False alarms in the healthcare setting directly impact the efficiency of security resources and the patient and staff experience. A recent study published in Science Direct noted that approximately 80%–90% of alarms in the clinical setting are false. The same study found that 65% of ICU nurses agreed that disruptive alarms can affect patient care, and less than 26% of alarms were responded to in less than 5 minutes.
Protecting patients and staff while mitigating workplace violence and
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Health IT & Digital Health-Opinion | Op-Eds | Guest Columns | Analysis, Insights - HIT Consultant
The Siloed Trap: Why Fragmented EHR Workflows Are Failing Primary Care
It’s 4:37 p.m. in a primary care clinic in Mississippi. The waiting room is still half full. Dr. Rubin, a pediatric specialist, just wrapped up with a newborn’s checkup, and now faces an uphill sprint: reconciling three faxes, documenting vitals from two overlapping visits, and reviewing the urgent message from a parent sent through the portal. All before she can log off.
None of this is unfamiliar. For many primary care providers, this daily scramble is the byproduct of fragmented workflows,
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The Real Healthcare Emergency: Why Interoperability is the Unsolved Foundation of Digital Health
Clinical information isn’t moving where it needs to go.
Despite decades of investment in health IT, the industry is still grappling with basic data exchange. As recently as 2023, 47.4% of small hospitals and 42.8% of rural hospitals still relied on mail or fax as their primary method of exchanging patient information. Even among medium and large hospitals, nearly one third still rely on these methods.
These manual processes take more time, introduce more risk, and delay care—yet they
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Beyond the Algorithm: Why Data Infrastructure is the Key to Successful AI in Healthcare
Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to hold the spotlight in healthcare transformation, promising everything from predictive care to streamlined administrative processes. Visionary use cases include anticipating patient deterioration, optimizing care coordination, accelerating prior authorizations, and unlocking insights from clinical notes that would otherwise remain buried.
But despite the promise, adoption remains uneven. Many organizations have piloted AI initiatives only to struggle
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How Healthcare CIOs Can Solve the Unstructured Data Crisis and Reduce Storage Costs
Healthcare organizations are experiencing a seismic shift in how they handle unstructured data. From digital pathology to high-resolution imaging, genomic sequencing, and machine-generated sensor data, the volume of data that doesn’t fit neatly into rows and columns of a database has exploded across hospitals, research labs, and academic institutions.
While this unstructured data is intrinsic to patient care and scientific discovery, it’s also creating a mounting crisis for
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Beyond One-Size-Fits-All: A Guide to Precision Medicine and Personalized Healthcare
Personalized medicine, also known as precision medicine, is redefining healthcare by tailoring medical treatment to the unique characteristics of each individual. This approach integrates genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors to enhance disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. The potential benefits of precision medicine are profound, and include numerous foundations and applications which we will explore in this piece. It must be noted, however, that the implementation of
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Preparing for the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’: How Digitization Can Streamline Medicaid Eligibility & Social Care Delivery
On July 4th, President Trump signed H.R. 1, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, fundamentally altering the landscape for the nation’s social safety net. After months of anticipation, social safety net providers, managed care organizations (MCOs), and state governments are now grappling with how the new law’s changes to Medicaid eligibility and funding will impact their operations and vulnerable individuals.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, some 7.8 million people are
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AI Is Supercharging Phishing Scams – Are Hospitals Ready?
Hospitals and healthcare systems are facing a growing cyber threat, one that’s being greatly accelerated by generative AI. While much of the public conversation around AI has focused on job displacement or deepfakes, AI’s role in cybercrime has expanded. Phishing attacks, in particular, have become more effective and easier to launch, posing serious risks to healthcare organizations, which already operate under intense operational pressure.
In the second half of 2024, phishing incidents
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When “Free” Isn’t Free: The Hidden Risks of Community Connect EHR Models for Local Hospitals
Across the country, rural and community hospitals are being offered a familiar pitch: access to a premium electronic health record (EHR) platform at a fraction of the cost, thanks to a partnership with a larger health system. These so-called Community Connect arrangements promise improved care coordination, seamless data sharing, and financial relief. But behind the headlines, these models carry tradeoffs that many smaller hospitals overlook—chief among them, the potential loss of
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How AI Can Prepare Nurses for High-Stakes, Emotionally Charged Conversations
Nurses aren’t just on the front lines of healthcare. They’re also at the front lines of emotional trauma.
Whether it's telling a patient their cancer is terminal, helping grieving parents understand a devastating diagnosis, or de-escalating a distraught family member, the emotional labor required of nurses is immense. These moments demand more than clinical expertise—they require deep empathy, listening, and communication skill. But most nurses enter the workforce underprepared for
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