Tempus CEO Lefkofsky Discusses Data-Driven Medicine

Eric Lefkofsky, the Chief Executive Officer of Tempus, recently spoke to Bloomberg about data-driven medicine. He sought to explain the role of technology in managing medical records. In a world where technology drives everything, he was surprised that it is not entirely in use in the healthcare industry. Tempus is one of the companies that provide this technology with more than 250 companies on their list. During the interview, He was asked serious questions about the use of this technology, and he explained everything in detail.

Mining medical records

First, the CEO says that this technology will be used to mine medical information for individual patients. This information is to be stored in a better way than what is already in use across the world. When it comes to the provision of healthcare, one of the biggest challenges that patients and practitioners face alike is the store age of personal information. However, through data-driven medicine, these challenges will be eliminated. It may sound like a difficult task. However, there are already enough platforms to provide this information just the same way big tech companies store the data of their employees or customers.

For instance, when sequencing cancer patients, it is difficult to capture the entire information without the use of technology. Many unfortunate situations occur because doctors cannot obtain such information accurately. It is because of this that mining data at the internet scale becomes useful. In addition to that, large-scale electronic medical records are easy to keep and access. Considering that the internet connects people regardless of the distance that separates them, it will easy to access the information of such patients without having to meet them. When they travel, they will not have to worry about providing their data because it will be available at the tap of a button.

The effect on the cost of healthcare

When asked about whether the use of data-driven medicine will increase or low healthcare costs, Lefkofsky said that the main focus is on improving efficiency. He pointed out that by making it easy to access information and reducing the work of medical practitioners, the effect will go beyond the costs. It is an approach that is likely to help people access medical services faster and therefore, a lot of lives will be prolonged. When fully adopted, the CEO said, the effect will be a massive reduction in the cost of healthcare as well as improved quality health services for everyone.

Are there ethical issues?

During the Interview, Eric Lefkofsky was asked about the possibility of ethical issues. The interviewer wanted to know if there is a likelihood of people misusing such information. About that, he said that security issues remain a significant challenge to almost every industry. It is true that internet security affects even governments. However, he was quick to point out that his company can come up with programs that counter such threats. He was adamant that it is possible to store medical records and user profiles without having to worry about security issues.

About Eric Lefkofsky

Eric is a co-founder and CEO at Tempus, a company that specializes in the provision of technology-enabled precision medicine solutions. Apart from Tempus, he also helped to found Lightbank, a company that invests in disruptive technologies. In addition to that, he chairs Groupon, an ecommerce platform and is a co-founder at Mediaocean.

Together with his wife, he started the Lefkofsky Family Foundation in 2006 and uses it to private charity. He serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Chicago and graduated from the University of Michigan. Lefkofsky has authored a number of publications including Accelerated Disruption.