Direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic tests have been on the scene for some time now. The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first DTC test on three specific BRCA1/BRCA2 breast cancer gene mutations more than two years ago. Six months after that, the agency similarly green-lighted a DTC pharmacogenomic (PGx) test to examine 33 variants for eight different genes that indicate how effectively patients metabolize specific medications.
Like many such advances, availability of DTC tests is
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Health IT & Digital Health-Opinion | Op-Eds | Guest Columns | Analysis, Insights - HIT Consultant
How Direct Digital Fax Can Improve System Usability for EHRs
The lack of EHR usability is a huge concern for the healthcare industry. According to a study conducted by Mayo Clinic researchers, modern electronic health records (EHR) are less user-friendly than Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Excel, and Google. Using the System Usability Scale (SUS), Electronic Health Records were marked with an unsettling “F” and a SUS score of 45 while Excel received a SUS score of 57 and Microsoft Word received a SUS score of 76. Google search came in on top with an “A” and a
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Big Data Takes on the Silent Epidemic of Undiagnosed Behavioral Health Conditions
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, a study found that almost half of Americans will experience an episode of mental illness in their lives, but may never get the diagnosis and treatment they need. In a more recent finding, over 25% of American adults now meet the criteria for a diagnosis of severe mental distress.
The looming impact on our collective mental health is concerning enough, but there are also serious implications for physical health. Left unaddressed, behavioral health issues
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What’s the Secret to Building the Hospital of the Future? Simplicity.
As the healthcare industry becomes more connected, executives are increasingly looking for ways to digitally transform and provide next-level, life-saving care to patients. But it comes at a cost — and it’s not just monetary. The spiraling complexity of hospital networks is becoming a massive problem for health IT staff, and it’s inhibiting hospitals’ ability to advance. Brought on by years of network technologies and applications being layered onto the existing hospital infrastructure,
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Telehealth Could Be The Solution for a Pandemic, But Are We Too Late?
In the past several months, Novel Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) has risen from humble beginnings in a Wuhan farmer’s market to international status: dominating the news cycle, exhausting the world’s hand sanitizer resources, and generally monopolizing the mental real estate of the developed world.
As new cases continue to be identified in the U.S., politicians are giving coronavirus the attention it deserves, responding to initial accusations of inadequacy with proposals for funding and
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Giving ‘Voice’ to Healthcare: The $3.5 Billion Opportunity
Whether it's asking Siri for directions to the nearest coffee shop or commanding Alexa to turn on the lights, using voice assistants has become part of daily routines. More than one-third of the U.S. population relies on these tools to make their lives easier, and they’re being embraced by more than just millennials; use among seniors, children, and teens is also on the rise.
But the home and smartphone aren’t the only domains for voice assistants. Businesses of all types – from
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Non-Invasive Technology for Measuring & Monitoring Liver Fat
As part of the growing awareness about chronic disease, it’s important to understand the relationship between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), an asymptomatic condition characterized by elevated levels of fat in the liver, and diabetes. As a common complication of Type 2 diabetes and obesity, NAFLD can be overlooked comorbidity.
Diabetes is one of the leading causes of disability and death in the United States. One in 10 Americans have diabetes – more than 30 million people – and
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Why COVID-19 is Prompting Device OEMs to Partner with Software Developers
As COVID-19 continues to sicken thousands across the U.S., hospital staffs deserve every bit of praise they’re receiving for their service. Yet there’s another segment of the medical community on the front lines of the pandemic: medical device manufacturers.
While some forms of medical equipment have been marginalized or sidelined altogether, manufacturers of essential devices are working around the clock. According to an April 2020 Fortune Business Insights report, those with significant
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Applying Social Determinants of Health to Improve Care Coordination
In today’s era of value-based care, providers must focus more than ever on ensuring that patients get the care they need, when they need it, across the entire care continuum, including in non-traditional health care settings. This is important not only as it relates to patient outcomes, but also to providers’ bottom lines.
However, when patients lack access to basic care-centric needs like proper housing, food, transportation, and a support system, they’re unable to get the right type of care
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Tackling COVID-19 with Telemedicine on an FHIR-Enabled Data Activation Platform
With the incidence of new COVID-19 cases expanding by the day, those in healthcare are accelerating their search for any available tools or medications that could stem the outbreak.
Modern medical organizations have used technology to track and treat viruses in the outbreaks that have occurred over the last few decades. The current COVID-19 crisis makes innovative virtual care solutions an indispensable tool as the virus spreads across communities.
The Rise of Virtual Care During the
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