Five leading health care organizations – Humana, MultiPlan, Quest Diagnostics and UnitedHealth Group’s Optum and UnitedHealthcare, announced that they are launching a healthcare blockchain pilot program applying blockchain technology to improve data quality and reduce administrative costs associated with changes to health care provider demographic data, a critical, complex and difficult issue facing organizations across the health care system.The companies will explore how the technology could
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DrChrono Launches Apple Hardware Leasing Bundles for Doctors and Medical Practices
DrChrono Inc., the company enabling the medical practice of the future, today announced that it is the first medical records company to offer Apple hardware leasing bundle plans for doctors and medical professionals to combine the power of its award winning EHR with Apple hardware. The focus of this program is to kick-off the first white glove Apple hardware concierge experience to specialize and personalize what hardware a medical professional will need to meet the demands of running a modern
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Research: How Personality Affects Gamified Diabetes Self-Management
Personality differences might explain why mobile health apps for self-managing diabetes help some patients more than others, according to researchers at the University of Maryland. UMD researchers. Mobile health apps using gamified elements, like Empower by Ayogo and Fitocracy, for improving behaviors important to self-managing chronic illness are growing in popularity. However, evidence of effectiveness of mobile health apps has been mixed. Meanwhile, rates of Type 2 diabetes in older adults
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Accolade Lands $50M for On-Demand Health & Benefits Solution
Accolade, a Seattle, WA-based provider of a personalized health and benefits solution has raised $50 million in funding led by existing investors Andreessen Horowitz, Carrick Capital Partners, Madrona Venture Group and McKesson Ventures, with participation from new investors Cross Creek Advisors and Madera Technology Partners. The startup intends to use the funds to grow its workforce, and expand its Personalized Advocacy solution used by more than 1.1 million U.S. employees and their families
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Vanderbilt University to Use $65M to Support Innovative Life Sciences Research
Deerfield Management and Vanderbilt University announced today the launch of Ancora Innovation, LLC ("Ancora"), a Deerfield company that will support Vanderbilt's innovative life science research and leverage Deerfield's expertise in accelerating state-of-the-art drug development. Ancora will fund projects with the aim of changing the current paradigm of drug development and establishing novel therapeutics to cure life-altering diseases.As part of Ancora, Deerfield will commit up to $65 million
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Apple Health Records Feature Is Now Available at 39 Health Systems
Apple today announced it has expanded its Apple Health Records feature to 39 health systems enabling patients to view their medical records right from their iPhone by simply updating their iOS software. The announcement comes nearly two months after launching the Apple Health Records feature as part of the iOS 11.3 beta update with 12 participating hospitals. Traditionally, patients’ medical records were held across multiple locations, requiring patients to log into each care provider’s website
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Lyft Expands Medical Transportation Options for Patients with Acuity Link Partnership
Ride sharing provider Lyft Business is announcing a new integration partnership with Acuity Link, a HIPAA-compliant dashboard, which automates the process of ordering all levels of Non-emergency medical transportation systems (NEMT). As part of the integration partnership, Acuity Link’s HIPAA-compliant NEMT logistic management dashboard will now support Lyft’s ride-hailing functionality. Benefits for Providers & Patients Patients being discharged from any health care provider who do not
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Survey Reveals Telemedicine Platforms Frequently Lack EMR Integration
Healthcare providers indicated that their telemedicine platform is frequently inadquate due to lack of EMR integration, according to the results of the REACH Health 2018 U.S. Telemedicine Industry Benchmark Survey. Conducted between December 2017 and January 2018, REACH Health asked more than 400 healthcare executives, physicians, nurses and other professionals on their priorities, objectives and challenges, telemedicine program models and management structures, clinical specialties, service
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GSK Acquires Novartis’ Consumer Healthcare Business for $13B
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has reached an agreement to acquire Novartis’ consumer healthcare joint venture for $13 billion. The acquisition will enable GSK’s shareholders to capture the full value of GSK’s Consumer Healthcare growth and is well positioned to deliver sales growth, operating margin improvements and attractive returns.Upon terms of the agreement, India remains a priority market for GSK investment and growth. The Consumer Healthcare business will continue to invest in growth
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New Study Uses Fitbit Devices to Assess Impact of Sleep Tracker Data on Patient-Provider Communication
A new study from the National Sleep Foundation and Merck, in collaboration with the Regenstrief Institute, will use Fitbit devices to examine whether using sleep tracker data might improve patient-provider communication, and ultimately, patient satisfaction with that communication.Study participants will use Fitbit Charge2 devices to help collect real-time sleep data and securely deliver this information to the NSF’s SleepLife secure interface, accessible to both the patient and their physician.
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