Here are a few I came across last week.
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.
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https://ehrintelligence.com/news/ehr-notes-reveal-clinical-documentation-implicit-bias-concerns
EHR Notes Reveal Clinical Documentation Implicit Bias Concerns
Black patients were twice as likely to be described negatively in their EHR notes, drawing concerns for implicit bias in clinical documentation.
January 21, 2022 - Black patients were 2.54 times more likely to have at least one negative descriptor in their EHR notes compared to White patients, according to a study published in Health Affairs that raises concerns about stigmatizing language in clinical documentation and its potential to worsen racial health disparities.
Researchers analyzed a sample of history and physical notes from 18,459 patients for sentences containing a negative descriptor of the patient or the patient’s behavior.
Negative descriptors included “resistant” or “noncompliant.” The study authors said that while these and similar descriptors are not explicitly stigmatizing terms, that verbiage may convey a negative connotation in the context of describing a patient.
The research team noted that their findings are especially alarming because their analysis was limited to the history and physical notes of patient EHRs, which are often drawn upon and used by other providers.
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Updated Diabetes Standards Target Improved Chronic Disease Management
Two diabetes organizations have updated national standards to address health equality and improve care access to manage diabetes.
January 21, 2022 - The American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists (ADCES) announced new updates to the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support to address health equality and improve access to diabetes support and services.
The update, which includes some of the biggest changes since the National Standards were introduced in 1984, will provide a renewed focus on increasing and maintaining person-centered care and reducing administrative burden.
“The newly revised National Standards include revisions to help reduce administrative burden for the diabetes care and education specialist while allowing for more time and focus on providing person-centered education and care to the person with diabetes,” ADCES Chief Science, Practice and Education Officer Leslie Kolb, RN, BSN, MBA, said in a press release. “These changes address the evolving current and future workforce and health care landscape.”
Diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) services provide those with diabetes and caregivers with the knowledge, skills, and abilities crucial for effective diabetes self-management.
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https://mhealthintelligence.com/news/asco-releases-standards-on-using-telehealth-for-cancer-care
ASCO Releases Standards on Using Telehealth for Cancer Care
When using telehealth for cancer care, providers should conduct initial patient assessments, provide education about the technology, and use virtual platforms for clinical trials, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
January 21, 2022 - After conducting a systematic review of literature focusing on telehealth use for cancer care, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has released a series of standards and guidelines on employing virtual care in the oncology setting.
As telehealth use for cancer care increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, ASCO identified the need for detailed oncology-based telehealth standards to ensure all patients have equal access and are receiving quality care.
In addition to offering standards that are specific to oncology care, ASCO’s standards include endorsements of existing general guidelines from other telehealth groups.
The first set of standards focuses on patient selection and telehealth implementation guidelines in oncology. According to ASCO, using telehealth is an acceptable modality for the treatment or long-term management of cancer.
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https://healthtechmagazine.net/article/2022/01/3-takeaways-robust-digital-health-approach
3 Takeaways for a Robust Digital Health Approach
How can organizations strengthen their digital health strategy beyond a health crisis?
by Mike Grisamore
January 14, 2021
When patient consultant Stacy Hurt accompanied her son, who is nonambulatory and immunosuppressed, to dozens of specialists in 2006, she hoped at least some of the visits would take place virtually. But at the time, she was told it couldn’t be done.
More than a decade later, following the accelerated adoption of virtual care during the COVID-19 pandemic, Hurt would like to see the momentum for telehealth continue. “Just to know that we can have that option of telehealth for routine test results or follow-up visits, it eases our minds a lot,” she said during a virtual HIMSS21 session last summer.
Healthcare providers have made great strides in recent years toward better patient access, improved interoperability and stronger digital health offerings. The pandemic accelerated many organizations’ virtual care programs, and though concerns about reimbursements and federal oversight cloud a clear path toward a hybrid care delivery model, organizations continue to sharpen their focus on digital health investments.
To ensure long-lasting digital health strategies, healthcare systems need to power and protect their transformations. Modernized infrastructure, smarter virtual care solutions and safe access to patient data are key elements for a digital health approach that’s made to support the robust hybrid future of healthcare.
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https://www.healthcareittoday.com/2022/01/21/2022-predictions-for-healthcare-interoperability/
2022 Predictions for Healthcare Interoperability
January 21, 2022
As we head into 2022, we asked the Healthcare IT Today community to share some predictions for the new year. I always find it interesting to learn what people think is coming down the road. Be sure to check out all our Health IT Predictions.
If it seems like we’ve been talking about interoperability forever, it’s because we have. However, what people don’t realize is that it takes about a decade for an interoperability standard to mature. We should fix that, but it is what it is until we do. Plus, you have to remember that most healthcare organizations didn’t want to share data. That seems to be starting to change and that’s reflected in these interoperability predictions.
Here’s a look at some of the 2022 healthcare interoperability predictions we received:
Scott
Stuewe, President and CEO at DirectTrust
Some assessments say EHR companies have stopped innovating – I think this is
part of the natural cycle where companies need to catch up on an accumulation
of regulatory requirements. The market is focused on finishing incomplete work
this year to comply with mandates in the last 3 years of rules from both the
ONC and CMS. For example, FHIR access for the required scope of the information
blocking rule is becoming broadly available in certified EHRs, but appropriate
security and identity assurance remains a work in process.
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https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/ibm-sell-watson-health-assets-francisco-partners
IBM to sell Watson Health assets to Francisco Partners
The deal with the private equity firm is a "clear next step as IBM becomes even more focused on our platform-based hybrid cloud and AI strategy," said a Big Blue exec.
By Mike Miliard
January 21, 2022 10:24 AM
IBM on Friday announced a deal with Bay Area-based Francisco Partners to sell off healthcare data and analytics assets from its Watson Health business.WHY IT
MATTERS
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed by the companies involved, but
Bloomberg reports the price tag was more than $1 billion. The parties say they expect to
close the sale in the second quarter of 2022.
With the acquisition, the Francisco Partners will acquire "extensive and diverse" datasets and technology products amassed and built by IBM and its various healthcare acquisitions over the years, such as Clinical Development, Health Insights, MarketScan, Micromedex, Social Program Management and other imaging and radiology tools.
The agreement will create a new standalone company that will continue serving existing provider, imaging, life sciences, payer and other healthcare clients, according to IBM and Francisco Partners.
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Francisco Partners to Acquire IBM’s Healthcare Data and Analytics Assets
Upon close, acquisition to position new standalone company for next phase of growth
Jan 21, 2022
Armonk, NY and San Francisco, CA – January 21, 2022 – IBM (NYSE: IBM) and Francisco Partners, a leading global investment firm that specializes in partnering with technology businesses, today announced that the companies have signed a definitive agreement under which Francisco Partners will acquire healthcare data and analytics assets from IBM that are currently part of the Watson Health business. The assets acquired by Francisco Partners include extensive and diverse data sets and products, including Health Insights, MarketScan, Clinical Development, Social Program Management, Micromedex, and imaging software offerings.
The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of this year and is subject to customary regulatory clearances. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
“Today’s agreement with Francisco Partners is a clear next step as IBM becomes even more focused on our platform-based hybrid cloud and AI strategy,” said Tom Rosamilia, Senior Vice President, IBM Software. “IBM remains committed to Watson, our broader AI business, and to the clients and partners we support in healthcare IT. Through this transaction, Francisco Partners acquires data and analytics assets that will benefit from the enhanced investment and expertise of a healthcare industry focused portfolio.”
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https://ehrintelligence.com/news/dod-mhs-genesis-ehr-implementation-set-to-hit-halfway-mark-in-2022
DoD MHS GENESIS EHR Implementation Set to Hit Halfway Mark in 2022
DoD officials said that the DHA plans to deploy the MHS GENESIS EHR implementation at 54 military hospitals and clinics in 2022.
January 20, 2022 - The Department of Defense’s (DoD) EHR implementation, MHS GENESIS, will be live in more than half of all military hospitals and clinics in 2022, according to reporting from the Fort Hood Sentinel.
MHS GENESIS is the centerpiece of a larger transformation to standardize, integrate, and manage health data across the DoD and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Lt. Gen. Ronald Place, MD, director of the Defense Health Agency (DHA), highlighted the implementation’s progress among the agency’s “top six points of pride” for 2021.
“I am immensely proud of the collective work across the entire Military Health System to continue deploying MHS GENESIS during the pandemic,” Place told the Fort Hood Sentinel.
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https://ehrintelligence.com/news/greater-medical-device-data-standards-needed-for-interoperability
Greater Medical Device Data Standards Needed for Interoperability
Researchers called for the creation of a medical device data standards development organization to support healthcare interoperability.
January 20, 2022 - The healthcare industry needs better data standards to support medical device interoperability, according to an article published in JAMA Health Forum.
The authors noted that much of the existing infrastructure for healthcare interoperability has focused on EHRs. ONC mandated the adoption of HL7 Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) in its implementation of the 21st Century Cures Act, as did CMS in its interoperability rule.
However, the authors said that FHIR does not address the need for medical device interoperability. As clinicians continuously leverage medical devices, greater data standards are needed to ensure this information can be exchanged across the care continuum.
Medical devices—in clinical settings and those worn by patients—are increasingly network connected, the authors explained.
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https://patientengagementhit.com/news/social-determinants-of-health-limit-preventive-care-access
Social Determinants of Health Limit Preventive Care Access
The rate of preventative cervical cancer screenings varied across social determinants such as age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and insurance limiting underserved groups' access to preventive care.
January 20, 2022 - According to researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, underserved populations were the most likely to have an overdue cervical cancer screening, underscoring social determinants of health (SDOH) impact on preventive care access.
The JAMA Network Open study explored the link between cervical cancer screening rates and sociodemographic factors, including age, race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, rurality of residence, and health insurance type.
Using data from the US National Health Interview Survey, researchers analyzed 20,557 women between the ages of 21 and 65.
Research revealed that the rate of women without a timely cervical cancer increased among all sociodemographic groups between 2015 and 2019, from 14.4 percent to 23.0 percent.
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https://healthitsecurity.com/news/cisa-every-organization-in-the-us-is-at-risk-from-cyber-threats
CISA: Every Organization in the US is at Risk From Cyber Threats
CISA warned US organizations to remain vigilant and review guidance surrounding Russian state-sponsored cyber threats.
By Jill McKeon
January 20, 2022 - “Every organization in the United States is at risk from cyber threats that can disrupt essential services and potentially result in impacts to public safety,” the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) warned in its latest CISA Insights report.
CISA published the report in response to recent Russian cyberattacks aimed at public and private entities in Ukraine. There have been reports of defaced Ukrainian government websites and destructive malware aimed at private entities that could result in disruptions to critical functions.
Specifically, CISA warned of NotPetya and WannaCry ransomware, both of which have been deployed in the past to cause significant harm to critical infrastructure.
Despite these actions, a rare instance of US-Russian collaboration occurred in mid-January when Russia’s FSB intelligence agency detained 14 people in connection with the REvil ransomware gang.
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https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/19/22891440/internet-connected-medical-devices-vulnerable
Half of internet-connected devices in hospitals are vulnerable to hacks, report finds
IV pumps were the biggest risk
Over half of internet-connected devices used in hospitals have a vulnerability that could put patient safety, confidential data, or the usability of a device at risk, according to a new report from the healthcare cybersecurity company Cynerio.
The report analyzed data from over 10 million devices at over 300 hospitals and health care facilities globally, which the company collected through connectors attached to the devices as part of its security platform.
The most common type of internet-connected device in hospitals was an infusion pump. These devices can remotely connect to electronic medical records, pull the correct dosage of a medication or other fluid, and dispense it to the patient. Infusion pumps were also the devices most likely to have vulnerabilities that could be exploited by hackers, the report found — 73 percent had a vulnerability. Experts worry that hacks into devices like these, which are directly connected to patients, could be used to hurt or threaten to hurt people directly. Someone could theoretically access those systems and change the dosage of a medication, for example.
Other common internet-connected devices are patient monitors, which can track things like heart rate and breathing rate, and ultrasounds. Both of those types of devices were in the top 10 list in terms of numbers of vulnerabilities.
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Patients who are Black, unmarried or on government insurance described more negatively in EHR, study shows
– 20 Jan 2022
The language clinicians use in their EHR notes varies by patients' race, marital status and type of insurance, according to a study published Jan. 19 in Health Affairs.
Researchers from the University of Chicago analyzed 40,113 EHR notes recorded between January 2019 and October 2020 for 18,459 adult patients. The research team searched for sentences containing a negative descriptor for the patients' behavior, such as "resistant" or "noncompliant."
The study found Black patients were 2.54 times more likely to have one or more negative descriptors in their EHR notes than white patients. It also found patients who are unmarried or enrolled in a government insurance program had higher likelihoods of negative descriptors than patients who were married or enrolled in private or employer-based insurance plans.
The researchers concluded that EHR notes written after the COVID-19 pandemic began had fewer negative descriptors. They said the social pressures ignited during summer 2020, when protests against institutionalized racism were prolific, may have "sensitized providers to racism and increased empathy for the experiences of racially minoritized communities," but added that more research is needed.
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FHIR to play crucial role in long-term TEFCA strategy
While the coding standard is still moving along a path to maturity, industry expects it to be fully ready when timeline specifies its use.
Jan 20 2022
Healthcare leaders weighed in optimistically on the newly released federal Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement, a plan to facilitate nationwide health information-sharing that will rely heavily on HL7’s Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) standard within three years.
Mandated by the 21st Century Cures Act, the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA), creates the baseline legal and technical requirements that will enable secure digital health information exchange, leaning heavily on FHIR for data exchange.
The set of standards, including both a coding framework to automate information exchange, as well as bundles of pre-accepted coding that facilitate “use cases” or types of transactions, are in various stages of maturity and gaining widespread acceptance and being universally applied.
ONC National Coordinator Micky Tripathi said FHIR isn’t fully ready, but it will be by the time TEFCA’s roadmap for its incremental adoption is achieved. “[It’s] not at a point of maturity for network enablement,” he said at an event introducing TEFCA. “But that said, there are a number of networks across the country that are starting to either run pilots or actually starting to think about putting (FHIR capabilities) into production that would help with the scalability of a FHIR-based exchange.
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ONC touts dawn of new era of interoperability with TEFCA
Release of the final framework for the plan to facilitate health information exchange sets timeline as well as a roadmap for achieving easier data accessibility.
Jan 20 2022
The Office of the National Coordinator of Health IT released the final draft of requirements for the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement this week, launching an era many have waited for since the advent of electronic health records more than 15 years ago.
TEFCA’s purpose is to establish a universal floor of interoperability across the country, according to ONC. It will establish the infrastructure and governance needed for different networks to securely share basic clinical information with each other and will enable patients to more easily access their health information.
“Our goals are pretty simple, and simple is hard,” said ONC National Coordinator Micky Tripathi. ONC hopes its efforts with TEFCA strike a balance between “wanting to have the opportunity to bring more order to the market, to allow it to continue to progress and to serve the country, but not so much order that it suppresses or is brittle to business and technical innovation,” he said.
TEFCA will aim to establish something like a utility for health information interoperability, with larger networks called Qualified Health Information Networks (QHINs), signing legal contracts with ONC’s Recognized Coordinating Entity, The Sequoia Project. QHINs will execute certain corresponding policies within their own networks, reaching down the “last mile” to include smaller entities. Ideally, every healthcare organization will participate, making it a complete network of information. If organizations don’t join, it will lessen the value of the premise TEFCA provides, experts say.
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Like it, love it, gotta have it? A health economist on attitudes toward telemedicine
Sanjula Jain, chief research officer at Trilliant Health, says she believes some patients' reasons for using – or not using – telehealth have been overlooked.
January 20, 2022
As more data has emerged about telehealth after the initial spike in March 2020, many industry-watchers, providers and patients are seeking to dig into who's using virtual care – and who's eased off.
But it's not just about the "who," notes Sanjula Jain, chief research officer at the predictive analytics company Trilliant Health. It's about the "why" and "how" too – why are some people sticking with virtual care, and how are they choosing to engage with it?
"When you put the payers together, about 15% of Americans used telehealth during the peak of the pandemic," said Jain in a recent interview with Healthcare IT News.
She said 2020 was a year of "forced adoption" where telehealth was concerned. Patients, out of fear of going to a doctor's office, opted for phone or virtual visits where they could. Now, she said, "we're seeing that tapering."
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Why voice recognition is the new competitive battleground in healthcare's digital transformation
As ambient technologies improve, additional use cases to leverage voice will emerge – that leaves us with the question of how patients and physicians are responding to voice-enabled tools in their healthcare encounters.
January 20, 2022 12:24 PM
For a while now, we have been watching how voice-recognition based artificial intelligence tools can improve physician productivity, reduce burnout and improve the quality of the patient experience.
In addition, health systems have looked at voice-enabled transcriptions to identify reimbursable conditions identified during the diagnosis while ensuring that the diagnosis doesn't miss any critical health indicators.
It is common knowledge that the most significant burden for many caregivers is documenting and annotating clinical encounters in electronic health record systems; Voice recognition is one of many tools that can alleviate the problem and reduce clinician workloads today.
Voice-enabled tools fall in the broad category of conversational AI, along with chatbots and other productivity and automation tools. However, the maturity of the tools, especially in a clinical context, is a long way off from the promise of the technology.
Users of the leading voice-recognition tools acknowledge that the technology delivers better caregiver productivity. However, they also point out that ambient artificial intelligence, or the underlying assumption about software that can make sense of a conversation and provide clinical decision support in real-time, is still very nascent.
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Use of Voice Assistants In Healthcare Shot Up in 2021, But Does That Matter?
January 20, 2022
Over the past several years, healthcare organizations have been adopting voice assistants and other conversational AI technologies. In fact, over the past few years, the pace of adoption has gone from gradual to frenzied, according to new research from Voicebot.ai.
In 2019, Voicebot found that 7.5% of US adults had used a voice assistant for a healthcare need. Last year, however, the number shut up to 21%, researchers said. But another way, voice assistants were used in healthcare use cases by just under 20 million US adults as of mid-2019, but by 2021 the user base had shot up to 54.4 million.
During the period between 2019 and 2021, the number of people interested in using such tools climbed from just under 50% to 56%. Forces fueling levels of interest include consumer interest in gathering information about illnesses (including COVID-19), along with greater efforts by providers to offer voice-enabled features.
Even given how marked this jump in voice assistant usage is, my guess is that the increase in use and development of new voice assistant tools would have extended a great deal more if the pandemic hadn’t hit.
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https://ehrintelligence.com/news/clinician-engagement-tailored-training-key-for-ehr-implementations
Clinician Engagement, Tailored Training Key for EHR Implementations
Clinician engagement in the EHR implementation planning process may help optimize health IT to meet end-user needs.
January 19, 2022 - Proactive leadership, clinician engagement, and workflow-specific training are key to successful EHR implementations, according to a study published in JAMIA.
Selecting a new, presumably better EHR can help healthcare organizations keep up with evolving EHR-related regulations and mitigate clinician burden, the authors noted. However, ensuring the implementation is well-planned and informed by clinicians is necessary for success, they said.
Proactive leadership
The study authors emphasized that organizational leaders must create a governance structure that includes experts with operational and technical expertise to oversee the EHR transition and intervene as issues arise.
Organizational leaders should also ensure that clinicians are engaged in implementation planning and EHR configuration, they said.
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https://ehrintelligence.com/news/onc-releases-us-core-data-for-interoperability-draft-version-3
ONC Releases US Core Data for Interoperability Draft Version 3
ONC added data classes to US Core Data for Interoperability (USCDI) Draft Version 3 that aim to advance public health reporting and health equity.
January 19, 2022 - ONC has released the United States Core Data for Interoperability Draft Version 3 (USCDI v3) which includes new data classes that look to advance health equity and public health data interoperability.
Draft USCDI v3 will be open for public feedback until April 30, 2022. ONC plans to release the final USCDI v3 in July 2022.
In particular, ONC added two new data classes to USCDI v3: Health Status and Health Insurance Information.
The new data class Health Status is made up of four data elements: Disability Status, Mental Function (which includes the more specific Cognitive Status), Functional Status, and Pregnancy Status.
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https://healthitanalytics.com/news/industry-leaders-announceartificial-intelligence-coalition
Industry Leaders Announce Artificial Intelligence Coalition
In a collaborative effort, US healthcare and life science leaders are forming an AI coalition to advance innovation.
January 19, 2022 - Leaders across healthcare, academia, and technology announced the formation of the Artificial Intelligence Industry Innovation Coalition (AI3C).
The coalition will collaborate with experts from the Brookings Institution, Cleveland Clinic, Duke Health, Intermountain Healthcare, Microsoft, Novant Health, Plug and Play, Providence, UC San Diego, and the University of Virginia.
According to the announcement, the coalition hopes to develop technology to provide recommendations, tools, and best practices for AI in healthcare.
“The goal of the newly created AI3C is to establish a pragmatic coalition with public and private organizations to advance health by identifying and addressing significant societal and industry barriers,” Microsoft’s Vice President for the US Health & Life Sciences Organization, Patty Obermaier, said in a press release.
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Doctors Outside US Cannot Bill Medicare for Telehealth, Court Confirms
RemoteICU, a telehealth company that has been fighting a legal battle to enable its physicians outside the U.S. to receive Medicare payments during the pandemic, has lost its appeal.
By Anuja Vaidya
January 19, 2022 - A telehealth company's attempt to strike down a decision stating that virtual care physicians who are outside of the U.S. are not eligible for Medicare reimbursement was dismissed by a federal appeals court Jan. 18.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit concluded that the company did not provide a "concrete claim for payment" as required by the Medicare Act. Instead, the company will have to rely on hospitals to continue the fight for allowing Medicare reimbursement for telehealth visits conducted by physicians located outside the country.
In April 2020, RemoteICU, a company providing remote specialist physician services to health systems, sought to clarify whether the emergency rule allowing providers to bill Medicare for critical care delivered via telehealth — enacted soon after the public health emergency was declared — extended to physicians located outside the U.S.
The company contracts with around 60 intensive care physicians who live and work abroad but were trained in the U.S. and hold U.S. board certifications and licenses, according to the decision issued by the district court.
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https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/theres-no-magic-bullet-enhance-cybersecurity-say-experts
There's no 'magic bullet' to enhance cybersecurity, say experts
In a preview of their HIMSS22 session, panelists from the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence and affiliated federal agencies offer their perspectives on threat landscapes.
By Kat Jercich
January 19, 2022 09:19 AM
Cybersecurity has taken on increased importance in the healthcare industry, particularly as domestic and international incidents continue to dominate the headlines.
Amid this dynamic environment, experts stress that an organization's defensive strategy should be flexible and adaptable.
At HIMSS22, panelists from the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) and affiliated federal agencies will offer their perspectives on the evolving threat landscapes – and examine how various strategies can address cyber risk.
"Healthcare continues to be plagued with cyber threats that include ransomware, malware and phishing," observed Nakia Grayson, IT security specialist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
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FTC to have oversight over third-party apps for data violations
Agency will look for deceptive and unfair practices and privacy issues, but healthcare organizations still bear education responsibilities.
Jan 18 2022
The Federal Trade Commission expects to play a role in looking for abuses posed by third-party apps, which will have increasing access to patient data because of recent federal regulations.
In the past, the FTC has stepped in to address violations by companies that have misrepresented data use in the past or been negligent in protecting patient privacy, said Ryan Mehm, an attorney in the FTC’s Division of Privacy and Identity Protection.
Speaking at a symposium on security hosted last week by the Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI), Mehm said the oversight of apps will be an extension of the agency’s purview of health privacy work, especially as apps, enabled by application programming interfaces, enable more patient health data to migrate to settings not overseen by HIPAA.
However, the FTC role will not involve deeming which apps have good or bad security practices, and that will raise the ante for healthcare organizations to educate consumers about scrutinizing how apps enable downstream use of their data.
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https://www.ecri.org/top-10-health-technology-hazards-2022-executive-brief
ECRI lists its “Top 10 Health Technology Hazards for 2022”:
- Cybersecurity incidents.
- Supply chain shortfalls.
- Infusion pumps that are damaged in ways that may not be apparent.
- Emergency stockpile items that may not be ready for use.
- Telehealth solutions that don’t meet patient and provider needs, aren’t easy to use (especially for patients), and create large volumes of irrelevant data.
- Syringe pumps that deliver incorrect doses because of low-volume infusion rates.
- AI reconstruction of images from MRI and CT that may be fooled by anatomic variation, patient movement, and device malfunction.
- Insufficient cleaning and disinfection of duodenoscopes.
- Misuse or mislabeling of disposable isolation, surgical, and cover gowns.
- Wifi dropouts and dead zones that circumvent safety features, interrupt workflow, and don’t allow critical alerts to be delivered.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 18, 2022
Contact: HHS Press Office
202-690-6343
media@hhs.gov
ONC Completes Critical 21st Century Cures Act Requirement, Publishes the Trusted Exchange Framework and the Common Agreement for Health Information Networks
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and its Recognized Coordinating Entity (RCE), The Sequoia Project, Inc., today announced the publication of the Trusted Exchange Framework and the Common Agreement (TEFCA). Entities will soon be able to apply and be designated as Qualified Health Information Networks (QHINs). QHINs will connect to one another and enable their participants to engage in health information exchange across the country.
The 21st Century Cures Act, passed in 2016, calls for the development of a trusted exchange framework and a common agreement. The Trusted Exchange Framework is a set of non-binding but foundational principles for health information exchange, and the Common Agreement is a contract that advances those principles. The Common Agreement establishes the technical infrastructure model and governing approach for different health information networks and their users to securely share clinical information with each other – all under commonly agreed-to rules-of-the-road.
The Common Agreement supports multiple exchange purposes critical to improving health care and has the potential to benefit a wide variety of health care entities. This flexible structure allows stakeholders—such as health information networks, ambulatory practices, hospitals, health centers, federal government agencies, public health agencies, and payers—to benefit from TEFCA through improved access to health information. Individuals will also be able to benefit from TEFCA and seek access to their health information through entities that offer individual access services.
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https://ehrintelligence.com/news/onc-releases-tefca-interoperability-framework-for-data-exchange
ONC Releases TEFCA Interoperability Framework for Data Exchange
The TEFCA interoperability framework is set to improve data exchange for enhanced provider access to patient health information.
January 18, 2022 - ONC and its Recognized Coordinating Entity (RCE), The Sequoia Project, Inc., have announced the publication of the Trusted Exchange Framework and the Common Agreement (TEFCA) interoperability framework.
Entities will soon be able to apply to be Qualified Health Information Networks (QHINs). These networks will connect to one another to support health information exchange nationwide.
The 21st Century Cures Act calls for the development of a trusted exchange framework and a common agreement. The Trusted Exchange Framework is a set of non-binding but foundational health information exchange principles, while The Common Agreement establishes the technical infrastructure and governing approach to support data exchange.
The Common Agreement’s flexible structure allows stakeholders—like health information networks, ambulatory practices, hospitals, health centers, federal government agencies, public health agencies, and payers—to benefit from the interoperability framework through improved access to health information.
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https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/even-using-same-ehr-vendor-doesnt-guarantee-interoperability
Even using the same EHR vendor doesn't guarantee interoperability
A new study finds that only about two-thirds of data types will be "understood" by a receiving site in the most favorable cases.
By Kat Jercich
January 18, 2022 03:24 PM
A study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association found that sites that use the same electronic health record vendor are generally more interoperable than the ones that don't.
But interoperability is not guaranteed, said researchers.
"Two sites that implement the same vendor product are more likely to be able to share data," wrote the researchers. "However, interoperability is far from perfect."
WHY IT MATTERS
The researchers sought to calculate what they called objective interoperability scores using data from 68 real-world EHR implementations.
Although the researchers did not name EHR vendors – in part to keep sites anonymous – the sample included four of the seven most frequently implemented ones, they said.
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https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/hhs-dod-and-vendors-partner-critical-care-telehealth
HHS, DOD and vendors partner for critical care via telehealth
Across the country, the organizations are relieving stressed-out critical care teams and filling in where necessary to fight COVID-19. The telehealth system is ready for other disasters, as well.
By Bill Siwicki
January 18, 2022 12:22 PM
Avel eCARE, a telehealth network and virtual hospital, helped develop the federally funded initiative known as the National Emergency Tele-Critical Care Network and is now expanding its work with the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense to provide critical care expertise to hospitals and municipalities struggling with COVID-19 surges in the South.
Over the past few months, the organizations have deployed telemedicine services to support care in at least a half-a-dozen states, including Texas, Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Louisiana.
For example, in Florida, Avel eCARE partnered with EMS workers to help get Regeneron delivered to homebound patients. EMS workers administered the treatment, then Avel eCARE clinicians provided remote monitoring to ensure the patients received 60 minutes of observation, enabling EMS workers to respond to others in need and distribute care faster on the ground.
As part of the government-funded program, Avel eCARE also provided critical care consulting to a small community hospital that was inundated with COVID-19 patients. They weren't staffed to treat patients who were so sick and didn't have experience with ventilators.
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https://www.healthcareittoday.com/2022/01/18/the-health-systems-guide-to-cerner-in-2022/
The Health System’s Guide to Cerner in 2022
January 18, 2022
The following is a guest article by Jenn Hamilton, MHA, RN, CPHIMS, VP of Clinical Informatics at ReMedi Health Solutions.
Disclaimer: I love Cerner. Sure, there are other EHRs that offer value like E… never mind. I won’t mention the other players in this battle for EHR glory. This is about Cerner; the good, the bad and the possible. That’s the whole point here, as EHR consultants, our focus is helping our clinicians provide the best care possible with a software that streamlines their workflows and aids in intelligent medical decision making. Beyond that, we help health systems make the most of this significant investment in all phases of the software lifecycle from system selection to the all-important optimization phase.
So, let’s discuss Cerner. All of it. Starting with the positive.
And be sure to download our full guide to Cerner for an even deeper dive.
What Cerner Does Well
Solutions for specialties
Cerner does a fantastic job providing solutions for specialties. Cerner has carefully designed workflows that accommodate a wide array of medical specialties. These workflows include streamlined orders tailored to the specialist and documentation templates specific to their needs.
No sponsor organization necessary
With respect to the EHR ecosystem, Cerner makes it easy for organizations of all sizes and capacity to have access to a premiere software vendor. From the busy academic medical centers to the rural health clinic, Cerner has a model configured to meet those needs, while subsequently gaining access to a robust HIE. This means continuity of care for even the most remote patient populations.
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https://edition.cnn.com/2022/01/18/politics/free-covid-tests-wbsite-beta-launched/index.html
Website to order free Covid-19 tests is up and running
By Kaitlan Collins, Maegan Vazquez and Tami Luhby, CNN
Updated 2317 GMT (0717 HKT) January 18, 2022
How to get your at-home Covid-19 test for free 02:37
(CNN)The federal government has quietly launched its website to sign up for free Covid-19 tests, allowing people to order a maximum of four tests shipped directly to their household.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed Tuesday that the government website to order free Covid-19 tests is up and running as part of a "beta phase" ahead of the government website's formal rollout Wednesday morning.
"COVIDtests.gov is in the beta phase right now, which is a standard part of the process typically as it's being kind of tested in the early stages of being rolled out," Psaki told reporters at the White House. "It will officially launch tomorrow morning."
Given the formal launch wasn't expected until Wednesday, a White House official said this is only the beta phase to ensure the site works seamlessly.
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https://histalk2.com/2022/01/14/weekender-1-14-22/
Weekly News Recap
- Report says that a private equity firm is close to acquiring urgent care EHR vendor Experity for $1.2 billion.
- Ambient patient-physician voice scribing solution vendor DeepScribe raises $30 million.
- Data exchange platform vendor Avaneer Health raises $50 million in seed funding.
- Hospital-at-home technology and services vendor Medically Home raises $110 million.
- DexCare raises $50 million.
- HIMSS announces that masks will be required throughout the HIMSS22 campus.
- PerfectServe acquires AnesthesiaGo.
- Transcarent raises $200 million in Series C funding.
- Clinical collaboration platform vendor TigerConnect raises $300 million in funding.
- Aledade acquires care planning solutions vendor Iris Healthcare.
- R1 RCM signs an agreement to acquire competitor Cloudmed for $4.1 billion.
- Qlik files for an IPO six years after being taken private for $3 billion.
- Stryker will acquire Vocera for $3 billion.
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Enjoy!
David.
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