Poorly managed chronic conditions—most of which are related to lifestyle—cost employers $36.4 billion each year in the form of absenteeism and poor productivity. Add in coverage-related and other costs, and that number skyrockets to $575 billion. Coverage costs alone have increased by 47% over the previous ten years. Research shows that at-risk employees can benefit from care management programs that help them better maintain their chronic conditions, while employers benefit from lower
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What’s Old is New Again: 3 Benefits of Moving Some Servers Out of the Cloud for Providers
In recent years, cloud computing has become the go-to solution for healthcare institutions seeking flexibility and scalability. However, as the digital and legislative landscapes evolve, a growing number of organizations are reevaluating their cloud strategies. Are you best served by doubling down on your cloud-based strategy, or by backing off a bit and bringing some of your services out of the cloud and back down to earth? Consider these cases before completely abandoning your presence on
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Streamlining Digital Preference Cards for Surgeons Improves Operational Efficiency & Patient Safety
In the dynamic world of healthcare, preference cards serve as crucial tools that capture a surgeon’s specific needs and preferences for each type of surgical procedure they perform. These cards typically outline the equipment, instruments, and supplies required for a particular procedure, providing a personalized roadmap for surgical teams to follow. By detailing these specifications, preference cards help streamline surgical planning, foster improved communication among the operating room (OR)
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Balancing Innovation and the Ethical Adoption of AI in Healthcare
In recent years, the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) has created a wave of excitement and anticipation within the healthcare industry. AI has the potential to revolutionize patient care, improve diagnostic and prognostic accuracy, enhance treatment planning, and streamline administrative tasks. However, for AI to truly deliver on its promises, it is essential that AI tools undergo rigorous clinical validation. As both industry and government leaders continue to determine the
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What Does The New Tracking Guidance from HHS Mean for Digital Marketers’ Technology Decisions?
Also known as the Kennedy–Kassebaum Act, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) defines and regulates individuals’ medical records and other individually identifiable health information, collectively known as patient healthcare information (PHI). HIPAA aims to protect patient privacy, safeguarding their entire medical history, information about medical services and treatments they may seek, and other related data. HIPAA also limits how this information is used
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Diabetes Management in 2023 and Beyond: A Tech-Enabled Partnership Between Patient and Doctor
While the pandemic has slowed, there appears to be no end in sight to the diabetes epidemic. The number of individuals diagnosed is projected to keep growing over the next decade. What’s more concerning is that 75% of patients don’t meet guideline-based goals for A1C, blood pressure, and cholesterol control. Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to serious complications like heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, and even amputations. Thankfully, more patients are embracing technology-based
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Addressing Point-of-Care Ultrasound’s Shadow IT Problem
Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is taking hold across healthcare, and for good reason. By administering ultrasound technology at the point of care, whether that be the patient’s bedside or an ambulance, POCUS prevents patients from being sent to another facility for imaging or waiting for a radiologist. That, in turn, enables more efficient workflows and faster diagnoses and treatment. Multiple studies, from The Nurse Practitioner and the Annals of Medicine and Surgery, identify POCUS
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The Medical Library: A Hospital’s Most Underappreciated Asset
The impact of medical librarians is well-documented. In one experiment, a group of primary care providers had the opportunity to send clinical questions to a rapid-response medical librarian. They received their replies in an average of 14 minutes, and 86 percent were described as having a positive impact on care. Two studies indicated patient length of stay was reduced when clinicians requested medical library searches related to a patient's
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The Self-Driving Clinical Trial: Optimizing Research with AI and ML
The power and potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in the healthcare industry are unparalleled. The use of automated technology systems like digital workflows, orchestration and storing of data digitally is helping to shape their application, enabling far greater personalization of treatment for patients and greater efficiency and speed of clinical trials. As the amount of health data increases, the possibility of establishing a self-driving clinical trial is
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Why Accurate Data is a Lifeline to Care in the Medicaid Redetermination Cycle
During the pandemic, Medicaid enrollment grew by nearly 30% to cover more than 93 million Americans, due in large part to COVID-19 provisions that included continuous Medicaid enrollment. With the unwinding of these pandemic emergency orders, annual cycles of Medicaid redetermination have returned. As a result, states have removed close to 4 million Americans from Medicaid to date. The ongoing redetermination process is likely to expand health inequities across the nation, including in
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