Confronting Cardiology's Data Accessibility Problem, with Robert Califf, MD

At the 9th Annual Heart in Diabetes Conference in Philadelphia, PA, Robert Califf, MD, instructor in medicine at Duke University School of Medicine and former commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration, presented his perspective on the ongoing difficulties in implementation of digital technologies and preventative measures for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.

Califf discussed the shortcomings of the cardiology field and the medical industry at large in adapting technological advances to practical, clinical usability. He acknowledged the high number of new programs and mechanisms for tracking individual risk factors but expressed concern at the apparent failure to collate this data meaningfully for patients.¹

“We can really measure almost anything now about the biology, at least that we know about, and human behavior,” Califf told HCPLive. “What we’re not doing well is putting it all together in a way that actually accrues to the benefit of the patients that we’re trying to serve.”

Califf also highlighted heightened tension between the professional and business sides of the medical industry, noting discrepancies between advancements in medicine and patient burden. According to the Harris Poll, 52% of Americans believe that following social media health and wellness trends is more accessible than connecting with medical professionals. An additional 44% have delayed or skipped medical care, with 40% naming financial concerns as the driving force.¹

“There’s a very large proportion of Americans, particularly those in rural America or underserved urban areas who really have no access to the technology that we’re talking about,” Califf said. “And if we look at the growth of risk factors, obesity, glucose abnormalities, hyperlipidemia, high blood pressure, it’s out of control in this country right now, so we don’t really have to look too far.”

Califf compared the issue to the glass cockpit theory, a concept born out of the aviation industry cluttering the cockpits of airplanes with an array of tools to take various measurements to the point that pilots did not know where to look to fly the plane. A similar oversaturation of unrelated information is now facing the healthcare industry.

“Right now, our patients, and I would argue our doctors, don’t know where to look,” Califf said. “They’re overwhelmed with excess information that is not converted into knowledge the way it should be.”

Califf called out the financialization of United States healthcare, pointing out that new treatments or medications must be marketed and sold as ideas before they can be implemented into treatment arrays.

“If you want to make something, to measure something new, you’re trying to sell it into an environment which is really financially driven, not patient outcome driven,” Califf said. “And clinicians themselves now almost all work for corporations, whether it’s a for-profit corporation or an academic health center.”

Califf’s presentation ended with a call to action, stating that the industry must create methods by which patients can access the technology and treatments they need. He indicated that the focus needs to shift from developing more technology to establishing ways of utilizing it.

“We need to add the values of professionalism back into it and demand of the industry that it creates systems that enable people to navigate the information rather than purely trying to compete against each other, which has really been a losing proposition for almost everybody,” Califf said.

Califf reports the following disclosures: Verily Life Sciences, Google Health, Centessa, Inc., Cytokinetics, Inc.

References

1. Califf, R. Digital Health Technologies for Cardiometabolic Disease & Diabetes: A Perspective from a Former FDA Commissioner. Presented at the 9^th Annual Heart in Diabetes Conference in Philadelphia, PA, June 6-8, 2025.