By Julie Mann The recent consumer press and clinical research on electronic health records (EHRs) are, too put it mildly, not great. Apart from being lambasted in Fortune and the New Yorker, the technology has also been linked to physician and nurse burnout, worsening clinician-and-patient relationships and creating twice as much work for providers. The real problem, however, isn’t solely the EHRs themselves. Rather, as pointed out in these articles, the challenge facing providers is … [Read More...] about How to Make EHRs Usable: Bring the Data to the Providers
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Addressing the Shortage of Nurses with Essential Skills and Concept-Based Curricula
By Kathy Mayle, MA, MNEd, MBA, RN The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects the need for registered nurses to grow by 15% from 2016 to 2026—about 438,100 new jobs—which is more than double the average growth expected for all occupations. But there aren’t enough nurses to fill these jobs or enough nursing program faculty to train more. According to an American Association of Colleges of Nursing report, nursing programs in the U.S. have had to turn away 64,067 qualified nursing … [Read More...] about Addressing the Shortage of Nurses with Essential Skills and Concept-Based Curricula
The Key to Improved Patient Experience—Reliable Communication
By Bill Ho Why reliable communication is key to improving the patient experience It’s more important than ever to ensure patients have a good experience. And the reality is that there is a strong correlation between patient experience and the success or failure of communication between payers, providers, and patients. The Importance of Seamless Internal Communication Patient outcomes and experiences suffer when communication breaks down. According to a study of 23,000 … [Read More...] about The Key to Improved Patient Experience—Reliable Communication
HIPAA Security Risk Analysis—Why You Need to Identify ePHI and the (Cyber) Threats to It
By Iliana L. Peters, JD, LLM, CISSP, and Katherine Keefe Last year, the federal government announced the largest settlement to date for potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in what it described as “the largest U.S. health data breach in history.” On October 15, 2018, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), the agency within the Department of Health and Human Services responsible for civil enforcement of HIPAA, announced that Anthem, Inc., had … [Read More...] about HIPAA Security Risk Analysis—Why You Need to Identify ePHI and the (Cyber) Threats to It
Will Amazon Deliver a Single-Payer Health Care System for the U.S.?
By Joe Grace Amazon has quietly put together a syndicate including Berkshire Hathaway and JP Morgan to provide better and more affordable health care for their combined 1.2 million workers. The joint effort, called Haven, makes sense because many companies of size today are self-insured to provide health care at lower costs. But this is different. Jeff Bezos, Jamie Dimon and Warren Buffett seem to be personally involved in the development of Haven. So, what could they possibility … [Read More...] about Will Amazon Deliver a Single-Payer Health Care System for the U.S.?
Medical Management: The Impact on Children’s Vision
By Elizabeth Klunk What does medical management truly mean when it comes to managed vision care and benefits? Traditionally, medical management has referred to insurers and medical professionals working together to improve care quality, outcomes and costs. However, the U.S. healthcare ecosystem is continuing to rapidly evolve—with healthcare venture capitalist fundraising reaching record highs in 2018, according to data by PitchBook—and the concept of medical management has been heavily … [Read More...] about Medical Management: The Impact on Children’s Vision
Working Naked
By Michael J. Zappa The human body is the most brilliant machine ever created and the quintessential work of art. The headline above is not referring to your creativity and accomplishments in your clothing optional private abode; it is taking literary license from 19th century Danish author, Hans Christian Andersen. Reflect on the fairy tale, The Emperor’s New Clothes. The Emperor (leader) was a vain man, concerned more with appearances, accolades, and maintaining his current … [Read More...] about Working Naked
IT Applications for Stroke: What is Data Preventing You from Doing?
By Michael Church Healthcare, like the rest of many industries today, is continuing to become more reliant on information technology. The myriad solutions that are available in the current market present unique opportunities and their own challenges. Many service lines have reached a point where utilizing a boutique technology solution to manage their specific data needs is expected. Cardiovascular Information Systems (CVIS), for instance, have been around for decades now, with dozens of … [Read More...] about IT Applications for Stroke: What is Data Preventing You from Doing?
Under Pressure: Tackling the Rising Cost and Complexities of Running the Laboratory of the Future
By Sebastian Tille The time it takes between the discovery of new science and its transformation into new clinical treatments is always decreasing and is one of the triumphs of modern medicine. Often overlooked is the role that well-managed laboratories and cutting-edge equipment play in this progress. By implementing new technologies, life scientists can become more efficient and more productive and in parallel reduce costs and time spent on various tasks. You could draw parallels … [Read More...] about Under Pressure: Tackling the Rising Cost and Complexities of Running the Laboratory of the Future
Why is software not enough to ensure data collection in the OR?
By Shlomo Matityaho So, you've invested in technology, trained the medical staff, upgraded to an EHR system, updated the hospital SKUs - and still the compliance rate of usage reporting inside the operating room is low, the reports are inaccurate, the charges are missing, and countless coding errors occur. This means that the hospital has trouble meeting FDA requirements regarding digital updates to the patient's file, its inventory isn't efficiently managed, and it is losing money, a lot of … [Read More...] about Why is software not enough to ensure data collection in the OR?