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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VA Medical Center Shrinks Workforce to Address EHRM Budget Shortfalls
VA leaders asked Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center to reduce its employee workforce to offset EHRM budget concerns regarding increased payroll and reduced revenue.
December 30, 2022 - The rising budget associated with the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM) project has led to workforce cuts at Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center, according to reporting from The Spokesman-Review.
Since the start of its implementation, the Oracle Cerner EHR system has been plagued by prescription errors, incorrect patient information, and delays in follow-up care caused by lost referrals.
An investigation at current implementation sites revealed nearly 500 major incidents and at least 45 days of downtime have been recorded with the Oracle Cerner EHR system since the system go-live in 2020.
Additionally, the Oracle Cerner EHR system had 930 hours of “incomplete functionality” and 40 hours of “outage” between Sept. 8, 2020, and June 10, 2022.
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https://mhealthintelligence.com/news/patients-satisfied-with-sdoh-needs-addressed-via-telehealth
Patients Satisfied with SDOH Needs Addressed Via Telehealth
Survey results show that patients were satisfied with clinicians using telehealth to tackle social determinants of health needs, with 63 percent saying that their medical and social needs were met.
December 30, 2022 - Published in Cureus, a recent survey indicated that most patients were satisfied with telehealth, stating that their medical and social concerns were met during virtual visits, which supports the future use of virtual care to address social determinants of health (SDOH).
Amid the rapid uptake of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic, patient satisfaction remains a key factor contributing to the high usage of this modality. In addition, the pandemic highlighted how SDOH impacts patient care.
Researchers conducted a survey to review levels of patient satisfaction with the care they receive through telehealth and whether clinicians could address both medical and social needs through virtual care.
The survey polled patients at a university-affiliated primary care training clinic in Detroit. The survey aimed to gauge patient satisfaction with the technical components of their virtual visit, the visit, and the screening tool used to assess SDOH needs.
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Pro-Russian Hacktivist Group KillNet Poses Threat to US Healthcare Cybersecurity
HC3 warned the sector of a pro-Russian hacktivist group called KillNet, which could endanger healthcare cybersecurity.
By Jill McKeon
December 30, 2022 - The Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Center (HC3) issued an analyst note about KillNet, a pro-Russian hacktivist group that is known to be a threat to the US healthcare sector. The group has been active since at least January 2022 and is known for executing distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks against countries supporting Ukraine.
“While KillNet’s DDoS attacks usually do not cause major damage, they can cause service outages lasting several hours or even days,” the analyst note stated.
“Although KillNet’s ties to official Russian government organizations, such as the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) or the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), are unconfirmed, the group should be considered a threat to government and critical infrastructure organizations, including healthcare.”
A senior member of KillNet threatened the US Congress “with the sale of the health and personal data of the American people because of the Ukraine policy of the U.S. Congress,” HC3 noted.
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https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/top-10-healthcare-it-news-stories-2022
Top 10 Healthcare IT News stories of 2022
Workforce challenges, patient engagement efforts, ongoing interoperability hurdles and some big announcements from legacy EHR and Big Tech players were among the news and reports that captured the most attention this past year.
By Andrea Fox
December 30, 2022 11:13 AM
While Healthcare IT News readers have had a lot to focus on this year with cybersecurity imperatives and AI innovations, they also were very interested in new product launches, new regulator approvals, acquisitions and selloffs – including one of the most significant health IT M&A deals yet. But the top most-read story of the year had to do with a challenge nearly every healthcare organization is facing: clinician burnout, and how to help address it.Report: 90% of nurses considering leaving the profession in the next year. "Nurses are thinking about leaving, and the pandemic isn't solely to blame," Shawn Sefton, RN, chief nursing officer and vice president of client services at Hospital IQ, told Healthcare IT News in March. The software services company surveyed more than 200 nurses working in U.S. hospitals and 90% were considering leaving the nursing profession in the next year, with 71% of the nurses with more than 15 years of nursing experience reporting they wanted out as soon as possible. With key findings suggesting mass burnout, high turnover and a diminishing U.S. nurse workforce, Sefton said leaders couldn't continue to ignore burnout any longer and discussed actions healthcare organizations can take to eliminate some of the key problem drivers.
VA, Healthy Together collaborate on mobile access to health records. While the VA has been mired in controversy over implementation failures and delays related to its Oracle-Cerner EHR rollout and impacts to patient safety, the agency is forging ahead on its goals to improve digital operations and veterans' access. One example is partnering with Healthy Together, which uses the agency's API to provide veterans with secure mobile access to their health records.
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https://www.healthleadersmedia.com/innovation/digital-health-takes-center-stage-ces-2023
Digital Health Takes Center Stage at CES 2023
Analysis | By Eric Wicklund | December 30, 2022
The massive consumer electronics show returns to Las Vegas in January with a renewed focus on consumer-facing technology that personalizes and improves the healthcare journey.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
· CES 2023 will take place January 5-8, 2023, in Las Vegas, taking over the Las Vegas Convention Center and the Venetian Convention and Expo Center on the Las Vegas Strip.
· The massive consumer electronics show will see a renewed focus on healthcare technology, ranging from digital health panels to wearables, AI software, and healthcare applications in smart homes, vehicles and other consumer goods.
· Healthcare organizations are taking new interest in this event as providers look for new technologies and strategies to connect with consumers outside the hospital, clinic, or doctor's office.
CES 2023 kicks off next week in Las Vegas, shining a spotlight on the consumer electronic industry and bringing renewed attention to the growing influence of digital health.
What once was a small corner of one exhibit hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center exhibiting early smartwatches and fitness trackers will now be found throughout the massive conference. Digital health has been integrated into smart home devices that track daily activities alongside room temperature, lights and visitors at the front door; as well as in electronic games and home entertainment platforms. It's in TVs that can connect to the internet and enable connections with family, friends and caregivers, and new cars that can monitor a driver's health.
Virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR) will be featured prominently in Vegas this year, as will AI and robotics. And expect remote monitoring tools and platforms to make their presence known in wearables that track a wide range of vital signs and activities and the aforementioned smart home technology. In short, while healthcare was once a side benefit or add-on to consumer electronics, it's now part of the form and functionality.
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ML Model Accurately Predicts Need for Massive Transfusion During Surgery
A recent study described the success of a machine-learning model in predicting the need for massive transfusion during surgery, allowing for early intervention among high-risk patients.
December 29, 2022 - Published in JAMA Network Open, a recent study described how adding preoperative data and intraoperative hemodynamic monitoring data to a machine learning (ML)-based prediction model led to accurate real-time predictions of the need for massive transfusion during surgery.
Many healthcare providers are using predictive analytics to improve the timeliness and quality of treatment while reining in costs. For example, a study published in December found that a disease management outreach program supported by predictive analytics effectively reduced medical spending among chronic heart failure patients.
In various clinical settings, massive hemorrhage is the leading cause of death. When managing this condition, acute bleeding control and supplementation for intravascular volume and blood component deficiencies are required, according to the study.
Researchers noted the importance of massive transfusion in preventing complications amid uncontrolled intraoperative hemorrhage. Further, because of the time required to prepare blood product for massive transfusions and the need for additional medical personnel, they noted that the ability to predict the need for massive transfusion early is critical for necessary hemorrhage management.
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https://www.bankinfosecurity.com/ransomware-recovery-at-toronto-kids-hospital-to-last-weeks-a-20817
Children's Hospital Expects Weekslong Ransomware Recovery
Treatment and Diagnostic Delays at Toronto Hospital Blamed on Malware Attack Akshaya Asokanasokan_akshayaDecember 28, 2022
Nearly a week after a ransomware attack forced a network shutdown at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children, patients are still experiencing delays in treatment and diagnostic procedures. The hospital says it has restored some systems, phones and websites, but the recovery process could take weeks.
Hackers targeted the hospital's network on Dec. 19, forcing it to take down its affected network for the recovery. Popularly known as SickKids, the hospital is one of Canada's largest research-focused centers for children.
In a statement, the hospital said the hack affected a few of its internal clinical and corporate systems, as well as some hospital phone lines and webpages. The hospital did not provide details on the ransomware attack but said at the time the incident did not result in any user data leaks.
In its latest update, however, the hospital acknowledged that while it has restored some of the affected systems, such as phone lines and websites, it would take a few more weeks to completely restore all services.
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Stroke victims up to 48 PER CENT more likely to make full recovery when diagnosed using AI technology, trials suggest
· AI that helps speed-up stroke diagnosis has helped tripled patient recovery rate
· The software has been used at 22 NHS hospitals so far to help 100,000 patients
· But considering its success the Government now wants to roll it out more widely
Artificial intelligence software used in NHS hospitals has spared tens of thousands of patients from permanent disability, initial findings suggest.
The technology, which assists doctors to quickly diagnose patients who have had a stroke, has tripled the number who go onto live normal lives.
Initial analysis of the data, involving more than 100,000 suspected stroke patients, claims the proportion who made near full recoveries increased from 16 to 48 per cent.
Experts suggest this is down to faster diagnosis and speedier treatment - a key part of stroke recovery.
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Telehealth helps stop suicidal ideation for many patients, study finds
One person dies from suicide every 11 minutes in the U.S. A new study shows that telemedicine can be used to treat more severe mental illness – contrary to previous thought.
By Bill Siwicki
December 29, 2022 10:30 AM
Recently, the Journal of Medical Internet Research published some significant data highlighting the efficacy of psychiatric care delivered through telehealth: Those in the treatment group were 4.3 times more likely to have suicidal ideation remission.
This is noteworthy because telehealth has not traditionally been equipped to treat those with the most severe symptoms of mental health due to the oversight necessary to actually provide safe, effective treatment, said Dr. Mimi Winsberg, chief medical officer at Brightside Health, which led the study.
We spoke with Winsberg to get an in-depth look at this study and what the results mean for the future of telehealth and mental healthcare.
Q. Please talk about your new study that examines the impact of telepsychiatry on reduction in suicidal ideation over time. Who was involved? What kind of care did they receive? What role did technology play?
A. The study, which was published in JMIR Formative Research, sought to determine if Brightside Health's telehealth platform, which is equipped with precision prescribing clinical decision support, could successfully reduce suicidal ideation among enrolled patients, versus a control group who tracked their symptoms on the platform without receiving care.
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https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/top-10-cybersecurity-stories-2022
Top 10 privacy and cybersecurity stories of 2022
Cybersecurity breaches in healthcare continued at an alarming rate throughout the year, affecting operations and patient safety, while government agencies and policymakers focused on ways to improve resilience.
By Andrea Fox
December 29, 2022 12:00 PM
Also known as the "Wall of Shame," the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Cases Currently Under Investigation details hundreds of breaches reported by healthcare organizations across the United States over the last 24 months. The number of threats, and the cost of those threats – continue to rise.
While healthcare industry organizations work with federal lawmakers on ways for government to help address the relentless cybersecurity attacks on critical healthcare infrastructure, the industry is hyper-focused on issues like how to move the needle on third-party cybersecurity, collaborating to improve cyber preparedness and best practices for initiating cybercrime investigations. Here are Healthcare IT News’ most-read privacy and cybersecurity stories of 2022.
EHR vendor hit with lawsuit following data breach. In January, Tennessee-based QRS, which provides EHR and practice management software, was accused of failing to implement recommended threat measures to prevent and detect cyberattacks stemming from an August 2021 data breach of its patient portal. "QRS failed to reasonably secure, monitor and maintain the protected health information and personally identified information stored on its patient portal," the plaintiff said.
CommonSpirit still working to restore EHR systems after ransomware attack confirmed. The October cyberattack caused a widespread outage at CommonSpirit hospitals and medical facilities across several states. After the 2017 merger of DignityHealth and Catholic Health Initiatives, the system became the second-largest non-profit hospital chain with more than 350 hospitals nationwide. Lost access to medical records and patient portals, delayed medical procedures, canceled appointments and other disruptions plagued operations at upwards of 140 facilities. After further investigation, CommonSpirit discovered that the breach had also exposed protected data held by Virginia Mason Franciscan Health.
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How the Right Technology can Simplify a Healthcare Worker’s Life
December 29, 2022
The following is a guest article by Marcus Mossberger, Future of Work Strategist at Infor.
If the wrong technology can make a healthcare worker’s life miserable, the right technology can do the opposite. Find out how the right technology can improve retention during the “Great Resignation.”
Virtually every study on healthcare worker burnout and turnover cites technology as one of the leading culprits. For example, KLAS Research released a report on clinician turnover that found that nurses are more likely than other clinicians to leave their jobs, heavily influenced by their struggles with electronic health record (EHR) systems.
Frustration with disconnected processes and workflows is just one of many reasons healthcare workers are quitting their jobs as part of the “Great Resignation.” Today’s workers are willing to sacrifice salary and benefits for jobs that offer more flexibility, more professional growth, more fulfillment, and more appreciation for what they do.
Interestingly, the common solution to counter all these new non-technology reasons for leaving is technology. The hospital and health system C-suite must adopt new, strategic approaches to technology—embracing an effective, objective, and sustainable workplace well-being technology platform.
Burned Out and Leaving Fast
Let’s start with why healthcare workers—clinical and nonclinical—are burned out. As mentioned, ongoing struggles with their EHR systems are a huge factor. But they’re also suffering from cognitive overload. Whether delivering care or submitting a claim for payment, virtually every task at a hospital or health system is getting more complex, complicated, and time-consuming.
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$10M USDA Grant Enhances Epic Systems EHR for Care Coordination in NY
St. Lawrence Health will use part of a multimillion-dollar USDA grant to enhance its Epic System EHR, enabling EHR data exchange between all hospitals, clinics, and emergency response services.
December 28, 2022 - The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has doled out $10 million in grant funding to St. Lawrence Health, a northern New York-based health system, to bolster its Epic System EHR, according to Watertown Daily Times reporting.
The project, expected to take three years, will start with St. Lawrence Health's county-wide EHR implementation across all hospitals, clinics, and emergency response services in the local rural area.
A portion of the $10 million funding will be used to launch an inter-facility transport coordination center, providing emergency and medical personnel with patient information through St. Lawrence Health’s Epic Systems EHR.
The health system said it is “aimed at increasing the number of emergency personnel and making it easier for them to figure out to which hospital a patient should be transported.”
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https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/top-10-ai-and-machine-learning-stories-2022
Top 10 AI and machine learning stories of 2022
Efforts to harness artificial intelligence to streamline healthcare operations and improve patient outcomes accelerated this year, as providers strove to fine-tune algorithms and arrive at deeper insights into clinical and operational patterns.
By Andrea Fox
December 28, 2022 02:42 PM
Healthcare's comfort level with artificial intelligence and machine learning models – and skill at deploying them across myriad clinical, financial and operational use cases – continued to increase in 2023.
More and more evidence shows that training AI algorithms on a variety of datasets can improve decision support, boost population health management, streamline administrative tasks, enable cost efficiencies and even improve outcomes.
But there's still a lot work to be done to ensure accurate, reliable, understandable and evidence-based results that ensure patient safety and account for health equity.
There’s no doubt that AI’s application in healthcare has gone beyond "real” in 2019 to significant investment by providers and payers last year. This year, we’ve reported on deeper industry discussions focused on trust and best practices. We’ve featured industry perspectives on the values of deep learning and neural networks and how to clear data hurdles along with announcements of successful studies and of course, new healthcare AI technology partnerships. Here are Healthcare IT News’ most-read AI stories of 2022.
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Chicago Providers Charge Fees To Answer Clinical Questions Submitted Via Portals
December 28, 2022
Back when patient portals were first introduced, one of the original concerns clinicians raised was that they were afraid that they would get too many patient messages and find themselves overwhelmed.
Over time, most stopped complaining about this problem, though I’d wager it was because they simply had worse things to worry about during the painful initial period of EHR adoption.
It may also have been that complaining wouldn’t help. At least in the early days, health system administrators were very excited about giving patients the ability to trade messages with clinicians, as they believed that getting patients to do so was a great way to get them more engaged with their care.
More recently, however, providers have begun to reevaluate their position on charging for medical advice requested via a portal.
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FHIR APIs Will Accelerate Patient Information Access in 2023
Analysis | By Scott Mace | December 28, 2022
In a lengthy interview with HealthLeaders, ONC Chief Micky Tripathi says simplified data exchange will benefit providers, patients, and even public health.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
· Although EHR vendors must support FHIR APIs at end of 2022, providers aren't required immediately to upgrade to the latest software versions that support them.
· However, by the end of the third quarter of 2023, providers need to be running those software versions to participate in CMS payment rules.
· The ONC has received more than 500 information blocking complaints, but "in theory," the OIG cannot yet enforce the rules, having not yet published its own final rules.
Federal rules state that certified EHRs must support the standard FHIR application programming interfaces (APIs) by the end of this year. It's one more step toward transforming patient information access in a years-long process dating back to the birth of the EHR, and will touch the day-to-day information sharing of providers, patients, and even public health agencies.
HealthLeaders recently spoke with Micky Tripathi, PhD, MPP, director of the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, about the standardized FHIR API rule and how it will impact health systems and patients in 2023. This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
HealthLeaders: What can healthcare IT professionals expect as API standardization is implemented at the end of 2022, as the legislation directs?
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https://www.stripes.com/veterans/2022-12-25/spokane-va-computer-system-8540650.html
Spokane VA has reduced staff despite ongoing effects of troubled computer system as veterans wait longer for care
By Orion Donovan-Smith
The Spokesman-Review • December 25, 2022
WASHINGTON (Tribune News Service) — In the middle of December 2021, Bernadine Bank handed a letter to the chief of medicine at Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center.
After thanking her supervisor for the opportunity to start the Spokane hospital’s gynecology clinic five years earlier, Bank got right to the point.
“It is with a heavy heart that I write to inform you of my resignation from the VA,” the doctor wrote. “I think it will come as no surprise that I am leaving mainly because of the Cerner EMR.”
By then, it had been more than a year since the Department of Veterans Affairs began using Spokane as the testing ground for an electronic medical record system, or EMR, developed by Cerner Corporation under a $10 billion contract signed by the Trump administration in 2018.
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AI is fast addressing data requirements and advancing interoperability, says one expert
Leveraging AI, machine learning and neural networks can help healthcare standardize data, comply with info blocking requirements and improve health outcomes.
By Andrea Fox
December 27, 2022 11:47 AM
New rules and requirements add to the complexity of healthcare – something that artificial intelligence can address, according to Vignesh Shetty, senior vice president and general manager of Edison AI and Platform for GE Healthcare (GEHC).
Healthcare IT News asked Shetty about the progress that has been made on the 360-patient view since he last spoke with us about the exciting advances in data-driven insights, as well as how algorithms achieve challenging data exchanges.
Q. In terms of the 360-patient view, what progress has been made toward improving health outcomes?
A. From MRI scanners used by doctors to detect tumors to mobile x-ray units in the ER or ICU used to image the lungs of COVID patients, doctors and patients are benefiting from artificial intelligence embedded in medical devices.
The goal is to have AI tools ready when and where they’re needed to contribute to faster diagnoses and, ideally, better patient outcomes.
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https://www.nature.com/articles/s41746-022-00735-1
Factors associated with long-term use of digital devices in the electronic Framingham Heart Study
Chathurangi H. Pathiravasan et. al.,
npj Digital Medicine volume 5, Article number: 195 (2022) Cite this article
Abstract
Long-term use of digital devices is critical for successful clinical or research use, but digital health studies are challenged by a rapid drop-off in participation. A nested e-cohort (eFHS) is embedded in the Framingham Heart Study and uses three system components: a new smartphone app, a digital blood pressure (BP) cuff, and a smartwatch. This study aims to identify factors associated with the use of individual eFHS system components over 1-year. Among 1948 eFHS enrollees, we examine participants who returned surveys within 90 days (n = 1918), and those who chose to use the smartwatch (n = 1243) and BP cuff (n = 1115). For each component, we investigate the same set of candidate predictors for usage and use generalized linear mixed models to select predictors (P < 0.1, P value from Z test statistic), adjusting for age, sex, and time (app use: 3-month period, device use: weekly). A multivariable model with the predictors selected from initial testing is used to identify factors associated with use of components (P < 0.05, P value from Z test statistic) adjusting for age, sex, and time. In multivariable models, older age is associated with higher use of all system components. Female sex and higher education levels are associated with higher completion of app-based surveys whereas higher scores for depressive symptoms, and lower than excellent self-rated health are associated with lower use of the smartwatch over the 12-month follow-up. Our findings show that sociodemographic and health related factors are significantly associated with long-term use of digital devices. Future research is needed to test interventional strategies focusing on these factors to evaluate improvement in long-term engagement.
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https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ai-cure-for-bed-blocking-can-predict-hospital-stay-fpvjn5ql6
AI cure for bed blocking can predict hospital stay
Health Correspondent
Monday December 26 2022, 12.01am GMT, The Times
Technology that accurately predicts when patients will be ready to leave hospital upon their arrival in A&E is being introduced to solve the NHS bed-blocking crisis.
The artificial intelligence (AI) software analyses data including age, medical conditions and previous hospital stays to estimate how long a patient will need to remain.
Hospital managers can then alert social care services in advance about the date when patients are expected to be discharged, allowing care home beds or community care packages to be prepared.
Nurses said the technology had “revolutionised” their ability to discharge patients on time, meaning people who would otherwise have been stuck in hospital had got home for Christmas.
The latest NHS England figures show that 13,697 hospital beds a day — about 15 per cent of the total — are taken up by patients who are fit to be discharged, the majority held up by delays in arranging social care.
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Enjoy!
David.
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