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.
-----
In Wyoming, COVID-19 Propels Telehealth From a Luxury to a Necessity
The nation's least populous state is seeing a surge in telehealth use - thanks in part to Lisa Finkelstein, who says connected health now has to shift its focus to remote monitoring and wellness.
May 04, 2020 - Telehealth has long been a luxury in rural America, where primary care is still based on the face-to-face visit in the doctor’s office. But COVID-19 has changed that way of thinking, and is helping to build a wave of support for connected health that could well outlast the virus.
In Wyoming, Lisa Finkelstein is watching – and in many cases leading – that change.
Just a few months ago, doctors in the nation’s least populous and second most sparsely populated state had two questions about using telehealth: “How am I going to get paid and am I going to get sued?”
“It was like pushing a rock up Mount Moran,” says Finkelstein, a practicing urologist for more than 20 years and former president of the Wyoming Medical Society. “There was very little buy-in. There just wasn’t any interest in trying it.”
-----
Data Visualization Tool Allows Users to Track COVID-19 Spread
Using GPS data, the data visualization tool can provide users with the latest information on COVID-19 case locations locally.
By Jessica Kent
May 06, 2020 - Researchers from Southern Illinois University (SIU) have developed a data visualization tool that leverages GPS information to show users the locations of known COVID-19 cases, while protecting the identities of individuals diagnosed or exposed to the virus.
The Virus Contact Map (VCM) could provide an important tool for avoiding exposure and tracking the virus’ spread. The tool could offer public health officials the ability to see how COVID-19 progresses over time locally and regionally, and enable leaders to identify areas as potential hot spots.
The team is seeking to combine smartphone GPS history collected by Google with local health department data on COVID-19 cases.
“This is by far the most critical requirement as without it, the utility for general public will be greatly reduced,” said Koushik Sinha, assistant professor in the School of Computing at SIU. “The tool will provide functionalities that we believe will be useful to both private individuals as well as health officials.”
-----
All you need to know about the NHS contact-tracing app
As the NHS’ contact-tracing app moves closer to a national roll out, Digital Health News has rounded up everything we know about the app and the issues surrounding it.
Hanna Crouch 8 May, 2020
The app uses Bluetooth technology to alert users if they have come into contact with someone experiencing coronavirus symptoms. Once a user inputs their symptoms into the app they receive medically validated advice on whether it’s likely to be Covid-19 and what they should do next.
The user can then opt to send all data the app has collected about devices it’s come into contact with to a central NHS database, which then uses an algorithm to determine which of these contacts needs to be sent an alert warning they’ve potentially been exposed to coronavirus.
-----
Data from NHS contact-tracing app ‘to be kept for research purposes’
A portion of data collected by the NHS contact-tracing app will be kept for research purposes when the Covid-19 pandemic is over, NHSX has confirmed.
Andrea Downey 7 May 2020
Concerns about privacy and the use of data have been rampant since it was announced central NHS would be tracing the virus through the app alongside traditional contact-tracing methods.
Front and centre were concerns the app would eventually be used for mass surveillance and a lack of clarity around how data would be used.
NHSX has always maintain that data collected by the app would be deleted if a user chose to remove the app, but a spokesperson has now confirmed some will be retained for research purposes.
-----
The coronavirus is driving a mental health crisis. Tech can help tackle it
May 7, 2020 8:00 PM GMT+10
The emerging and yet untold toll of COVID-19 is so far-ranging that it’s hard to grasp. But one fast-rising threat has me deeply concerned: The coronavirus isn’t just ravaging bodies, it’s creating a mental health crisis.
COVID-19 is the proverbial perfect storm of stressors. They include everything from job loss, economic instability, and food insecurity to the uncertainty of when (or even if) life will return to normal. Social distancing is key to protecting our physical health, but social isolation can take a toll on mental health. At the same time, caregivers are juggling greater demands, in close quarters, and under trying circumstances. And of course, there’s the fear of getting sick or dying from the novel virus, and of losing loved ones to it. Alcohol misuse and suicide are expected to rise as people struggle to cope.
In a national survey released by the American Psychiatric Association in March, 36% of respondents said that COVID-19 was seriously impacting their mental health; 48% were anxious about getting infected; and 57% reported concern that COVID-19 will seriously impact their finances. Another indicator of the current state of mind: Express Scripts reported a 34% increase in anti-anxiety medication prescriptions between mid-February and mid-March of this year.
-----
The pandemic and the evolution of health care privacy
May 6, 2020
When I teach privacy law, I try to make the issues real for the students. It often isn’t that hard — privacy issues remain in the news almost every day. The evolution of the pandemic has made more of these issues real and is leading to a series of critical questions for the future of health care privacy. These issues are not new, but the focus of the attention on pandemic issues has made the need for discussion and resolution of these issues even more critical.
We are seeing four distinct categories of issues arising from the pandemic.
The differing interests of patients
We have seen over the past several years a variety of health care policy goals where there is a tension between an individual’s interest in privacy and their interests in some other aspect of the operation of the health care system.
For example, in the recent federal debate over “information blocking,” there was a substantial and visible (and mostly pre-pandemic) discussion about whether the interest of patients in having access to their medical information should take precedence over the protection of those records under the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Privacy and Security rules. A variety of relevant stakeholders tried to find a “win-win” in this situation, but the eventual result is that — because of the limited scope of the HIPAA rules — there will be situations in which a patient’s interest in receiving access to their medical records will mean that those records, once released, will not be subject to the full protections of the HIPAA Privacy and Security rules.
-----
Coronavirus tracking apps could threaten personal privacy
May 5, 2020
The coronavirus tracking apps coming onto the market, initially hailed as an important tool for containment of the virus, have quickly encountered fears about privacy, cybersecurity and effectiveness.
Tracking apps are already in use in Australia, India, China, Singapore and South Korea, and under development in France and Germany. In the United States, tech giants Google and Apple are teaming up to develop “exposure notification” software for use in iOS and Android apps.
The technology uses Bluetooth signals to determine the distance between phones. A person with a confirmed case of coronavirus can automatically send notifications to other phones with the contact tracing app, alerting users that they may have been exposed to the virus. The software, which is in beta testing, will be shared with local health departments.
Apple and Google say location services will not be used and any personal data would be anonymized and stay on the user’s phone, rather than going to a centralized database.
-----
05-06-20
To fight COVID-19, your iPhone will share medical info during emergency calls
If you haven’t filled out the Health app’s Medical ID feature, there’s no better time.
Apple is adding a new “Share Medical ID During Emergency Calls” feature that will send along your health information with any SOS calls you make with your iPhone or Apple Watch. An SOS call is a feature on iPhone and Apple Watch that allows users to call for emergency help with one screen swipe if they are unable to dial 911.
The company says the new feature, which will become available “in the coming weeks,” is meant to provide further assistance to emergency first responders during the COVID-19 crisis.
It’s a reality that some people who contract COVID-19 are unable to communicate when they are picked up by an ambulance. Some are struggling to breathe. So when they hit the SOS button on their iPhone or Apple Watch, first responders will have some vital information to go on as they work to sustain the patient. Information might include facts such as medical conditions, allergies, and medications. For instance, whether or not a person has an underlying heart condition can affect the decision of what drug therapies are used in treatment.
-----
New Method Uses Data-Driven Models to Inform COVID-19 Policymaking
A new process harnesses multiple data-driven models to help inform policy decisions for managing the COVID-19 outbreak.
By Jessica Kent
May 08, 2020 - An international team of researchers has developed a new method to leverage multiple data-driven models for COVID-19 outbreak management.
When a disease outbreak strikes, many different research groups will independently generate data-driven models. These models may project how the disease will spread, which groups will be most severely affected, or how certain interventions could impact these dynamics. Models like these can help leaders gain more insight into a disease, as well as inform public policy for managing the outbreak.
“While most models have strong scientific underpinnings, they often differ greatly in their projections and policy recommendation,” said Katriona Shea, professor of biology and Alumni Professor in the Biological Sciences, Penn State.
-----
Face-Aging Selfies Help Modify Risky Skin Behaviors for Teens
Trial looked at effects of a free "UV-selfie" app
by Kristen Monaco, Staff Writer, MedPage Today May 7, 2020
Witnessing ultraviolet (UV) radiation-induced facial aging firsthand may be a useful tool to convince youth to slather on the sunscreen, a new study suggested.
In a randomized trial of high school teens in southeast Brazil, daily use of sunscreen increased among those who were educated on using a free face-aging mobile app -- from 15% to 23% (P<0 .001="" 6="" and="" brinker="" cancer="" center="" colleagues.="" german="" heidelberg="" in="" md="" months="" of="" p="" reported="" research="" subsequent="" the="" titus="">
.
There was also a near doubling in the proportion of teens who performed a minimum of one skin self-exam among those who were taught to use the face-aging app (25.1% to 49.4%, P<0 .001="" a="" href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamadermatology/fullarticle/10.1001/jamadermatol.2020.0511?guestAccess%E2%80%90Key=79d48422-34b3-4043-84f6-ab090faca3ea&utm_source=For_The_Media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_con%E2%80%90tent=tfl&utm_term=050620" in="" online="" researchers="" study="" target="_blank" the="" their="" wrote="">JAMA Dermatology
Engagement in risky skin behaviors also decreased, with a significant decline in tanning rates -- from 18.8% to 15.2% (P=0.04), the team reported. In contrast, none of these skin-protecting behaviors changed in the control group of teens who didn't use the app.
-----
COVID-19: Effective infection control strategies implemented in Taiwan
In a recent HIMSS webinar, Dr Chun-Wen Chang (Infectious Disease Specialist, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Taiwan) reveals the steps the country has taken that has allowed it to successfully mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
By Roy Chiang
May 08, 2020 06:38 AM
The rise in the number of COVID-19 cases all over the world has not abated, with some countries reporting far greater numbers than others. However, despite its close geographical proximity to China, Taiwan has one of the lowest infection rates around the globe.
In a recent HIMSS webinar, “Taiwan’s Infection Control Strategies Supported by Technology and Digital Health to Fight the COVID-19 Pandemic” hosted by Dr Charles Alessi (Chief Clinical Officer, HIMSS) and Dr Chun-Wen Chang (Infectious Disease Specialist, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Taiwan), Dr Chang reveals the steps the country has taken that has allowed it to successfully mitigate the spread of the virus.
HOW DID TAIWAN MANAGE THIS?
Following the announcement of the first COVID-19 case in China, the Taiwanese government swiftly put together a four-pronged approach to combat the spread of the virus. The strategy is as follows:
- Early border control
- Proactive case finding and containment
- Resource allocation
- Reassurance and education of the public
Firm steps were taken at the country’s airports to ban incoming visitors from high-risk areas, such as Wuhan, China. Taiwanese citizens who were returning from these high-risk areas had to quarantine themselves for 14 days. Health tests were also conducted at airports, and individuals who tested positive for the virus were quarantined either at home or at hotels.
-----
EHR satisfaction: A better way is possible
By creating a new physician support specialist position and giving providers the opportunity to be changemakers, the team at OrthoVirginia improved clinician experience at its 25 clinics.
By Kat Jercich
May 08, 2020 11:33 AM
After five independent orthopedic practices merged to form OrthoVirginia, the organization faced a new challenge: increasing provider satisfaction with its chosen electronic health record.
"We assumed that if people weren't happy, they would put in a ticket," said OrthoVirginia Chief Information Officer Terri Ripley during a recent HIMSS20 Digital presentation.
Instead, she said, concerns would arise at inopportune times: "Hearing of issues during a board meeting is never a good idea."
A survey in 2017 showed that OrthoVirginia providers were at the 31st percentile for EHR satisfaction within the United States. During their presentation, Physician Satisfaction With EHR: Is It Possible to Improve?, Ripley and OrthoVirginia Chief Medical Information Officer Dr. Harry C. Eschenroeder Jr. explained how the health system demonstrated methods of improving the cost of the technology, the completeness of the patient record and efficient EHR use.
-----
The COVID-19 Impact: Acceptance of AI in Healthcare?
May 8, 2020
My how the world has changed. It’s been amazing to watch and see how telehealth has been accepted by clinicians and patients thanks to COVID-19. As I outlined in that article, COVID-19 together with social distancing has changed the value equation for clinicians. The value of social distance along with the legal requirements in many areas made it valuable for clinicians to leverage telehealth. Telehealth is now an accepted form of care.
As I pondered the dramatic change in telehealth adoption, I started wondering…
Will COVID-19 Push Acceptance of AI in healthcare?
You may remember the story Anne Zieger shared about Epic’s customers leveraging their deterioration index for COVID-19 patients. In the time that we’d written that article we had to update the article with an analysis of the quality of the Epic deterioration index. While the person was tweeting the results of his preprinted study, Epic had already updated their algorithm to account for the findings of the study. That’s an amazing pace of change.
-----
Integrating Telehealth With EHR Records Poses Looming Challenge
May 8, 2020
For quite some time, we’ve given relatively little attention to the problem of integrating telehealth encounter data with more-traditional records generated by EHRs. Though the volume of telehealth-based care has been increasing, as an industry we’ve managed to sidestep the problem of documenting such care uniformly or even automating the documentation.
Prior to the pandemic, this might have made some sense. On the one hand, it’s never smart to let incompatible forms of data pile up, as there may very well be a time when you need a comprehensive view of a patient’s history. On the other, if the unique attributes of telehealth – such as its convenience and lowered cost of delivery – make it worth conducting, maybe it’s ok if we figure out later how to go back and gather in whatever data gets left aside.
This, at least, seems to have been the compromise under which healthcare organizations have been operating under for quite some time now. Even as giants like the Cleveland Clinic put telehealth at the center of their plans, I’ve seen little sign that such organizations have devoted much energy to the telehealth data problem.
-----
Study Puts U.S. COVID-19 Infection Fatality Rate at 1.3%
By John Commins | May 07, 2020
As alarming as the numbers appear, the researchers said, their estimates "may be slightly conservative."
KEY TAKEAWAYS
· The researchers looked at 116 counties in 33 states and found 40,835 confirmed cases and 1,620 confirmed deaths through April 20.
· Asymptomatic COVID-19 patients who recovered with no symptoms were not counted in the data, which could have skewed results.
· The researchers also said they could not estimate age-adjusted IFR-S because the data isn't available.
COVID-19 kills 1.3% of symptomatic people and could kill 500,000 Americans in the coming months if as many people contract the highly-contagious virus this year as contracted the seasonal flu last year, according to a caveat-laden estimate published Thursday in Health Affairs.
"After modeling the available national data on cumulative deaths and detected COVID-19 cases in the United States, the IFR-S (Infection Fatality Rate – Symptomatic) from COVID-19 was estimated to be 1.3%," said the researchers, led by Anirban Basu, Stergachis Family endowed director and professor in the Department of Pharmacy, CHOICE Institute, University of Washington, Seattle.
-----
Curbing Coronavirus With a Contact-Tracing App? It’s Not So Simple.
Contact-tracing apps aim to help health authorities trace paths of infection, and in many cases, to notify users that they’ve been near a person infected by Covid-19. Yet while trying to solve one big problem, they create a lot more small ones.
By Joanna Stern
May 9, 2020 12:00 am ET
10:28 a.m. - Walgreens on Central Ave.
11:18 a.m. - Claire’s on East Broad St.
12:20 p.m. - Mavis Discount Tire on South Ave.
12:49 p.m. - Magnolia Tire Service on Magnolia Ave.
There you have it: a time-stamped log of my thrilling Saturday morning.
This was all plotted in a Covid-19 contact-tracing app on my iPhone—one called Care19, currently intended for residents of North and South Dakota. It tracks everywhere I go, with varying degrees of accuracy. I might’ve been near a Claire’s, but I haven’t been inside a Claire’s since I was 13.
Who would be interested in my exact whereabouts that morning? If I were to have subsequently tested positive for Covid-19, a contact tracer would. (Yes, shadier types might also be interested.)
Think of a contact tracer like a public-health detective. They ask infected patients where they’ve been, who they’ve interacted with and when it happened. Then they track down those people and businesses to tell them about their exposure to the virus and to recommend quarantining or cleaning to slow the spread.
-----
NE Health Information Exchange Launches COVID-19 Dashboard
Nebraska’s top health information exchange can now track the spread and hotspots of the COVID-19 pandemic.
May 06, 2020 - The Nebraska Health Information Initiative (NEHII), the state’s leading health information exchange (HIE) that connects to over 70 percent of the state’s providers, has launched its COVID-19 data-monitoring dashboard.
For more coronavirus updates, visit our resource page, updated twice daily by Xtelligent Healthcare Media.
Utilizing data and technology from the HIE, along with NextGate, InterSystems, and KPI Ninja, the COVID-19 platform connects patient data from across the state to monitor the virus outbreak, enabling a rapid response.
“Now, more than ever, we need to fill interoperability gaps and bring quality data together to facilitate a highly-coordinated and effective response to the pandemic,” said Jaime Bland, CEO of NEHII.
-----
Patient Satisfaction Takes Major Hit During an EHR Switch
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic found that it can take up to 17 months for patient satisfaction scores to return to pre-EHR switch levels.
May 06, 2020 - Patient satisfaction decreases significantly after a healthcare organization switches its EHR system, and it takes several months for satisfaction scores to return to pre-switch levels, according to a study published in the Journal of Informatics in Health and Biomedicine.
The health technology market is saturated with over 680 vendors supplying health IT to over 384,000 providers, according to the study. And although there are 10 vendors that dominate most of the EHR field, there are three that are considered the most popular.
This means that at some point, there is a good chance a hospital will switch to one of those top three vendors. These medical providers should consider the adverse effective of an EHR change, especially when it comes to the patient experience and elements of a care encounter that are not tied to patient-provider interactions.
-----
Free Drug Substitution Search Tool Confronts Potential Shortages From COVID-19
May 5, 2020
A new online resource intends to help identify alternative drug options for medications in shortage due to the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Scripta Insights announced the launch of its latest technological innovation—the Drug Substitution Search Tool— for individuals whose prescription availability may be interrupted by supply chain issues caused by the pandemic, according to a press release.1
The company’s P&T Committee, comprised of more than 25 physicians and pharmacists, have dedicated their time to map nearly every drug on the market to find appropriate medication substitutions and ensure that individuals will feel assured that they can continue their necessary treatments uninterrupted.1
-----
A National Standard for Diagnosing COVID-19
— Accurate statistics should guide America's re-opening
by Nicole Saphier, MD, and Marty Makary MD, MPH May 6, 2020
It's been more than a month since most states issued shelter-in-place mandates and ordered businesses to close. These actions were crucial -- and they've saved lives. Now most Americans are eager to see the country re-open, but we have to be smart about how we do it. One of the big challenges is that re-opening criteria are dependent on the data of new diagnoses and deaths attributable to COVID-19. But the numbers that are often reported are based on the subset of people who were tested and tested positive. In reality, most people with the infection and some who even die from it are never tested. That results in skewed infection and fatality rates.
Based on a few limited population antibody testing studies, it is estimated that approximately 10-85 times more people have been infected than are entered into most public health tracking systems. In addition, some doctors and hospitals were observing spikes in influenza-like illnesses in March, before testing was widely available, likely causing many early cases to be missed in the reporting. Another reason for under-diagnosing patients is that a patient may present to a hospital late in their illness or have a rapid decline too urgent to make testing a priority since it had minimal impact on patient management prior to the remdesivir trial.
We should also remember that not everyone goes to a hospital to die. Consider that when New York had approximately 500 confirmed COVID-19 deaths per day, the medical examiner's office reported that approximately 200 people were found dead at home per day. That's much higher than the state's usual pre-COVID rate of 20-30 deaths at home per day. This substantial increase begs the question, are people dying at home from COVID-19 or because they are avoiding medical care for other ailments and dying from lack of proper medical attention?
-----
Cybercriminals are 'already taking advantage' of the COVID-19 crisis
Phishing is still the number one cause of breaches, according to the newly released BakerHostetler Data Security Incident Response Report, with ransomware on the rise.
By Kat Jercich
May 07, 2020 03:14 PM
The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated an increase in information collection and sharing among providers, patients, hospitals, vendors and other organizations. In turn, that has heralded an uptick in "malicious cyber campaigns" that attack healthcare facilities, according to U.S. and U.K. law enforcement agencies.
But security concerns in the industry are nothing new - and the coronavirus crisis will likely exacerbate existing issues.
According to the BakerHostetler Data Security Incident Response Report released last week, phishing was the most common cause of data breaches among incidents that the data privacy and cybersecurity law firm had managed in 2019. Nearly one-quarter of those incidents occurred in the healthcare industry, including biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.
-----
Gaining Rapid Understanding of COVID-19 Through a Real-world Data Lens
May 7, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has increased our awareness of dangerous infectious disease outbreaks and their exponential rapid spread. It has also laid bare the need for better preparedness and more timely data in the course of emergency situations. The success of those efforts will largely depend on gleaning information from the real-world data (RWD) being collected on COVID-19 patients. Using preliminary data released from the CDC and influenza data from the Optum® Electronic Health Record Database (Source: Analysis of Optum® de-identified Electronic Health Record dataset, April 9, 2020. To learn more about Optum data and analytics, visit www.optum.com/life-sciences), this report compares the underlying conditions most likely to result in hospitalizations for COVID-19 to the seasonal flu.
COVID-19 is a new disease, so clinicians and policymakers are playing “catch-up” in terms of understanding the patients affected, their hospital course, and their outcomes. Rapid analysis of RWD as soon as it becomes available will help drive the U.S. response to COVID-19, as it can help governments, healthcare providers, and communities more accurately prepare for anticipated patient needs.
-----
3 Ways to Boost Interoperability to Aid COVID-19 Containment
Health IT professionals say containing the COVID-19 outbreak can be done by getting federal, state, and local lawmakers on the same page.
May 04, 2020 - To help contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, health IT professionals are focusing on enhancing interoperability.
To make this happen, Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy assembled a group of health IT professionals and stakeholders to put together a list of recommendations for public health programs to work better with providers, clinical laboratories, and developers to improve patient data exchange and interoperability.
Improving interoperability is a major factor to the success of containing the virus. Along with interoperability, the containment also hinges on learning valuable information in regards to testing, contact tracing, and detecting outbreaks. Improving these factors is crucial as the country begins to open in the near future.
-----
Artificial Intelligence Accelerates Search for COVID-19 Treatments
Researchers are using an artificial intelligence-powered tool to prioritize the most promising studies on COVID-19.
By Jessica Kent
May 05, 2020 - A team from Northwestern University has developed an artificial intelligence platform that can quickly identify research that has the most potential to produce COVID-19 treatments and solutions.
As the pandemic continues, scientists are conducting massive amounts of research related to coronavirus. With federal agencies like the FDA and HHS planning to accelerate clinical trials, hundreds of researchers are testing possible new treatments and vaccines, adding to the already-immense body of COVID-19 data.
To determine which research has the most potential to yield real solutions, the scientific community has historically used the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Systematizing Confidence in Open Research and Evidence (DARPA SCORE) program. The program relies on scientific experts to review and rate submitted research studies based on how likely they are to be replicable.
On average, this process can take about 314 days, which is a long time to wait during a global pandemic.
-----
Doximity launches telehealth app for providers
May 5, 2020 10:22am
Professional medical network Doximity developed a telehealth app for providers that is available for free through January 2021. (Doximity)
Professional medical network Doximity is expanding into the telemedicine market.
The company launched Doximity Dialer Video, a telehealth app that enables doctors to video call their patients on any smartphone.
Doximity's telehealth solution is HIPAA-secure and doesn't require patients or doctors to download any extra apps or sign up for software, the company said.
The company has seen a huge spike in engagement on its platform since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Amit Phull, M.D., Doximity's vice president of strategy and insights.
-----
Palliative Care Takes to Telemedicine in COVID Crisis
— Specialty built on personal contact finds telemedicine a boon to their profession
by Larry Beresford May 5, 2020
Before COVID-19, Mollie Biewald, MD, was skeptical about using telemedicine for palliative care visits. But now, she has found herself holding iPads or iPhones at the patient bedside, helping families make difficult decisions.
Over the past few weeks, some of her patients -- whether hospitalized for COVID or another disease -- have received daily family visits via Zoom or FaceTime. When a patient is actively dying, with the family present remotely, Biewald or another clinician will often stay at the bedside, holding the device.
"It is amazing," said Biewald, a palliative care physician at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. "We mostly use it to bring the family to the bedsides of patients who are otherwise totally separated from everyone they know."
While she initially thought it would be "nothing like the real thing," she has changed her mind, as it has enabled family members to see their loved one and be present virtually while the patient is dying.
"It's not ideal, but the best we can do, and much better than the alternative," Biewald told MedPage Today.
-----
https://healthitsecurity.com/news/covid-19-ocr-reminds-providers-of-media-access-restrictions-to-phi
COVID-19: OCR Reminds Providers of Media Access Restrictions to PHI
Even during the COVID-19 emergency, OCR reminds providers that HIPAA restricts the media and film crews from accessing areas where PHI could be accessible without patient authorization.
May 06, 2020 - The Office for Civil Rights issued a reminder to healthcare providers that even amid the COVID-19 crisis, the HIPAA Privacy Rule does not permit them to give site access to media and other film crews where protected health information could be accessible without the patients’ prior consent.
Providers must first obtain a valid HIPAA authorization from each patient whose PHI could accessible to the media before the media is given access to that health information.
Further, it’s not enough to mask or obscure the patients’ faces or any identifying information before broadcasting a recording of a patient. OCR stress a valid HIPAA authorization is a requirement for giving media access, and it must be acquired before they have access – not before its broadcasted.
“The last thing hospital patients need to worry about during the COVID-19 crisis is a film crew walking around their bed shooting ‘B-roll,’” said OCR Director Roger Severino, in a statement. “Hospitals and healthcare providers must get authorization from patients before giving the media access to their medical information”
-----
Congress must tackle patient matching amid COVID-19, says Pew Charitable Trusts
Persistent flaws in the ability to accurately ID and match patient records are hindering two must-haves on the road to re-opening: contact tracing and, eventually, vaccine administration.
By Mike Miliard
May 06, 2020 05:06 PM
For all the controversy surrounding the "reopening" of society during the ongoing public health emergency, it remains a stubborn fact that there's no getting back any safe sense of new normal without widespread contact tracing and, eventually, a safe and widely-administered vaccine.
But there's a major and longstanding hurdle to accomplishing either of those goals: the challenge of accurate patient matching.
In a letter this week to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-California, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnel, R-Kentucky, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, Pew Charitable Trusts again made the case that Congress should act.
Detailed contact tracing in the short term and a nationwide vaccination program in the long term "hinge on having correct patient demographic data," according to the letter, but "current flaws in the identification and matching of patient records inhibit the nation’s ability to accomplish these efforts successfully."
-----
The rights to privacy and the rights of the citizens to be protected - A conflict between privacy and the public good?
Privacy remains an important determinant of how technology is deployed, even during these times of COVID-19, argues HIMSS' chief clinical officer Dr. Charles Alessi.
May 06, 2020 02:05 AM
The debate over the conflict between the rights of the citizen to privacy and the responsibility of the citizen to their fellows in terms of public health is not a new one. In many respects this duty of respecting patients' views in light of potential public good associated with disclosure is part of the fabric of the relationship between the medical profession and patients.
Advice to physicians is very clear. Patient confidentiality is a key tenet in all areas of medicine. However, circumstances exist where confidentiality must be broken in the patient’s or society’s best interests. It is also permissible to overrule a patient’s desire to anonymity where it could endanger the life of another.
The difference with COVID-19 is that whilst hitherto these decisions were taken on a case-by-case basis, usually with further interventions and debate by others within the profession, COVID-19 has changed the nature of these determinations and now it is becoming prevalent for governments to adopt a blanket approach rather than exercise careful examination on a case-by-case basis.
-----
A guide to connected health device and remote patient monitoring vendors
Now more than ever, in the midst of a pandemic, healthcare IT leaders can use a comprehensive listing of companies that make technologies that help keep tabs on patients from afar.
By Bill Siwicki
May 06, 2020 12:38 PM
Editor’s Note: This feature story initially was published on May 6, 2020. It is being updated regularly with more vendors.
In an age when nearly everyone is digitally connected in some way – even many senior citizens, who are often characterized as technophobic – it only makes sense that the healthcare industry is seeing a lot of connected health devices and remote patient monitoring (RPM) technologies.
Connected health devices run the gamut from wearable heart monitors, to Bluetooth-enabled scales, to Fitbits. They provide health measures of patients and transmit them back to providers – or in some cases are reported back to providers – to facilitate healthcare decisions from afar. Remote patient monitoring technologies are akin to telemedicine technologies, since they automatically observe and report on patients, often with chronic illnesses, so caregivers can remotely keep tabs on patients.
In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, connected health and RPM are more important than ever, because they enable physicians to monitor patients without having to come into contact with them, thus preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus. They also keep patients with less severe cases out of hospitals, so preserving precious bed space for patients with severe cases. Hospitals across the nation are using connected health and RPM to great effect during the pandemic.
-----
Epic Systems Controls Acute Care Hospital Market Share
Epic Systems continued to make strides in the acute care hospital market, while MEDITECH also showed a surprising surge.
April 30, 2020 - For the first time since KLAS began to track losses in 2010, Cerner saw a decrease in acute care hospital market share, while Epic Systems continued to grow across all health organizations in 2019, according to a KLAS report.
The vendor giant saw a 55-net increase in acute hospital market share and now accounts for just under 40 percent of the acute care beds in the country. According to the report, over half of Epic’s gains came in a competition against another EHR vendor, while the rest were the result of an acquisition and standardization.
While an early April KLAS report noted that Epic’s Community Connect users were left completely unsatisfied, the vendor did add seven small hospitals to that program. The current report says the vendor is still in the process of improving its customer experience.
On the other hand, Cerner saw its first decrease in acute hospital market share in the history of KLAS reports.
-----
Cleveland Clinic, Epic Use Remote Patient Monitoring for COVID-19
The remote patient monitoring tool will allow providers to care for a large amount of COVID-19 patients and focus on the ones that are having condition changes.
May 01, 2020 - Cleveland Clinic and Epic recently launched a remote monitoring tool to allow clinicians to quickly respond to COVID-19 patients.
The initiative will manage care in a quick and efficient manner while keeping both patients and frontline workers safe. The tool is connected to patient medical records and is available through Epic’s MyChart patient portal.
“We speed up our response to any challenge by working as a team of teams,” Tom Mihaljevic, MD, CEO and president of Cleveland Clinic said in the announcement. “Among us are scientists, researchers and educators. These caregivers are steady and innovative in their efforts, which allow us to fulfill our mission and give back to the medical community.”
Individuals who have contracted COVID-19 will be enrolled in a 14-day interactive care plan through the patient portal. There, they can enter symptoms, temperature, and oxygen once a day. If any symptoms worsen during the time period, care providers will be notified and will reach out to the patient with additional information.
-----
Sensors placed on neck can help monitor cough, provide important COVID-19 data
Posted: May 4, 2020 / 10:06 PM CDT Updated: May 4, 2020 / 10:06 PM CDT
Around the clock monitoring – not by doctors and nurses – but sensors. No visit required. Local researchers are bringing engineering precision to the frontlines and the data may help bring a better understanding of COVID-19.
The technology is already in use in the neonatal intensive care unit to monitor critically ill babies. Flexible, gel sensors adhere to the skin and detect critical health information. In stroke patients, the sensors monitor speech and swallowing.
Dr John Rogers is a researcher with Northwestern Medicine and explained his invention.
“Turns out we can also capture signs of respiration and cough,” he said. “And we’re close enough to the carotid artery that we can pick up mechanical signatures of pulse and blood flow. So we can get heart rate and temp there. “
-----
INSIGHT: Advice for Digital Health Developers During Covid-19
May 5, 2020, 6:01 PM
The coronavirus pandemic is creating partnering opportunities between health-care providers and digital health developers, but Moses & Singer attorneys say these new relationships come with pitfalls, particularly privacy and cybersecurity concerns. They give tips for developers for preparing for new obligations.
The public health crisis caused by the Covid-19 outbreak has created unprecedented opportunities for partnership between health-care providers and digital health developers.
However, these partnerships can pose dangers—particularly from privacy and cybersecurity perspectives—if not thoroughly vetted and properly structured.
We outline some of the most important issues digital health developers should consider before agreeing to contract with health-care providers on digital Covid-19 projects.
-----
May 05 2020
Drug shortage management strategies are needed during COVID-19 pandemic
Leveraging regulatory allowances and establishing sound analytic capabilities can help ensure patients continue treatment with necessary drugs.
The rapidly escalating demand for medications due to COVID-19 is placing increased pressure on hospitals and health systems to appropriately manage drug inventory to support patient care. Essential medications used to alleviate breathing difficulties, relieve pain and sedate coronavirus patients are in short supply.
Because of this, healthcare organizations need inventory and shortage management strategies to weather the storm.
Perry Flowers, vice president of medical affairs, enterprise medication management at BP, said during a HIMSS20 digital presentation that drug supply needs are changing quickly as society becomes overwhelmed by high acuity patients. Swabs, IV lines and drugs can be depleted very quickly, so hospitals should be keeping a tight list of those critical supplies.
-----
FHIR-based system for EHRs cut search time from 3 minutes to 5 seconds
The Regenstrief Institute, the Indiana Network for Patient Care and the Indiana Health Information Exchange provide access to the nation’s largest inter-organizational clinical data repository.
By Bill Siwicki
May 05, 2020 12:10 PM
The Regenstrief Institute in Indianapolis, Indiana, faced a challenge: How to make health information from the Indiana Network for Patient Care, the nation’s largest inter-organizational clinical data repository, available more efficiently and effectively to clinicians.
THE PROBLEM
“Imagine the often huge collection of information about a patient as an iceberg,” said Regenstrief Institute Research Scientist Dr. Titus Schleyer. “When the clinician first sees the patient, they only see the very tip of the iceberg – the chief complaint, the clinical presentation or early test results. But clinicians often have little or no time to dig into the underlying information – the part of the iceberg that is underwater – to figure out what other relevant information from the patient’s past may or may not exist.”
In the case of the Indiana Network for Patient Care, which is managed by the Indiana Health Information Exchange (IHIE), the iceberg tends to be quite large. Some Regenstrief patients have records in the system going back 40 years. In addition, more than 100 hospitals, 14,000 practices and nearly 40,000 providers contribute information, so for many patients, there is a tremendous amount of information.
“And, yes, IHIE gives clinicians a tool – called CareWeb – to access that information,” Schleyer explained. “But, CareWeb lives outside of a clinician’s electronic health record and organizes information differently from the EHR. Despite the fact that it takes only one click to access CareWeb from an EHR, we still force clinicians to forage for information relevant to a patient’s problem manually. And that means they have to invest lots of mouse clicks and keystrokes, as well as mental effort and time, to assemble that information.”
-----
Health systems must start now to map out safe back-to-work strategies
As pressure mounts to return employees back to the workplace, even as COVID-19 continues to spread, healthcare organizations need to implement data-driven guidelines and testing processes to help ensure safety.
By Fred Bazzoli
May 05, 2020 11:07 AM
COVID-19 has thrown a massive wrench into the traditional employment model in the United States, and healthcare organizations and others need to plan now to craft a way to safely return workers to the workplace.
Absent overarching federal policies and strategies to safely manage a return to business as usual, it will eventually fall to individual organizations to manage the process, said several panelists on a webinar on Friday entitled "The Return to Work Roller Coaster," presented by Enterprise Health, a provider of occupational and employee health IT solutions.
Despite the significant challenges and the unknown extent of the epidemic in the U.S., it’s important to note that intelligent safety policies can enable a phased return to a semblance of normal operations, said Dr. Peter Lee, global medical director at GE and clinical professor at Yale School of Medicine.
-----
May 4, 2020,04:02pm EDT
5 Reasons Why Telehealth Is Here To Stay (COVID-19 And Beyond)
Telehealth. It’s no longer just a nice-to-have, but instead a must-have for patients and healthcare professionals alike during these uncertain times the COVID-19 pandemic has brought about. While we all wish that it hadn’t taken a pandemic to propel telehealth forward, for better or for worse, it has. The spotlight is now on telehealth in a big way, and for good reason.
Based on a survey by Sage Growth Partner (SGP) and Black Book Market Research, 25% of consumer respondents had used telehealth prior to the current COVID-19 pandemic. Fifty-nine percent reported they are more likely to use telehealth services now than previously, and 33% would even leave their current physician for a provider who offered telehealth access.
According to a report by Global Market Insights, the telemedicine market is set to be valued at $175.5B by 2026. These numbers certainly indicate the need for telehealth now and in the future.
Lisa Mazur, partner at McDermott Will & Emery specializing in the digital healthcare space, stated, “Telehealth was already experiencing significant momentum and growth prior to this public health emergency, and its continued trajectory has been solidified by the vital role it is playing in care delivery today.”
-----
Data-Driven Model Predicts Number of COVID-19 Deaths in US
The data-driven model predicted the expected death toll could be between about 66,000 and 70,000 in the United States.
By Jessica Kent
April 30, 2020 - A Rutgers engineer has developed a data-driven model that accurately estimates the death toll related to the COVID-19 pandemic in the US and could be used around the world.
The model, described in a study published in the journal Mathematics, predicted that the death toll would eventually reach about 68,120 in the United States as a result of COVID-19. That number is based on data available on April 28, and the model had a 99 percent confidence that the expected death toll would be between 66,055 and 70,304.
The model’s estimates and predictions closely match reported death totals. As of April 29, more than 58,000 Americans had died from complications related to COVID-19, according to the Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 Tracking Map.
“Based on data available on April 28, the model showed that the COVID-19 pandemic might be over in the United States, meaning no more American deaths, by around late June 2020,” said Hoang Pham, a distinguished professor in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering in the School of Engineering at Rutgers University-New Brunswick.
-----
Before we use digital contact tracing, we must weigh the costs
May 2, 2020 at 3:33 a.m. GMT+10
THE PING of a smartphone usually means a text from a friend or a news story from a favorite publication. Soon enough, it could instead signal that it’s time to stay inside for 14 days. Technologists are coding furiously to create a plan for digital contact tracing that, paired with traditional manual methods and widespread testing capability, could ease the country out of lockdowns. But before the United States bets on Silicon Valley to solve its problems, leaders ought to ask themselves two questions: How well does it work, and how high is the cost?
Apple and Google this week launched an initial version of a tool on their smartphone systems that lets devices keep track of other devices physically close to theirs via Bluetooth. People could indicate on an app provided by public health officials that they’d been infected, and those who’d been nearby would receive a notification so that they could self-quarantine or, ideally, seek a diagnosis — a strategy piloted in Singapore. The health officials could also get in touch with those tagged for follow-up interviews. All the while, civilians’ actual locations would remain uncharted; only proximity matters.
There are logistical questions: How long should devices be near each other for their contact to register? How closely can signals be calibrated to reflect a distance of six feet, and is that even the correct metric? The tools can’t possibly account for a sneeze. These decisions could lead to a slew of false negatives or false positives. Also crucial is a critical mass of users: Oxford University researchers have suggested 60 percent of a country’s population must participate to ensure effectiveness. But all proposals so far are voluntary, and a Post study found that nearly 3 in 5 people in the United States say they’re unwilling or unable to use the system.
-----
May 1, 2020
The Business of Medicine in the Era of COVID-19
The United States will eventually get through the acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis but not without fundamental changes to the medical care system. Since the epidemic began, payment policy has stretched to remedy the bias of the health care system for in-person treatment provided by physicians. In response to the need for social distancing, new policies include broader payment for telemedicine, expanded scope-of-practice ability for nonphysician practitioners, and increased ability of physicians and nurses to practice across state lines. While these policy reforms address some of the immediate needs of this crisis, such as getting personnel to where they are most needed, they are not a complete solution to the COVID-19 crisis. How the aftermath of the current COVID-19 wave is handled will be just as important for the business of health care as what is happening now.
Two issues about the medical system after the current wave are particularly important: What type of organizations will be available to treat patients a few months from now? And how will those patients be most effectively served?
What Will the Health Care Landscape Look Like?
Hospitals and physicians treating most patients with COVID-19 have 2 financial challenges. The direct costs of caring for patients with COVID-19 are clear; many such patients are uninsured or require care that costs more than insurance pays. Likely much larger, however, is the financial effect of having postponed nonemergency care, ranging from office visits to elective surgery. These are the cases from which physicians and hospitals derive most of their profits. Elective care has declined across the country, with reductions in some services of 50% or more.
-----
Meditech swings to a loss in Q1 due to COVID-19 hit on product bookings
May 4, 2020 11:33am
Meditech reported a first-quarter loss of $26 million after posting a profit in the same period a year earlier due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the stock market.
The electronic health record (EHR) vendor swung from a quarter-over-quarter profit of $36 million to a loss of $25.7 million due to COVID-related stock losses and a decline in product bookings, according to the company's Q1 2020 financials.
The Massachusetts-based company reported $143 million in revenue in the first quarter of 2020, up 24% from $115 million in the first quarter of 2019. Product revenue rose 77% to reach $58 million and service revenue was up 3% in the quarter, coming to $84 million.
The company pointed to gains in product revenue primarily to a larger backlog and more implementations, including $16.5 million not recognized upon product installation in 2019, but collection deemed probable in 2020, the company reported in its quarterly report.
Service revenue increased by $2.2 million primarily to more customers going live.
-----
States are easing coronavirus restrictions and 'it's going to cost lives,' researcher says
By Nicole Chavez, Jason Hanna and Faith Karimi, CNN
Updated 0242 GMT (1042 HKT) May 2, 2020
(CNN)Most states are taking steps to ease social distancing restrictions and the federal government has approved an experimental drug to treat Covid-19 patients.
But pandemic experts say reopening the country is a "big mistake."
"You're making a big mistake. It's going to cost lives," Dr. Irwin Redlener, a pediatrician and disaster preparedness specialist at Columbia University Medical Center, told CNN on Friday.
Redlener and Joseph Fair, a senior fellow in pandemic policy at Texas A&M University, sent a report to all governors on Friday, warning them that no state or city should reduce restrictions until coronavirus infections have been steadily decreasing for 10 days to two weeks, and not until enough tests are available to assess just how many people really are infected.
Redlener's warning comes as more than 30 states are easing social distancing restrictions this weekend. The changes ranged from opening state parks to allowing some businesses to restart.
-----
Always The Bridesmaid, Public Health Rarely Spotlighted Until It’s Too Late
Julie RovnerMay 4, 2020
The U.S. is in the midst of both a public health crisis and a health care crisis. Yet most people aren’t aware these are two distinct things. And the response for each is going to be crucial.
If you’re not a health professional of some stripe, you might not realize that the nation’s public health system operates in large part separately from the system that provides most people’s medical care.
Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, a former deputy commissioner for the Food and Drug Administration and now vice dean at the school of public health at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, distinguishes the health care system from the public health system as “the difference between taking care of patients with COVID and preventing people from getting COVID in the first place.”
In general, the health care system cares for patients individually, while public health is about caring for an entire population. Public health includes many things a population takes for granted, like clean air, clean water, effective sanitation, food that is safe to eat, as well as injury prevention, vaccines and other methods of ensuring the control of contagious and environmental diseases.
-----
COVID-19: How the UK's regional health tech cluster is responding
In the recent techUK webinar, ‘COVID-19: How Yorkshire’s health tech cluster is responding’, local experts discussed how digital health tools benefited the ease and speed of the region’s pandemic response.
May 04, 2020 01:29 AM
Many of their observations on digital preparedness and strategic innovation were mirrored by members of the Yorkshire Imaging Collaborative (YIC) who discussed their platform in an exclusive interview with Healthcare IT News.
WHY IT MATTERS
Yorkshire & Humber’s existing commitment to health tech meant that the transition to remote working already had a head-start, as the crisis “really brought home the power that digital can bring in health and care,” noted Dylan Roberts, chief digital and information officer at Leeds City Council. With digital infrastructures already in place, the region was able to accelerate uptake of health tech solutions with relative ease in accordance with necessity.
The speakers highlighted how the crisis had relaxed the boundaries of control between companies and systems, now linked by a common purpose. This means that healthcare technologies are operating more collaboratively with people across the community offering their support more altruistically through downloadable design blueprints, free short-term licenses or otherwise unlikely partnerships. This extends outside of health tech, as commercial manufacturers and design workshops offer their services to assist in the effort against COVID-19.
These partnerships are often overseen by integrated care systems (ICS) with a particular focus on maintaining a regional approach to care. For example, by signposting requests for PPE to local centres, ICSs alleviate pressure on centralised national helplines and accelerate the supply chain. “Regional tools are more agile,” said Aejaz Zahid, innovation hub director at Yorkshire & Humber Academic Health Science Network, as they facilitate tighter, faster feedback loops and encourage community participation.
-----
https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/europe/covid-19-tracing-app-be-trialled-isle-wight-uk-roll-out
COVID-19 tracing app to be trialled on the Isle of Wight before UK roll-out
Department of Health and Social Care denies claims that the app has failed NHS clinical safety and security test.
By Tammy Lovell
May 04, 2020 02:08 PM
A coronavirus contact-tracing app is being trialled in the Isle of Wight from tomorrow (5 May) and is expected to be rolled out throughout the UK in the coming weeks.
In a press briefing, health secretary Matt Hancock, said the app “will help us deliver test, track and trace on the mass scale that we need across the country.”
The app will initially be available to NHS staff and from Thursday the island’s 80,000 households will receive letters asking them to install the app.
Hancock added that it took “full consideration of privacy and security” and had already been tested in closed conditions at an RAF base.
-----
Improved interoperability is key to managing COVID-19 spread
A new report, co-authored by former National Coordinator Farzard Mostashari, offers a roadmap toward the data exchange infrastructure needed to help contain the coronavirus pandemic.
By Nathan Eddy
May 04, 2020 12:04 PM
A research team from the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy outlined a three-part strategy to improve data interoperability and exchange to support COVID-19 containment, with a focus on utilizing and enhancing existing infrastructure to speed implementation.
In order for public health authorities, healthcare providers, laboratories, and community-based organizations to more effectively collaborate, the report authors recommend improvements in commercial-lab reporting; better access to clinical data through a dedicated, secure portal; and enhanced use of the National Syndromic Surveillance Program.
The report also calls for using existing systems rather than building new systems and keeps the focus on solutions that can be designed and implemented within the next 30 to 90 days, and stresses "immediate needs call for immediate solutions."
In the area of lab reporting, the report noted up to half of lab reports submitted to public health can lack a patient address or zip code, often key demographic data elements used in identifying infection clusters and localizing disease hotspots.
-----
Rushing to Implement Telehealth? Don’t Ignore Identity Management and Cybersecurity
May 4, 2020
One of the most prominent “silver linings” of the COVID-19 crisis has been the rapid adoption and acceptance of telehealth tools. But as healthcare organizations rush to implement these platforms, they may be making themselves vulnerable to improper access and cyberattacks. Experts from LexisNexis and BridgeCare Health Network say that a whole-team approach is needed to address the challenge.
Removing Telehealth Barriers
For many, the digital transformation of the traditional in-person visit has been a long time coming. Adoption of telehealth prior to the pandemic had been growing but at a slow pace – held back by technology, cultural and reimbursement barriers. All of those have been washed away when COVID-19 arrived in full force.
In March 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) expanded the services that they would pay for when delivered via telehealth. With this 1135 waiver doctors, nurse practitioners, clinical psychologists and licensed clinical social workers are able to offer telehealth services to patients. In addition, these telehealth visits are now considered “the same as in-person visits and are paid at the same rate as regular, in-person visits.” With this action, CMS removed the reimbursement barrier.
-----
Wearable Technologies: Software as a Medical Device
With advancement of technology, software has rapidly become an essential part of human daily life and became an important part of healthcare products serving both medical and non-medical purposes. With this respect, use of software as a medical device (“SaMD”), which is on its own a medical device, is continuing to increase, and the subject is being addressed by global actors. As SaMD, previously referred to as stand alone software, medical device software, health software, etc., has features particular for the subject matter, regulators have recognized the need to establish a common framework and principles for SaMD. With this article, regulatory approach of global actors to the term SaMD and intellectual property protection matters with this respect is aimed to be discussed.
International Medical Device Regulators Forum (“IMDRF”), a voluntary group of medical device regulators from around the world, established in October 2011, which has created a Working Group on SaMD (“SaMD WG”) has published non-binding documentation providing guidance with respect to stand alone software and SaMD. With the intention to identify commonalities, establish a common vocabulary and develop approaches for appropriate regulatory controls that promote prospective convergence in areas of advanced and innovative technologies in this topic area (i.e. SaMD), SaMD WG has published “Software as a Medical Device (SaMD): Key Definitions” (“IMDRF SaMD: Key Definitions”) in 2013. Accordingly, term SaMD is defined by the IMDRF as software intended to be used for one or more medical purposes that perform these purposes without being part of a hardware medical device. The SaMD WG has also agreed upon the framework for risk categorization of SaMD, quality management system of SaMD and the clinical evaluation of SaMD.
-----
26th April
Doctor’s flashcards help critically ill Covid-19 patients around the world
A coronavirus patient’s “terrifying” hospital experience inspired an NHS doctor to create a new flashcard system to improve communication with medical staff wearing face masks.
Anaesthetist Rachael Grimaldi founded Cardmedic while on maternity leave after reading about a Covid-19 patient who was unable to understand healthcare workers through their personal protective equipment (PPE).
Her system enables medical staff to ask critically ill or deaf coronavirus patients important questions and share vital information on pre-written digital flashcards displayed on a phone, tablet or computer.
The idea went from concept to launch in just 72 hours on April 1 and is now being used by NHS trusts and hospitals in 50 countries across the world.
-----
Weekly News Recap
- Arcadia acquires the assets of the Massachusetts EHealth Collaborative.
- A KLAS inpatient EHR bed win-loss report for 2019 shows big gains for Epic and Meditech, big losses for Allscripts and Cerner.
- Epic announces plans to add integrated telehealth to its product.
- VA OIG finds that the VA had not adequately planned its now-postponed first go-live, specifically in the areas of staffing, patient access given an expected 30% drop in provider productivity for 12-24 months, and missing functionality such as e-prescribing.
- Cerner’s Q1 beats earnings expectations, but falls short on revenue.
- Cerner offers health systems and researchers free access to the de-identified data of COVID-19 patients for developing epidemiological studies, clinical trials, and medical treatments.
- Facebook’s coronavirus symptom survey is sending results from 1 million users per week to Carnegie Mellon University for predicting disease spread and county-by-county impact.
-----
Enjoy!
David.
