Organizations in the healthcare sector face particularly acute cyber threats. They confront unique risks due to a range of factors — from the huge amount of sensitive data they store to the perception that they are lucrative targets for ransomware gangs. Cybercriminals recognize that there are many vulnerabilities in the healthcare sector, which has led to a surge in cyberattacks.
Data breaches and other cyberattacks on healthcare organizations aren’t just capable of inflicting a severe
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Health IT & Digital Health-Opinion | Op-Eds | Guest Columns | Analysis, Insights - HIT Consultant
Payment Integrity in Healthcare: Challenges and Solutions
Whether you work in healthcare or are just a patient who has interacted with the healthcare system, it shouldn't surprise you to read that healthcare costs have been going up and are expected to continue to do so into 2025 burdening all stakeholders. Despite the obvious need to cut wasted healthcare spending, research suggests that the industry as a whole isn’t very good at it, with administrative spending being one of the biggest culprits. One study found that nearly one-third of excess U.S.
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AI Against Cancer: Capabilities and Limitations for Early Detection and Treatment Planning
The American Cancer Society predicted 2 million new cancer cases in the US alone in 2024, which amounts to roughly 5,480 diagnoses every day. What makes matters worse is that the pandemic delayed care for more than 75% of cancer patients. Unsurprisingly, healthcare providers are turning to new technologies like AI in search of solutions. To gauge the magnitude of this trend, consider this: as of August 7, 2024, 950 AI/ML-enabled medical devices have received clearance from the FDA, with 76% of
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3 Ways Healthcare Can Help Solve the Biggest Health Equity Challenges for Youth Impacted by the Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice Systems
All children deserve access to quality healthcare, including those involved with the foster care and juvenile justice systems. Health equity for system-involved youth, individuals who have been impacted by the child welfare or juvenile justice systems, is critical for children to lead fulfilling lives. System-involved youth face incredible challenges that make them a uniquely vulnerable population.
Often, their health needs are complex, influenced by significant trauma, and exacerbated
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Why Behavioral Health Needs Next-Generation EHRs
Effective behavioral health treatment requires a collaborative team of caregivers. These teams need seamless integration and visibility across multidisciplinary efforts involving cross-departmental collaboration with shared resources and goals. Next-generation EHRs are pivotal in providing the necessary visibility and coordination for critical behavioral healthcare.
Unlike general healthcare facilities, many behavioral health providers either lack EHR systems or are burdened with outdated
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CalAIM: How to Support CBOs in Medicaid Transformation
California’s bold new CalAIM Medicaid transformation program is restructuring what partnership for health looks like across the state. With a goal of better-integrating healthcare and social services for our most vulnerable residents, many eyes are turning toward local community-based organizations (CBOs) as a critical component of that evolution and investment in health equity. However, traditional health privacy, security infrastructure, and regulatory requirements, like HIPAA and HITRUST,
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Data Velocity in Healthcare: Why Speed Matters
In healthcare, where the stakes are incredibly high, the speed at which we can share, process, and act on data significantly influences patient outcomes and brings success in value-based care arrangements. A recent survey found that only 47% of organizations are using data aged less than 24 hours for working care gaps, and just 39% of organizations use similarly recent data for patient stratification and building cohorts. Stale data can mean inadequate care and missed opportunities to manage
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Debunking the Myths of Self-Directed Care
Self-directed care remains one of the best-kept secrets in long-term care, and though it’s steadily growing, overall enrollment – and awareness – remains relatively low. From 2019 to 2023, the U.S. saw a 23% increase in people self-directing their long-term services and supports (LTSS). Yet, because many eligible individuals remain unaware of self-direction, vulnerable populations, including individuals with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities, chronic diseases, and adults
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Navigating Security and Privacy Challenges in Healthcare IT: A Strategic Approach
The healthcare IT sector faces significant challenges in ensuring the security and privacy of sensitive patient information. Healthcare organizations are navigating an increasingly complex array of threats, from physical security breaches to sophisticated cyberattacks. The importance of a comprehensive approach to security cannot be overstated, as it involves integrating physical, procedural, and technological measures to protect patient data and maintain trust. The consequences of breaches can
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Harnessing Health Technology and Precision Data to Transition to Proactive Healthcare
Amidst the backdrop of the United States being the world’s highest spender on healthcare, a sober reality emerges: despite this immense investment, the nation faces many alarming statistics on the state of public health.
With the lowest life expectancy among developed nations, coupled with distressingly high rates of avoidable deaths, maternal and infant mortality, as well as an epidemic of chronic conditions and obesity, the current state of healthcare in the U.S. is
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