Tonya Evans, Host: 0:07
Welcome to Tech Intersect. I'm your host, Tonya Evans, and my life and work exists at the heart of law, business and technology. Yeah, I've earned a few fancy titles in degrees over the years, but the bottom line is I'm a writer, speaker, teacher and lifelong learner, and I'm really excited that you join me on this journey. So what is Tech intersect? Well, it's authentic, empowering conversations with really interesting guests who demystify complex topics to prepare you for the future. Because your future is now and it exists where law, business and tech intersect. Get ready to listen, learn and left change. Let's get started
Tonya Evans, Host: 0:55
in this episode of tech Intersect. I speak with Chrissa McFarlane, named as one of the top women leaving their mark on the MedT ech field in Health I t by Becker's Hospital Review. Chris is the founder and CEO of Patientory Incorporated, headquartered in Atlanta. She founded Patientory after seeing the need in the market around 2015 for a more personalized and secure consumer driven health Information management solutions. She leverages blockchain's distributed ledger technology to solve for one of this century's most pressing concerns patient control of their medical data. This episode is being released on April 8th of 2020 during the Cove it 19 Pandemic. But our conversation took place a couple of months before, even though it is proving to be evergreen and ever important. Time to listen, learn and leverage. Let's get started. So I'm really excited to welcome Patientory founder and CEO Chris McFarlane today, Patientory is a Blockchain based app that promises your health at your fingertips, and she's going to tell us all about that today. I'm so happy to reconnect with you, Chris, and I'm really proud of the important and impactful work that you're doing in the help text space. And after meeting you a few years back, I actually can't believe how much time has passed. But having the great honor and fortune to speak at your conference in Atlanta, I've certainly followed your career and your progress and admired you from afar as a very purposeful and driven person and this amazing woman of color in this text space. Ah, and I'm really excited to share our conversation with listeners. So, Chris, a welcome
Chrissa Mcfarlane, Guest: 2:39
Thank you for having me, Tonya.
Tonya Evans, Host: 2:41
Absolutely, Absolutely. All right, so let's jump in because there's so many things I want to talk about with you. And through this process, I am really going to catch up on, um, the arc of Of where patient Tory began origin story not only for you in tech and healthcare, but then also what leads you to, um I found it, and we'll get to that in a minute. But first, I'm always interested in the origin story. Oh, why you're so passionate about tech and health care and certainly the combination in the form of what I think. I read it. Do my my pre work to get ready for these interviews. And I saw in one of your articles that you sometimes describe it as digital health, so I think that all will probably tie it together. But But share that part of your story with us?
Chrissa Mcfarlane, Guest: 3:33
Absolutely. And yes, digital health. It is still an emergent space, Um, in in health care at the moment, you know, digital health really came about in late 2010 early, you know, early 2011. But growing up, I was always, you know, in health care Whether that was volunteering at the nursing home um, through my girls club. And then eventually in high school, I went to a science and mathematics high school. That's where actually started doing research for a principal investigator at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and that, you know, really, Dr my my passion for the space essentially, research is more of, ah, alone field. And I, I, you know, was interested more and business of health care. And that didn't really get into entrepreneurship until after business school. And I think I was able to take that plunge because my family who are immigrants I'm from the island Jamaica. I I watched them growing up, you know, just starting their own businesses in the restaurant industry. So after, you know, doing health, I t consultant um E m four EMR actual electronic medical record implementation about a decade ago and then being poached to work at a telemedicine company. Uh, I never looked back. I was actually more interested in practicing medicine at the time. And once I started seeing just how many problems and, you know, issues, you know, in health care, health care is broken. I just started to get more intrigued by nature. Just like solving problems. I'm so being at that telemedicine company really made me understand to the opportunities, um, which are the problems in health care which led me to to start patient Ori,
Tonya Evans, Host: 5:35
right. And, you know, that's the hallmark of every great, uh, founder and entrepreneur is being that problem solver. It's not enough, you know, to say, I really love this. I think people will enjoy it or benefit from it, but definitely drilling down. Or what are some critical core issues and concerns and challenges, um, problems in need of a solution and then focusing on that. And so I hear that very clearly in what you've shared. And so let's talk more about patient Ori. So you said a bit about why you founded it. What, more specifically were some of the issues and challenges that you set out to address into resolve? And I will say with the caveat, As a former professional athlete, it's interesting that, you know, I am no stranger to the health care system in terms of any number of explains break surgeries and things of that nature. And I also travel a lot and being, you know, I recently not so recently anymore, but moved to New Hampshire to teach and do the work in the academic space that I do and finding a primary care physician getting my patient records, and it says patient records. But I have very little control over it. And so I find it very challenging and frustrating and and starting from scratch and getting people up to speed on where I am with I'm not going to say how many decades but quite a few decades on this planet on DSO I suspect that some of that was in your mind as you started to think about what the issues and problems were and moved toward patient. Ori is being the solution.
Chrissa Mcfarlane, Guest: 7:17
Yeah, and, you know, I started patient Tory back in 2015 and really in healthcare innovation takes at least a decade. So going into it, I was no is definitely going in for for the long run. But it's now 2020 and I'm assuming you still don't even own the or your information. Um, you know, much less that that large institutional history since since time of birth and we see it a lot now you know, especially from the legal standpoint in other industries with, you know, ownership and of of information, the right to remove your information and electronic form when we look at health care. You know, just a couple of years ago they were still fax in and wrote a paper records much less to try to give that Tom to patients. And that's exactly what I had saw, you know, at the telemedicine company. Here we are. We have modern technology, but health care is still lacking. Whereas, you know, when we try Teoh get patients in to see doctors, you know, over over a nap. They didn't they couldn't provide their health information, or it was really tedious process to go through and get access to when we look at, you know, hip hop or were just the mechanisms and how they were stored. I have seen since now the Electronic medical Records company. They make it so difficult to actually be able to share that information. All right, so yeah, it's it's definitely been been a great journey. You know, I'm currently working on workgroups with a lot of you regulations and registrations that are happening now to to change that Naret. But overall, our focus is really to drive and in power. You know, consumers, patients with their data, and then when they actually have that data bills down to Okay, how can I utilize this information to better improve my home, my lifestyle, but also help, You know, your providers or my provider, um, get better insights into into treatment.
Tonya Evans, Host: 9:28
Right? So, um, you touched on a key point in terms of ownership and control of data. And yes, for my own personal experience, having Teoh, I don't know. I had to put on my lawyer hat where they probably just got so tired of me. They were, like, just give her the records, but it really was. I know we took this test. I know you need the test. Your doctor sent you here to get the test. We can't give it to you, but we can give it to him, and then he'll give it to you. And I was like, This is ridiculous. Um, and I wanted to know sooner than later. So that drills down on this point about data, which also leads to the question of why Platt chain listeners may know and I will drop links in the show notes For those who are just tuning in our no next to nothing about Blockchain or crypto currencies and crypto assets things of that nature. But because ah, Black Jane is basically a different way to store data than our garden variety database. What drove you specifically to this technology to solve for some of the challenges and problems around patient ownership of data?
Chrissa Mcfarlane, Guest: 10:37
Yeah, When we started, you know, we were really driving the a P I train were like all about AP eyes and a lot of earlier health care technologies actually went that route. But we looked at it and building is, you know, Blockchain the new Web three point. Oh, it just wasn't enough. And we see Blockchain more or less as a trust and security infrastructure because at the current moment, a lot of these electronic medical records are are siloed. There is little to no interoperability there. And then when we get into ownership, the ability to really track through an immutable ledger, you know that data becomes problematic. Um, so we see Blockchain as as that really mechanism where can start to practice that that ownership when we're talking about big data, large data sets of information and then, with our platform, the network, it's it's Ah, it's a decentralized storage system. Um, you know? So So we're actually combining the these systems onto the network, which then opens up so much more possibilities for the industry when when we talk about in sensitization access to data four research, clinical trials, etcetera.
Tonya Evans, Host: 12:02
That is so fascinating. And it really does open up this whole new world and you mentioned Web 3.0. And as we are ushering in all of these Web 30 technologies artificial intelligence, machine learning, Internet of things, five G keeps coming up and certainly distributed ledger technology in crypto assets. It really is. You know, we are based with legacy systems that are trying to reconcile how they can best leverage the technology. And I can imagine that you because this is more patient focused or I don't want to say imagine. But did you experience pushback from the Legacy Healthcare system? Because also, data is, you know, there's such a competitive market. I have some other things. I want to talk about that later, but these are still much competitors in the space, and so maybe they're not as willing to share information. So what kind of challenges did you experience when you are are interacting with health care providers in these healthcare systems?
Chrissa Mcfarlane, Guest: 13:08
Oh, yeah, that's been the biggest challenge for sure. It's just really a conservative space. Um, when we look at the hospital systems, they're more concerned about, you know, information that they're giving away as well because they don't want it. They don't want it to be easy for their actual patient population to go elsewhere. So, as you know, health care hospitals are business more than they can keep their their patients within their control. The less incentives they have to actually, you know, start to open up and share that information. So we really have to come from it from a standpoint of okay, but here is how you can actually decrease costs. I mean, most of these systems are spending normals no quarter of a 1,000,000,000 on their electronic medical record systems. Pretty expensive, You know that that's one of their their biggest at. And then the EMR themselves make it hard to actually share that data for the same reason they don't want the hospital to make it easy for them to go to another. You know, competitors or medical record company, right? Oh, yeah. So it's It's been a challenge in that sense, especially when you really think about Blockchain. I don't think any EMR is actually adopted Blockchain yet, But with the new 21st since you cures act and technical, we definitely see the push specially from, you know, Health and Human Services. I wouldn't see which has has been the talk for, like, the past 18 months in and really get in these players incentivize and and on the same page to work with under his like patient worry, which will facilitate, you know, actual patients getting getting ease, ease of access to their data.
Tonya Evans, Host: 14:54
Okay, so that leads me to one question. I just thought of Are you focused in the United States or in other countries as well?
Chrissa Mcfarlane, Guest: 15:02
We are focusing other countries as well. We'll see. The United States is definitely much more challenging because it's it's much more of a marketplace where, as in other countries, it's it's it's a one system similar to the UK and NHS. Uh, so we you know, we are looking at other areas first, which have you know, more or less Blockchain adoption at the moment.
Tonya Evans, Host: 15:27
Excellent. Yes, that you know, I see this. We see this not just in the healthcare space but on the financial services side in tech, in a range of other things, the complexity of the regulatory system here in the legislative system that has its purposes, you know, to be sure, in terms of consumer protection and all of those things. But the morass of of regulations and legislation and the number of stakeholders and constituencies can really bogged down the system. And actually, what you've said also highlights the difference. Many differences between our health care system that is also largely attached to employment as opposed to, you know, public. I mean healthcare for all some of those options in other countries. And I can imagine just navigating that is unbelievable
Tonya Evans, Host: 16:23
way. Hope you're enjoying this addition of tech intersect. Our conversation will continue in a moment, But first, a word on an exciting opportunity. The tech Intersect podcast is released to the public every Friday, but as an advantage Evans member, you'll receive first listen, access and live tech intersect connect video chats. Premium members also receive a copy of My E Book, the Gen Xers Guy to up Skilling in a wet three Point of world and unlimited access to the video chat replays and bonus episode. My pro members, ready to leverage what they listen to and learn, receive access to the up Skilling self guided course and V I. P Group coaching calls. So as you can see advantage, Evans membership adds substantial value to your podcast experience, and there are three ways to take advantage. See what I did right there? Of all that, the tech Intersect podcast has toe, So subscribe now and let's listen, learn and leverage together. And now back to the conversation.
Tonya Evans, Host: 17:38
Also, Um, I thought, Let's talk about how the services or the application works. I will drop in the show notes and also some additional information for Advantage Evans members who are going to take a deeper dive but
Tonya Evans, Host: 17:52
at a high
Tonya Evans, Host: 17:53
level. How does the at work?
Chrissa Mcfarlane, Guest: 17:55
Yes, so we are actually ability B to B to C model. So we way have both Consumer application, which is available on an APP store on the APP store and then Enterprise software solution, which actually we launch at hymns. The Sierra in Markle. Congratulations. Yeah. So the past of Isis, I would say 18 months. You know, we've been doing a beta trial test with with the consumer APP. Currently, we integrate with my Fitbit devices. Apple Watch creates, you know, a person's health data, and from there we would give them insights and recommendations. How toe improve, you know, their overall living there, their lifestyle. He also taken food and in calorie information sleep. So you know, everything that really makes up a person's physiological medical health and well being. And then from there with the enterprise solution, we focus on chronic ill patients at the moment. So, um, we we actually integrate the medical data from the electronic medical records providers that are able to create care plans based on our insights for their patients in order to reduce a lot of the costs that the system currently has with regards to readmissions, you know, duplication of tests and that care plan shows up on the actual op. So the patient is reminded to do the necessary steps and then if they're at risk for flag because, you know, off some current, the providers or care caretakers can actually take preventative measures to avoid an emergency situation. I'm from a care coordination. Tulloch's well,
Tonya Evans, Host: 19:39
so that is just so. It's multilayered and and not only focuses on ownership and interoperability, but also improving patient outcomes, which we should all be, you know, that, uh, focused on and and so I can see so many different areas. And it is great to understand now that you have both e consumer solution, but also the enterprise level solution as well, because it is a multi layered but completely integral and integrated process. The whole point of things being siloed information, people, systems, and bringing that all together in a way that it leads to better results for patients is is really an amazing not only idea and concept with something that you're actually putting to work. Now that makes me think about the fact that healthcare so intensely competitive we talked about that a bit earlier. But you wrote recently that now you're seeing more health care providers and other stakeholders form consortium in order to share the data and also the responsibilities in building new platforms, figuring out best practices and the infrastructure really to support the innovation and care and privacy and patient management. So what eyes your understanding of what led to this, I think really profound business model change from hyper competition to at least some level of cooperation.
Chrissa Mcfarlane, Guest: 21:15
Yeah, And I think, you know, we're still at the early stages of this, you know, cooperation. Whether we can say we can attribute that to the consultant firms. Oh, right. Um, but as we see a lot of it too, is there does. Recently there's been a change in just how systems are being paid. Right? So we're going from a fee for service, basis them to more of a mouth based payments. So and if you can't show that your population, you know, is getting healthier, you know, you run the risk of of actually closing down. So I think that that's also one of the the turning points as to why we can start to see a lot more collaboration. That's
Tonya Evans, Host: 22:01
interesting. I saw similar projects, although I think it may have also died on the vine. But on the entertainment side, specifically in music, where that's another hypercompetitive siloed on purpose, Um, industry, that is competing fiercely, but at a basic level. You know, there's this minimal data and information that benefits all of the competitors that they actually will be better if we know the name of the artist and whether it's been transferred and who is supposed to be paid. Etcetera, etcetera. Who's the owner? And so I can see in the healthcare space some basic information that makes all of the health care systems and health care providers function at a more optimal and efficient level in this way. And so I'm really excited about the direction of what you're working on. Tell us what you imagine for the next 2 to 5 years, which, what? You're current strategy going forward without giving away all of your secrets. And what's the plan for a patient Tory in the future?
Chrissa Mcfarlane, Guest: 23:07
Yeah, I mean, right now we're focused on adoption, right? Being in an emergence based. It's it's it's really a race to the finish line. So, you know, as we build out more of our future set, you know, we're just looking to really appeal to both our enterprise in and consumer groups. We actually just finished the Organ Enterprise Blockchain Venture Studio which was uninterested experience. I think they're one of the first venture studios to really focus on enterprise adoption of solutions in in the country. So, you know, we're definitely starting to see a lot more of the industry players. Start to Uh huh invest in just the research of it or for their organizations. Because, you know, like the Internet in the nineties, you know it's not point. It's definitely not going to go away. Silo. So that's our main goal for the next five years.
Tonya Evans, Host: 24:10
I love it, and I know no business entity or certainly entrepreneurial Endeavour can move forward without a strong team. You're the leader at the helm, but because this is tech intersect and we talk about law and and we've certainly talked about technology. But right before we close out a bit about business, how has that been for you personally and professionally, is you hold together a team from all different walks of life in a really hyper competitive industry. What was that process like for you, where the entrepreneurs who will be listening to this as well
Chrissa Mcfarlane, Guest: 24:46
Yeah, well, if I said it, it was easy. I would definitely be lying right, especially as a woman of color in in high tech and in health care where you know, majority, you know, men, especially white men. It thought it was just recently quoted in an article that stated that they're only, you know, less than 12% of female leaders in the health care industry. Well, so you know, it's and I might the first month of starting the company I got accepted to into accelerator in, actually, Boulder, Colorado, which was predominantly, you know, white white men. I was right email color there. So I would say it's definitely been challenging, you know, because of my age. So I and my race, you know, it's fun, right in a in a very conservative space. But I've definitely been able to find, you know, great advisers who were very supportive and and been able to bring together a team, Um, who who can understand and see the vision for the industry to really push forward?
Tonya Evans, Host: 25:57
That's an important part for people to understand. And you mentioned earlier. The arc of success for innovation in the space is an average of a decade right, and with so this is not for the faint of heart. But you also come from entrepreneurs and people who work from can't see to can't see ah, as my parents for sure. So you you came into the world with that entrepreneurial spark and certainly that lifelong learner and intellectual curiosity that is essential when you are working on something in believing in the vision that hasn't fully come together yet. But you still keep moving forward. That's really, really important. So tell listeners how they can connect with you and learn more about patient Ori, because I hope I'm in introducing people to something that we'll look back a decade from now, or maybe five years. You've been in the game for a minute and say, I remember when you and now we all have this happen. It's like changing our lives. So tell us again how how they can connect with you and certainly patient toward
Chrissa Mcfarlane, Guest: 27:03
absolutely well. I am on Twitter at Chris Ah familia, which is ta Any ally? A, um, you can also, you know, listen to our company tweets at patient worry. Check out our website at patient torrey dot com. You know, I'm also writing about this on Forbes, so he can check out my Forbes column and also recently published a book on Future woman and minority entrepreneurship in Blockchain and Health Care on which is also available on Amazon.
Tonya Evans, Host: 27:36
Absolutely. I'm gonna in my post grip. Inspect. I want to pump the brakes one second. Tell us about this book and you did in the notes that you sent to me. It was very prominently displayed and I walked out on all the tech. Let's take us back. There's no rush here. There's no risk. You have to talk about this book and then I will definitely drop a link in the show Notes to it for purchase. So forget what I said about ending. We are beginning again on we're talking about this book. Okay, tell me all about it.
Chrissa Mcfarlane, Guest: 28:07
Yeah, well, I mean, it's it's really more of a deep dive. I think today we gave a great overview into, you know, patient Tory, my experience as a founder, but in the book, I really explore female mindsets. Toe have, you know, as as a woman of colors, starting a business really goes into my background, you know, through my lens and how I was able to really jump off, you know, take that next step and and really go for something I was both passionate about. Believed in at a time when, you know, no one really understood what was going on or what I was talking about. Um, so, yeah, I go through through different those different mindsets and really, you know, taking on the stories of other female Tom woman of color in the space, who's who've had success it and both failures to really get a sense of how we can continue to build up our communities but also start to leave Legacies.
Tonya Evans, Host: 29:08
Absolutely. Legacy and generational wealth are critical parts, particularly in communities of color, because often times we have to start from the beginning over and over again. And we're not ever really starting over, because if you have to hit the restart button and build your own in your own generation, that means you're behind. And that, you know, becomes this process generation after generation, where we fall farther behind. Even though we also know that black women are the most educated in America. I'll drop a link in the show notes for that information that supports that that fact, but the idea of not just creating something for this moment that solves the problem offers a solution, but also with an eye toward what the generations follow will have in terms of legacy. And that's a really important part of the story. And it's what I'm so grateful that you wrote the book because people won't ever really. You know, in the 20 minutes that we have on a stage or when you're spending hours and hours behind the scenes building, people don't really know who was the genesis or the origin of what people see. They just see the final product, right? I would love to what? Sometimes I do what's called Well, you know what I am. A is an ask me anything with some of the guests who come through. And I'd love to talk a bit more about that and and and get into the heart of the book and have people understand that side of the process, which is as important as the product or the service and in solving problems. Exactly, Bakley. Perfect. Well, now we really will end. I'm so glad for the reminder again. I will drop all of this information in the show, notes Chris McFarlane. It's a pleasure. I wish you nothing but the best, and I see nothing but continued success. Thank you for joining me.
Tonya Evans, Host: 31:11
Digital health is still an emerging space, but perhaps it's being thrust into the forefront now, given the cove it 19 pandemic
Tonya Evans, Host: 31:18
that's shocked and completely upended the health care and financial systems globally issues and challenges that Chris is set out to solve with patient Torrey of managing and owning one's patient records the right to remove information and authorization is needed. Now more than ever, the health care enterprise needs to move to a universal health care system and into the 21st century and Web three point. Oh, imagine how much more efficient, private and secure patient information would be in the midst of the current pandemic with a solution like patient. Torrey. I think of the people who are sheltering in place in a state or country other than their own hometown who may have no access to their own records and that really, really has to change. But why is blocked chains distributed ledger The solution for patient ownership of data? Well, Elektronik records are mostly siloed with no interoperability. The ability to track data therefore, becomes very difficult, if not sometimes impossible. Blockchain resolves the silo problem with decentralized storage of patient data, which opens up so many possibilities for patient control for research and development. It's really a whole new world patient. Torrey and Powers end users globally with a secure platform to manage and transfer their health data to achieve actionable insights for improved health outcomes and well being. But adoption is challenging in a conservative industry built on competition and one that is not at all eager to develop a cooperative model. Perhaps the realities of this horrific pandemic might move us closer to that model, though. The ability for someone diagnosed, for example, with novel Corona virus who develops into covert 19 and who has underlying issues and may need a specific course of action or a specific drug but is in distress and unable to communicate with no family around. What would care look like if a Blockchain solution like patient Tory could provide the link between patient and provider, regardless of insurance or location or siloed information? It's truly what the world needs now, and I really look forward to seeing entrepreneurs like Risa and tech companies like patient Ori saved the day and maybe just save humanity in the process.
Tonya Evans, Host: 33:44
Okay, that's it for now. Be safe. Stay home. If you can find moments of gratitude even in the midst of all this confusion and until next time continue to shine, stay in touch with host Tanya Evans via your favorite social media on Twitter, at at Tech Into Sect and on Instagram via the handle Tech intersect. This podcast has been produced by Stephanie Renee for Soul Sanctuary Incorporated.
