Advances in conversational artificial intelligence are transforming basic chatbots into intelligent virtual assistants that provide comfort and utility for healthcare consumers and the healthcare organizations that serve them.
Most consumers have their minds made up about automated phone agents, and not too many people like them. Who among us hasn’t experienced the frustration of an automated phone menu when calling for a doctor's appointment or shouted “representative!” into our
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Early Use of Diabetes Technology Drives Better Patient Outcomes in Kids
A recent study from Stanford found that pediatric patients with rapid access to continuous glucose monitoring soon after a type 1 diabetes diagnosis had healthier blood sugar values than an earlier group of patients who weren’t given the monitors near the time of diagnosis.
The research provides an example of how the healthcare industry is evolving to use technology: It provides more frequent touchpoints with caregivers, makes quality care available to a larger number of patients, and
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What Healthcare Leaders Need to Do Now About Ransomware
If ransomware is not a topic of conversation around any healthcare organization’s boardroom table, directors and senior executives may be exposing the organization (and themselves) to considerable risk. Here’s a guide to ransomware trends for 2022 and steps healthcare leaders can take to help protect their organizations.
Ransomware trends in 2022
The risk of a ransomware attack in 2022 is substantial, with gangs specializing in targeting the healthcare sector. Last year saw dozens of
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Ease of Access: Applying the “911” Principle Across Healthcare
The fastest way to access healthcare in the United States isn’t through a primary care physician or urgent care or orchestrated referrals processes. It comes through three taps of a button: Nine, one, and one.
Dialing 911 during a medical emergency is a straightforward process: Callers are routed to the correct dispatcher, resources are deployed quickly and effectively, and patients are transported to the correct facility to receive care. Through three simple numbers, you are whisked
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How to Make The Transition to Rules-Based Nurse Scheduling Software
In today’s complex and fast-paced healthcare landscape, the benefits of rules-based nurse scheduling software are undeniable. First, consider the challenges nurses face: they comprise the largest percentage of healthcare professionals, and their role is one of the most demanding. According to a recent study by management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, 22% of nurses are considering leaving their jobs, 60% of which said they were more likely to do so since the beginning of the pandemic.
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To Engage and Activate Patients, CRM Alone Isn’t Enough
We talk about patient engagement a lot in healthcare today. But the reality is, we often don’t just want a patient to engage with a piece of content or information; we want them to take action. The traditional CRM and marketing automation are great tools for the former – keeping patients and their healthcare providers connected. But it does little to move beyond a digital connection.
Today’s patients (or, consumers) expect more from all of their relationships, especially their healthcare
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Why The End of the Public Health Emergency is Everyone’s Problem
The COVID-19 pandemic led to sweeping healthcare policy changes that enable vulnerable Americans to receive affordable health coverage and access essential safety net benefits. The steep incline in unemployment and fears that millions of people would lose their health coverage drove the declaration of the national public health emergency (PHE) on January 31, 2020. Under the PHE, states must keep Medicaid enrollees continuously covered, irrespective of their circumstances.
With the PHE set
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2022 Infusion Industry Outlook: Adapting Care Delivery to Meet New Realities
January 2022 marked two years since the outbreak of COVID-19, with the healthcare system still working to adjust to a very challenging new reality. However, these challenges have served as a catalyst for important shifts within the healthcare industry, some of which are poised to be a significant part of the 2022 infusion landscape.
Similar to 2020, there were increases in demand in 2021 for infusion pumps to treat COVID-19 patients. Initially, infusion pumps were requested for Covid patients
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How Health Systems Can Use AI to Optimize Resources and Maximize Patient Satisfaction
Over the past several years, nearly all of the leading health systems in the United States have adopted some form of AI, such as machine learning (ML) or natural language processing (NLP), to assist in managing healthcare operations. The unprecedented growth and development of AI has been instrumental in transforming health system administration, healthcare data analytics and patient diagnosis and treatment.
Despite this growth, health systems have yet to maximize the potential of AI to
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Social Determinants of Health: Finding the Solutions Beyond the Buzzword
Health plans are on a constant quest to learn what they can do to help their member populations. Unfortunately, there is a scarcity of practical information for health plans to act upon when scanning media coverage and internet sites that purport to provide helpful guidance.
For example, the World Health Organization actually describes social determinants of health, or SDoH, as “non-medical factors that influence health outcomes.” This simple designation complicates matters, as non-medical
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