Achieving fluid data interoperability has been a complex and challenging goal for the U.S. healthcare system. The result of which has led to excessive administrative costs, delays in providing care, and significant patient frustration. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S. healthcare spending grew 9.7% in 2020, reaching $4.1 trillion, or $12,530 per person. This is forecasted to grow to $6.2 trillion by 2028, which will only exacerbate the current spending
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Health IT & Digital Health-Opinion | Op-Eds | Guest Columns | Analysis, Insights - HIT Consultant
The No Surprises Act: How Payers Can Stay Compliant
As the healthcare system continues to evolve to adopt a more patient-centric approach, surprise billing has become a topic discussed by consumers and policymakers. Surprise billing can occur when a patient unknowingly receives care from providers that are outside their network. This can result in balance billing, the practice of billing a patient the difference between what their health plan covers and what the provider charges. Unfortunately, these bills are often the result of care provided in
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4 Steps for Operationalizing the FDA’s Call To Improve Health Outcomes for All Patients
In April, FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf laid out areas of challenge and opportunity when it comes to improving health outcomes, restoring public trust in science, and making the most of our ongoing investments in data analytics and clinical research. More specifically, Califf made clear that our current healthcare system is “very well aligned to improve outcomes for some people and not others.” Califf went on to note that we need better mechanisms for evidence generation
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Healthcare Interoperability Has Arrived: 3 Ways to Harness the Potential
This year’s HIMSS Conference offered some exciting insights and a renewed focus on data-sharing and interoperability. While the healthcare industry has been extolling the virtues of data interoperability for years until recently it has remained one of the biggest obstacles to providing quality healthcare today. Yet, the tides are turning. New government regulations, like the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ interoperability rules and the Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources
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Is Telehealth Healthcare’s Biggest Cyber Threat?
It’s time to get used to seeing your doctor from a digital screen, as virtual care is projected to expand well into the future. And while telehealth technology has proven to be highly beneficial in supporting the shift to virtual healthcare, it has also introduced a host of new vulnerabilities and opportunities for security breaches. Cybercriminals have always preyed on the healthcare industry, but with this virtual transition, the substantial increase in connectivity and network exposure has
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Why On-Site Search Should Be A Priority for Healthcare
Healthcare websites are dependably complicated. From finding providers to searching for locations, customers are forced to dig around a growing bevy of care options. To simplify the customer experience, a modern approach to onsite search is needed. The rigid search tools of old are just that – outdated. Customers expect to effortlessly find what they need. And establishing a connection with a customer – at the onset of a visit – starts with a
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Why Health Plans Must Have Next-Gen CAPS Technology for Digital Transformation
Core Administrative Processing Systems (CAPS) operate as the brains behind a health plan’s business. These systems are critical to the smooth functioning of a health plan. Today, many payers run on decades-old CAPS systems built on legacy technologies. This can be a serious drawback. Legacy systems may have been efficient based on the technology and best practices of decades past, but have aged beyond their time. They often require an increasing number of workarounds and fixes to try to
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4 Patient Flow Challenges Contributing to Provider Burnout
There has been frequent reporting about the problem of provider workforce shortages within hospitals and health systems and the related burnout experienced when working in high-stress situations during the COVID-19 pandemic. There are pre-existing and contributing patient flow challenges that have been exacerbated by the pandemic, which can lead to burnout, and therefore are worth discussing. Exposing the Problem The extent of provider burnout over the course of the pandemic is well
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Racist Events Can Have Spillover Effects, Triggering Mental, Physical Health Responses Beyond Immediate Victim
This article is excerpted from the Hurdle Health Research Report “Voices of a Collective Experience: Vicarious Racism and its Effects on Black Mental Health.” In the Brooklyn mural, an American flag undulates behind him. The one in Gaza City, Palestine crowns him with two hands—one Black, one White—making the shape of a heart. In Naples, Italy, he weeps blood, reminiscent of religious artwork of Jesus and the Virgin Mary. Another, in Los Angeles, drapes red tape with the words “I
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Outdated Pain Models & The Rise of New Science on Chronic Pain
More than 50 million adults in the United States – more than 20% – suffer from chronic pain, and more than 19.6 million adults have pain that interferes with their lives more days than not. The estimated cost of chronic pain is $635 billion – more than heart disease and cancer combined – due to the number of days missed from work, treatment costs, and other factors. Chronic pain is the leading cause of disability, but the current pain treatment system isn’t working. This is because it hasn’t
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