The New Year brings hope and promises that an end to the COVID-19 pandemic is in sight. With two vaccines authorized by the FDA for emergency use, and close to 3 million healthcare workers already vaccinated, there is hope that this virus will be eradicated and life will begin to return to normal by year’s end.
However, for the frontline healthcare workers still treating escalating case volumes, the physical and emotional toll is devastating. With another surge forecasted for
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Health IT & Digital Health-Opinion | Op-Eds | Guest Columns | Analysis, Insights - HIT Consultant
Quality Virtual Care Matters for Patients – Even More Than Telehealth
The COVID-19 pandemic made healthcare visits over video or phone the norm, likely turning telehealth into a permanent fixture within the U.S. healthcare system. In fact, the majority of patient access leaders at large hospitals believe 20-30 percent of appointments will happen over video in 2021, according to recent research. Further, an overwhelming portion of those leaders – 95 percent of them – believe the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services should continue to reimburse for video
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Ambulatory Considerations for Remote Patient Monitoring Technologies
The use of healthcare technology solutions in clinical settings is a time-tested conventional practice, and it’s becoming more commonplace in remote patient monitoring (RPM) as supporting technologies drive more innovation. With the broad range of care encompassed by the term “RPM,” there are a number of factors that can impact the overall effectiveness of monitoring patient vitals and other physiological parameters in remote, non-clinical situations.
When a patient transitions from a
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Achieving Financial Sustainability: A Connected Community of Care’s #1 Goal
“Show me the money!” No one old enough to have seen the 1996 movie, Jerry Maguire, will ever forget that memorable phrase. That simple but powerful phrase could apply to every person who punches a clock for a living and just about every business, including community-based organizations (CBOs) and Connected Communities of Care (CCC). For CCCs and other non-profits, a parallel but no less powerful phrase, “No margin, no mission,” also rings true― just ask Sister Irene Kraus of the Daughters
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Why A Smart Command Center Requires A Health Cloud Platform
Aviation, military, NASA, or even utilities like the New York Power Authority—almost all high-consequence, complex organizations have one thing in common: a command center. The concept of a command center or a ‘war room,’ or ‘air traffic control’ has been around for a while. Command centers help counter logistical challenges, enable cross-collaboration and guide decision-making with state-of-the-art technology and communications. With them it seems there is absolutely nothing that cannot be
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How Artificial Intelligence Is Making Senior Care More Human
When it comes to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) in particular and long-term care in general, a human-centered and empathetic approach is not only necessary, it's obligatory. Putting the needs, constraints, and perspectives of patients first enhances the level of care we're able to provide.
Perhaps ironically, it is the integration and adaptation of artificial intelligence (AI) that has demonstrated the biggest potential in improving empathy and compassion in the industry.
It may
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Innovative, Non-Invasive Technologies Advanced Earlier Detection & Monitoring of Liver Disease
Leveraging technological advances to facilitate new ways of engaging patients and integrating non-invasive technology into a liver disease program not only serves to improve individual outcomes and reduce costs but also strengthens the financial performance of health systems and provider organizations that include this approach to testing.
At a time when America’s hospitals and physician groups face lost revenues due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a pressing need for reducing costs while
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Payers Struggle with Provider Data Management Too
Provider data management is usually discussed from the provider perspective: the busy staff, the needless paperwork amid a pandemic, the faxing, emailing and uploading of data. In these scenarios, the health plans are often painted as the villains for their bureaucratic processes and unique requirements. But the reality is that health plans aren’t totally to blame.
Payers and providers share a common goal: to provide the best quality care for their patients. The amount of data, including
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Improving Inventory Management During COVID-19 and Beyond
Healthcare systems across the country are facing high patient volumes combined with higher patient expectations during the COVID-19 pandemic. In response, hospitals and other healthcare facilities need to consider technology that can help them keep pace with evolving demands while prioritizing the health, safety, and experience of their patients.
One of the most impactful solutions in a healthcare facility’s technology arsenal are the ones focused on inventory management. These
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Data-Driven Future: Impact of Machine Learning on Diabetes Management
“Information technology and business are becoming inextricably interwoven. I don't think anybody can talk meaningfully about one without the talking about the other” – Bill Gates wrote this in 1999 and, nowadays, the same can certainly be said about information technology and healthcare.
The ability to collect, analyze, and use data is becoming ubiquitous with many of healthcare’s most exciting advancements. Whether it’s Google’s DeepMind using artificial intelligence (AI) to help
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