In this episode

Malaz Boustani, MD, MPH is a leading geriatrician and professor of aging research at Indiana University Health. He is also the co-founder and Chief Innovation and Implementation Officer of IU’s Center for Health Innovation and Implementation Science. In this episode, he discusses the challenges and opportunities in adapting healthcare to an aging population. He highlights the importance of proactive, personalized care and leveraging AI, behavioral economics, and network science to improve geriatric health outcomes. He said that:

• • Healthcare must evolve to address the needs of an aging population.
  • Proactive and personalized care can reduce health risks.
  • Technology and innovation will shape the future of geriatric care.

“We don’t want to wait for the perfect solution—because every time we wait, people die in the current healthcare system…at the Center for Health Innovation and Implementation Science, our vision is transforming health for better, for all, now.”

– Malaz Boustani, MD, MPH

Key takeaways

Dr. Boustani discussed the importance of accounting for an aging population in healthcare delivery. He discussed the following themes:

Aging populations require a shift in healthcare models.

As the population at large grows older, chronic conditions like dementia and other age-related diseases are becoming more prevalent. Dr. Boustani outlined the urgency of planning for improved geriatric care as life expectancy increases. He notes two major challenges that impact care for elderly people:

• “One is very, very hard – protecting your brain. To the best of my knowledge, I can transplant your heart. I can transplant your kidney, your lung, but I can’t transplant your brain. So one major challenge is figuring out how to keep your brain as healthy as possible.”
• “The other challenge is, if you develop dementia, how can we optimize your quality of life and keep you living in the community as long as you can?”

He discussed the potential to deliver customized healthcare solutions outside of traditional hospital settings, allowing for more at-home and community-based care.
Dr. Boustani said that “the concept of an age-friendly community, age-friendly healthcare system” exists, but hasn’t yet touched the technology industry. “Can you imagine using technology to create an aging-friendly environment that allows you to stay in your community, and have embedded sensors [to monitor your health and provide reminders]? I think smart aging, aging-friendly smart communities, are the future,” Dr. Boustani said. “[But] that requires embedding technology, architects and civil engineers working together.”

Innovative thinking will drive meaningful changes forward. 

Dr. Boustani covers the mission and goals of the Center for Health Innovation and Implementation Science at Indiana University:

“I am a scientist first and physician second. As an agile scientist, it’s almost like an engineer trying to understand, predict, and then steer the behavior of one human like you, or a patient or care provider, and the behavior of organizations…at the Center for Health Innovation and Implementation Science, our vision is transforming health for better, for all, now,” he said.

“We don’t want to wait for the perfect solution because every time we wait, people die in the current healthcare system. So speed is a very specific constraint for us. I took the agile software development [process] and expanded it, as a method of doing agile science,” Dr. Boustani said.

“My ultimate goal is to eliminate ninety percent of current healthcare positions, and trying to deliver that ninety percent through a very highly engaging, human-centric avatar. [In that future], you don’t have to wait for the hours of 8-5 and face your healthcare management alone after-hours or on weekends. We don’t want you to have to wait for expensive physicians and advanced care providers. Technology can scale up our unscalable workforce and create a win-win situation.”