Although the traditional nearly decade-long clinical trial timelines completely collapsed during COVID, this truncating was not necessarily novel. Precedent exists for accelerating approval timelines during health emergencies such as the AIDs/HIV epidemic, where Compound S, a re-make of AZT, or azidothymidine, originally developed to fight cancer, became controversially fast-tracked after the discovery that it could block HIV activity. Likewise, when potentially lifesaving drugs are
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Health IT & Digital Health-Opinion | Op-Eds | Guest Columns | Analysis, Insights - HIT Consultant
5 Key Steps to Successful AI-powered Discharge in Hospitals
Every day, hospital teams are facing inpatient flow challenges like excessive emergency department surgical admit boarders. To help overcome these challenges and improve access to urgent care, clinical leaders have focused on improving efficient discharge practices to ensure beds are available for incoming patients.
With a goal to both safely and efficiently discharge patients as soon as clinically ready, many hospitals may be tempted to consider
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Beyond Credentialing: How PDM Drives Quality Care & Revenue
As healthcare costs continue to rise and workforce shortages reach a critical level, hospitals and health systems must rethink their tech stacks and processes to find success in 2024 and beyond. Provider data management (PDM), a function once relegated to the basement of hospitals, today plays a critical role in driving workforce efficiency, revenue, and patient outcomes. By implementing an end-to-end PDM solution, hospitals and health systems can maximize patients’ and clinical providers’ time
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3 Lessons in Digital Patient Engagement from Healthcare’s ‘Most Wired’ Organizations
Digital patient engagement is a balancing act of determining where resources should be deployed and how to create cheer-worthy experiences.
The stakes for delivering the right mobile experience in healthcare have never been higher. A recent Accenture survey found digital engagement has a significant influence on patient retention. This raises pressure for health systems to design digital tools and experiences that strengthen patient loyalty and protect or increase revenue.
Meanwhile,
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Demystifying VBC Contracting: Key Considerations for Quality & Data Success
In the ongoing transition to value-based care (VBC), provider contracting poses challenges for health plans and providers. In my past role as the VP of Quality at a large health plan, I was part of the team that reviewed provider contracts that included risk around quality. Adding my role to the review process reduced the frustration of the Network and Quality teams because I could identify the reporting requirements that the health plan couldn't meet and create alignment with measure
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8-Step Strategy to Prevent EHR-Driven Physician Burnout
These days, technology plays a vital role in improving the quality of life, impacting various sectors, including healthcare. Electronic Health Records (EHR) have revolutionized the way medical professionals access and manage patient data, leading to streamlined processes, improved patient care, and increased cost-efficiency. However, with the rapid adoption of EHR, several challenges have arisen, including physician burnout associated with EHR systems. In this article, we will explore a
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8 Common Physician Credentialing Mistakes to Watch in 2024
Artificial intelligence (AI) dominated the headlines in 2023. It was the topic of countless articles, reports and even court cases. Some may be fatigued by it, or even afraid of it, but the reality is AI is here to stay in 2024. The best thing we can all do is learn how to leverage it to make our jobs easier.
In fact, after decades of slogging through manual processes, healthcare organizations are joining the movement and implementing automation and AI solutions to improve revenue cycle
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Pharma & Influencer Marketing: Can They Coexist Ethically?
Influencer marketing in the pharmaceutical industry is a complex issue with reasonable arguments on multiple sides. On the one hand, leveraging individual patients' personal experiences and narratives may help bring an authentic voice to product messaging. This could increase trust and resonance for some audiences skeptical of more traditional promotional content. However, legitimate concerns about transparency and potential conflicts of interest exist if affiliate relationships or sponsored
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Elevating Healthcare Through Risk Stratification: Lessons from North Carolina’s Value-Based Initiatives
As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, there's a clear trend towards value-based care (VBC). This significant shift, which places a premium on patient health outcomes, diverges from the traditional fee-for-service approach. The aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic has mainly catalyzed the adoption of VBC models, highlighting the importance of care quality and effectiveness rather than the sheer volume of services. This change reshapes healthcare, aligning it more closely with patient
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Myth Busting Today’s Most Common Nutrition Misconceptions
Whether it’s on TikTok, WhatsApp, Instagram or Facebook, the latest “diet” trends are hard to escape. There’s paleo, keto, macros, intermittent fasting, vegan, Mediterranean, low-carb and so many other programs inundating individuals every day, and many turn to their favorite social media influencers for “expert” opinions on what works and what doesn’t. In fact, social media is so prevalent today that one study showed 85% of people relied on it as a source for trusted health information.
But
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