While digitalization has revolutionized healthcare delivery, patients now entrust clinicians with sensitive health information under the expectation that it will remain private and protected. This trust — crucial yet fragile — is grounded in the assurance of data security and confidentiality. However, because electronic health records (EHRs) hold large volumes of protected health information (PHI), they are attractive targets for cybercrime, including phishing and ransomware. As a result,
Read More
Health IT & Digital Health-Opinion | Op-Eds | Guest Columns | Analysis, Insights - HIT Consultant
Building a Better Future Through Collaboration: How Payer-Provider Partnerships Are Transforming Healthcare
The success stories emerging from payer-provider collaborations offer a hopeful counterpoint to the fragmentation and frustration so often heard about in healthcare. These strategic alignments between payers, providers, and health IT vendors prove that streamlined operations, better care delivery, and stronger financial outcomes are not just possible but repeatable.
Each year, the KLAS K2 Collaborative Points of Light report highlights real-world partnerships that have delivered measurable
Read More
Healthcare’s Capacity Crisis: How AI Agents Enhance Clinician Productivity
America's healthcare system is fighting battles on several fronts: surging patient needs across specialties, an aging clinical workforce, and escalating provider burnout. Projections indicate a shortfall exceeding three million healthcare workers by 2026. This is supported by a 2023 McKinsey study, which found that 40% of inpatient registered nurses were planning to leave their positions. At the same time, nearly 60% of oncologists cite burnout as one of the primary reasons they may seek earlier
Read More
Unlocking the Power of Genomics in Clinical Trials: A Precision Medicine Data Imperative
As precision medicine continues to reshape the future of healthcare, clinical trials are evolving from one-size-fits-all studies into highly targeted investigations driven by genomics and biomarker-based insights. These trials not only test therapeutic efficacy but also help identify which patients are most likely to benefit, reducing trial-and-error in treatment and transforming hope into more predictable outcomes. With nearly half a million clinical trials underway globally, the potential to
Read More
Syndromic Monitoring Gives Public Health Teams a Head Start on Emergencies
From Buzzword to Lifesaver
Once dismissed as another healthcare buzzword, syndromic monitoring has proven its value in real-world scenarios. At its core, it captures early health signals—like symptom trends or provider impressions—and analyzes them in near real time. Rather than waiting days or weeks for lab confirmations or hospital reports, public health teams receive early alerts that support action when it matters most.
Heat Waves and the Power of Early
Read More
Healthcare Cybersecurity to Safeguard PHI and Avoid Data Breaches
Healthcare data breaches continue to grow in volume and impact. According to the HIPAA Journal, more than 276 million individuals had their Protected Health Information (PHI) exposed or stolen in 2024 alone–a sharp reminder of how vulnerable the sector remains.
For healthcare organizations, maintaining real-time awareness of where PHI lives is one of the most difficult aspects of preventing data breaches. With sensitive data frequently exchanged and transferred between internal teams,
Read More
“One Health” Disease Surveillance: Why Integrated Systems Are Critical for Public Health and Economic Stability
Is our siloed approach to health surveillance creating the perfect conditions for the next pandemic?
Recent outbreaks—from avian influenza to E. coli contamination in leafy greens—highlight the urgent need for integrated disease surveillance systems. Yet, many public health surveillance systems still operate in isolation, creating dangerous blind spots in our ability to detect and respond to zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and environmental contamination.
"The “One
Read More
Pediatric Care: 3 Strategic Ways to Improve Pediatric Engagement
Providers can improve pediatric care by boosting engagement with parents and caregivers throughout the care process to promote education and increase awareness.
When parents and caregivers are more educated on their children’s health conditions, treatment options, and preventative care, they are more empowered to make informed healthcare decisions and participate actively in their child's health.
By adopting patient engagement technology such as portals, mobile apps, and
Read More
Patient-Centric Approaches in an Era of Multi-Indication Therapies
The life sciences industry has undergone a profound transformation over the past decade, evolving from a product-centric model to one that places patients at the center of its business strategy. This shift toward patient-centricity coincides with the rise of multi-indication therapies — treatments approved to address multiple conditions — to create a dynamic landscape that benefits both patients and life sciences companies alike.
The advent of patient-centricity
Patient-centricity requires
Read More
New Opportunities for Healthcare AI: Decoding the 2026 Medicare Advantage Rate Hike
Last month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its 2026 Medicare Advantage (MA) Rate Announcement, projecting a 5.06% average increase in payments to MA plans. That’s a notable jump from the 3.70% increase we saw in 2025. More than just a financial adjustment, this signals growing confidence in the Medicare Advantage model—and with it, growing expectations.
What does this mean simply? Insurance companies offering these plans will receive more government funding,
Read More
