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://mhealthintelligence.com/news/partnership-to-add-virtual-primary-care-feature-to-smart-tvs
Partnership to Add Virtual Primary Care Feature to Smart TVs
Telehealth provider HealthTap has partnered with Samsung to add a virtual healthcare feature to the tech giant's Smart TVs to expand access to primary care.
October 14, 2022 - Aiming to increase access to primary care, HealthTap and Samsung are working together to create and implement a virtual healthcare feature for smart TVs, allowing patients to access primary care in their homes.
As a nationwide virtual healthcare provider, HealthTap centers its efforts around providing Americans with accessible and affordable healthcare. The organization includes a network of 90,000 volunteer doctors who connect with patients through mobile and desktop applications.
Through the new partnership, HealthTap will work alongside Samsung to add its primary care services to Samsung smart TVs. Through the service, patients can view doctor biographies and credentials to help point them to a US board-certified doctor who can best meet their medical needs. Once they have selected a physician, they can schedule an appointment and participate in the visit through the smart TVs.
“Developing a primary care relationship is critical for all Americans, and the ability to conveniently access telemedicine through a TV screen empowers everyone to take care into their own hands,” said Sean Mehra, CEO and founder of HealthTap, in the press release. “Together with Samsung, we are leveraging the simplicity and power of technology to make it easier for Americans to get the healthcare they need without the worries of transportation, work conflicts or lack of available physicians in their area.”
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How digital services can define and address inequities in sexual health
When looking at how technology can improve parts of the healthcare system, one sector which doesn’t often come straight to mind is sexual health. In a piece for Digital Health, Dr Vanessa Apea medical director at Preventx, looks into how digital services can define and address inequities in sexual health.
DHI News Team – 11 Oct 2022
In recent years, societal inequities have come into sharp focus with achieving health equity currently being a key priority for the NHS. Since its inception, the central tenet of the NHS has been to provide equal access to healthcare for all, solely on the basis of need. Whilst meeting the needs of many, the inherent infrastructure of NHS delivery results in a number of communities experiencing barriers to accessing care. The responsibility falls on healthcare providers, commissioners and wider health economy to relentlessly better define, address and mitigate these inequities.
Digital health technology – the convergence of digital technologies with health, health care, and society – has emerged as a key tool in NHS care delivery with significant capability to advance equity. Within my specialist field of sexual health, digital health is increasingly becoming an important part of health solutions. Sexual Health services have been making great strides in tackling inequalities in access, treatment and care through innovative digital solutions. These solutions span online booking, results notification, partner notification, online postal self-sampling services and more. Despite the heightened uptake of technology, challenges do persist in maximising its positive potential.
Equal access and barriers
Inequitable access to sexual health is a multifaceted problem, with many interrelating determinants that can be difficult to unravel and define. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) disproportionately affect often marginalised populations, such as racially minoritised groups, men who have sex with men, migrants and those with a lower socioeconomic status, with differential access compounding these inequalities.
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https://www.cyberscoop.com/white-house-to-unveil-internet-of-things-labeling/
White House to unveil ambitious cybersecurity labeling effort modeled after Energy Star
Written by Suzanne Smalley
The White House National Security Council will announce plans Tuesday for a consumer products cybersecurity labeling program intended to improve digital safeguards on internet-connected devices, a senior White House official told CyberScoop.
About 50 representatives from consumer product associations, manufacturing companies and technology think tanks will convene at the White House on Oct. 19 for a workshop on the voluntary effort ahead of an expected spring 2023 launch.
The White House briefly described the effort in a document it released Tuesday outlining various cybersecurity initiatives. The administration plans to start with recommending three or four cybersecurity standards that manufacturers can use as the basis for labels that communicate the risks associated with using so-called internet of things devices.
Deputy National Security Adviser for Cyber and Emerging Tech Anne Neuberger is spearheading the initiative, which is modeled after Energy Star, a labeling program the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy operate to promote energy efficiency, the senior administration official said.
“Today when folks buy tech, they buy it for a cool feature, speed to market — cybersecurity is often an afterthought,” said the official, who requested to remain anonymous to speak candidly about the effort. “Everybody realizes that it’s an idea whose time has come.”
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https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/riskiest-iot-devices/
13 Oct 2022 News
IP Cameras, VoIP and Video Conferencing Revealed as Riskiest IoT Devices
Beth Maundrill Editor, Infosecurity Magazine
IoT devices from video conferencing systems to IP cameras are among the five riskiest IoT devices connected to networks, according to research highlighted by Forescout’s cybersecurity research arm, Vedere Labs.
The company identified recurring themes in their recent research, highlighting the growing attack surface due to more devices being connected to enterprise networks, and how threat actors are able to leverage these devices to achieve their goals.
“IP cameras, VoIP and video-conferencing systems are the riskiest IoT devices because they are commonly exposed on the internet, and there is a long history of threat actor activity targeting them,” The Forescout report said.
The attack surface now encompasses IT, IoT and OT in almost every organization, with the addition of IoMT in healthcare. Organizations must be aware of risky devices across all categories. Forescout recommends that automated controls are implement and that companies do not rely on siloed security in the IT network, OT network or for specific types of IoT devices.
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https://www.healthleadersmedia.com/technology/code-conduct-unveiled-healthcare-data-exchange
Code of Conduct Unveiled for Healthcare Data Exchange
Analysis | By Scott Mace | October 14, 2022
EHNAC and CARIN have collaborated on a guide for healthcare providers, insurers, developers, and app developers.
Two influential developers of healthcare data standards have created a common code of conduct to help consumers control the exchange of their health data.
The CARIN Code of Conduct Accreditation Program (CCCAP) brings CARIN's code of conduct together with the criteria review process of EHNAC to accelerate health data exchange activities of health plans, health systems, EHR vendors, implementers of HL7 FHIR-based application programming interfaces (APIs), and third-party app developers.
The collaboration is intended to support additional levels of trust related to consumer access to health data.
The CARIN Alliance works with more than 80 stakeholders to enable consumers to obtain, use, and share their digital health information as they desire. The Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Committee (EHNAC) is a standards development organization that develops criteria for standards and accredits organizations that exchange healthcare data via electronic means.
“We envision a future where any consumer can choose an application of their choice to retrieve both their complete health record and their complete claims information from any provider or plan in the country using HL7 FHIR APIs, and the CARIN Code of Conduct has been instrumental in helping to advance these efforts,” Ryan Howells, program manager for the CARIN Alliance and principal at Leavitt Partners, CARIN's convener, said in a press release.
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CommonSpirit still working to restore EHR systems after ransomware attack confirmed
The attack affects operations across several states, with loss of access to medical records, and the scale of the data breach is still under investigation.
By Andrea Fox
October 14, 2022 11:17 AM
A major ransomware attack at CommonSpirit Health has been disrupting medical operations across several states for nearly two weeks, leaving the Chicago-based health system scrambling to maintain patient care while it conducts a forensics investigation and works to bring its electronic health record systems back online.
WHY IT MATTERS
After several days of cancellations and outage reports at CommonSpirit hospitals and medical facilities across several states, the country's biggest Catholic health system and second-largest nonprofit hospital chain released a statement this week about the widespread cybersecurity incident.
CommonSpirit officials said the attack has affected several facilities and that systems serving Dignity Health and Virginia Mason Medical Center are experiencing a minimal impact on operations.
But local news reports across a number of states provide richer detail into lost access to medical records, delayed medical procedures, canceled appointments, loss of access to patient portals and other disruptions.
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https://www.healthleadersmedia.com/technology/code-conduct-unveiled-healthcare-data-exchange
Code of Conduct Unveiled for Healthcare Data Exchange
Analysis | By Scott Mace | October 14, 2022
EHNAC and CARIN have collaborated on a guide for healthcare providers, insurers, developers, and app developers.
Two influential developers of healthcare data standards have created a common code of conduct to help consumers control the exchange of their health data.
The CARIN Code of Conduct Accreditation Program (CCCAP) brings CARIN's code of conduct together with the criteria review process of EHNAC to accelerate health data exchange activities of health plans, health systems, EHR vendors, implementers of HL7 FHIR-based application programming interfaces (APIs), and third-party app developers.
The collaboration is intended to support additional levels of trust related to consumer access to health data.
The CARIN Alliance works with more than 80 stakeholders to enable consumers to obtain, use, and share their digital health information as they desire. The Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Committee (EHNAC) is a standards development organization that develops criteria for standards and accredits organizations that exchange healthcare data via electronic means.
“We envision a future where any consumer can choose an application of their choice to retrieve both their complete health record and their complete claims information from any provider or plan in the country using HL7 FHIR APIs, and the CARIN Code of Conduct has been instrumental in helping to advance these efforts,” Ryan Howells, program manager for the CARIN Alliance and principal at Leavitt Partners, CARIN's convener, said in a press release.
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Group Recommends Policy Changes for Future Telehealth Optimization
The Bipartisan Policy Center detailed trends in telehealth use and recommended policies to support future telehealth optimization, such as removing excessive in-person visit requirements for behavioral healthcare.
October 13, 2022 - The Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) released a report that aims to support future telehealth optimization by detailing Medicare usage trends and providing recommendations for policymakers.
Located in Washington, DC, the BPC is a think tank focused on providing policy-based solutions to issues in various arenas, including healthcare, education, and infrastructure.
In its new report focused on telehealth, the BPC detailed telehealth usage among Medicare beneficiaries following the withdrawal of virtual care barriers. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the only Medicare beneficiaries who used telehealth regularly were those residing in rural communities, the report states. However, once the pandemic hit in 2020, policy changes led to an increased number of Medicare patients using telehealth.
Prior to the pandemic, the proportion of Medicare beneficiaries using telehealth did not exceed 1 percent. In April 2020, over 32 percent of Medicare claims involved telehealth. Since then, researchers have gathered data on telehealth use, including demographics and preferred virtual care channels, and examined the impact of regulatory flexibilities. These include the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) providing reimbursement for audio-only telehealth services and allowing all beneficiaries to access telehealth services from their homes.
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HHS Announces Initiatives to Address Language Barriers in Care Access
Through several language service initiatives, HHS aims to reduce language barriers across department programs.
October 12, 2022 - The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced several commitments to ease language barriers preventing care access.
“We know that people with limited English proficiency (LEP) too often face discrimination when seeking healthcare and human services,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, said in a public statement. “The risk of misinformation, the wrong type of care, or foregoing care altogether is high when language barriers persist. We’re putting policy into action to eliminate barriers to equitable care and leave no one behind.”
As a first step, HHS announced it will relaunch its Language Access Steering Committee (Steering Committee) to enhance communication with LEP patients. Alongside the Steering Committee, HHS will require all agencies to update their language access plans.
In concert with the committee relaunch, the HHS Office of Minority Health (OMH) announced it will distribute more than $4 million in grants to 11 organizations for an initiative called Promoting Equitable Access to Language Services in Health and Human Services.
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https://www.medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/covid19/101195
More Harm Reduction, Less Abstinence-Only in COVID Messaging, Experts Say
— "We know that abstinence-only doesn't work in any situation"
by Joyce Frieden, Washington Editor, MedPage Today October 12, 2022
More attention to harm reduction -- rather than totally abstaining from risky behaviors -- would improve messaging on the COVID-19 pandemic, Amesh Adalja, MD, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, said Wednesday.
"A lot of COVID-19 was abstinence-only" when it came to behavior, Adalja said during an online briefing sponsored by the Alliance for Health Policy on lessons to be learned from the HIV epidemic. "And it's not surprising that it failed. It's not surprising that most people lied about their activities. Because we know that abstinence-only doesn't work in any situation."
"For so long during the COVID-19 pandemic, that's what the actual official government policy was, even though many of us were saying, 'Harm reduction. Risk calculation. Just give people tools and they'll actually modify their behavior,' and I think that would have avoided some of the politicization that happened," he said. "If we would have had a harm reduction approach rather than the shaming and all of that that went on ... It all [involves] some COVID risk and that was just something that got ignored and hopefully now we're getting to that point."
"Always have the subject matter experts leading this," added Adalja. "When you have politicians involved, it's going to become political, just by definition, because when they view a public health emergency as a way to get a 'one up' on the other party, or they think about the rate of boosters or the low rate of boosters as a win or a loss for them rather than actually thinking about the infectious disease issue."
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https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/ai-healthcare-full-body-scanning-fall-prevention
AI in healthcare: from full-body scanning to fall prevention
The inventor of the first commercial full-body, automated scanning system dives into where artificial intelligence can play big roles in the industry.
By Bill Siwicki
October 13, 2022 10:27 AM
Deepak Gaddipati is founder and chief technology officer at VirtuSense, an artificial intelligence company that aims to transform healthcare from reactive to proactive, alerting care teams of adverse events, such as falls, sepsis and heart attacks, before they occur.
Gaddipati invented the first commercial full-body, automated, AI-powered scanning system, which is widely deployed across most U.S. airports.
He is steeped in the power of AI. Healthcare IT News sat down with Gaddipati to discuss some of his work in healthcare with AI and where he sees the technology headed.
Q. You invented the full-body scanning system. You suggest you can take this AI technology from airports to healthcare and improve efficiencies and drive better outcomes. How?
A. AI already is around us – it's in our cars, TVs, phones, favorite streaming services and much more. AI enables these devices to interpret data and make informed, unbiased decisions.
Just as airport security systems use this data interpretation to automate security processes, AI can do the same in healthcare. With AI, you can proactively and efficiently identify any threats before they become detrimental. It's a matter of training AI to find the data you care about.
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Training, Interoperability Key for Electronic Health Information Sharing
Many organizations reported that training across and within departments, as well as with patients, was a priority for electronic health information sharing.
October 12, 2022 - In a recent ONC provider-focused workshop, participants noted training, technical capacity, and interoperability as the biggest challenges with electronic health information (EHI) sharing.
More than 200 people participated in the half-day workshop. Participants explored technical approaches and lessons learned related to sharing EHI consistent with 21st Century Cures Act information blocking regulations and other applicable laws.
The workshop also explored real-world industry examples of how organizations have implemented EHI sharing workflows for authorized users, including patients.
Many organizations reported that training across and within departments, as well as with patients, was a priority for EHI sharing. Frequent provider-to-patient education helps patients understand their options to get and share their EHI.
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Children's Mercy Kansas City unveils genomic sequencing system to identify rare diseases
By Annie Burky
Oct 12, 2022 12:00pm
The Children's Mercy Kansas City Research Institute unveiled what it calls the world's most advanced genomic sequencing system to more quickly diagnose rare pediatric diseases.
With the organization's 5-base HiFi genomic sequencing method, researchers are now able to simultaneously sequence the complete genome and methylome while extracting its functions to analyze disease variations in one test. The advancement will allow for faster and more accurate diagnoses for children, especially those with complex or rare diseases that can wait on average seven years for the correct diagnosis. The method was developed as a part of the hospital’s program, Genomic Answers for Kids, which launched in July 2019.
“So we are three years in this program which aims to achieve two major missions in advancing genomic medicine for sick children: One is to advance access, so testing at no cost to patients in order to capture all the undiagnosed cases in the Greater Kansas City area,” said Tomi Pastinen, M.D., director of the Genomic Medicine Center at Children's Mercy Kansas City, in an interview. “And the second feature of Genomic Answers for Kids is advancing the technologies to diagnose more of the children that have rare diseases, because only a minority of rare disease cases in children are solved today by clinical genomic medicine test, about 30% are solved and 70% remain unsolved.”
Pastinen hopes to increase the rate of diagnosis from under one-third to half of undiagnosed cases with the new tool. GA4K was built with $18.5 million in philanthropic funding. GA4K aims to create a database of 100,000 genomes collected through the genomic data of 30,000 children.
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https://healthtechmagazine.net/article/2022/10/moving-needle-sdoh-data
Moving the Needle on SDOH Data
Healthcare organizations looking to act on social determinants of health data must standardize and improve reporting.
by Teta Alim is the managing editor of HealthTech. Teta previously worked as a digital journalist in Washington, D.C.
Across the country, agencies and organizations are taking action on data concerning the social determinants of health.
In 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services launched its latest framework for the Healthy People 2030 initiative, and SDOH was one of its priorities. A data network project targeting heart health equity in New York City launched in September 2022 with collaborations between Microsoft AI for Health and city public health leaders.
SDOH encompasses economic status, neighborhood and housing, education quality, and community support — all nonmedical areas that can impact a person’s health. That’s why more healthcare organizations are interested in collecting this data.
“Even if you’re able to pool the data, the challenge is discerning actionable intelligence,” Catherine Robison, health innovation scientist with Oracle Health, tells HealthTech. “The question becomes, what action can I take that maximizes patient outcomes while controlling costs, and what’s within my ability to influence?”
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https://ehrintelligence.com/news/most-recent-va-oracle-cerner-ehr-outage-strikes-pharmacy-services
Most Recent VA Oracle Cerner EHR Outage Strikes Pharmacy Services
The over eight-hour VA Oracle Cerner EHR Outage prevented patients from accessing pharmacy services such as filling prescription orders.
October 12, 2022 - The Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) latest Oracle Cerner EHR outage has hit pharmacy services, according to reporting from FedScoop.
On Thursday, October 6, the EHR outage was detected around 8:35 a.m., leaving veterans and active-duty service members without access to pharmacy services until the issue was resolved at 6:19 p.m.
During the downtime, functions provided through the Medication Manager Retail (MMR), Oracle Cerner’s retail pharmacy module, could not be used. One such function rendered unusable was prescription refills.
A team of Oracle Cerner engineers detected that an application package coding error caused the issue.
This most recent incident adds to a long line of EHR outages to impact VA patients.
A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request revealed that the VA has experienced nearly 500 major incidents and at least 45 days of downtime since the system go-live in 2020.
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DOD, Leidos Partnership deploys new EHR capabilities to 6 Southern states
MHS Genesis, the military's Oracle Cerner EHR, is now available to 10,000 more clinicians and providers across 18 military treatment facility commands, with new revenue cycle management tools.
By Andrea Fox
October 12, 2022 11:21 AM
The Military Health System's MHS Genesis tools now include new patient accounting, medical coding, and patient registration and access capabilities.
WHY IT
MATTERS
The Department of Defense and The Leidos Partnership for Defense Health, which
designed and developed MHS Genesis, has rolled out the new electronic health
records in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi and South
Carolina.
Along with the rollout, MHS Genesis will improve communication between the DOD’s clinical and business groups and reveal insights into costs, Liz Porter, Leidos Health Group president, said in the announcement.
"Revenue cycle is a fully-integrated platform that will replace paper-based practices and introduce a new clinically-driven patient accounting system, including medical coding software and a comprehensive billing database for the military health system," she said.
Features include electronic data interchange support with an updated front-end patient identification and registration process, said Holly Joers, program executive officer at the DOD's Program Executive Office Defense Healthcare Management Systems.
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Beamtree signs partnership to deploy AI data, decision support solutions in Saudi's public hospitals
Its solutions are targeted to be implemented in over 450 hospitals across the kingdom.
By Adam Ang
October 12, 2022 03:39 AM
Credit: Beamtree
Beamtree, ASX-listed provider of health technology solutions, has entered into a strategic partnership to roll out its AI data and decision support products in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Its latest deal with Lean, a health technology enterprise in Saudi, involves the proposed implementation of Beamtree's technology offerings in over 450 public and private hospitals in the kingdom, including hospitals under the Ministry of Health.
Those offerings include Beamtree's PICQ, a SaaS which automates the audit of classification and supports clinical record coders to improve data quality. Its AI decision support products, such as RippleDown, will also be promoted, along with its latest offerings in computer-assisted coding that facilitate real-time data analytics and decision support.
WHY IT MATTERS
Data and decision support are at the core of Saudi Arabia's national health reform programme, Vision 2030.
Through Beamtree and Lean's partnership, the companies will be able to support public health services in the kingdom to "improve the quality of hospital data and analytic insight through the audit and automation of clinical record classification."
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A Variety of Voices Needed Throughout All Sectors of Healthcare
October 12, 2022
The following is a guest article by Lori Smith, Senior Vice President of Talent at hc1.
Improving Care Means Better Representing Everyone We Ultimately Serve
As the medical community continues to develop value-based care models and focuses more on care coordination, healthcare organizations must also strive to become even more patient-centered, promoting improved care across the continuum.
It’s imperative to take into account that innovation thrives when different experiences and perspectives come together. In the healthcare technology sector, that means a variety of diverse voices need to play a significant role in developing solutions.
Creating and cultivating diverse teams is likely to lead to solutions that target a wider consumer base and the needs and preferences of diverse populations. Bolstering diversity and inclusion efforts can provide better service to every patient.
As the U.S. becomes a more diverse nation, it only makes sense that those providing care throughout the healthcare spectrum should be represented more broadly. Research has shown that diversity among health professionals leads diverse patients to be more likely to trust their healthcare provider.
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The Sequoia Project Seeks Feedback on Draft TEFCA FHIR Implementation Guide
The Sequoia Project has published a draft facilitated FHIR implementation guide, which includes proposed technical and process requirements for TEFCA data exchange.
October 11, 2022 - The Sequoia Project, selected by ONC as the Recognized Coordinating Entity (RCE) to support the implementation of the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA), has released the “Draft TEFCA Facilitated FHIR Implementation Guide” for stakeholder feedback.
The guide outlines policy, technical, and process requirements for Qualified Health Information Networks (QHINs), Participants, and Subparticipants to exchange TEFCA information using the HL7 FHIR standard.
“Since the inception of TEFCA, the health IT community has clamored for the inclusion of FHIR-based exchange,” Mariann Yeager, CEO of The Sequoia Project and RCE lead, said in a public statement. “Publishing this draft implementation guide for feedback is a critical step as we prepare to launch FHIR pilots later this year.”
Stakeholders are encouraged to review the draft document and send feedback via the RCE website through November 7th, 2022.
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MEDITECH Expands Collaborative Environments for Health IT Development
Health IT developers will have access to a collaborative environment that supports SMART on FHIR apps as part of the MEDITECH Greenfield Workspace.
October 11, 2022 - MEDITECH has announced the expansion of Greenfield, an initiative that connects communities of partners and app developers to advance health IT development.
The vendor now provides two collaborative environments: Greenfield Alliance and Greenfield Workspace.
Greenfield Alliance is a new partner engagement initiative for organizations with proven products that complement, optimize, or extend the Expanse EHR.
The initiative aims to allow for greater transparency for organizations interacting with MEDITECH. Additionally, the program is set to simplify the discovery and purchasing process for customers who want to broaden the functionality of their current Expanse EHR platform.
“Teaming with our partners in the Greenfield Alliance, we will be able to leverage our collective knowledge to get the best results from the Expanse EHR,” Jeffrey Kimball, MEDITECH associate vice president, said in a public statement. “Our customers will benefit from having a clear understanding of available complementary solutions, as well as the highest level of support from us going forward.”
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https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/asia/using-telemedicine-when-it-makes-sense
Using telemedicine when it makes sense
Patients worldwide prefer a mix of in-person and virtual care moving forward from the pandemic.
By Adam Ang
October 11, 2022 01:35 AM
During the pandemic, organisations across private and public healthcare systems have been rethinking their care delivery models.
This is one of the major trends Ronald L. Emerson, Global Healthcare Lead at Zoom, shared virtually in the keynote session, "The Rise of Digital First and Decentralized Healthcare," at the HIMSS22 APAC conference. He was joined by Benjamin Lim, Zoom's APAC Leader for ISV Platform Business, who moderated the discussion in person.
Recently commissioned research by Zoom found that patients who have used telehealth once prefer a hybrid mode of care post-COVID-19.
This has given rise to digital-first healthcare, which does not mean "digital only."
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Harnessing big data to solve healthcare's biggest concerns today
During the pandemic, next-generation analytics has driven improvements in disease prevention, outbreak monitoring, and health management.
By Adam Ang
October 11, 2022 01:30 AM
Workforce management and the rising cost of care are just two of the pressing issues healthcare needs to address today. Health systems will need to adopt big data approaches to move toward new patient-centric and technology-driven models of care in an effort to resolve such issues, said Dr Chris Bates, Director of Research and Analytics at UK-based clinical software company TPP.
In a TPP-sponsored presentation at HIMSS22 APAC, Dr Bates shared some of the latest applications of machine learning and data analytics in driving better care delivery and outcomes during the pandemic.
Using big data
On the clinical side, TPP was able to utilise millions of patient EMRs to develop algorithms that can predict if a patient has an ovarian cancer tumour and another that provides a streamlined view of patients who are most at risk of developing cancer.
Meanwhile, on the operational side, TPP helped optimise nurses' work in rural communities by developing ML algorithms. The technology was able to increase the contact time between nurses and patients by 40% and raised both patient and nurse satisfaction.
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How to Automate the Patient-Provider Working Relationship
October 11, 2022
The following is a guest article by Stephen Dean, Healthcare CRM Expert and Co-Founder of Keona Health.
Many health care professionals think the strength of the patient-provider relationship is determined solely by the face-to-face interactions between patients and physicians, and that all problems begin and end there. But in-person interactions are often not the root cause of patient dissatisfaction. Splinters in the relationship can also begin remotely, brought about by frustrating telehealth systems.
Today’s patients want seamless, holistic, and reliable health care access, self-service, and communication. They want to manage their own health affairs online—with a click or a swipe—much like they buy goods on Amazon, order transportation on Uber, or book a hotel room on Expedia. When they do call their provider, they want the service to be quick, smooth, and beneficial.
Enhancing convenience is the key to strengthening the patient-provider relationship. Today, patients’ biggest frustrations—and their lack of trust—are often the result of poor remote interactions. When they struggle to navigate your website, when they experience long hold times, when they must wait weeks for an available appointment, when they aren’t sent text updates, or when they can’t securely send a message to their caregiver.
According to HealthGrades, 80% of patients prefer physicians who offer online scheduling. ECG Management Consultants found that over 30% of patients are willing to switch to a provider who offers digital booking.
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Racial Disparities in EHR Family Health Information Present CDS Concern
Interventions to improve EHR family health information collection in historically underserved groups could help address informative presence bias in CDS.
October 10, 2022 - Members of racial and ethnic minority groups had less available family health information (FHI) in the EHR, including cancer FHI, compared to White patients, according to a JAMA Network Open study that raises concern for identification disparities in clinical decision support (CDS) algorithms.
Researchers used EHR data from two healthcare systems to inform the potential impact of a CDS algorithm that aims to identify patients eligible for genetic evaluation for hereditary breast, ovarian, prostate, pancreatic, and/or colorectal cancers based on cancer FHI available in the EHR.
Spanish-speaking patients had less cancer FHI available in the EHR, and when available, it was less comprehensive compared to cancer FHI of English-speaking patients.
“These patterns strongly suggest that patients from demographic minority groups in medical care are less likely to be identified as needing specialty healthcare services or with tailored disease prevention recommendations if identification relies on FHI,” the study authors noted.
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https://mhealthintelligence.com/news/older-adults-satisfied-with-telehealth-during-covid-19-pandemic
Older Adults Satisfied with Telehealth During COVID-19 Pandemic
New research showed that adults 65 and older were relatively satisfied with telehealth throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and desired continued access to virtual care.
October 10, 2022 - A study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) found that despite a general preference for in-person care among patients over 65, many were satisfied with telehealth throughout the pandemic and want it to remain accessible.
Amid the implementation of restrictions on in-person care during the COVID-19 pandemic, many patients and providers turned to telehealth. Telehealth helped maintain care access during this time, especially for seniors, but researchers from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center wanted to determine patient satisfaction levels among the geriatric population that used virtual care.
For the study, they sent a patient satisfaction questionnaire to 278 patients over 65, 208 of whom completed the survey. The study period ranged from April 2020 to June 2021.
The study population, all of whom had participated in a phone-only or video visit with their primary care physician since March 2020, had a mean age of 74.4 years. About 61.5 percent were female, 91.4 percent were non-Hispanic White, 64.4 percent had one or more comorbidities, and 47.2 percent took part in a phone-only visit.
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CMS seeks feedback on plans to build centralized, nationwide provider directory
By Dave Muoio
Oct 7, 2022 09:34am
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) wants public input on how best to create a centralized, nationwide directory of healthcare providers and services, according to an unpublished notice in the Federal Register and a release from the agency.
CMS said it envisions such a directory as a resource for patients seeking specific provider characteristics, such as spoken language, or comparing health plan networks.
“Easy access to accurate and useful provider directory information is critical for patients trying to find healthcare that best meets their individualized needs and preferences,” CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure said in a statement.
The directory could replace the current “fragmented” landscape of incomplete and out-of-date databases, CMS said.
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https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/guidelines-use-ai-healthcare-are-track-says-chai
Guidelines for use of AI in healthcare are on track, says CHAI
After two intensive workshops, the Coalition for AI Health is preparing to ready guidelines for the responsible use of algorithms in clinical settings.
By Andrea Fox
October 10, 2022 09:56 AM
The Coalition for AI Health has announced it will meet this month to finalize its consensus-driven framework and share recommendations by year-end in a progress update.
WHY IT MATTERS
CHAI convened in December to develop consensus and mutual understanding with goals to tame the drive to buy artificial intelligence and machine learning products in healthcare and arm health IT decision-makers with academic research and vetted guidelines to help them choose dependable technologies that provide value.
Through October 14, CHAI is accepting public comments on its work examining testability, usability and safety at a workshop with subject-matter experts from healthcare and other industries the organization held in July.
Previously, CHAI produced a sizable paper on bias, equity and fairness based on a two-day convening and accepted public comments until the end of last month. The result will be a framework, the "Guidelines for the Responsible Use of AI in Healthcare," that intentionally fosters resilient AI assurance, safety and security, according to the October 6 progress update.
"Application of AI brings a tremendous benefit for patient care, but so is its potential to exacerbate inequity in healthcare," said Dr. John Halamka, president of Mayo Clinic Platform and cofounder of the coalition in the update.
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Why Electronic Health Record Interoperability is a Key Step Toward Fair Drug Prices
October 10, 2022
The following is a guest article by Girisha Fernando, Founder and CEO at Lyfegen.
Changes are afoot in the way insurers and governments pay for the drugs and treatments patients need-and a big part of that change includes a move towards value-based contracting, with prices set based on the outcome of treatments. With recent legislation allowing Medicare to negotiate prices, it’s likely that the movement will grow, given the high and constantly rising costs of pharmaceuticals, especially gene therapies and other innovative or personalized drugs. Indeed, some drug companies offering very high-priced treatments have already adopted VBP, promising reimbursements to payers if a drug doesn’t work as promised.
That VBP is on the way to the private sector is clear, as more private health organizations adopt the model. Insurers both large and small, for example, are partnering or even acquiring organizations that specialize in VBP; the same goes for physicians groups and groups that provide home care. In the public sector, in addition to the changes recently passed by Congress requiring Medicare to negotiate some drug prices, a proposed change in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule is also likely to further push adoption of VBP, experts believe.
But VBP has a ways to go before it becomes mainstream; in 2022, just 15% of all US physicians were working with a VBP program of any sort.
One important factor that is key to the growth and success of VBP – and making the transition to it smoother – is to expand the use of electronic health records (EHR). This provides a common system where all parties will have access to the health history of a patient, including their current and past treatments, the drugs they have been prescribed, and their outcomes – all key data components needed to make VBP work.
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Education is crucial in making the most of new technologies
Effective, ongoing initiatives get clinicians to the point where they don’t have to think about how to use the technology; it becomes truly reflexive.
Oct 05 2022
Editor-in-Chief, HDM
Last week, I attended the American Medical Group Association’s Innovation, Quality & Leadership Conference in Dallas, where I spoke at a session about emerging technologies that could impact healthcare.
I’ll give you the same disclaimer I gave to the AMGA audience: I speak to experts and pull together what they tell me into stories. I learn from them and relay what they tell me.
To prepare for my presentation, I solicited advice from our readers as well as a couple of trusted experts in the field. Based on their input, one message that I shared at AMGA was to avoid lathering on even more gee-whiz technology without first conducting a meaningful assessment of its true value.
Thomas Selva, MD, CMIO, MU Health Care
"Automating bad processes is why our bedside nurses are looking for a different job in nursing.”
As one reader told me: “We are increasingly adding new technologies. You can’t treat being overweight by loosening your belt.”
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Staff shortages, clinician burnout weigh heavily on CEOs
Technology has added to the burden for clinicians. Organizations’ leaders are now demanding, instead, that it lighten their loads.
Sep 07 2022
Editor in Chief, HDM
Healthcare CEOs are facing many challenges in directing their institutions – some have a familiar theme, others are new threats, but most of them have been exacerbated by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
These difficulties involve financial problems that have beset organizations for years, but also concern resources that are at the heart of running healthcare organizations – as well as the core of their missions.
Identifying and managing these challenges will take a mix of technology, management and leadership that will test CEOs, according to leaders of healthcare information technology and service companies queried by Health Data Management to assess emerging challenges facing providers and the industry.
The companies spotlighted in the interviews are the highest performing firms in healthcare as recognized by the annual Best of KLAS recognition program, selected by the consultancy because of recognition from customers for their responsiveness to clients, the quality of their products and their knowledge of the industry. These firms, featured in a new series of insights from Health Data Management, Beyond the Rankings, offer a range of products and services, including electronic health records, enterprise resource planning, artificial intelligence, consulting services and more.
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Enjoy!
David.
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