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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Health IT & Digital Health-Opinion | Op-Eds | Guest Columns | Analysis, Insights - HIT Consultant
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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How AI Can Drive the Transition to Value-Based Care
The healthcare industry is at a crossroads, grappling with the dual challenges of declining health quality metrics and skyrocketing care costs. The reality is that health outcomes are driven more by what patients do than by what providers or payers do.
It is estimated that 80% of health outcomes are driven by non-medical factors – often social or behavioral risks that impact health and lead to poor outcomes and high costs. Value-based care (VBC) shifts this focus to helping the patient
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How Healthcare IT Teams Can Secure Executive Buy-in for Critical Cybersecurity Investments
It's well known that ransomware is on the rise across industries. Healthcare organizations experienced more ransomware attacks than any other critical infrastructure sector last year, according to the FBI’s 2023 Internet Crime Report. Given the wide-reaching consequences and direct patient impact of such attacks, it’s become clear that investing in cybersecurity is a critical priority. This is particularly true of securing Microsoft infrastructure, including identity management systems like
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Ready to Change Your Pharmacy Strategy? It’s Time for Analytics, Data, and AI
When you think about pharmacy, the first thing that comes to mind is data, right?
Admittedly, it’s not my first thought either. But for organizations that are chasing after stronger, more integrated strategies to deliver care to patients, a pharmacy data strategy – and pharmacy partnership with analytics platforms – is often the first area of focus to drive change and deliver stronger outcomes.
The idea of “pharmacy” isn’t just in the terms of where a patient picks up their
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Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Healthcare – Today and in the Future
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is continuing to gain traction in the realm of healthcare and medicine. According to a study by the American Medical Association, 41 percent of physicians said they are both equally excited, and concerned, about the potential uses of AI in healthcare.
As AI capabilities continue to grow, there are a variety of ways AI can be used in a practice. Let us outline several AI applications that have the potential to positively impact both patients and
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Why Payers Must Be Innovation Champions to Increase Healthcare Affordability
The U.S. Healthcare economic system must change. For too long, it's been one long game of whack-a-mole trying to keep prices in check. That game can end if healthcare, particularly payers, look to mirror the success stories of other major industries.
In the late 20th century, when the fee-for-service version of healthcare grew in popularity, inpatient costs started increasing. To rectify this, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) introduced the Inpatient Prospective
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