We are incredibly lucky to live in a historically connected world. The internet, smartphones, and technology of all kinds have brought people together in ways unimaginable just a few decades ago. These massive communications paradigm shifts have also left their mark on medicine, although in an unpredictable way. One of the most positive impacts on healthcare hasn’t been a breakthrough treatment or therapy – but an increase in patient engagement and a deep understanding of its importance in
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Health IT & Digital Health-Opinion | Op-Eds | Guest Columns | Analysis, Insights - HIT Consultant
RCM: The Art of Compassionate Billing—and Why You Should Put Patients First
A woman is charged $22,000 for stitches and scar repair after being bitten by a dog. A man gets hit with a $30,000 bill for ACL reconstruction surgery. People around the country receive Covid-19 test bills ranging from a few dollars to more than $1,000—and to make things worse, they aren’t supposed to receive a bill, anyway.
Surprise billing in healthcare is a nightmare, and it happens all the time. It takes a severe emotional toll, as well as a monetary one. Nearly 30 million Americans
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Leveraging Technology to Optimize Staffing Shortages Post-Pandemic
Chronic understaffing and nurse burnout are two of the greatest and long-standing challenges within the healthcare industry. As a result of the pandemic, these challenges were acknowledged more than ever before. Pre-pandemic research highlighted the fact that the nurse vacancy rate in the United States was 9% at the start of 2020, while the average turnover of bedside nurses was 17%. These trends have only accelerated during COVID-19 and during this period of transitioning into a new normal.
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Telehealth: Short-Term Fad or Key to Improving Access to Affordable Healthcare?
While telehealth offerings have always held great promise, prior to 2020, their success was sometimes hindered by provider hesitation to adopt the technology, consumer reluctance to using virtual care, and a reimbursement methodology that did not value the investments required by providers or the positive impact on patients.
That all changed practically overnight when COVID-19 struck.
Use of telehealth spiked to more than 32% of office and outpatient visits by April 2020, thanks in
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Reimagining Patient Support Through Digital Peer Coaching Programs
Studies have found that social connectedness is so critical to human life that loneliness is more dangerous than obesity and isolation can increase mortality by 30%. Peer support, which is a system of giving and receiving help from others with a shared experience, not only increases social connectedness but also creates opportunities for participants to connect with their peers and exchange practical tips for how to overcome the challenges they face in the course of their daily lives.
Within
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RWE: Supporting Regulatory Submissions with Real-World Evidence
In 2016, the 21st Century Cures Act was signed into law, mandating that the FDA “establish a program to evaluate the use of real-world evidence (RWE) to help support the approval of new indications for a drug and to help to support or satisfy post-approval study requirements.” Along with advances in the availability and quality of real-world data (RWD) from sources like electronic health records (EHRs), registries, medical claims and pharmacy data, the Cures Act has been a catalyst for increased
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4 Tips for Healthcare Orgs Considering Cloud-Based Video Surveillance
Healthcare security leaders know that the tools needed to combat threats are only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to protecting what truly matters within their organization. There are a number of factors for healthcare facilities to consider when it comes to identifying physical security challenges and aligning the goals of business operations.
Organizations must do everything they can to minimize the level of risk associated with the day-to-day operations of a busy hospital or
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4 Things Healthcare Facilities Should Know About Medical Device Recalls
More than 4 million recalled medical devices may harm patients in 2021. And that’s just what we can see has been “posted” on the FDA site through June 25, 2021. The number of medical device recalls issued halfway through 2021 is far higher than in the previous five years. Healthcare facilities are now facing both a higher number of recalls and a shortage of essential medical devices and products.
The FDA has noted that recalled medical devices caused almost 100,000 deaths between 2008
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Chatbots in Healthcare: A More Humanized, Patient-Oriented Approach
The adoption of chatbots and virtual assistants, coupled with the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning technology, has revolutionized the healthcare industry. In many ways, chatbots have become ubiquitous, providing a more optimized user experience through digital means.
The healthcare industry has already benefited immensely from this technology, namely through greater access to valuable services and information, more accuracy in determining what care patients require,
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Closing the Digital Divide in Healthcare & Equitable Telehealth Access
We live in an era of rapid innovation and digital transformation in healthcare. According to Accenture’s 2021 Digital Health Tech Vision report, 93% of health executives said their organizations are prioritizing urgent innovations this year; meanwhile, 81% said the pace of innovation is picking up in their organizations.
All of this innovation is being fueled by a sharp increase in funding for digital health. An estimated $6.7 billion went to healthcare startups during the first quarter of
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