Craig Joseph, MD

As Shared Decision-Making Ails, AI May Save This Human Interaction – The Health Care Blog By MICHAEL MILLENSON

AI could rescue shared decision-making from decades of underperformance. By personalizing options and coaching clinicians, AI can enhance, not replace, human connection. The key: empathy + tech, not automation. #MedSky

The 3 I’s of Microcopy: Inform, Influence, and Interact Microcopy can have three different purposes: informing users, influencing them, and supporting their interaction.

#Microcopy matters. The 3 I’s -- Informative, Immediate, Inherently helpful -- are a UX prescription for clarity. Whether it’s patient portals or EHR alerts, the right words reduce friction and build trust. Small text, big impact. Worth a clinical-grade review. #MedSky

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Designing for Health: Interview with Minal Shah, MD [Podcast] Explore how intentional design and innovative technology are transforming healthcare, reducing cognitive load, and improving experiences for patients and care teams through smarter workflows and AI…

AI scribes, Epic Monitor, and RTLS aren’t just buzzwords; they’re solving real problems. In my chat with Dr. Minal Shah from CommonSpirit Health, we explored how tech can reduce cognitive load and boost adoption when it’s designed with clinicians in mind. #MedSky buff.ly/kGCaT8M

Finding the A1c Sweet Spot Lowers Cardiovascular Risk Among Patients with Diabetes Facilitating rapid sharing of new medical knowledge

With 850,000+ patients with #DM2, Epic crunched some numbers and found what I think we'd all expect: the more out-of-control the glucose control over time, the higher the risk was for MI and stroke. Conversely, the tighter the glucose control, the lower the risk, to a point.

Costs and Effects of Ineffective Wayfinding in US Hospitals: A Survey of Hospital Staff Despite the extensive literature on the environmental factors that influence wayfinding, this study finds that hospital visitors in the United States still struggle with wayfinding, which indicates a potential gap between design research and practice.

Hospital staff spend ~30 min/week helping lost visitors. Poor wayfinding leads to frustration, distractions, and even incivility. Fixing signage isn’t enough; design must support independent navigation. Cafeterias and restrooms matter too. #MedSky

Pioneering an AI clinical copilot with Penda Health Study of 40,000 patient visits finds clinicians using AI copilot made fewer errors.

Penda Health used GPT-4o to reduce diagnostic errors by 16% and treatment errors by 13% across 40K+ visits. The twist? It worked because it was boring: clinician-led, workflow-aware, and triggered only when needed. AI that respects the hustle! #MedSky

Why Simplicity Can Be Strength in a Complex World - by Michael Hallsworth - Behavioral Scientist As intuitive as it seems, a complicated approach to behavioral design may not be the best response to complexity.

Simple ≠ simplistic. In healthcare, we often overengineer solutions that clinicians ignore. The EAST framework reminds us: elegant, usable tools win. Design for real-world use, not academic perfection. Think BIC pen, not Swiss Army knife. #MedSky

UX Strategies for Complex-Application Design UX in complex, specialized domains requires adapting familiar methods across the design lifecycle to address domain constraints and expert-user needs.

Designing for healthcare? Don’t just study users; study the work. In complex domains, UX must adapt to expert workflows, regulatory constraints, and real-world messiness. It’s not about pretty screens; it’s about usable, trusted tools. #MedSky

Where are all the designers? Design is and must be elevated as an integral part of corporate strategy.

Design is being quietly pushed out of the C-suite, even in “design-led” orgs. In healthcare, that’s a recipe for unusable tech and clinician burnout. Want better outcomes? Put designers in the room, not just on the mockups. #MedSky

How Penn Medicine researchers found a way to detect heart attacks more quickly Researchers developed an algorithm that reduces the time to confirm or rule out a heart attack. Two team leaders talk about the work and lessons they learned.

Penn Medicine embedded a troponin algorithm in Epic to ID or rule out MIs faster, cutting ED time by 71 mins for admits, 24 mins for discharges. There were no increase in missed events. Smart ops meets clinical rigor. #design #MedSky

To increase childhood vaccine uptake, researchers look to dental visits In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, federal data showed declining rates of childhood vaccinations as more and more people were avoiding non-emergency contact with the health care system.…

Denver Health boosted HPV vaccine rates by integrating immunizations into dental visits, where teens actually show up. Medical-dental mashups may be the workflow hack we’ve been ignoring. #design #MedSky

Designing for Health: Interview with Brandy Parker [Podcast] Discover how human-centered design and innovation are transforming healthcare experiences, focusing on increasing accessibility and trust through projects like Teal Health's at-home cervical cancer…

IDEO’s Brandy Parker joined me to discuss designing for usability and user experience in healthcare, from at-home cervical cancer screening to clinical trial accessibility. Her insights on bad prototypes and patient workarounds are must-hear. #MedSky buff.ly/RPFTSW7

Lifestyle and Cancer Survival, the Best Time of Day for Treatment, and More—Highlights From ASCO There have been intriguing retrospective studies across 10 types of cancer that have suggested that infusing immunochemotherapy early in the day rather than later increased efficacy. At ASCO, results of the first randomized phase 3 clinical trial to examine this question were presented.

AM chemo = better outcomes? A phase 3 trial shows NSCLC patients receiving immunochemotherapy before 3pm had double the progression-free survival. Circadian-aligned care isn’t theory; it’s ops. Time to rethink infusion scheduling. #MedSky

Clinical Decision Support System for Primary Care of Opioid Use Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial Question: Does an electronic health record–integrated clinical decision support system improve the diagnosis and treatment of opioid use disorder in primary care? Findings: In this cluster randomized clinical trial of 10 891 patients with or at risk of opioid use disorder or opioid overdose, patients in the intervention group had higher rates of naloxone orders and orders for medications or referrals to treat opioid use disorder than did patients in the usual care group. There was no effect on opioid use disorder diagnoses or days covered by a medication for opioid use disorder. Meaning: A clinical decision support system can increase primary care treatment of opioid use disorder.

An EHR-integrated CDSS boosted naloxone and MOUD prescriptions in primary care, but didn’t impact OUD diagnoses or medication adherence. A scalable step toward expanding addiction care where specialists are scarce. #MedSky

Tech doesn’t work: Implementation does Effective technology implementation in healthcare hinges on change management, not just the tech itself. Learn how the right strategies can ensure your investments deliver true value.

Tech doesn’t transform healthcare—implementation does. Whether it’s EHRs or cell phone pouches in schools, the tool isn’t the fix. Culture, process, and #design are. If you skip those, don’t blame the tech. #MedSky

Curbside Consult with Dr. Jayne 7/7/25 – HIStalk

What if we adopted #EHRs the way we appreciate art: through the lens of individual perception? Dr. Jayne explores how “precision adoption” could boost clinician satisfaction by aligning workflows with cognitive style. #MedSky

Designing for Health: Interview with Christian Pulcini, MD [Podcast] Discover how human-centered design and implementation science can revolutionize pediatric emergency care, as discussed in our latest podcast with Dr. Christian Pulcini.

In my latest podcast, Dr. Christian Pulcini and I unpack how human-centered design plus implementation science can transform emergency care for kids with medical complexity, turning clunky forms into real action plans that actually work. #MedSky

Simple, obvious, ignored: The real work of improving patient experience Enhance care and satisfaction using five simple, budget-friendly tips to improve patient and family experiences in hospitals.

Hospitals obsess over high-tech fixes but miss simple human basics: clear signage, sitting with patients, feeding family, preserving dignity. These small steps cost little, build trust, and drive real ROI. Start with empathy. #MedSky

Designing for Health: Interview with Randolph Bias [Podcast] Discover how effective UX design in healthcare can enhance safety, efficiency, and patient trust. Insights from Dr. Craig Joseph and Dr. Randolph Bias on In Network's Designing for Health podcast.

In my latest podcast, Dr. Randolph Bias and I unpacked why human-centered design and real-world observation beat gut instinct every time, especially when bad UX drives patients away. Usability saves money and sanity. #MedSky

Designing for Health: Interview with Karen Joswick [Podcast] Explore the complexities and innovations of value-based care with insights from Karen Joswick and Dr. Craig Joseph on the latest episode of In Network's Designing for Health podcast.

Mandatory bundles are back. I spoke with Karen Joswick about CMS’s TEAM model: why it’s a seismic shift in value-based care, how to prep your data, and why surgeons (and patients) need to be all in. If you're on the list, you're already behind. #MedSky

Exclusive: CVS lays out $20B plan to modernize US consumer healthcare experience CVS is investing $20 billion in 10 years to help upgrade the consumer healthcare experience in what it hopes will be a revolutionary change for all Americans

CVS is investing $20B over 10 years to transform consumer healthcare: digitizing services, expanding care sites, and integrating Aetna/Caremark. Expect retail disruption in primary care, PBM, and virtual delivery. Adapt or risk irrelevance. #TooHarsh? #MedSky buff.ly/SGMZWai

Because the doctor said so: How bureaucracy hijacked the exam room Physicians are burdened by bureaucratic tasks, transforming them into gatekeepers rather than caregivers. Streamlining documentation can refocus healthcare on patient relationships and reduce…

Physicians aren’t just caregivers; they’ve become bureaucratic bouncers. From camp forms to ESA letters, the paperwork is piling up. It’s time for healthcare leaders to reclaim clinical time and cut the red tape. #MedSky

Women on Antihypertensive Treatment Achieve Higher Rates of Blood Pressure Control Early in Treatment Than Men Facilitating rapid sharing of new medical knowledge

Why do women do better on anti-hypertensive meds? Not sure based on this article from Epic's #Cosmos database, but that seems like the next question that needs some answerin'. #MedSky

Designing for Health: Interview with Kai Romero, MD [Podcast] Explore Dr. Kai Romero's journey from emergency medicine to hospice care and her insights on meaningful innovation in healthcare on our latest podcast episode.

I spoke with Dr. Kai Romero about tech in #hospice, the limits of AI without clinical gut checks, and why the EMR is often a tragic memoir in disguise. Designing for dignity starts with listening. Catch the full convo wherever you get podcasts. #MedSky

Medicine & Tech: EHRs, Healthcare IT, AI and more Wharton Tech Toks · Episode

I had a great conversation with Kofi Agyare-Kwabi, an MBA candidate at the Wharton School who asked me all the good questions about #EHRs, innovation in #healthcare, and how I got to be so good looking. #Medsky

Prescriptions, praise, and peers: A low-tech burnout playbook Discover practical, low-tech solutions to combat physician burnout by addressing prescription renewals, valuing clinicians, and fostering mentorship. Simple changes can make a significant impact on…

Not every burnout fix needs a tech budget. In my latest piece, I highlight low-tech, high-impact strategies: annual Rx renewals, real-time peer recognition, and ditching useless admin tasks. Simple wins still matter. #MedSky

Designing for Health: Interview with Shreya Shah, MD [Podcast] Discover insights on AI-driven documentation tools in healthcare, featuring an interview with Dr. Shreya Shah on the Designing for Health podcast. Explore the balance between AI and clinical…

Stanford’s Dr. Shreya Shah joined me to talk #ambientAI, implementation science, and why reducing documentation burden is about more than automation: it’s about workflow, feedback, and trust. Early results? Less burnout, more joy. #MedSky buff.ly/PzJ5xhb

Identifying, Engaging, and Supporting Care Partners in Clinical Settings: Protocol for a Patient Portal–Based Intervention Background: In the United States, the landscape of unpaid care delivery is both challenging and complex, with millions of individuals undertaking the vital role of helping families (broadly defined)…

Pre-visit portal questionnaires can help clinicians hit the ground running by identifying care partners and recent changes in a patient’s health before the visit starts, leading to more focused, efficient, and patient-centered care. #MedSky

Designing for Health: Interview with Melissa Welch, MD [Podcast] Interview with Dr. Melissa Welch on leveraging data-driven care for equitable healthcare and her journey with Sprinter Health on the Designing for Health podcast. Listen now for insights.

Sprinter Health isn’t replacing primary care; it’s extending it. Dr. Melissa Welch explains how in-home, tech-enabled care bridges access gaps, boosts patient trust, and preserves PCP continuity. A model worth watching. #MedSky

Everything is negotiable! Maybe.