Better by the Numbers

Fixing Health Care Data Gaps with Dr. Ruben Nazario

Dr. Ruben Nazario joins Better By The Numbers to unpack one of the biggest hidden problems in modern healthcare: why critical patient data often gets lost between providers, labs, payers, and electronic health record systems. As a physician executive in clinical informatics, Dr. Nazario works at the intersection of medicine, data infrastructure, and healthcare operations, helping organizations improve how clinical information is captured, standardized, and used for patient care. In this episode, he explains how fragmented systems, unstructured lab data, and information silos can delay diagnoses, create care gaps, and impact clinical decision-making. From risk adjustment and prior authorization to semantic interoperability and healthcare regulations, this conversation reveals what really happens to patient data after it leaves the chart — and why fixing these systems is critical for the future of medicine. If you’ve ever wondered why healthcare still struggles with disconnected records, delayed lab results, and inefficient workflows despite advances in technology, this episode gives you an inside look at the systems shaping modern patient care.

Personalized AML Therapy Guided by Cytogenetics and NGS with Dr. Bhavana "Tina" Bhatnagar

How does genetic testing actually change cancer outcomes? In this episode, Dr. Tina Bhatnagar breaks down how advances in cytogenetics, molecular profiling, and MRD testing are transforming the way acute myeloid leukemia is diagnosed, risk-stratified, and treated. From real clinical decision-making to the future of personalized oncology, this conversation shows how lab data is turning one-size-fits-all care into targeted, measurable treatment strategies.

Expanding Access to Pediatric Cardiac Genetic Testing in Rural Communities with Dr. Shannon Blalock

Dr. Shannon Blaylock shares how she is delivering pediatric cardiac care across a massive rural region by rethinking how labs and genetic testing are accessed and applied. From diagnosing missed chromosomal conditions to using tele-genetics and in-office workflows, she reveals how a wider clinical lens can uncover life-changing insights for both patients and their families, often years earlier than expected.

How Clinicians Are Using Nervous System Science to Treat Chronic Pain & Addiction with Dr. Mel Pohl

Dr. Mel Pohl discusses his path into medicine, the connection between chronic pain and addiction as nervous system conditions, the role of polyvagal theory and cell danger response, the future of lab testing in addiction and chronic pain care, and the mindset shift for clinicians. He also emphasizes the importance of integrating nervous system science with measurable biology and presenting results to patients with safety and agency. Takeaways * Chronic pain and addiction are nervous system conditions. * Polyvagal theory and cell danger response play a crucial role in understanding chronic pain and addiction. * The future of lab testing in addiction and chronic pain care will focus on quantifying autonomic state through biomarkers and identifying biological stuckness in the cell danger response. Chapters * 00:00 Introduction to Dr. Mel Pohl * 07:22 Polyvagal Theory and Cell Danger Response * 13:01 Future of Testing in Addiction and Chronic Pain Care * 18:20 Identifying Biological Stuckness in Cell Danger Response * 25:41 Presenting Results to Patients with Safety and Agency

Using Lab Testing & Biometrics to Improve Mental Health Outcomes with Dr. Nathan Carroll

Dr. Nathan Carroll, an internationally recognized board-certified psychiatrist, discusses how lab testing is used in modern mental health care. He covers everything from foundational labs like A1C, thyroid, and metabolic panels to the growing role of biometric data and emerging technologies. Dr. Carroll shares how objective data can support better clinical decisions, why many practitioners overlook the basics, and how to take a practical, patient-centered approach to testing. The conversation also touches on real-world challenges like patient resistance, cost, and how empathy plays a role in improving adherence and outcomes. Takeaways * Basic lab testing like A1C, thyroid, and metabolic panels is often underutilized in psychiatry * Objective data can improve clinical decision-making without overcomplicating care * Combining biometrics with lab data is becoming more relevant in mental health care * Patient adherence often depends on how testing is explained and introduced * A balanced approach matters, avoiding both over-testing and under-testing Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Dr. Nathan Carroll 05:47 Lab Testing and Technology Integration 12:03 Challenges in Lab Testing 17:42 Role of Testing in Psychiatry 23:26 Empathy in Patient Care