Poorly managed chronic conditions—most of which are related to lifestyle—cost employers $36.4 billion each year in the form of absenteeism and poor productivity. Add in coverage-related and other costs, and that number skyrockets to $575 billion. Coverage costs alone have increased by 47% over the previous ten years.
Research shows that at-risk employees can benefit from care management programs that help them better maintain their chronic conditions, while employers benefit from lower
Read More
Health IT & Digital Health-Opinion | Op-Eds | Guest Columns | Analysis, Insights - HIT Consultant
What’s Old is New Again: 3 Benefits of Moving Some Servers Out of the Cloud for Providers
In recent years, cloud computing has become the go-to solution for healthcare institutions seeking flexibility and scalability. However, as the digital and legislative landscapes evolve, a growing number of organizations are reevaluating their cloud strategies. Are you best served by doubling down on your cloud-based strategy, or by backing off a bit and bringing some of your services out of the cloud and back down to earth? Consider these cases before completely abandoning your presence on
Read More
Streamlining Digital Preference Cards for Surgeons Improves Operational Efficiency & Patient Safety
In the dynamic world of healthcare, preference cards serve as crucial tools that capture a surgeon’s specific needs and preferences for each type of surgical procedure they perform. These cards typically outline the equipment, instruments, and supplies required for a particular procedure, providing a personalized roadmap for surgical teams to follow. By detailing these specifications, preference cards help streamline surgical planning, foster improved communication among the operating room (OR)
Read More
Balancing Innovation and the Ethical Adoption of AI in Healthcare
In recent years, the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) has created a wave of excitement and anticipation within the healthcare industry. AI has the potential to revolutionize patient care, improve diagnostic and prognostic accuracy, enhance treatment planning, and streamline administrative tasks. However, for AI to truly deliver on its promises, it is essential that AI tools undergo rigorous clinical validation. As both industry and government leaders continue to determine the
Read More
What Does The New Tracking Guidance from HHS Mean for Digital Marketers’ Technology Decisions?
Also known as the Kennedy–Kassebaum Act, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) defines and regulates individuals’ medical records and other individually identifiable health information, collectively known as patient healthcare information (PHI). HIPAA aims to protect patient privacy, safeguarding their entire medical history, information about medical services and treatments they may seek, and other related data. HIPAA also limits how this information is used
Read More
Diabetes Management in 2023 and Beyond: A Tech-Enabled Partnership Between Patient and Doctor
While the pandemic has slowed, there appears to be no end in sight to the diabetes epidemic. The number of individuals diagnosed is projected to keep growing over the next decade. What’s more concerning is that 75% of patients don’t meet guideline-based goals for A1C, blood pressure, and cholesterol control. Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to serious complications like heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, and even amputations.
Thankfully, more patients are embracing technology-based
Read More
Addressing Point-of-Care Ultrasound’s Shadow IT Problem
Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is taking hold across healthcare, and for good reason. By administering ultrasound technology at the point of care, whether that be the patient’s bedside or an ambulance, POCUS prevents patients from being sent to another facility for imaging or waiting for a radiologist. That, in turn, enables more efficient workflows and faster diagnoses and treatment.
Multiple studies, from The Nurse Practitioner and the Annals of Medicine and Surgery, identify POCUS
Read More
The Medical Library: A Hospital’s Most Underappreciated Asset
The impact of medical librarians is well-documented. In one experiment, a group of primary care providers had the opportunity to send clinical questions to a rapid-response medical librarian. They received their replies in an average of 14 minutes, and 86 percent were described as having a positive impact on care. Two studies indicated patient length of stay was reduced when clinicians requested medical library searches related to a patient's
Read More
The Self-Driving Clinical Trial: Optimizing Research with AI and ML
The power and potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in the healthcare industry are unparalleled. The use of automated technology systems like digital workflows, orchestration and storing of data digitally is helping to shape their application, enabling far greater personalization of treatment for patients and greater efficiency and speed of clinical trials.
As the amount of health data increases, the possibility of establishing a self-driving clinical trial is
Read More
Can Artificial Intelligence Replicate The Human Touch in Healthcare Provision?
Anyone who recalls the ‘turbo’ trend of the 1980s will have a foreboding sense of déjà vu about the sudden ubiquity of artificial intelligence in every aspect of our lives.
What began with the Swedish motor manufacturer, Saab, unveiling its 99 Turbo Coupé in 1977, suddenly had manufacturers scrambling for their own version of the latest technological buzzword in everything from alarm clocks to hairdryers.
The craze reached its apotheosis with the spoof launch, by Viz magazine, of the
Read More
