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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Staff Engagement in Early Planning Key for Health IT Implementations
Early staff engagement in health IT implementation planning helped a South Dakota hospital optimize its comprehensive EHR system.
March 04, 2022 - Successful health IT implementations require cross-departmental staff engagement in the planning process, according to an AACC article written by Kacy Peterson MBA, MLS, laboratory director at Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center.
When the hospital first announced a comprehensive EHR implementation, Peterson knew that including laboratory staff in the planning process would be crucial, as the implementation included a laboratory information system (LIS).
LIS functions include storing patient data, receiving test orders, sending orders to laboratory analyzers, and transmitting orders to the EHR.
“An LIS is the brains of the laboratory, and disrupting that flow of data is a large event—even when planned, as in our hospital’s recent LIS conversion,” Peterson said. “A successful LIS conversion or implementation starts with planning and assessing risks from an early stage. It was imperative that our laboratory had a seat at the table from the very beginning of the project.”
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https://mhealthintelligence.com/news/38-of-patients-have-received-virtual-care-in-2022
38% of Patients Have Received Virtual Care in 2022
Researchers also found that 76 percent of patients who have had a telehealth visit would prefer to continue using it in the future, a new report shows.
March 04, 2022 - Over a third of patients (38 percent) have received care via telehealth this year, a drop from 48 percent who said the same in 2020, according to a new report from Jones Lang LaSalle.
The survey polled 4,060 US residents from Jan. 3 to 12.
Despite the rise in telehealth visits during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, utilization has since dropped. In mid-2020, 52 percent of healthcare visits happened virtually, but this figure had since dropped down to 11 percent. Although it has significantly declined, it remains higher than it was before the pandemic.
In 2022, 38 percent of care was virtual. Researchers expect that in the years to come, telehealth will be optimal not as a replacement to in-person visits but as a complementary service.
The study shows that half of the respondents said they have participated in a telehealth visit since July 2021. Three-quarters of behavioral health visits had a virtual component.
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https://www.digitalhealth.net/2022/03/dedalus-replace-lorenzo-epr-orbis/
Dedalus to replace Lorenzo EPR with Orbis software
Health IT giant Dedalus has announced that it will cease offering the Lorenzo electronic patient record (EPR) system in the UK and Ireland and will switch to Orbis.
John Hoeksma March 3, 2022
The company says the move will help NHS trusts and integrated care systems achieve the digital levelling up aspirations set out by the health secretary, Sajid Javid, last month, when he called for 90% of NHS trusts to have EPR capabilities by 2023.
Lorenzo, which for 20-years was inextricably linked to the NHS National Programme for IT, will be dropped in favour of the more mature Orbis modular EPR product, which is used in over 1,000 sites in Europe and internationally.
Dedalus acquired the Orbis product and customer base when it bought Agfa’s health IT division in 2020. The company subsequently purchased DXC’s UK healthcare business in July 2020 for £413million.
Dedalus has 19 NHS trusts that are current Lorenzo customers and will offer them the latest version of Orbis – called ORBIS U – as a set of rich clinicals on top of their current patient administration systems.
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https://www.pcmag.com/news/memo-to-doctors-older-patients-and-their-kids-love-telehealth
Memo to Doctors: Older Patients (and Their Kids) Love Telehealth
Eighty percent of adults with older parents said telehealth options made their parents feel more comfortable about receiving care during the pandemic, an Independa survey finds.
March 2, 2022
It’s hard to find bright spots in the pandemic, but the widespread adoption of telehealth is one. While a video visit with a physician is not as thorough as an in-person one, the ability to see and speak to a doctor without risking COVID-19 exposure has eased the minds of many.
Independa surveyed 1,000 Americans who care for older parents regarding their feelings about telehealth during the pandemic. The comfort and convenience of telehealth was preferred by 69.5% of respondents; 62.8% said they were thankful to save travel time, and 55% preferred telehealth because of the risks of infectious diseases such as COVID-19.
Eighty-three percent of adults with older parents said they felt more comfortable that their parents had the option of telehealth, and 80% said telehealth made their parents feel more comfortable about receiving care during the pandemic.
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Want to boost your cybersecurity? Here are 10 steps to improve your defences now
Any conflict online can have unexpected consequences, so it's wise to ensure your defences are at full strength.
Written by Danny Palmer,
on | Topic: Security
Ukraine was being hit by cyberattacks well before Russia launched its invasion. DDoS attacks and wiper malware were among the cyber threats that targeted Ukrainian government ministries, banks, media and other services, but there are also other examples from recent history.
Russia has been accused of being behind attacks that took down Ukrainian power grids in December 2015, and it's thought that the Russian military was also behind the widespread and disruptive NotPetya malware attack of June 2017. NotPetya was designed to target organisations in the Ukrainian financial, energy and government sectors, but the impact quickly spread to organisations around the world.
And as the conflict continues, firms far from that geography have been urged to check their security posture. As NCSC CEO Lindy Cameron commented just a few days ago, "Cyberattacks do not respect geographic boundaries", warning that these incidents have international consequences – intentional or not.
The NCSC has urged organisations to take action to secure their networks. And there are steps that can be taken – some of which are relatively simple – that can increase resilience against cyberattacks.
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New MIT Technique Aims to Boost Fairness Within Machine-Learning Models
A new study shows that reducing bias within machine-learning models is possible with a new technique that can help accurately map similarities and differences in data.
March 03, 2022 - Recognizing the harm that unbalanced data can bring to the creation of machine-learning models, a study shows how Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers attempted to increase fairness in these models through a new technique, called Partial Attribute Decorrelation.
Researchers from MIT acknowledged that many machine-learning models were created using skewed data, causing them to produce uneven results.
Though the resultsproduced by the model are irreversible, researchers believe that adjusting the model itself can assist in creating better outcomes, despite being developed based on skewed data.
“In machine learning, it is common to blame the data for bias in models. But we don’t always have balanced data. So, we need to come up with methods that actually fix the problem with imbalanced data,” said lead author Natalie Dullerud, a graduate student in the Healthy ML Group of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) at MIT, in the press release.
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https://mhealthintelligence.com/news/bidens-plans-to-curb-mental-health-crisis-include-virtual-care
Biden’s Plans to Curb Mental Health Crisis Include Virtual Care
In his first State of the Union address, the president laid out his administration's plans to tackle the mental health epidemic, including expanding access to telebehavioral healthcare.
By Anuja Vaidya
March 03, 2022 - President Joe Biden's plans to address the growing mental health crisis in America include expanding virtual mental healthcare options.
In his first State of the Union address, Biden detailed the actions his administration plans to take to combat the mental health epidemic. These include investing in programs to bring providers into behavioral health, expanding and strengthening payment parity between physical and mental healthcare, increasing behavioral health navigation resources, and widening access to telemental healthcare.
The White House will work with Congress to ensure coverage of telebehavioral health across health plans and support the delivery of telemedicine across state lines.
Currently, there are several bills in front of Congress that aim to make permanent telehealth flexibilities enacted during the pandemic, including the Telemental Health Care Access Act. The legislation would provide Medicare coverage for mental healthcare through telehealth regardless of whether the provider has previously seen the beneficiary in person.
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https://healthitsecurity.com/news/secondary-health-data-use-fails-to-account-for-clinical-ethics
Secondary Health Data Use Fails to Account for Clinical Ethics
Secondary health data use by big tech companies fails to account for clinical ethics, a JAMA Network viewpoints article argued.
By Jill McKeon
March 03, 2022 - Electronic health data functions primarily to enable the delivery of healthcare services, a viewpoint article published in JAMA Network argued. Sharing that data for research and public health are secondary functions.
But those secondary functions continue to expand as more tech companies enter the healthcare market, some of which may not have the patient’s best interests at heart. When HIPAA was enacted more than 25 years ago, policymakers could not possibly predict the expanded use cases for health data and its growing applications in the business world.
“The largest technology companies in the world today are aggregating massive stores of medical data to advance business priorities. The risk is that secondary use can harm or exploit individuals,” the article stated.
For example, Apple, Google, and Fitbit collect protected health information via wearable devices and health apps. But privacy standards for tech companies are naturally different than those in the healthcare sector.
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https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/allscripts-sell-hospital-and-large-physician-practice-assets
Allscripts to sell hospital and large physician practice assets
Constellation Software's N. Harris Computer Corporation could pay up to $700 million for the business segment, which includes the Sunrise, Paragon, TouchWorks, Opal and dbMotion tools.
By Kat Jercich
March 03, 2022 11:27 AM
Allscripts announced on Wednesday that it had entered into an agreement with Toronto-based Constellation Software's N. Harris Computer Corporation to acquire the net assets of the electronic health record vendor's hospital and large physician practices business segment.
The segment includes Allscripts' Sunrise, Paragon, TouchWorks, Opal and dbMotion tools.
The assets of Allscripts Veradigm analytics and intervention portfolio will not be included in the transaction.
"We have been watching and admiring the hospitals and large physician practices franchise for many years," said Harris CEO Jeff Bender in a statement. "We believe that we are the perfect forever home for the many talented employees and loyal customers that are the backbone of the franchise."
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Government-level value-based care report highlights challenges and lessons for APAC
Representatives of governments and regional health authorities from nine APAC countries discussed the shift toward patient-centric, value-based care.
March 03, 2022 03:20 AM
HIMSS has released a report covering key points from a government roundtable on value-based care.
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
The APAC Value-Based Care Government Roundtable Report features five primary takeaways from a virtual roundtable held on 17 November. It was attended by attended by representatives from governments and regional health authorities from nine Asia-Pacific countries, including Australia, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Japan, Pakistan, the Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand.
WHY IT MATTERS
Each country faces its unique set of challenges in transitioning toward patient-centric models that prioritise value over volume. In light of the pandemic, healthcare institutions are under increasing strain, leading to burnout and reduced quality of care for patients with non-communicable and chronic conditions. Countries with fragmented health systems also struggle to adopt digital transformations and lack proper records to measure value-based care outcomes.
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https://www.healthcareittoday.com/2022/03/03/vive-2022-announcements-and-solutions/
ViVE 2022 Announcements and Solutions
March 3, 2022
Next week is the first ViVE 2022 conference happening in Miami, FL. We’ll be covering the event here at Healthcare IT Today and sharing all the interesting insights and perspectives we find. Plus, you can expect some great Healthcare IT Today interviews from the conference as well.
With so many companies at the event, we wanted to collect a kind of cliff notes version of some of the important announcements and solutions companies are making and offering at the event. Hopefully, this will give people a feel for what’s being shared at the event along with discovering some new products and solutions they may not have heard about previously.
We’ll keep adding to the list as we hear of new news and announcements from companies that are of interest to the Healthcare IT Today Community. Bookmark this page and come back to see what’s new throughout the next week.
314e
At ViVE 2022 314e will be launching 3 new products: Jeeves, Muspell Health Data
Platform, and Muspell Archive. These products were launched based on
their experience helping over 250 healthcare enterprise customers. Learn
more details about 314e
transformating from a services to a product company
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Going Legit: Sorting “Truth vs. Trash” in Online Health Information
March 3, 2022
The
following article includes contributions by Geri Lynn Baumblatt & Teresa
Wagner.
Most kids grow up online. And for 70% of teens, their first source of health
information is the web. It’s easier to use their phone, and they may not feel
comfortable asking parents or teachers. Sometimes they do a search to find out
when a sore throat may be a sign of something more serious. Other times, they
want to know what medication to take for headaches, a UTI, or Plan B — or
information on anxiety, depression, suicide, cutting, eating disorders,
bullying, STDs, signs of alcohol poisoning, how to have safe sex, or if vaping
is safe.
Also consider “time to treat” — getting accurate information so teens don’t
wait to go for medical help can make a big difference in many of these time
sensitive situations.
And even though teens are digital natives, it’s still hard to distinguish what
information is truth versus trash. A systematic review of “Internet Use by
Children and Adolescents,” by Park & Kwon (2018) found teens were confused
by the information they found online about sexual health. Teens also find the
information frustrating and the volume of it overwhelming. Those with lower
ability to understand health information (low health literacy), rated the
information as accurate more frequently compared to teens with higher ability
to understand health information who knew it was inaccurate. Also, the teens
with low health literacy weren’t able to say why they thought it was reliable.
Add to this, children and teens increasingly are asked to help care for ill or
disabled relatives at home. Called “young caregivers,” kids ages 8 to 17 help
with meals, medical tasks, bathing, and other activities of daily living.
According to a national survey, back in 2005 there were already at least 1.4
million young caregivers. So, it’s clear that for their own health and their
families, the ability to identify accurate online health information is
essential.
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https://www.healthleadersmedia.com/innovation/problem-wearables-bigger-just-wearability
The Problem With Wearables is Bigger Than Just Wearability
Analysis | By Eric Wicklund | March 03, 2022
A survey of patients who've been prescribed wearables finds some issues with the technology and design, but also a lack of education on how to use the mHealth devices and how they'll improve care management.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
· A survey of more than 450 patients who were prescribed wearables finds that more than 85 percent have had problems using the devices and uploading inaccurate data.
· While some of the complaints point to clunky technology or user design, others hint at a lack of education provided by care providers on how to use the devices and how they'll contribute to improved care management.
· Providers should not only do their research and choose the best wearables for their patients, but train them on how to use the technology and explain how these devices willl improve clinical outcomes and reduce unecessary tasks and healthcare costs.
A survey of hundreds of patients who’ve been prescribed wearables finds that problems with adoption and engagement are tied not only to technical issues, but also to how providers are prescribing them.
Conducted by Software Advice, the survey of more than 450 patients found that while 86% said the mHealth devices did improve clinical outcomes and their quality of life, even more – 87% – said the devices had given them inaccurate information, and 85% blamed those mistakes on usability issues.
Specifically, of those were reported getting inaccurate data from their wearable, 54% said it wasn’t clear how they were supposed to upload data from the devices to their care provider, while 31% said the interface was confusing and 15% said the device malfunctioned. In addition, 65 percent said they had to contact their doctor’s office to correct the mistakes, adding tasks to the care process that wearables are designed to eliminate.
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https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/how-fight-back-against-public-health-mis-and-disinformation
How to fight back against public health mis- and disinformation
At HIMSS22, Denise Scannell, MITRE's chief strategist for health communication, will offer insights into the many ways it's helping healthcare organizations and public health agencies combat false and inaccurate information.
By Mike Miliard
March 02, 2022 10:54 AM
One of the lasting lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic is the insidious and corrosive power of mis- and disinformation to undermine public health efforts.
On the website for its COVID-19 Health Communication Playbook, MITRE offered just a few examples of the online epithets that bombard credulous social media users:
- "Some of these new vaccines will rewrite your DNA."
- "Dr. Fraud and the Gates foundation stand to make billions from a forced COVID vaccine!"
- "Behind every rushed drug in history is a trail of death."
From masks to quack remedies, to vaccination, the past two years have seen a constant swirl of damaging untruths perpetrate traditional and social media. These have proven hugely challenging for providers, public health agencies and policymakers trying to communicate critical information to help citizens stay healthy.
Worse, falsehoods and inaccurate information often most disproportionately affect underserved populations and other historically marginalized groups that might be most vulnerable to COVID-19.
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Arguing the Pros and Cons of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare
Artificial intelligence is a hot topic in healthcare, sparking ongoing debate about the ethical, clinical, and financial pros and cons of relying on algorithms for patient care.
March 02, 2022 - In what seems like the blink of an eye, mentions of artificial intelligence have become ubiquitous in the healthcare industry.
From deep learning algorithms that can read CT scans faster than humans to natural language processing (NLP) that can comb through unstructured data in electronic health records (EHRs), the applications for AI in healthcare seem endless.
But like any technology at the peak of its hype curve, artificial intelligence faces criticism from its skeptics alongside enthusiasm from die-hard evangelists.
Despite its potential to unlock new insights and streamline the way providers and patients interact with healthcare data, AI may bring considerable threats of privacy problems, ethical concerns, and medical errors.
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https://healthitsecurity.com/news/75-of-infusion-pumps-contain-known-security-gaps-report-finds
75% of Infusion Pumps Contain Known Security Gaps, Report Finds
In 75% of more than 200,000 analyzed infusion pumps, researchers found known security gaps warranting significant medical device security concerns.
By Jill McKeon
March 02, 2022 - Researchers from Unit 42 analyzed over 200,000 infusion pumps and found known security gaps in 75 percent of them, a recent report revealed. The discovery has grim implications for medical device security.
Unit 42 is Palo Alto Networks’ threat intelligence and security consulting organization. Its researchers set their sights on assessing how well healthcare organizations secure smart infusion pumps, network-connected medical devices that dispense medications and fluids to patients.
In August 2021, McAfee researchers discovered significant vulnerabilities in two types of B. Braun infusion pumps that could potentially allow hackers to deliver lethal doses of medications to unsuspecting patients. No incidents have been reported, but the discovery pointed to significant gaps in medical device security that make these devices easy targets for threat actors.
Unit 42’s analysis found that most infusion pumps contained one or more of 40 known security vulnerabilities and one or more of 70 other types of IoT device vulnerabilities. More than half of analyzed infusion pumps were vulnerable to two extremely high severity vulnerabilities disclosed publicly in 2019.
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March 01, 2022
Magnets in some Apple, Microsoft products may interfere with ICDs, pacemakers
Strong magnets in newer portable electronic devices like the Apple AirPods Pro charging case or Microsoft Surface Pen can interfere with pacemakers and implantable cardioverter defibrillators, researchers reported.
Corentin Féry
“We show that there is a risk of deactivating the therapy of these medical devices if some electronic objects with magnets are placed near the chest of the patients,” Corentin Féry, MSc, a research engineer at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, Institute for Medical Engineering and Medical Informatics in Muttenz, Switzerland, told Healio. “The key word is caution for wearers of ICDs and pacemakers. The risk for death is real for them since a tachycardia will not be detected if a device with a strong magnet is deactivating their implant. Our tests on some everyday objects, such as the iPhone 12 Pro Max or the Microsoft Surface Pen, lead us to say that it is necessary to keep a distance of at least 1 inch between the implants and these devices. We also recommend not to carry electronic objects in a pocket close to the chest, or to fall asleep with such devices.”
Investigating magnetic strength
The researchers investigated several portable electronic devices (PEDs), including the Apple AirPods Pro and its wireless charging case, the Microsoft Surface Pen and the Apple Pencil (second generation), comparing their magnetic field strength with the iPhone 12 Pro Max. Using a magnetic mapper with 64 magnetic sensors, researchers measured the magnetic field strength of the products at various distances. The PEDs were also placed incrementally closer to five defibrillators from two representative manufacturers (Boston Scientific: Inogen, Teligen and Cognis; Medtronic: Protecta and Viva Quad) until a therapy deactivation occurred. According to the FDA, a minimal field strength of 10 G is required for CV implantable devices to trigger to magnet mode.
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The '5 Ts' of using digital health in a pandemic
A group of 13 international leaders in public health and digital health reached a consensus on the best-use practices for digital health in the face of a pandemic. Their recommendations fell under five main categories: team, transparency, technology, "techquity" and transformation — the Five Ts — and were published in JAMA Network Open Feb. 23.
- Team: The experts emphasized building multisector teams with competencies in data and technology. Collaborating and coordinating public messaging was also important.
- Transparency and trust: Practice transparency on data collection and use to patients, and interconnect data based on agreed data standards.
- Technology: Use digital technologies for crisis surveillance and communication; for instance, use easy-to-digest data visualization techniques to keep the public informed.
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https://ehrintelligence.com/news/onc-most-information-blocking-claims-have-come-from-patients
ONC: Most Information Blocking Claims Have Come from Patients
Patients have submitted more than half of all the potential information blocking claims since the ONC interoperability rule went into effect.
March 01, 2022 - Patients have submitted the vast majority of information blocking claims since the ONC interoperability rule went into effect in April 2021, according to ONC data.
The 21st Century Cures Act prompted ONC to create a standardized process for the public to report claims of possible information blocking. The Office of Inspector General (OIG) investigates any claim of information blocking.
ONC has received 299 submissions through its “Report Information Blocking Portal” since April 2021. Of these submissions, 274 present possible claims of information blocking. The remaining 25 claims do not appear to present possible instances of information blocking.
For ONC to consider submissions as possible instances of information blocking, the claim must be about individuals who could potentially be information blocking actors.
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https://mhealthintelligence.com/news/teladoc-amazon-partner-to-enhance-direct-to-consumer-telehealth
Teladoc, Amazon Partner to Enhance Direct-to-Consumer Telehealth
The new partnership aims to increase care access and convenience by enabling people with Alexa-supported devices to connect with Teladoc providers without downloading any additional apps.
By Anuja Vaidya
February 28, 2022 - Teladoc Health has partnered with Amazon to launch voice-activated access to virtual care using Alexa-supported devices.
Through Amazon Alexa, which can be accessed via Echo devices like Echo, Echo Dot, and Echo Show, healthcare consumers can now connect with a Teladoc Health care provider for general medical needs at any time.
Here's how it works. A consumer who wants to connect with a Teladoc provider can start by saying, "Alexa, I want to talk to a doctor," to their Echo device, explained Donna Boyer, chief product officer at Teladoc Health, in an email.
"Customers will need to create an Alexa voice ID and grant skill permission before connecting with the Teladoc call center," she said.
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OCR Director Urges Healthcare to Prioritize Cybersecurity This Year
OCR director Lisa J. Pino urged healthcare organizations to prioritize cybersecurity in 2022 as cyberattacks burden the sector.
By Jill McKeon
March 01, 2022 - Office for Civil Rights (OCR) director Lisa J. Pino urged healthcare organizations to prioritize cybersecurity in 2022 in a recent blog post on HHS’s website. Healthcare data breaches are still occurring on an almost daily basis.
HHS appointed Pino, a former senior executive service official at the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and former executive deputy commissioner of the New York State Department of Health, as the OCR’s new director in September 2021.
With an extensive background in cyber breach mitigation efforts, experts predicted that the new leadership would bring new focus areas for OCR, including additional data breach management guidance and HIPAA enforcement actions.
The recent blog post emphasized that “prioritizing cybersecurity and patient privacy is of the utmost concern” to Pino.
“Cyberattacks grabbed headlines throughout 2021 as hacking and IT incidents affected government agencies, major companies, and even supply chains for essential goods, like gasoline,” the blog post stated.
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https://healthitsecurity.com/news/employee-cyber-hygiene-is-critical-to-healthcare-cybersecurity
Employee Cyber Hygiene Is Critical to Healthcare Cybersecurity
Poor employee cyber hygiene can endanger even the strongest healthcare cybersecurity architectures.
By Jill McKeon
March 01, 2022 - Proper employee cyber hygiene is crucial to maintaining healthcare cybersecurity, a new report conducted by the Center for Generational Kinetics (CGK) and commissioned by Mobile Mentor suggested.
A survey of 1,500 employees across four highly regulated industries—finance, education, government, and healthcare— found that poor password hygiene and new employee onboarding left organizations vulnerable to cyber risks.
More than a third of respondents admitted to finding ways to work around their organization’s security policies, and 72 percent of respondents reported valuing their personal privacy over company security.
“Navigating trade-offs between endpoint security and employee experience has always been challenging but it has become critical in this post-pandemic world,” the report stated.
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Will Oracle’s acquisition of Cerner improve the VA EHR rollout?
While some observers say Oracle could help Cerner overcome challenges, others say the acquisition may have little impact.
Feb 28 2022
Cerner has struggled with the ongoing implementation of its Millennium clinical applications at both Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense facilities.
Oracle’s pending $28.3 billion acquisition of Cerner – slated to close this year – has prompted speculation on the potential impact of the acquisition on those projects.
Some observers predict Oracle could help Cerner improve its rollout to the government facilities, but others don’t expect the takeover to have much of an impact. And some former VA officials say that the agency’s project is destined to fail regardless of who owns Cerner because of change management problems within the agency that will negatively impact the project.
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https://www.healthit.gov/buzz-blog/21st-century-cures-act/information-blocking-claims-by-the-numbers
Information Blocking Claims: By the Numbers
Rachel Nelson and Cassie Weaver | February 28, 2022
The 21st Century Cures Act (Cures Act), signed into law by President Obama in 2016, directed ONC to implement a standardized process for the public to report claims of possible information blocking. The information blocking claims reporting process welcomes claims of possible information blocking from anyone who believes they may have experienced or observed information blocking. Any information received by ONC in connection with a claim or suggestion of possible information blocking and that could reasonably be expected to facilitate identification of the source of the information (claimant) is protected from disclosure under the Cures Act. The Cures Act authorizes the HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) to investigate any claim of information blocking.
Today, we posted a Quick Stat visualization of data on the information blocking claims we have received through the Report Information Blocking Portal since April 5, 2021—the applicability date of the information blocking regulations. Moving forward, we generally plan to update these resources on a monthly basis and provide our data in two formats—a web page showing cumulative numbers to date and a downloadable file [XLSX – 92 KB] that shows what the cumulative counts were each month dating back to April 5, 2021. This is our first release of information blocking claims data, and we intend to evolve our reporting in the future as we get more data and public feedback. Our goal is to create transparency and help the industry prevent information blocking before it happens.
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https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/emea/eu-grapples-ethics-ai-healthcare
The EU grapples with the ethics of AI in healthcare
The EU’s AI policy is moving forward at pace. But is it sufficient to oversee the rapid rise of artificial intelligence in health?
March 01, 2022 02:48 AM
AI was deployed across multiple areas in health during the pandemic, from analysing the sound of a patient’s cough to predicting mortality. More than 4,000 scientific papers have been published on AI and COVID-19 since the pandemic began, Alessandro Blasimme, a senior scientist in the Health Policy Lab at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, told participants at a recent panel on the future of science and technology in Europe.
But policy-makers are grappling with the raft of ethical challenges this rapid rate of innovation presents.
For Blasimme, it raises key moral questions that cannot be left to developers. “I’m not saying they [AI technologies] are not precise; they might be very accurate,” he told Healthcare IT News. “It’s just that accuracy is one side of this coin.”
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https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/onc-receives-nearly-300-info-blocking-reports
ONC receives nearly 300 info blocking reports
Since April 5, 2021, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT says hundreds of patients, providers and others have submitted claims of information blocking through its online portal.
By Kat Jercich
March 01, 2022 08:34 AM
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT released a report this week outlining information blocking claims submitted through its online portal since April 5, 2021.
According to ONC, 299 submissions were received, with 274 of those classified as possible claims. The remaining 25 did not appear to be claims of information blocking.
"This is our first release of information blocking claims data, and we intend to evolve our reporting in the future as we get more data and public feedback," wrote ONC's Rachel Nelson and Cassie Weaver in a blog post accompanying the data. "Our goal is to create transparency and help the industry prevent information blocking before it happens."
WHY IT MATTERS
As Nelson and Weaver noted, the 21st Century Cures Act directed ONC to implement a standardized process to report claims of information blocking.
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https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/sequoia-project-issues-health-it-recommendations-next-crisis
Sequoia Project issues health IT recommendations for next crisis
The organization's Emergency Preparedness Information Workgroup convened multiple times over the course of several months to analyze gaps in current strategies to address the COVID-19 pandemic.
By Kat Jercich
March 01, 2022 12:22 PM
The Sequoia Project's Emergency Preparedness Information Workgroup, which comprises states, federal partners, health information exchanges and others, released a white paper this week outlining lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and health IT recommendations for the future.
The paper, "Pandemic Response Insights and Recommendations," stressed that healthcare stakeholders must consider public health entities as collaborators and partners, with equal access to data.
"The COVID-19 pandemic brought circumstances that state and local public health agencies had to quickly act on. Everyone was forced to create a plan of action for a moving target; every day seemed to bring new and evolving information," said Debbie Condrey, chief operations officer and chief information officer of the Sequoia Project, as well as the EPIW facilitator, in a statement.
"The workgroup developed clear, actionable recommendations that address policy and regulatory issues, resources, equity and more. For future emergencies, we are all better ready to react quickly," Condrey added.
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COVID and 21st Century Cures Act Will Help Propel Health IT Forward
March 1, 2022
Greenway Health recently announced a new partnership with Wolters Kluwer to integrate their UpToDate and Emmi products in order to provide an improved patient and clinician experience. This continues a push over the last 12 months by Greenway, to improve the workflow for ambulatory practices while giving patients more consumer-like experiences. The company is also working to put patients in control of their health data.
I recently had the opportunity to sit down with David Cohen, Chief Product & Technology Officer at Greenway Health during their annual user conference – ENGAGE 2022. We spoke about their new partnership, Info Blocking, the 21st Century Cures Act, the current state of patient experience, and how the pandemic helped their Greenway to expand globally.
Improved Workflow
One of the highlights of the opening keynotes was Greenway’s partnership with Wolters Kluwer. This partnership includes the bundling of Wolter Kluwer’s UpToDate clinical decision support tool and Emmi patient education platform for Greenway clients.
“Wolters Kluwer’s UpToDate product will enable us to put clinical decision support right at the fingertips of clinicians inside of their workflow,” explained Cohen. “Clinicians will be able to push [patient education] content through Greenway’s patient portal. Having that holistic strategy between clinician decision support and advanced patient education content is going to elevate the patient experience. The goal is to create an N of 1.”
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https://www.healthcareittoday.com/2022/03/01/4-security-lessons-to-look-for-at-himss-2022/
4 Security Lessons to Look for At HIMSS 2022
March 1, 2022
When I look at what topics are going to be trending at the upcoming HIMSS 2022 conference in Orlando, healthcare security lands in my top 2 topics. While some may feel that the topic of security is getting old (and in some ways it is), the number of ransomware attacks, the increasing attack surface, and the risks to healthcare organizations have made security top of mind for every healthcare organization.
When I was talking with Fortinet about their plans for the HIMSS conference (Find them in Booth #1369) I realized that there were a number of security lessons those attending the conference could learn by talking with healthcare security companies like Fortinet. Here’s my top 4 security lessons:
Understanding Current Cyber Security Events
When you’re busy working the day job, it’s hard to keep up with all the latest cyber security events. The good news when you visit with a Fortinet security expert is that they’re staying up on all the latest news and threats. It’s important to know how the threat landscape is changing and talking with security experts at HIMSS can help you get up to speed on the latest security events. Plus, more importantly you can understand how those security events are impacting healthcare and what you should be doing to make sure your organization is protected.
Best Practices to Protect Against Ransomware
If you don’t think your organization is at risk for a ransomware incident, then it’s time to pull your head out of the sand. HIMSS will have many people who have had first hand experiences with ransomware. Learning from them will be valuable to help you know what best practices you should be implementing at your organization to minimize your risk for ransomware. We know no system is fool proof, but everyone sleeps better at night when you’ve made an effort to minimize the risk based on best practices and other organization’s experience.
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https://ehrintelligence.com/news/calhhs-data-exchange-framework-to-take-aim-at-health-equity
CalHHS Data Exchange Framework Takes Aim at Health Equity
California is on track to adopt a health data exchange agreement by July 2022 that is set to advance interoperability and promote health equity.
February 28, 2022 - The California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS) is halfway complete with the development of a data exchange framework that aims to advance health equity, according to a blog post written by John Ohanian, chief data officer and director for the CalHHS Center for Data Insights and Innovation Office.
Ohanian said the state is on track to adopt a data sharing agreement by July 2022 that will govern health information exchange across the care continuum.
The state will require healthcare providers, including hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, psychiatric treatment centers, health plans, and physician organizations, to participate in the real-time health data exchange in January 2024.
Ohanian noted that CalHHS is developing the data exchange framework with the guidance of a healthcare stakeholder advisory group. This month, the group submitted a set of eight guiding principles for the framework to the CalHHS secretary.
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https://healthitanalytics.com/news/new-ai-tool-helps-detect-hard-to-diagnose-heart-disease
New AI Tool Helps Detect Hard-to-Diagnose Heart Disease
Physician-scientists at Cedars-Sinai have developed a novel artificial intelligence algorithm that helps identify two frequently overlooked heart diseases.
February 28, 2022 - A new artificial intelligence (AI) tool created by physician-scientists in the Smidt Heart Institute at Cedars-Sinai was able to detect two types of heart disease that are typically hard to diagnose, according to a study published in JAMA Cardiology
Though there is a high prevalence of heart disease in America, several heart conditions often go unrecognized by healthcare professionals. Two of these conditions are hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and cardiac amyloidosis.
“These two heart conditions are challenging for even expert cardiologists to accurately identify, and so patients often go on for years to decades before receiving a correct diagnosis,” said David Ouyang, MD, a cardiologist in the Smidt Heart Institute and senior author of the study, in the press release.
To combat this issue and take steps to enhance cardiac care, physicians at the Smidt Heart Institute created an algorithm, which identifies specific features such as the thickness of heart walls and the size of heart chambers, to detect heart disease. The two-step algorithm was tested on over 34,000 cardiac ultrasound videos.
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NHS to bolster cybersecurity following Russian invasion of Ukraine
Fears that healthcare IT systems could be vulnerable to attack.
By Tammy Lovell
February 28, 2022 10:23 AM
NHS organisations have been told to strengthen defences against cyberattacks, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
An email seen by HSJ [paywall] from NHS England (NHSE) chief operating officer, Sir David Sloman, advised trusts to ensure their IT systems were “patched and protected, and that immutable backups are in place”. It added that further guidance would be issued to technical teams later this week.
WHY IT MATTERS
Healthcare systems are susceptible to cyberattacks which cause havoc and put patient safety at risk. The NHS was hit hard by the WannaCry ransomware attack in 2017, which disrupted around 81 NHS trusts and 600 primary care organisations, costing an estimated $115 million (£86M) and causing more than 19,000 appointments to be cancelled.
Although there have been no specific threats to the UK from the Kremlin, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has noted a “historical pattern of cyberattacks on Ukraine with international consequences.” It called on UK organisations to strengthen their online defences by following its cyber threat guidance.
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https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/emea/sajid-javid-announces-nhs-digital-transformation-agenda
Sajid Javid announces NHS digital transformation agenda
Ambition for 90% of NHS trusts to have EPRs by December 2023.
By Tammy Lovell
February 28, 2022 05:28 AM
UK health secretary Sajid Javid has set out a digital agenda to harness technological breakthroughs and drive transformation in the NHS and social care.
Speaking at the HSJ Digital Transformation Summit (24 Feb), Javid announced a digital health plan will be published in Spring, building on lessons from the pandemic.
He outlined four priorities for digital: ensuring the NHS is set up properly to succeed, levelling up across the NHS and social care, pursuing personalisation, and making “big breakthrough bets” on emerging technologies and data.
By December 2023, Javid aims for 90% of NHS trusts to have electronic patient record (EPR) systems, and the remaining 10% to be in the process of implementing them. He said that one in five trusts currently do not have EPRs, which he called “the essential prerequisite for a modern, digital NHS.”
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'Alexa, I Want to Talk to a Doctor.' — Amazon, Teledoc Launch Joint Telehealth Service
Analysis | By John Commins | February 28, 2022
Audio consultations will launch immediately, and video visits are "coming soon."
KEY TAKEAWAYS
· The initial launch will provide 24/7 audio general medical services, with video visits "coming soon."
· The per visit cost will range from free with insurance to $75 without insurance, the two companies said.
· To activate the platform, users will tell their Echo: "Alexa, I want to talk to a doctor."
· Echo will connect with the Teladoc call center and users will get a call back on their Echo from a Teledoc doctor for non-emergency care.
Internet behemoth Amazon Inc. and Teladoc Health on Monday announced the launch of voice-activated virtual primary care services on Alexa-supported Echo devices.
The initial launch will provide 24/7 audio general medical services, with video visits "coming soon." The per visit cost will range from free with insurance to $75 without insurance, the two companies said in a joint statement.
"Teladoc Health's collaboration with Amazon is yet another step in breaking down barriers to healthcare access," said Donna Boyer, chief product officer for Purchase, New York-based Teladoc Health.
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https://histalk2.com/2022/02/25/weekender-2-25-22/
Weekly News Recap
- Teladoc Health’s Q4 results beat expectations, but its share price takes a wild ride.
- Allscripts announces Q4 results that beat Wall Street expectations for revenue and earnings.
- A study notes that while telehealth visits spiked during the pandemic, the reason seems to be lack of in-person visits rather than patient preference.
- The DOJ sues to block UnitedHealth Group’s $13 billion acquisition of Change Healthcare, citing anti-competitive concerns related to UHG’s health insurance business.
- Virtual chronic care management company Omada Health raises a $192 million Series E funding round.
- WellSky announces its intentions to acquire TapCloud.
- Health Catalyst announces its acquisition of KPI Ninja.
- Cerner’s Q4 results beat analyst expectations for earnings, but fall slightly short on revenue.
- Spok announces layoffs, the retirement of its cloud-based Spok Go product, and its continuing search for an acquirer.
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Enjoy!
David.
