The clinical case for GLP-1 receptor agonists in obesity management is no longer a debate. Randomized controlled trials have demonstrated sustained weight reduction of 15 to 22 percent of body weight, meaningful improvements in cardiovascular outcomes, and reductions in obesity related comorbidities including type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea. The American Association of Clinical Endocrinology, the American Gastroenterological Association, and major cardiology societies have all updated their
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Health IT & Digital Health-Opinion | Op-Eds | Guest Columns | Analysis, Insights - HIT Consultant
What Unstructured Data is Really Costing Healthcare
At the center of some of healthcare’s most important conversations about patient access, provider burnout, and interoperability is a single pain point: unstructured data.
When the HITECH Act pushed healthcare into the digital age, it prompted a shift to structured data formats that our industry has yet to master. As a result, interoperability suffers, patient data is incomplete or missed, and providers and staff spend more time than ever wading through data that may not net relevant
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Where IME Documentation Breaks Traditional Healthcare Workflows
Independent Medical Examination (IME) documentation exposes a gap in how healthcare systems handle documentation. While most clinical workflows are designed around structured, encounter-based documentation, IME reporting operates outside those assumptions.
The result is a category of documentation that is essential to administrative, insurance, and legal processes, but poorly aligned with the systems used to manage clinical data.
The issue is not that IME documentation is complex. It’s
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Why Validation is Becoming the Proving Ground for AI in Life Sciences
The measurable business impact of AI is lagging way behind the hype. McKinsey found that about 80% of companies now use gen AI in at least one function, yet only about 40% are seeing EBIT impact from it. Of that 40%, most of the measurable impact falls under 5%. Another concerning finding is that nearly half of the IT organizations surveyed plan to increase their investment in gen AI, yet investment is actually decreasing in the foundations needed to scale gen AI, like secure infrastructure,
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Hybrid Care 2.0: How AI-Powered Telehealth and Predictive Analytics Are Redefining Medicine
The future of healthcare is no longer just in hospitals or on screens, but in-between. Starting in 2026, a hybrid model is evolving to become the primary method of care delivery. Hybrid Care 2.0 integrates AI-powered telehealth, continuous remote monitoring, smart triage, and predictive analytics into a responsive, patient-centered experience that meets people where they are.
From Reactive to Predictive
The most important change is not just about technology, but about mindset. For years,
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No Surprises Act Reform: What the Latest IDR Changes Mean for Laboratories and Diagnostic Providers
When Congress enacted the No Surprises Act (NSA), the primary objective was straightforward: protect patients from unexpected out-of-network medical bills. Since implementation in 2022, however, the law has created a complex framework for resolving payment disputes between providers and payors through the Federal Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) process.
What began as a well-intentioned arbitration mechanism has evolved into a system burdened by millions of disputes, operational
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The Alert Fatigue and EHR Friction Killing Digital Health Apps
Right at this moment, a physician is logging out of a new digital health tool for the very last time. Not because it stopped working. But it started feeling like a chore rather than a savior. The tool never worked right to keep up with the fast pace of her daily workflow.
She will eventually return to her old school ways. A sticky note, a quick phone call, and an old spreadsheet that keeps the staff on life support. That six-figure platform her health system just built? It
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Leveraging Real-World Data for Proactive Protocol Design
Clinical trials have grown more complex than ever before. Protocols are becoming more specialized, endpoints more refined, and eligibility criteria narrower and more precise. At the same time, development programs are expected to move faster and operate with greater efficiency. Despite this dual pressure, feasibility projections often rely on high-level estimates or investigator recall rather than validated assessments of patients who truly meet protocol criteria in a real-world clinical
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Alternative Funding Programs vs. In-Benefit Optimization: Designing a Sustainable Specialty Drug Strategy
Specialty medications are expanding what is clinically possible, but not without a price. The affordability gap on these therapies continues to widen, placing sustained pressure on health plan budgets. U.S. prescription drug spending reached approximately $467 billion in 2024, with projections exceeding $556 billion by the end of 2026. As costs rise, employers and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) face increasing pressure to ensure that high-cost therapies remain both clinically appropriate and
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Don’t Let Legacy Data Derail Your Health System’s Growth
As health systems continue expanding through acquisitions and partnerships, many find themselves racing to bring new practices onto shared EHR platforms. The motivation is clear: unify care, streamline operations, and unlock value across the enterprise. But beneath that strategic vision lies a messy operational reality – one that too often gets overlooked until it’s too late.
At the center of this challenge is legacy data.
For every practice or partner brought into the fold, there's a
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