TheCube crew had the pleasure of interviewing dozens of technology and business leaders at last week’s MIT Information Quality Conference. Among them were a number of healthcare professionals who provided us with their unique perspectives on the industry’s efforts to harness information for the greater good.

Anthony Donofrio, the chief technology officer of Truven Healthcare Analytics, detailed how his company’s database solutions empower healthcare organizations to tap into their financial and operational data. The firm’s Micromedex platform enables doctors to reference information about drugs, toxicology and other topics related to patient care while its payment integrality suit helps healthcare organizations recover “well over” tens of millions of dollars annually.

Demand for Truven’s software is increasing thanks primarily to the rapid modernization of hospitals. Dr. Farzad Mosthashari, the national coordinator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), told theCube hosts Dave Vellante and Paul Gillen that the percentage of hospitals utilizing Electronic Health Records (EHR) increased from 9 to 43 percent since he took office in 2009. Mosthashari believes that the healthcare industry is gradually adopting a “do more, bill more” attitude. He perceives health regulations, namely HIPAA, as a catalyst for the democratization of health information.

Michael Nix, the Director of Analytics with the James M. Jeffords Institute for Quality
and Operational Effectiveness, disagrees. He said in a separate interview that
the conflicting objectives of HIPPA and ObamaCare hinder the industry’s transition into the 21st century. Nix predicts that that the rapid pace of innovation will eventually push the policy envelope, but Peter Anlyan of Anlyan Consulting insists that it’s not all about the tech. The former baseball coach believes that healthcare providers need to establish a culture of change before they can leverage their data to improve care and address business problems.

To hear the full interview with Anlyan, check out the video below.