Note: Each link is followed by a title and few paragraphs. For the full article click on the link above title of the article. Note also that full access to some links may require site registration or subscription payment.
-----
Artificial intelligence identifies bacteria images quickly, accurately
Published December 29 2017, 7:45am EST
Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center are using artificial intelligence to identify images of bacteria quickly and accurately through an AI-enhanced microscope, which they contend has the potential to alleviate the current national shortage of clinical microbiologists.
BIDMC’s Clinical Microbiology Laboratory is a “hidden part” of the Boston hospital, explains James Kirby, MD, director of the lab, but one that serves a critical function in diagnosing potentially deadly blood infections which is passed along to clinicians to determine appropriate therapies.
“We have a microbiology technologist workforce, and one the things they spend a lot of time doing is looking at patient specimens in order to make a diagnosis of the type of infection people have,” says Kirby, who is also associate professor of pathology at Harvard Medical School. “That’s a very labor-intensive task. It takes time, and it takes a lot of skill.”
-----
Vermont's $44 million health information exchange in trouble
After a consulting firm found the organization not meeting state needs and lacking confidence among patients, HIE administrators are working on a plan to improve the exchange.
December 28, 2017 12:55 PM
Vermont’s health information exchange has big financial and administrative problems, and a recent review by Kentucky-based technology consulting firm HealthTech Solutions concluded that most exchange users had lost confidence in the organization.
The HIE, which is is operated by Vermont Information Technology Leaders (VITL), has received $44.3 million in state and federal funding since its launch in 2005.
The concerning review comes at a time when many state HIEs are trying to determine the best way toward financial sustainability because they are going to become critical to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT’s charge to implement the 21st Century Cures Act.
-----
Will Gathering Vast Troves of Information Really Lead To Better Health?
December 28, 20173:55 PM ET
The Mayo Clinic is building its future around high-tech approaches to research known as "precision medicine." This involves gathering huge amounts of information from genetic tests, medical records and other data sources to ferret out unexpected ideas to advance health. But one longtime scientist at the Mayo Clinic isn't playing along.
Dr. Michael Joyner is a skeptical voice in a sea of eager advocates. Joyner's lab studies exercise. It is, fittingly enough, in a hospital building founded in the 1880s. While Mayo has built all sorts of new labs at its sprawling campus in Rochester, Minn., Joyner can conduct his work without glitzy DNA sequencers and other high-tech tools of precision medicine.
And it's not simply that he's an old-school devotee. He believes that the solution to our most pressing health problems lies in thinking about whole human beings, not breaking everything down to DNA sequences.
-----
Personas and Scenarios for the National Electronic Health Record
Over 500 citizens of Ireland, including clinicians, patients, healthcare workers, carers and others from across the Health Service and broader society, all contributed to the publication of the finalised Personas and Scenarios. The Personas and Scenarios will form a key foundation for the National Electronic Health Record programme and the Clinical Strategy programme. A total of 168 Personas and Scenarios have been created and have been held up as best in class by WHO as a method of engagement.
The user-centred design development of the Personas is truly putting the patient at the centre. This type of collaboration encourages a more open and participatory democracy in our health service. eHealth Ireland worked with patients and healthcare professionals to develop Personas and Scenarios that are specific for Ireland to ensure that the procurement of an electronic health record for Ireland will be specifically designed for Irish citizens and healthcare professionals.
See here:
-----
10 Trends You Can Expect from Healthcare in 2018
With 2017 almost in the rear-view mirror, it is time to look forward to 2018 and how healthcare will evolve in this year. The last year has been an eventful one for healthcare, from the uproar in healthcare regulations to potential mega-mergers. Needless to say, it’s a time of transition, and healthcare is in a very fluid state- evolving and expanding. There are certainly going to be new ways to keep healthcare providers and health IT pros stay engaged and excited, and here are our top 10 picks:
1. The future of the GOP Healthcare bill
The Republican healthcare reform bill gained immense traction this year. In their third attempt at putting a healthcare bill forward, the senators and the White House officials have been working round the clock to gather up votes, but somehow, the reservations persist. The lawmakers have insisted that Americans would not lose their vital insurance protections under their bill, including the guarantee that the plan would protect those with preexisting conditions. However, as it so happens, even these plans have been put to rest. Perhaps sometime in 2018, the GOP may pass a budget setting up reconciliation for tax reform, and then pass tax reform. Then, they would pass a budget setting up reconciliation for Obamacare repeal, and then pass that- it all remains to be seen.
-----
5 Tips for a Strong Healthcare Data Breach Response
A good healthcare data breach response requires organizations to understand the cause, and to not just work towards an immediate cure.
December 26, 2017 - No one wants to experience an active security situation. A data breach will result in numerous sleepless nights, big expenses, and lots of lost confidence. The challenge, however, is that healthcare data is just so valuable.
In the 2017 Ponemon Cost of Data Breach Study, researchers found that the global average cost of a data breach is down 10 percent over previous years to $3.62 million. The average cost for each lost or stolen record containing sensitive and confidential information also significantly decreased from $158 in 2016 to $141. However, in the healthcare world those numbers were much different.
The Ponemon Institute calculated the average healthcare data breach costs to be $380 per record. While the average global cost per record for all industries is $141,
-----
Providers need to prepare for virulent ransomware in 2018
Published December 28 2017, 7:17am EST
Ransomware emerged as a significant threat on the worldwide stage in 2017, but new variants will challenge healthcare organizations well into 2018, with some versions of new malware not even needing a network to distribute themselves throughout an organization.
Previous variants of ransomware, particularly the WannaCry attack in May, showed the ability to self-propagate and spread across an organization’s network and on to other organizations’ networks via the Internet.
However, there are several other ongoing variations of ransomware and other malware that don’t even need a network to spread, says Kevin Haley, director of security response at Symantec.
-----
It Was a Big Year for A.I.
AlphaGo beat the world's best Go player in May. A few months later, a new version beat the human-defeating version 100 to 0.
2017 has been a booming year for the field of artificial intelligence. While A.I. and data-focused machine learning have been around for decades, the algorithmic technologies have made their presence known in a variety of industries and contexts this year.
Microsoft UK’s chief envisioning officer Dave Coplin has called A.I. “the most important technology that anybody on the planet is working on today,” and Silicon Valley companies seem to have taken that to heart: They’ve been hiring A.I. experts right and left, and with those in short supply, they’ve started teaching employees the fundamentals of A.I. themselves.
Not every A.I. achievement has been met with admiration and applause, though. Some are worried about the human prejudices that are being introduced into A.I. systems. ProPublica found in 2016, for example, that the software algorithms used to predict future criminals were heavily biased against black defendants. And earlier this year, Facebook came under fire for the algorithmically generated categories advertisers could use to target users, which included hateful groups and topics such as “Jew hater.” Situations like these have prompted experts to urge companies and developers to be more transparent about how their A.I. systems work. However, in many other cases—especially of late—A.I. has been used to good end: To make discoveries, to better itself, and to help us expand beyond the limits of our human brains.
-----
Why your doctor still relies on fax machines
December 27, 2017 | 3:03 PM
Fax machines have all but disappeared from most of our lives, except for one industry that's pretty tough to avoid: health care. If the rest of the working world has since moved on to digital messaging, why can't medical professionals?
That's the question that Vox's Sarah Kliff tried to answer in an episode of "The Impact," a podcast that takes a closer look at the way policies affect our daily lives. And in her investigation, Kliff found that it was a combination of culture and well-intended policy that's lead to the fax machine being a staple in doctors' offices.
-----
Precision medicine requires more data, sophisticated analytics
Published December 27 2017, 7:38am EST
Healthcare’s one-size-fits-all approach to treating patients must be replaced with a personalized approach to medicine that focuses on individuals and the unique needs of each family member, says John Halamka, MD, chief information officer at Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
According to Halamka, co-author of a new book—Realizing the Promise of Precision Medicine: The Role of Patient Data, Mobile Technology, and Consumer Engagement published by Elsevier—the “goal of the precision medicine movement is to give clinicians and patients access to the kinds of information needed to create individually tailored programs to treat a variety of diseases and to ward off those that are preventable.”
However, he and co-author Paul Cerrato make the case that achieving these goals “will require the collection of far more data than clinicians now collect when they evaluate patients” as well as “more sophisticated analytic tools to glean meaningful insights from the data collected.”
-----
Data breaches rising because of lack of cybersecurity acumen
Published December 27 2017, 7:35am EST
Organizations are feeling the pain of the cybersecurity skills shortage, and the situation is getting worse.
Some 70 percent of 343 information security professionals worldwide say they believe that the cybersecurity skills shortage has had an impact on their organization, according to a new survey conducted by the Information Systems Security Association (ISSA) and the analyst firm Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG).
Most significantly, the skills shortfall appears to be exacerbating the number of data breaches that are occurring. Nearly half (45 percent) of the organizations surveyed experienced at least one security event during the past two years, and 91 of the respondents believe that their organization is vulnerable to a significant cyberattack or data breach.
-----
2017 was a big year for FDA digital health regulations
With a new administrator at the helm, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration took steps toward regulating decision support, software-as-a-medical-device, mobile tech in clinical trials and more.
December 26, 2017 02:51 PM
Beyond fielding an ever-increasing number of digital health clearances, the FDA had a full plate in 2017 as it sought to revise its regulatory processes for the shifting healthcare landscape. The beginning of the year saw a new administration take the reins, and with it the nomination and appointment of a new commissioner, Scott Gottlieb.
By year's end, the new guard already had announced and implemented a firm-focused pre-certification program, released new guidances addressing provisions of 2016's 21st Century Cures Act, and outlined a handful of other ongoing initiatives that are sure to impact the digital health industry. Here's a rundown of the agency's actions and announcements during 2017.
New leadership, new approaches
Unlike his predecessors, Gottlieb had been very vocal about his thoughts on mobile health regulation prior to his appointment. Roughly one month after his confirmation, the commissioner penned a blog post outlining a plan that included clear language on which devices the agency would look to regulate, an app regulation strategy involving postmarket data collection, and other idea designed to streamline the approval process.
-----
Text Message Interventions May Help With Weight Management
Interventions classified as effective were more likely to last longer than 12 weeks
TUESDAY, Dec. 26, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Extended-contact, text-message-delivered interventions appear to be effective for weight management, according to a review published online Dec. 15 in Obesity Reviews.
J.R. Job, from the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, and colleagues conducted a systematic literature review to identify studies assessing the effectiveness of extended-contact, text message interventions for adults in supporting weight management. Seven studies were included in the meta-analysis.
-----
How do EHR vendors perform across the globe?
Dec 26, 2017 at 10:50 AM
An EHR vendor isn’t viewed in the same way in every region. KLAS took a closer look at this idea by surveying 215 organizations in 34 countries about their EHR systems.
The subsequent report, titled “Global EMR Performance 2017,” analyzes the findings.
Overall, KLAS learned the performance of vendors like InterSystems and Allscripts highly varied by region, whereas Cerner’s performance didn’t vary quite as much. Epic’s consumer base reported strong guidance, and Meditech has helped various organizations move away from legacy systems.
Digging deeper, KLAS found Epic and Allscripts are the top performers in Europe. Cerner is good at working closely with clients, but numerous organizations said it’s up to the customer to be proactive in the relationship. ChipSoft does well in the Netherlands and has expanded to Belgium, but struggles to foster strong relationships. InterSystems, however, flounders in Europe, as resource problems have caused delays.
-----
Big Data, Clinical Intelligence Markets to See Major Growth
The market for big data analytics and clinical intelligence products will continue growing throughout the coming decade.
December 26, 2017 - As consumers, regulators, and health insurers expect more and more from the provider community, healthcare delivery organizations are actively seeking out a new generation of clinical intelligence and big data analytics tools to equip them with actionable patient insights.
Healthcare organizations will continue to invest in applications, infrastructure, and supporting services to support value-based reimbursement, population health management, and patient engagement efforts, leading to significant opportunities for vendors to put their wares in front of interested potential clients.
The global clinical intelligence market is expected to see a 12.5 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2017 and 2023, says Market Research Future, with North America leading with its appetite for clinical decision support tools, benchmarking applications, and population health management systems.
-----
Maintain HIPAA Safeguards, Healthcare Cybersecurity on Vacation
OCR’s December cybersecurity newsletter highlighted the need for adhering to HIPAA safeguards while traveling.
December 26, 2017 - Healthcare organizations must ensure their staff members take proper cybersecurity precautions, including maintaining HIPAA safeguards, when they are gone for extended periods of time, according to the OCR December 2017 Cybersecurity Newsletter.
“If you’re headed out of the office for an extended absence, be aware that cyber threats continue,” OCR wrote. “In fact, some threats may be at an increased risk if you’re outside of the familiar, protected environment of the office or home.”
Individuals should bring their own power adapters and cords, the agency warned. Malware could be installed onto hotel lamps, airport kiosks and other public USB charging stations. If employees do not have access to their own charger or adapter, then they should power down their device before connecting it to a public charging area.
-----
HIT Think Evolving ransomware looms as 2018's biggest threat
Published December 27 2017, 5:12pm EST
A recent study indicated that there are an average of 130 security breaches each year and that the annual number of security breaches is increasing by 27.4 percent each year.
It’s no surprise then that, in 2018, the volume, complexity and stakes of cyberattacks will only continue to increase, with malicious actors capitalizing on the IT/OT/IoT convergence phenomenon to identify new attack vectors and wreak more widespread havoc.
As we enter a New Year, here are my thoughts for what is on the horizon for the cybersecurity landscape in 2018.
-----
2018 tech budgets to rise about 8.8% for healthcare organizations
Published December 27 2017, 5:07pm EST
Healthcare organizations are expected to increase their spending on information technology in 2018 by about 10 percent over the amount they spent in 2017, according to an analysis by Forrester Research.
The healthcare industry segment, however, will spend less than 3 percent of its gross output, or revenue, on technology budgets, the consultancy estimates.
The predictions for healthcare spending are included in a larger report that Forrester developed on technology budgets for 2018 in several industries. Overall, the report estimates a 5.8 percent increase in total technology budget spending in the U.S., exceeding $1.5 trillion in 2018.
-----
Swallowing a Spy — The Potential Uses of Digital Adherence Monitoring
December 27, 2017DOI: 10.1056/NEJMp1716206
I recently cared for a middle-aged woman, Ms. G., who presented with an acute coronary syndrome. Some years ago, she’d had a cardiac arrest and was found to have extensive coronary artery disease, for which she underwent urgent multivessel coronary-artery bypass surgery. Though we often assume that near-death experiences will motivate patients to take prescribed medications to prevent recurrence, Ms. G. was among the many patients with coronary artery disease who don’t.1,2 “I just don’t like how pills make me feel,” she told me. This time, before she underwent revascularization, we discussed the need to take dual antiplatelet therapy regularly after the procedure. Ms. G. expressed both understanding and willingness to adhere. Withholding therapy because I doubted her commitment seemed unethical, though I was not convinced that I, or her other doctors, had the tools to sustain that commitment beyond the hospital walls.
-----
Poll says US citizens worry most about health care
A poll by The Associated Press shows that Americans on both sides of the aisle are concerned about health care and doubt the government will be able to fix it. The battle over Obamacare that ended in a draw has Americans concerned that a fix in the near future is not likely.
Emily Swanson and Ricardo Alsonso-Zaldivar
Associated Press
December 21, 2017 Washington—As President Trump completes his first year in office, Americans are increasingly concerned about health care, and their faith that government can fix it has fallen.
A new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that 48 percent named health care as a top problem for the government to focus on in the next year, up 17 points in the past two years.
-----
HiRO the Drone Will Change Emergency Medical Treatment
“I remember thinking, 'I can see my grandma’s house. But an ambulance can’t get out there!'”
12.24.17 12:00 AM ET
Shortly after five o’clock on a Sunday evening in February 2013, a severe EF4 tornado ripped through Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Winds whirling up to 170 mph tore through town, warping what seemed solid and upending the community. A church’s steeple was ripped off, along with roof after roof on main street. A vehicle parked near the baseball stadium was taken up by the twister and spit out near the pitching mound in the middle of the field, according to the storm report.
As soon as he saw the wreckage on TV—homes reduced to rubble, power lines snapped, mangled trees and traffic lights—Dr. Italo Subbarao panicked.
“I remember thinking, 'I can see my grandma’s house,'” he recalled. “'But an ambulance can’t get out there!'”
That his grandmother was remote and isolated from emergency help ignited worry within Subbarao, an osteopathic physician specializing in emergency care.
-----
Image transfer challenges curtail radiologists’ productivity
Published December 26 2017, 7:25am EST
A lack of standardization of radiology diagnostic viewing platforms presents multiple challenges to radiologist workflows, hampering efforts to exchange images and collaborate on diagnoses.
These challenges frequently occur when images from other providers come to a radiologist’s facility in the form of a compact disc, which then may have to be loaded on a viewing system different from the system that the radiologist is currently using.
Consequently, three radiologists assert in a recent study, the reliable and consistent review of images from one organization sent to other organizations can be sub-optimal. The study was recently published in the journal Healio Orthopedics Today.
-----
Digital pathology lags radiology in maturity, but offers potential payoff
Published December 26 2017, 7:30am EST
When it comes to digitizing images, pathology is lagging behind radiology—but with good reason, says Jeffrey Alan Golden, MD, chairman of the Department of Pathology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and professor at Harvard Medical School.
Radiology has gotten a big head start on pathology, having converted to digital images more than 25 years ago, according to Golden. But he contends that pathology’s late adoption of digital imaging is the result of some practical and financial obstacles that put it at comparative disadvantage to its sister specialty.
“When radiology went to digitization, they saved money by eliminating the costs of film, developers, chemicals and storage space,” says Golden. “It also enhanced care because you were able to disseminate the images to where they were needed. Instead of that film being developed back in radiology and then having to be brought back to the intensive care unit, for example, as soon as it was imaged, it became digital and was available on multiple computer screens simultaneously.”
-----
HIT Think Why data infrastructure will impact AI initiatives
Published December 26 2017, 3:16pm EST
In 2017, artificial intelligence and digital transformation vaulted to the forefront of organizations’ priorities, and these technologies will continue to drive new initiatives in 2018.
Recent research suggests that the AI market will surpass $100 billion by 2025, and 89 percent of organizations say the industry is being disrupted by digital technology. For organizations toward succeed today, digital strategies must underlie the move to innovation and improve customer experience.
And to support these efforts, it’s vital for organizations to build out the necessary data infrastructure.
-----
Enjoy!
David.
I guess they did not read the patching guide
ReplyDeleteAadhaar data breach? India's national ID database with details of 1.2 billion citizens 'leaked'
Currently the world's largest biometric database in the world, Aadhaar contains the personal and biometric information of over 1 billion Indian citizens.
Anon Jan 06 @ 9:17 PM. This has some concerning familiarity to the MyHR
ReplyDeleteAadhaar started out as a voluntary programme to help tackle benefit fraud, but recently it has been made mandatory for access to welfare schemes.
Critics have repeatedly warned that the scheme puts personal information at risk" and have criticised government efforts to compulsorily link it to bank accounts and mobile phone numbers.
The government has always insisted that the biometric data is "safe and secure in encrypted form", and anybody found guilty of leaking data can be jailed and fined.