What You Should Know:
- A new study has revealed a concerning trend in the healthcare industry: a significant decline in hospital assets following private equity acquisitions. The research, published in JAMA, analyzed data from 197 acquired hospitals and found a 24% decrease in total capital assets compared to a 9.2% increase in control hospitals over a two-year period post-acquisition. This decline is attributed to the sale of hospital assets, including land and buildings, to repay
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Health IT | News, Analysis, Insights - HIT Consultant
Lab Staff Burnout and Understaffing Threaten Patient Care, Survey Reveals
What You Should Know:
- A new survey by Siemens Healthineers and The Harris Poll sheds light on the pressing issue of understaffing and burnout within the clinical laboratory workforce. The study underscores the critical role of laboratory professionals in patient care and the urgent need for solutions to address these challenges.
- The survey was conducted by Siemens Healthineers and The Harris Poll between June 17 and 28, 2024, and included 408 U.S. laboratory professionals.
Lab
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CMS Finalizes Medicare Payment Rule for Hospitals, Focuses on Equity, Safety, and Innovation
What You Should Know:
- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the final rule for Medicare payments and policies for inpatient hospitals and long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) for fiscal year (FY) 2025.
- The FY 2025 IPPS and LTCH PPS rule focuses on improving health outcomes, addressing social determinants of health, strengthening emergency preparedness, and promoting value-based care.
Increased Payments and Addressing Social Determinants of
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7 Strategies to Modernize The Healthcare Payment Ecosystem
Submitting and paying claims is the financial underpinning of the U.S. healthcare system, a system plagued with inefficiencies that create disconnects between health plans and health systems. As a result, revenue cycles and claims systems are clogged, the patient and member experience is disrupted, care quality is suffering, and innovations in care delivery are constrained.
The solution? Modernization.
Modernizing the healthcare ecosystem reduces wasteful administrative
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VSee and Ava Robotics Develop AI-Powered ICU Robot
What You Should Know:
- VSee Health, a telehealth services provider, and Ava Robotics, a developer of intelligent robots, announced a strategic partnership to develop innovative telepresence solutions for the inpatient intensive care unit (ICU) market.
- The collaboration aims to create a VSee-powered Ava robot capable of autonomous navigation within the ICU environment. This advanced technology will enable remote physicians to interact with patients, consult with onsite staff, and
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Epic EHR Now Enables Direct Patient Access to Health Data
What You Should Know:
- Epic Systems announced a development that will empower patients to have greater control over their health information, CNBC first reports. Patients will soon be able to directly share their health data with various apps of their choice, marking a significant step forward in data interoperability.
- This new capability is made possible through the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA), a federal initiative aimed at facilitating secure and
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Responsible AI in Medicine for Underserved Populations
Artificial intelligence (AI) is making a tangible difference in healthcare today. It's not about science fiction or flashy gimmicks. It’s not about deep fakes or plagiarized term papers. AI is being responsibly used to prevent medical errors, enhance clinical decision-making, expand access to care, and lower costs. While there's certainly overenthusiasm and misleading claims about AI, we can't ignore the many instances where it's making healthcare more efficient, effective, and
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R1 RCM to Be Acquired by TowerBrook and CD&R for $8.9B
What You Should Know:
- R1 RCM Inc., a leading provider of technology-driven healthcare revenue cycle management solutions, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by investment funds affiliated with TowerBrook Capital Partners and Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R). The all-cash transaction values R1 at approximately $8.9 billion.
- Under the terms of the agreement, TowerBrook and CD&R will acquire all outstanding shares of R1
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The Sequoia Project Launches Pharmacy Workgroup to Enhance Patient Care Through Interoperability
What You Should Know:
- The Sequoia Project, a leading advocate for health information technology (health IT) interoperability, announced the launch of a new Pharmacy Workgroup as part of its Interoperability Matters program.
- The strategic initiative aims to improve patient care by fostering collaboration between pharmacies and the broader healthcare ecosystem. Launching and growing the pharmacy community of practice is a monumental undertaking for The Sequoia Project, made
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Clinical Trials Must Be More Equitable, Here’s How
The Need to Address Accessibility Gaps
Clinical trials are a driving force of medical innovation. However, they are predominantly conducted in large urban hospitals that have larger staff and more resources, which puts trial participation out of reach for the majority of Americans who live outside of major city centers. Despite having as much interest as city-dwellers, these individuals often find participation in clinical trials nearly impossible due to daunting travel, logistical and
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