Health Tech: Gregory Samios On How Wolters Kluwer’s Technology Can Make An Important Impact On Our Overall Wellness

An Interview With Luke Kervin

The biggest recommendation for anyone looking to make an impact with healthcare technology is to look at the end user to inform the solutions. While this may sound somewhat obvious, it is still missed too often in developing technology solutions. Companies often get excited about a new technology feature or platform and don’t take the time to really understand how it will be used in practice. We saw this happen a lot in the early days of AI.

In recent years, Big Tech has gotten a bad rep. But of course many tech companies are doing important work making monumental positive changes to society, health, and the environment. To highlight these, we started a new interview series about “Technology Making An Important Positive Social Impact”. We are interviewing leaders of tech companies who are creating or have created a tech product that is helping to make a positive change in people’s lives or the environment. As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Gregory Samios.

Gregory Samios is the President and CEO of the Clinical Effectiveness business at Wolters Kluwer where he is leading efforts to reduce unwanted variability in care and measurably improve clinical effectiveness with industry-leading solutions. Samios served as President and CEO of the Health Learning, Research, and Practice business from 2019 to 2021, and previously served as the President and CEO of Wolters Kluwer Legal & Regulatory U.S. business. He earned a Master of Business Administration from Duke University Fuqua School of Business and a BS/MS degree in Engineering from the University of Rochester.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory and how you grew up?

Thank you for having me! I grew up in what you could call an academic family. My dad worked at Brookhaven National Labs, which was one of the major research institutions in the U.S., so I was raised around science and became interested in how things work from an early age. When it was time to pursue an education, I chose to study engineering and quickly realized I was drawn to solving problems. I then decided to go to business school to further develop these problem-solving skills and to learn how to lead others in doing the same. My interest in science, along with this training, ultimately led me to healthcare.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

After grad school, I followed my interest in music and worked at one of the largest multinational music labels. While there, I enjoyed some amazing experiences, career wise and personally (as an amateur musician). A notable moment was being able to see one of Frank Sinatra’s last concerts with three of his biggest fans, all in their late 80s, and each crying with happiness. Sinatra had such charisma and displayed true showmanship even during his later years — the entire experience was one of the most memorable in my life.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

My favorite “life lesson quote” is, “If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.” I’ve always believed this to be true, but these words were even more pertinent during the pandemic, with many social activities paused and work becoming a bigger part of day-to-day life. Looking back, I think this motto really came from my dad. He worked until he was 87 and never wanted to stop working because he loved what he did.

You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

First, perseverance. I believe success comes from finding something you enjoy doing, applying yourself, and striving to relentlessly achieve your best. For me, early on, that “something” was the music industry. As my career progressed, I turned toward work that involved more complex problem solving. This pivot, along with personal growth and my evolving interests, eventually led me to healthcare.

The second character trait that I believe has contributed to my personal and professional growth is having unwavering integrity, which is essential to being a good leader. I have avoided working with leaders who seemed to lack integrity because I knew they wouldn’t create a supportive environment that would allow me to grow. In my own career, I have a deep passion for employee engagement, building communities that have open and honest interactions, and creating a place where people feel they have a cultural fit. Demonstrating integrity in my professional career has allowed me to foster these communities, as we are driven by a shared mission to support others.

Finally, I think being humble has allowed me to continue to learn and grow as my career has advanced. There are two good quotes that I think demonstrate the impact of humility well: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, do it together.” Also, “The most impressive person is the one who is most unimpressed with themselves.” I strive to become an example of the second quote.

Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion about the tech tools that you are helping to create that can make a positive impact on our wellness. To begin, which particular problems are you aiming to solve?

By improving access and efficiency, cutting avoidable costs, and driving positive patient health outcomes, healthcare companies are constantly reaching for a “North Star” goal. At Wolters Kluwer, the Clinical Effectiveness team is working towards this goal by developing evidence-based clinical content for clinicians and patients. Using digital technology to deliver this information is key, as it allows for every patient to receive the best possible care, regardless of geography.

According to a study published in JAMA, waste accounts for roughly one-quarter of all U.S. healthcare spending resulting from inefficiencies in the healthcare system. If we can ensure that everyone has affordable access to care and the most current, evidence-based medical information, we can improve the health of communities all over the world, leading to fewer healthcare disparities and, hopefully, less waste. Ultimately, this progress begins with frontline clinicians having access to the right knowledge at the right time to make the most informed treatment decisions.

How do you think your technology can address this?

We aggregate the massive flow of new medical evidence and research across 25 specialties and we synthesize it into a continually updated and easy-to-use resource that delivers treatment recommendations at the point of care. This body of evidence, delivered through our technology, supports safer, more equitable care that is also less costly. Through collaborations with providers and patients, as well as other digital health technology companies, we’re committed to reaching that “North Star” goal of healthcare.

It’s important to recognize that even the most sophisticate, expensive technology isn’t enough to make a difference in healthcare on its own. A deep understanding for how patient care is delivered must be expressed through expert content, to make a healthcare solution successful. By developing technology embedded with deep domain expertise, we can help address care variations from region to region or hospital to hospital. Additionally, as patients become more tech savvy and active participants in their own care with health apps and devices, we are meeting their desire for learning with mobile resources and platforms to easily access content.

Can you tell us the backstory about what inspired you to originally feel passionate about this cause?

The transition from music to engineering to healthcare had several dimensions and was just as much a reflection of my personal interests as it was industry growth. On the business side, I was excited to move into such a dynamic industry with unlimited opportunity going forward. On the personal side, I think if you talk to anyone in healthcare, they’ll be able to point to a story that pushed them into this field.

When I was growing up, I almost had my foot amputated due to a misdiagnosis. The first doctor my parents spoke to said that the only way to treat my condition was to amputate my foot. Thankfully, my parents went for a second opinion, and that physician picked up on a muscle problem and recommended some stretching and physical therapy for a month. That led to a full recovery. Thankfully, that second doctor was right.

This was such a distinct example of how much variability still exists within healthcare today — even for the same patient. This inconsistency in care is only magnified when you’re talking about underserved communities that may not have access to multiple medical opinions or the latest information to make these important — and potentially lifesaving — care decisions. Through our Best Care Everywhere initiative, we’re actively working to address care disparities by helping tailor care to individual needs, ensuring fair and equitable health opportunities, empowering decisions based on the best evidence, and expanding access.

How do you think this might change the world?

One of our flagship solutions is UpToDate, which is one of the most widely used tools to help clinicians make medical decisions in the world, trusted by over 2 million clinicians. As an example of how this access to information is helping clinicians deliver care, during the peak of COVID-19, UpToDate was instrumental in quickly disseminating and putting into action the latest evidence-based information about how to best care for these very ill patients.

Since February 2020, COVID-19 topics in UpToDate have been viewed over 31 million times by 1.3 million doctors, nurses, and other clinicians. We’re incredibly passionate about providing access to this content and have continued to offer free access to COVID-19 topics. As the impact of the pandemic has become more multifaceted, so has our content — the platform has helped providers navigate constantly changing research and offer important resources like easy-to-understand educational materials for health consumers across a wide range of formats. In the midst of so much misinformation, this has been instrumental to ensure patients have access to credible, evidence-based content.

Keeping “Black Mirror” and the “Law of Unintended Consequences” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks about this technology that people should think more deeply about?

We’re at the threshold of an acceleration in the impact from healthcare technology, especially when it comes to the diagnosis and treatment of disease. As patients know more about their healthcare, there could be interesting clinical and behavioral consequences. Just because we can monitor and track everything, should we? Are we ready for that knowledge and the implications of learning our future health conditions — either individually or collectively?

Right now, we’re able to capture so much information, but we are only scratching the surface in achieving its full benefit. As health consumers are being asked to take a larger role in monitoring their own conditions, from inputting symptoms in an app to using wearable sensors, we need to reinforce the value of these actions without overstating what we can do today. Recent history in digital health is littered with unfulfilled promises made about how we can use technology. We need to make sure patients understand the opportunities and limits of these emerging tech tools and are prepared for the learnings that may follow from monitoring their own data more closely.

Here is the main question for our discussion. Based on your experience and success, can you please share “Five things you need to know to successfully create technology that can make a positive social impact”? (Please share a story or an example, for each.)

The biggest recommendation for anyone looking to make an impact with healthcare technology is to look at the end user to inform the solutions. While this may sound somewhat obvious, it is still missed too often in developing technology solutions. Companies often get excited about a new technology feature or platform and don’t take the time to really understand how it will be used in practice. We saw this happen a lot in the early days of AI.

Second, technology creators should know how to leverage both structured and unstructured data, as mentioned above. After electronic health records were first introduced, we started collecting more patient data, and the volume of data has only increased with broad use of wearable, at-home technology. To extract the most actionable insights, technology solutions should be able to pull in relevant data from these sources.

Third, while delivering cutting-edge technology is important, it’s also critical that no one is left behind. As more consumers engage with smartphones, it’s tempting to use an app or web-based solution to reach them. There are, however, still many people in the U.S. and certainly globally who can’t afford these technologies or lack consistent access to broadband. Making a social impact means being inclusive of these groups and ensuring you can put the solution you’ve created into the hands of all consumers.

Fourth, invest in education around your technology. This may include short videos or content for patients to reduce anxieties before a procedure, but it could extend to providing detailed trainings for physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, and all members of a care team, including patients. Underserved communities or free clinics may rely more on nurse practitioners or associate nurses to fill care gaps, so be sure to train these providers, especially when working with vulnerable populations. Educating patients on how to talk to care teams about their home health technologies can also be as important as discussing medical conditions. This dialogue is crucial to ensure this data is used in a meaningful and impactful way.

Finally, to make a positive social impact, be sure to create continuity between a patient and their care team, including healthcare professionals, family members, and anyone else who contributes to the health of that individual. Providing consistent information to every member of the care team can help reduce confusion and keep everyone on the same page. The rise in telemedicine introduces a new element to the continuum, as care providers must be able to access the information needed to make informed care decisions in a virtual setting.

If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?

There’s a lot of pressure to be successful today — every publication has a 30 under 30 list, or something similar to recognize those who have had early success. I would argue what matters more and what young people should consider when looking to make a positive impact is being purposeful in the career you choose. And once you find something that gives you purpose, stick with it. While it may be a longer road to “success” in terms of title or salary, in the long-term you will find much more fulfillment and will be making an impact along the way.

My other piece of advice would be to look for people that have integrity and follow them. This may be companies or specific managers, but I’ve always found that surrounding yourself with people who want to do good helps amplify the impact you can make.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

I would have to say President Barack Obama because he was able to pass the Affordable Care Act. One of the problems with trying to improve healthcare is changing a system that has so much inertia with entrenched players operating with often conflicting incentives. The fact that President Obama was able to pass this massive piece of legislation and unite so many different stakeholders is inspiring. As I look towards our own goals of that “North Star,” improving patient outcomes with lower costs and more efficiency, I would love to learn from his experience.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

For more information on how Wolters Kluwer, Health is helping address healthcare disparities and drive social impact, you can visit our website here: https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/know/best-care-everywhere

I also post content on Forbes through their Business Council (https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/people/gregsamios/ ), and would welcome any connections or industry collaboration on LinkedIn.

Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational, and we wish you continued success in your important work.