Kevin B. Johnson, M.D., MS

David L. Cohen University Professor, University of Pennsylvania | Project Investigator, Penn's Clinical Informatics and Health Communication Lab

Kevin B. Johnson, MD, MS is an internationally respected pioneer in the development of clinical information systems that improve patient safety and compliance with practice guidelines. Using the combined powers of biomedical informatics, bioengineering, and computer science, he develops innovative technological solutions to healthcare challenges. With clarity and passion, Dr. Johnson offers engaging and informative talks on the many ways we can use technology to make healthcare better for providers and patients, and to improve accessible science communication to general audiences in the face of rising of misinformation.

Widely known for his work with e-prescribing and the electronic health record, Dr. Johnson’s recent work explores how artificial intelligence can reinvent clinical documentation. Through his lab at Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine, he leads the OBSERVER Project which uses video and audio recordings of clinical visits to gain necessary insights to improve patient-provider interactions on both sides. The goal is to remove clinicians from the secretary position that EHRs have put them in, reduce the burnout caused by the burden of documentation, and restore a more connected patient encounter. While the visit is being recorded, AI will summarize the appointment qualitatively, quantitatively, and equitably, and provide assessment based on symptoms shared verbally as well as those captured visibly by the technology. The long-term goal is to provide real-time automated guidance.

Dr. Johnson is passionate about educating lay audiences about informatics. His podcast, Informatics in the Round, features lively, non-technical conversations on hot button cultural issues from an informatics perspective. He is a co-author and co-editor of the Who Me? children’s book series featuring scientists from marginalized groups, encouraging young children to consider careers in STEMM. He also produced and directed the documentary No Matter Where about the challenges of sharing information across the healthcare system, how these communication failures impact patients and providers, and the changes that must occur to create a safer world.

The author of over 200 publications, Dr. Johnson has won dozens of awards over his career, holds numerous national leadership positions, and serves on various advisory boards. He was elected to the American College of Medical Informatics, the Academic Pediatric Society, the National Academy of Medicine, the International Association of Health Science Informatics, and the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering. He received his MD from Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore and his MS in Medical Informatics from Stanford University. Currently, he is the David L. Cohen University Professor of Biomedical Informatics, Computer and Information Science, Pediatrics, and Science Communication at the University of Pennsylvania.

Topics

Predictive and Generative AI: Aladdin’s Lamp or Pandora’s Box?

The U.S. healthcare system's digital revolution over the past decade has transformed medicine but with unintended consequences such as healthcare provider burnout and increasing patient dissatisfaction with the experience of care delivery. AI offers hope for many, but the journey to augmented care delivery will likely come with setbacks that we can overcome with some forethought. This talk will highlight these opportunities and propose some anticipatory guidance that will prepare healthcare for AI in medicine, including workforce transformation, education, and policy/procedure change.

Health and Science Communication Tools and Techniques

In today's information-intensive world, one of the most pressing challenges we face is the effective communication of scientific and health information. Complex research and medical

advancements often remain locked within the confines of the academic ecosystem, leaving the public in the dark, or worse, providing an opportunity for the viral spread of misinformation. There are various ways to improve our science communication using graphics, video, audio, and storytelling—all of which have been shown to have higher reach than conventional manuscripts or in-person presentations. This talk will describe techniques necessary for science and health communication, including ways to distill intricate scientific concepts into clear, relatable messages that resonate with diverse audiences. Audiences will come away with a list of skills needed to navigate this unfamiliar terrain and improve the reach and effectiveness of their science.

The Past, Present and Future of the Electronic Health Record

We now have unprecedented opportunities in health care, with the promise of new cures, improved equity, greater sensitivity to social and behavioral determinants of health, and data-driven precision medicine all on the horizon. EHRs have succeeded in making many aspects of care safer and more reliable. Unfortunately, current limitations in EHR usability and problems with clinician burnout distract from these successes. A complex interplay of technology, policy, and healthcare delivery has contributed to our current frustrations with EHRs. Fortunately, there are opportunities to improve the EHR and health system. A stronger emphasis on improving the clinician's experience through close collaboration by informaticians, clinicians, and health system executives and vendors can combine with specific policy changes to address the causes of burnout.

The Salesman, Surgeon, Geek, and the Mentor: The Wind Beneath My Wings

This talk, designed for younger audiences summarizes the story of Dr. Kevin Johnson, a pediatrician and internationally known scientist, and a series of life lessons he had to learn to become comfortable as a gay, black man and successful in a new and initially underappreciated specialty.