can be really valuable when deployed responsibly and ethically amongst diverse teams.
Kirsten
Well, that makes me think. One of the things we've talked about is AI is beginning to shift the healthcare landscape. It has, it's still doing it. I mean, in the future is like wide open. Do you want to talk a little bit about this? Like what does the health care landscape look like with AI?
Sheetal
Yeah, that's such a great question. There's so much emerging right now, which I think there's a part of me I'm like so excited. And also there's like, wow, there's so much to keep up with. And I think we'll talk a little bit more about that. But some of the use cases that I think are super exciting and that I would love at some point to hear your members feedback too of what they're learning and what they're seeing in the context of their organizations. I think artificial intelligence can be really great at identifying patterns and risks for diabetes complications.
And then what that enables is more targeted education to help prevent issues. Like we have diabetes ketoacidosis or cardiovascular problems. So AI is helping us predict those risk factors and then being able to deliver educational content on being able to manage blood pressure or recognizing those early signs of complications. We also have chat bots and these virtual kind of health coaches. And I know there's certain mixed feelings around that, but to the extent that we're able to reach populations that we're not normally able to reach. We can enhance patient engagement, provide more real-time insight to folks to get them more interested in helping manage their health. I think that's also super exciting. And then what I really like too is it's not just about artificial intelligence. It's about the integration of all of these different innovative technologies. And so when we think about AI's integration with telehealth system, I really love that too as a use case because often there's accessing patients' current data around continuous glucose monitoring and delivering real-time interventions when someone doesn't live really close to a doctor's office or a health care provider where they would be able to get that care, and then really connecting them quickly and efficiently to folks that can then discuss lifestyle changes based on that more real-time recent glucose fluctuation, I think are really kind cool and interesting use cases that people are exploring.
Kirsten
So I love this idea of AI as a tool and AI broadening the reach of the diabetes care and education specialists because we know diabetes is a pandemic and it's just growing and our clients need the support, all the support that we can offer them. How does the DCES or the diabetes care and education specialists put themselves in the position to be a leader in implementing AI technology into their health system?
Sheetal
Yeah. Oh my gosh. Thank you so much for asking that question. My experience in this field is that your members and the folks that are serving patients and individuals are actually in the best position to improve patient care and truly make an impact on healthcare outcomes. So I say that because I want folks to know like I'm already coming with this perspective that they are the experts in patient care. They're creating social connections and the relationships and giving the support to the patients and communities that they need. And that's so invaluable. And Kirsten, you also mentioned, right, like AI is a tool and I fully share that. I think from my perspective, as we kind of...We're at this cool intersection of cutting edge technology and human progress. AI is a tool that can ultimately support improving patients' lives. And my experience is that most folks that I work with that are in this field are in there to achieve that vision and mission. And I think it's going to take a collective effort where everyone plays a role in providing better, faster, more personalized care. And then I do want to cite, if that's not enough, I get it, but there is the NIST is the National Institute for Standards and Technology. And they've come out with an AI framework that a lot of public sector governmental agencies along with industry is pointing to as a framework that will help support the ecosystem in developing what are these characteristics of trustworthy AI and they offer guidance to the ecosystem on how to do this. But some of those characteristics include like valid and reliable. Are the tools safe? Are they secure? Are they resilient? Accountability, transparency. And is it fair with harmful bias manage? There's a bunch of these things that the NIST AI framework points to that we incorporate in our day-to-day work with folks and just trying to make sure we're building trustworthy AI systems. But I'm just going to read this one line that I think is so super important, which is “in this framework”, which was a collaborative of industry experts that put this together, they said, “diverse teams contribute to more open sharing of ideas and assumptions about the purposes and functions of technology, making these implicit aspects more explicit. This broader collective perspective creates opportunities for surfacing problems and identifying existing and emergent risks”. So to me, there is no world where we're building trustworthy AI systems without the diabetes care educators and specialists, if that makes sense.
Kirsten
100% makes sense. I love that you mentioned the NIST AI framework. I think we can put a link to that in our show notes so that people can link to it and really take a peek at it. The framework is so supportive of this work. I loved that piece that you read about diverse teams and that it’s very broad. And it makes me think some conversations we've had about how can the diabetes care and education specialist be an instigator or a leader in the system and implementation and I think a lot about AI doesn't happen, it's not one person has an idea. And that's when you talk about my and it's a diverse broad team. And so the diabetes care and education specialist plays a very unique role on that team as a subject matter expert who understands behaviors of their clients and patients and also understands their community and the health system. That is a really powerful role in AI to help make change. Am I on the right track there?
Sheetal
Yeah, and if I could also piggyback and add to that. So one of the things that I think about in our collective work together is that part of it is we're trying to shift perspectives, our own perspectives right around maybe feeling fear and uncertainty around AI and shifting that to actually seeing this more as an opportunity for growth, improvement, and meaningful patient care. And I think when we think about inspiring folks to think about how AI can support them in their day-to-day work, but I think what's also important is the mission of the organization. And so what I would tell folks if this is something that intrigues you and is of interest to you, and you're trying to do more within your organization. I think by linking these tools and technologies related to artificial intelligence, linking it to the mission of the organization, reminding folks about the ultimate goal to improve patient care and that AI is just another tool in the toolkit to achieve that vision can be really powerful. And again, like you said, it's a collective effort where everyone in the organization plays a critical role in providing that better, faster and more personalized care. And so I think that's hopefully some of the places to start when thinking about where do we start if we're not sure and
those opportunities to inspire and motivate others within the organization, I think are really great.
Kirsten
This is a little bit of a side note, but it's just hearing you talk makes me think that if there was ever a place for a DCES to kind of like insert themselves or just like raise their hand, diabetes is the place where AI can really make an impact right now. Could you help us envision this? I know you've, throughout your past several years, you've done a lot of work working with health systems and AI, and a lot of that is raising your hand or inserting yourself or letting people know that you're here. Do you have any examples that you could share? Like, how do you make this happen?
Sheetal
Great question. And I think we, at MettaHealth Partners, we're chatting with folks and we're learning. And so I think one of the things that I think is really important to our ethos and our values is listening to really understand and that's where I always think that we need to start in general. Like if we're gonna work out a problem, we all have our biases or our perspectives that we're gonna come in with, but we really wanna understand where people are facing their pain points. What are the mission, vision and objectives of the organization? What are their strategic priorities? So the things that I'm saying are actually also, I think relevant in my day-to-day work of like when we talk to folks and organizations. I'm curious, I'm like, what is on your strategic roadmap for the next like year or two? And I think that's always a really nice place to start, Kirsten, is because it's always the technology again, is it's in service to the broader mission and vision of the organization. And so I think getting folks just strategically grounded in that kind of viewpoint of like, what am I doing? And is this going to really serve our overall mission and vision, I think is like one place to start.
And then when folks are thinking about: Well, don't know who I even talk to or how do I even go about it? And I think education is really important. And so one of the things, there's so much information out there and I know there's a lot to sift through, but there's some really good, just like basic information that folks can just start to get yourself familiar with. And then I also always think it's okay that if you have a question or you are not sure, it's always okay to just.
raise your hand because folks are experts in other areas. And it's really that intersection and meeting of the minds that folks that come from different backgrounds that can, when they start to learn how to talk to each other's language and can work together. I just think that's where the magic happens. If that makes sense. It's kind of all those folks who are willing to live on the edges.
Kirsten
Absolutely. Absolutely. It's almost like AI is this thing that's bringing us all together. That's what I would say. I hear a lot, and just in the seat where I'm at, I hear a lot of fear that AI is taking over my job. How do you address that? I that can't be the first time you've heard that question.
Sheetal
Yeah, thank you so much for raising that. And I think, for sure, there's so much of this uncertainty. And we talk about this in the AI learning series too, because I think part of the goal is to also just demystify some of these concepts. I think it's really natural to feel fear and uncertainty. There's a lot of news articles coming out every day. I think folks at all different organizations across all different industries, they're trying to figure this out too. So first thing I'll say is no one is alone in that. We're seeing that a lot across not just health care, across all industries. Folks are trying to figure out how to leverage these tools. And I think also ethically and responsibly and building these tools effectively and safely. But I think the thing that is kind of coming up for me, Kirsten, as you asked that question is, are we also thinking about the consequences and the harms? And are we being honest in our conversations when we think about deploying trustworthy AI systems? And so one of the things that's coming up for me is a few months ago, the US Department of Health and Human Services had a really wonderful health IT advisory committee and they talked about AI and Health and Human Services, and they brought some really fantastic speakers. And what I took from that conversation is like, there just has to be an acknowledgement of where the technology has not served us. And then having that collective conversation of how are we going to address the bias and the harms. And I think there's some great policy that's being put out by the US Department of Health and Human Services within different agencies that really look at transparency, accountability. And then there's some really great industry collaboratives that are, let's figure out how we all work together to collectively address this. So it's not going to be private sector that fixes this. It's not going to be government that fixes it. The magic really happens when we all kind of come together in this collective effort of talking through these issues, being really honest, being really vulnerable, being really open, and then kind of putting these guardrails in place to ensure transparency and accountability. So, I think the fear and the uncertainty is really valid. But the other thing that I also tell folks is never underestimate the power of human creativity. We talk about in the context of the agricultural revolution. As a species, we are so wired and resilient to change and transformation. And I joke because I'm 40 and I didn't think back when I was in my 20s, like the job of an influencer, that wasn't a job category, right, when I was in my 20s, but that is now a job category. So we don't even know what the next 10 to 15 years might look like and what are the new job descriptions that are going to come out. But what I know, I believe, and what I have trust in is that human beings are just so creative. And I'm excited to see how that unfolds if we have the right communities and the collective effort at the table to be able to discuss these issues openly and with accountability.
Kirsten
So that's what I'm going to take away from this podcast is never undervalue creativity, which I wish we had started with that. That is absolutely amazing to me. That's like just the theme that we can walk away with, but it is also reminding me that one of the reasons I was so excited to get to know you and to sort of build our friend, I'm going to call you a friend. know like we're calling is that I would say you're sort of a groundbreaking female entrepreneur, which I think is…oh absolutely. And I just think that's just amazing in this day and age. And it's just been so fun to watch you grow in your career. I would say, honestly, a lot of our diabetes care and education specialists are very similar to that. In fact, they are put into the position of having to be a groundbreaking entrepreneur. Right? For people who might be a little bit more hesitant, I would love to hear you maybe speak to that.
Sheetal
Yeah. One thing I would say for your members. I love hearing about them and learning more about their passion, their purpose. And I think as we build more intelligent machines, we also have to think about nurturing a higher intelligence within ourselves. And as I've reflected on this over the last year or so, for me, this means fostering more empathy, more mindfulness, and a deeper sense of responsibility for how we use these tools to serve human beings and our planet. And I think AI is as powerful or will be as powerful as the intentions behind it. So what I would hopefully say to folks is like, let's choose to align that to a greater good with a vision of a world that's more equitable, more sustainable and more humane. And like we've said, AI is not just about technology, it's in service to humanity. And I think together we have that power to create a future where technology elevates all of us, where trust and innovation go hand in hand and where humanity, we lead with our hearts and wisdom and we get to reimagine a future that benefits us all. So how cool would that be?
Kirsten
You inspire me every time we have these conversations. Yeah, that would be amazingly cool. And you're leaving me with wanting to change humanity with my creative brain. How was that?
Sheetal
Yes. Well, I hope that you walk away with feeling that way, Kirsten. And I feel that for all of the folks that I get the privilege to interact with, as well as your members, I know I'm an eternal optimist.
Kirsten
We both are. That's how we connect here.
Sheetal
But I authentically believe that. I do think that the people that are drawn into this field of diabetes care education have a purpose to serve and to help people. And I think that is just the best set of intentions to have.
Kirsten
Just a couple final thoughts for you and then I'm going to turn it over to you. Optimism, creativity, and with those two things, put yourself at the table and you can change the lives of people with diabetes. You always leave me empowered, but any additions to those thoughts?
Sheetal
My experience as well as kind of what is my intuition in terms of the future, I think AI has this great potential to transform industries. We're already starting to see that. Solve these complex challenges. Improve lives at an unprecedented scale. But I think as we embrace this potential, it's also so important to remain, I think, so deeply committed to integrity, transparency, and accountability. And I think collectively, we all need to step up.
Kirsten
Well, and I will end this by saying challenge accepted. So Sheetal, this was absolutely amazing. I hope we can have you back on again for another chat.
Sheetal
Thank you for the opportunity. I'm so grateful. It is just my privilege to have this conversation with you.
Kirsten
Thank you for listening to this week's episode of The Huddle. Make sure to download the resources discussed on today's episode. You can find them linked in the show notes. And remember, being an ADCES member gets you access to many resources, education, and networking opportunities. Learn about the many benefits of ADCES membership at adces.org/join. The information in this podcast is for informational purposes only and may not be appropriate or applicable for your individual circumstances. This podcast does not provide medical or professional advice and is not a substitute for consultation with a health care professional. Please consult your health care professional for any medical questions.