Ransomware attacks continue to wreak havoc on all types of organizations across almost every industry. The healthcare sector in particular has emerged as one of the top targets for ransomware gangs, and the impact can be more dire than for most others. According to new research by Tenable, ransomware is responsible for 46% of all data breaches in the healthcare sector, compared to 35% of data breaches across all verticals.
Just last month, a major hospital in Maryland lost access to a
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A Promising New Post-COVID World of Virtual Care
It’s a striking contrast to look at the world as it now in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to what life was like prior to March 2020. To pre-pandemic eyes, it may even seem like an unrecognizable alien landscape with people everywhere donning facemasks, limited public gatherings, and tens of millions working from home rather than the office. Up until recently, commercial flights departed with few passengers, movie theaters and sports venues were largely shuttered, and many avoided
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6 Ways eConsults Mitigate Impact of Second Surge of COVID-19 for Providers
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated telehealth adoption to help keep patients out of waiting rooms and emergency departments, in hopes to reduce exposure and spread of the virus. Even so, it should not be news to healthcare stakeholders that patients experienced delayed healthcare in 2020. An estimated 1 in 3 Americans delayed care during this time, with 53 percent of respondents in a recent large-scale survey stating that they are worried about catching COVID-19 if they visit medical
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Talking about Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities in Medical Devices Shouldn’t be Taboo
According to the National Vulnerability Database, 18,353 vulnerabilities were reported in 2020. That’s nearly three times the volume of vulnerabilities reported five years ago, and higher than any year in the previous two decades. Given the rise in connected devices, this increase is not entirely unexpected. If that’s the case, shouldn’t we be seeing more vulnerability disclosures related to medical devices?
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure
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Frontline Workers Need New Approaches to Treat COVID-19-Related Mental Health Issues
We’ve long known that the coronavirus pandemic would dramatically impact the mental health of health care professionals and the general population. But just how many of us have been impacted is stunning.
Fully 41% of Americans reported at least one adverse mental or behavioral health condition associated with Covid-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Essential workers had the highest reported rates of adverse mental health outcomes compared to all other
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EHR Adoption is Essential for Outpatient Surgery to Remain Relevant in Managed Care
In 2009, hospitals and doctors were given financial incentives to adopt electronic health records (EHRs) through the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act. Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) were not eligible for these funds, and were therefore not incentivized like the rest of the healthcare system to implement the technology. The consequence of that differentiation is that the majority of ASCs are still charting on paper, even while the rest of the health
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Patient Experience 2.0: A Shift in Priorities Defined by A Year of the Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the healthcare continuum within the past year, creating many roadblocks in the path towards high-quality care delivery. Amid these challenges, we have witnessed a significant shift in patient wants and needs, in addition to heightened demand for accessible, convenient clinical care. Notably, the desire for more care processes to be performed digitally has emerged as a priority among patients. According to a recent survey by Accenture about patient behaviors, 60%
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How COVID-19 Made Employee Safety Work for Employees
Over the past decade, the move toward automated hygiene, cleaning, and sanitation solutions has steadily accelerated and its effective implementation has positively impacted organizations who quickly recognized its potential value. Enhanced productivity, increased worker safety, an opportunity to repurpose labor, and improved water savings are just a few of the reasons why a growing chorus of organizations embraced the automation revolution.
COVID-19 has served as a reminder that
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How Next-Generation Care Will Be More Patient-Focused
Hospital operating margins were hovering in the 2% range before the global pandemic wreaked havoc on providers and payers in March 2020. Even with two “normal” months in 2020, operating margins plummeted 55.6% compared to 2019. Even with CARES funding, margins remained down nearly 17%.
At the same time, demand for healthcare professionals continues to grow, depending on medical specialty and geography. The shortage is especially acute in rural areas. Reasons include an aging and sicker
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8 Key Areas Representing $13.3B in Cost Saving Opportunities for Healthcare Administration
According to the 2020 CAQH Index report, an annual report published by the Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare, a study of eight key transactional areas revealed opportunities for cost savings totaling $13.3 billion for medical providers and plans willing to move to fully electronic administrative processes. The CAQH report examined eight key transactions: Eligibility and Benefit Verification, Prior Authorization, Claim Submission, Attachments, Coordination of Benefits, Claim Status
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