OIG: Health IT remains a top challenge facing HHS

Health information technology remains a top management and performance challenge confronting the Department of Health and Human Services, as the healthcare industry attempts to leverage the universal adoption of electronic health records and achieve true EHR interoperability.

That’s the contention of the HHS Office of the Inspector General, which ranked health IT third overall in its annual ranking of the department’s top 10 management and performance challenges.

Specifically, auditors expressed their concerns about the meaningful, secure exchange and use of electronic information—not just for HHS but also the overall U.S. healthcare system, which increasingly rely on such data. For the full article click here 

from health IT caucus http://ift.tt/2gwGKbj
via IFTTT

A Pioneering Spanish CIO Shares his Perspectives on the New Healthcare

In western Europe, as in the United States, IT-facilitated clinical transformation remains a work in progress, with tremendous variations by geography and by type of patient care organization. One organization in Spain that has made tremendous strides—and which became one of the first European hospital organizations to receive “stage 7” recognition from the HIMSS Analytics division of the Chicago-based Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), per its EMRAM schematic around electronic health record (EHR) development—is the Hospital Marina Salud de Dénia in the suburb of Valencia called Dénia, on the east coast of Spain. Indeed, the leaders of the hospital received the prestigious Davies Award from HIMSS in 2015, and the hospital’s CIO, Vicent Moncho Mas, was presented with the award at HIMSS’ World of Health IT conference in Riga, Latvia, that year.

Moncho Mas spoke of the journey into digitization and clinical transformation on Tuesday, Nov. 22, at World of Health IT 2016 (WoHIT2016), being held this week at the Centre de Conveniones Internacional de Barcelona (CCIB), in Barcelona, Spain. For the full article click here 

from health IT caucus http://ift.tt/2gwDhtv
via IFTTT

4 things we learned from the annual ONC report on health IT

Thanksgiving is Thursday here in the U.S., which, for those of us in the publishing business, means it is a slow news week. So we amuse ourselves reading things like health IT reports from the federal government.

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology this week released its annual report on health IT to Congress, as required by the 2009 HITECH Act. That’s the law that ushered in Meaningful Use in 2011.

There’s a lot of usual language in the report, talking about all the health IT programs and initiatives and standards ONC has launched or endorsed in the last 12 months, plus, of course, some interesting data. Here are four interesting things we learned from reading the document For the full article click here 

from health IT caucus http://ift.tt/2gnP9fI
via IFTTT

3 Health Information Exchanges Make Health IT Investments

3 Health Information Exchanges Make Health IT Investments

New ‘Cures’ language coming soon

UPDATED 21ST CENTURY CURES BILL IMMINENT: The wait is over, or almost. A revised version of the 21st Century Cure Act might be released as soon as today in preparation of a House floor vote next week, sources on and off the Hill are telling Morning eHealth. The bill has been on hold for almost the entire year as Republicans and Democrats haggled over how to offset increases in NIH spending and funding for the cancer moonshot, Precision Medicine and opioid prevention and treatment. But Energy and Commerce Chair Fred Upton said last week a deal had been struck, and the rest of the world will see the fruits of their labor any time now. Lawmakers were trying to create a reconciled bill to pass through both chambers of a lame-duck Congress.

Some health IT things to watch:Check out our Pro Health Care colleagues for more pharma-centric coverage, but here’s a refresher on what eHealth items of interest:
— Definitions of interoperability – (the House bill was more specific)
— Interoperability standards – the House would contract with a standards-development organization to develop them; the Senate tries to create a trusted exchange framework
— TRUST IT Act – Sen. Bill Cassidy’s proposal to create a star-ratings system of EHRs wasn’t well received in the House, so its status in a reconciled bill is uncertain For the full article click here

from health IT caucus http://ift.tt/2gpFg2w
via IFTTT

Is protectionism hurting health IT innovation?

The results of the U.S. election this month have got me thinking about protectionism.  Webster’s Dictionary defines protectionism as: “the theory or practice of shielding a country’s domestic industries from foreign competition by taxing imports.”  Advocates for a global trade system are obviously opposed to this idea and many attest that even though the strategy seems like a good idea at the time, in the long term it will never really work out.

So why am I discussing foreign policy strategies? I’m a data scientist and eHealth advocate after all. I bring it up because protectionism is exactly what is being practiced throughout the healthcare industry and it is systematically killing healthcare innovation. For the full article click here 

from health IT caucus http://ift.tt/2gAIbsg
via IFTTT

Vital Signs: Could healthcare IT be the key to better addiction treatment?

In a new, landmark report on addiction, the U.S. surgeon general made a solid argument for the role of health information technology in improving the treatment of patients with drug or alcohol abuse as well as behavioral health problems.

Dr. Vivek Murthy’s office pushed for greater health IT adoption and use by providers of alcohol, drug abuse and behavioral health treatment. But it took no position on a pending federal rule that could relax the current strict privacy protections covering the medical records of many patients receiving those treatments.

The report, Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health, highlights a fundamental health IT dichotomy: Patients get better care if their records are shared among providers, but patients won’t seek treatment if they believe their information will be widely disclosed.

An estimated 23% of the U.S. population age 12 and older—some 67 million people—have engaged in binge drinking. Meanwhile, 10.2%—about 27 million people—used illicit drugs or misused prescription drugs. And more than 40% of people with a substance use disorder also have a mental health condition, the report said. For the full article click here 

from health IT caucus http://ift.tt/2gfeFUC
via IFTTT

Health IT investors share lessons learned from early investments

If you were to ask a healthcare investor what their investment strategy is, it is likely the product of some brilliant foresight, a little luck, and some lessons learned from bad experiences or near misses.

In a series of phone and email interviews, we picked the brains of health IT investors at four firms. We asked them what they learned from early investments and how those lessons and insights informed their strategy going forward. One theme that threads its way through the investment narrative of these companies is that technology is all well and good, but you need a service to support it as well.

Cotiviti (originally iHealth) and athenahealth were two of the firm’s first investments made in the space, Lamont said in an email.

“They were very much about fixing broken processes through software, services, and data. That’s been our approach – addressing a broken system and improving it through the powerful combination of software, data, and services.  That’s particularly the case when behavior change is an important part of what needs to happen to improve healthcare and materially bend the cost/quality curve.  Appropriately, Aspire Health, Quartet Health, VillageMD and Axial Healthcare all have service as a component.” For the full article click here 

from health IT caucus http://ift.tt/2fAUDnq
via IFTTT

Ireland to go-live with national maternity electronic record

Ireland’s biggest maternity hospital will go-live with Cerner next month, as part of an upgrade that will see all its maternity units switch to the electronic health record system.

Cork University Maternity hospital will deploy Cerner on the weekend of 3 December. By the end of 2017, the country’s 17 maternity hospitals that will share a single nationwide Cerner record.

eHealth Ireland chief executive Richard Corbridge told Digital Health News that Cerner had rebuilt and validated the system specifically for Ireland’s maternity context.

“This will be a single instance across 17 hospitals to promote the sharing of information,” he said. For the full article click here 

from health IT caucus http://ift.tt/2gdjBNf
via IFTTT

Many Insured Children Lack Essential Health Care, Study Finds

Margo Solomon has health insurance for herself and her four children.

But actually getting treatment is another matter.

Ms. Solomon, a 35-year-old mother from the Bronx, says she has struggled to find a doctor who accepts her insurance. And with three of her children coping with asthma, and one with more complicated medical problems, locating a specialist is even more challenging. And once in the door, she cannot afford the costs, including for deductibles and medications.

“I feel like I am all alone out here,” Ms. Solomon said.

She is not alone.

A new study to be released on Monday by the Children’s Health Fund, a nonprofit based in New York City that expands access to health care for disadvantaged children, found that one in four children in the United States did not have access to essential health care, though a record number of young people now have health insurance. For the full article click here 

from health IT caucus http://ift.tt/2fK8fQ6
via IFTTT

Letter: ACA repeal would turn back century of health care progress

I commend Sen. Joe Manchin for calling for reform of the Affordable Care Act rather than repeal (W.Va. reps to seek repeal of EPA rules, ACA, Nov. 10).

It is shocking to think that President-elect Donald Trump and Congress might repeal the ACA and turn back the clock on a century of progress toward universal health care.

President Richard Nixon and President Ronald Reagan had plans that included some of the principles in the ACA. Access to affordable health care should not be a privilege for the rich and those employed full-time in big business. It is a fundamental right.

Repeal of the ACA would be “devastating” to West Virginia (to quote Terri Giles on Nov. 11). Health care is a large sector of our economy and West Virginia has poor health outcomes and higher morbidity and mortality than most states. For the full article click here For the full article click here 

from health IT caucus http://ift.tt/2fK3XIR
via IFTTT

Study finds reasons for accumulated stress levels more complicated than thought

TORONTO, Nov. 17, 2016–African-American and Latina women have a higher accumulated stress level than Caucasian women, but a new study found that less than half the differences could be explained by expected factors such as poverty, neighbourhoods, stress and support systems.

Study author Dr. Pat O’Campo, a researcher with the Centre for Urban Health Solutions of St. Michael’s Hospital, said there was growing interest in the impact of stress on women’s health, including lifetime accumulated stress and the psychological toll of having to repeatedly respond to stress.

In a study published today in the journal Social Science & Medicine, Dr. O’Campo compared the “allostatic load” of African-American, Latina and Caucasian women enrolled in a large longitudinal health disparities study in the United States. For the full article click here 

from health IT caucus http://ift.tt/2gnckem
via IFTTT

ML Tool Speeds Deployment of Health Predictor

Large health datasets are being used to develop predictive risk models for individual and population groups. The latest example is a partnership between a predictive analytics vendor and a machine-learning platform specialist to deploy a new health predictor.

Brooklyn-based Yhat, developer of a machine-learning deployment platform called ScienceOps, said this week that analytics vendor Lumiata is using its platform to launch its AI-powered health prediction tool. Yhat said its platform helps overcome incompatibilities between AI algorithms and emerging digital applications.

ScienceOps is positioned as providing the technical infrastructure “to transform statistical code on an analyst’s laptop into a product you and I can interact with,” explains Austin Ogilvie, Yhat’s CEO and co-founder. The goal is to help launch more AI-based applications, Oglivie added. For the full article click here 

from health IT caucus http://ift.tt/2f7vPm8
via IFTTT

Hospital Impact: Trump, chaos theory and the OIG

It is not yet possible to predict what President-elect Donald Trump’s administration’s policies will be when it comes to EHRs and health IT.

Will he embrace some of President Obama’s projects, like precision medicine? Will anything happen to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT and the review of certified EHR technology? And what happens to the fight against information blocking? Will that continue? Or become less important?

So imagine how much more daunting it is for those in the government who have to follow through on policy in the face of all these questions, all this change and so much chaos. For the full article click here 

from health IT caucus http://ift.tt/2f7xQlq
via IFTTT

Obamacare enrollment surges after the election; no spike in Washington state

During the campaign, Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress vowed to immediately “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act, yet now that dismantlement is possible, people across the U.S. are rushing to lock in coverage. More than 300,000 chose plans from Nov. 9-11.

For years the backers of the Affordable Care Act have fretted over how best to stimulate insurance enrollment on the exchanges so the law could work as designed. They might have finally found a way from the unlikeliest of sources: the election of Donald Trump as president.

During the campaign, Trump and Republicans in Congress vowed to immediately “repeal and replace” the health-care law known as Obamacare, calling it a failure. Yet now that dismantlement is possible and maybe even likely, people across the nation are rushing to lock in coverage for next year.  For the full article click here 

from health IT caucus http://ift.tt/2f7uuPw
via IFTTT

In Trump’s Presidency, Value-Based Purchasing, Health IT Must Push Forward

With so much uncertainty around us, it’s critical to stay on course when it comes to value-based healthcare and the optimization of health IT

The results of last week’s presidential election were extremely unexpected to many, and in the days that followed, debates in media and social circles took front and center for many of us. Those discussions will likely not cease any time soon, but in a time of great uncertainty, it’s important to focus on what we know rather than what’s now behind us. What we know: Donald Trump is the 45^th president of the United States while Republicans maintained control of both the U.S. House and Senate. This will have a profound impact on healthcare’s already-changing landscape.

At a broad level, we also know what Trump and many Republicans think about the Affordable Care Act (ACA, or Obamacare). On the campaign trail, President-elect Trump spoke about repealing the ACA which would mark a significant shift in healthcare policy. While it remains unclear on what exactly “repeal and replace” means, as Trump has said, there will be major changes in store. In a story last week, Healthcare Informatics spoke to multiple healthcare policy experts who had varying opinions on what this could mean for value-based purchasing and healthcare IT, with an underlying theme being that most of what our industry has been accustomed to will likely not be altered in any great way. For the full article click here

from health IT caucus http://ift.tt/2fYHWUP
via IFTTT

Cambia, Mosaic merge venture groups to create Echo Health Ventures

Cambia Health Solutions and Mosaic Health Solutions have combined their respective investment groups into one new investor called Echo Health Ventures. Under the leadership of CEO Rob Coppedge, who has led Cambia’s investment division for the past six years, the new company will manage both companies’ existing portfolios as well as pursue new stage-agnostic investments in healthcare innovation.

“We have complementary portfolios, both by stages and by sector,” Coppedge told MobiHealthNews. “Both parents realized the future of strategic investing and corporate investing is partnership. Because we can’t do this alone. We’ve co-invested before, we’ve worked together on other things, so it made a lot of sense to bring the groups together.”

Echo will be an independent company but its board will include Mark Ganz, president and CEO of Cambia Health Solutions, and Brad Wilson, president and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina. Maureen O’Connor, current president of Mosaic Ventures, will retire at the end of the year. For the full article click here

from health IT caucus http://ift.tt/2fVWFP1
via IFTTT

Just a little fitness protects your health

Researchers say it’s not necessary to be an athlete to lower the risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

It is vitally important to stay fit to maintain good health. It appears you don’t have to work out nearly as hard as an athlete to gain the health benefits of fitness. The Université de Montréal reports that it has been shown in a new study that even low physical fitness is adequate to help prevent most of the risk factors which are associated with cardiovascular disease.

Exercise is a great way to help prevent and cure many diseases

It has often been observed that exercise is a great way to help prevent and cure many diseases. In a new study done in Canada it has been demonstrated that even a low level of physical fitness, up to 20 percent lower than the average for people who are healthy, is adequate to produce a preventive effect on most of the risk factors linked to cardiovascular disease. For the full article click here 

from health IT caucus http://ift.tt/2gbBP2R
via IFTTT

Community advocates call for more transparency in med school spending

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Community advocates came together Monday, fighting for more oversight for your money spent on health care. A city watchdog says there are no records indicating $105 million Central Health gave to UT Dell Medical School is actually going to improve healthcare for the poor.

Healthcare advocates want Travis County commissioners to call for an independent audit of UT and Central Health to learn where the money is going. Keep in mind, it was in 2012 voters decided to increase property taxes to fund a medical school. That ballot language indicated funds will be used for improved healthcare, including support for a new medical school consistent with the mission of Central Health. It also said that support could include education and specialty medicine, as well as to obtain federal matching funds. Monday’s gathering was to address Central Health’s core mission, helping indigent people receive healthcare.

Attorney Fred Lewis, who’s been working to determine how the money is being spent, says if Travis County commissioners don’t call for an audit, he hasn’t taken a lawsuit off the table. In a report released Monday, Lewis says says the medical school, in conjunction with Central Health, appears to have For the full article click here 

from health IT caucus http://ift.tt/2fQrBBj
via IFTTT

Merck animal health investing in swine vaccine innovation, manufacturing and people

Now more than ever, pork producers are looking for new and innovative ways to help support the care and wellbeing of their animals. The continuous threat of animal disease, social and regulatory pressure to reduce antibiotic use, along with increasing consumer interest in on-farm production practices has them looking more and more to prevention-based solutions. Merck Animal Health understands this challenge and has responded by making investments in swine vaccine advancements and new manufacturing facilities, as well as building a team of industry and veterinary experts.

Disease outbreaks have significantly impacted all aspects of production agriculture: bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle, avian influenza in poultry and porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) in swine, just to name a few. Recognizing the need for greater preventive strategies across the industry, Merck Animal Health acquired an innovator in animal vaccine technology – Harrisvaccines – to add value to its already robust portfolio of vaccines.

The unique RNA Particle technology represents a breakthrough in vaccine development with a highly versatile production platform able to target a wide range of viruses and bacteria. Pathogens are collected from a farm and specific genes are sequenced and inserted into the platform, making safe, potent vaccines that provide herd-specific protection. For the full article click here 

from health IT caucus http://ift.tt/2g6vvcS
via IFTTT

Trump may maintain support for health IT, cut funds for HIPAA audits

Health information technology and interoperability are expected to stay top priorities for health officials in President-elect Donald Trump’s administration, according to one expert.

While bipartisan support for health IT initiatives is likely to remain in the new administration, funding for some programs may change, Harry Greenspun, chief medical officer and managing director for advisory firm Korn Ferry, told Bloomberg BNA last week. The size of some initiatives, like those run by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, may also be “reduced and the office scaled back,” Greenspun said.

Greenspun also noted that Congressional groups, such as REBOOT Health IT, are also expected to play a major part in informing the Trump administration on health IT initiatives. For the full article click here 

from health IT caucus http://ift.tt/2g6rLIG
via IFTTT

How Michelle Obama Always Puts Health and Wellness First

Without a doubt, Michelle Obama will go down as one of the most impactful First Ladies in American history. Among her many accomplishments, the December Vogue cover star stands out for her commitment to health and fitness—not only for herself and her two daughters, but for the entire nation, as her Let’s Move! campaign can attest. Here, five times Obama revealed her personal wellness philosophy—words to live by.

Practice what you preach.
“We can’t lie around on the couch eating French fries and candy bars and expect our kids to eat carrots and run around the block,” Obama pointed out in a 2013 keynote address. “But too often, that’s exactly what we’re doing.”

Fitness benefits are physical and mental.
“Exercise is really important to me—it’s therapeutic,” Obama said in 2008. “So if I’m ever feeling tense or stressed or like I’m about to have a meltdown, I’ll put on my iPod and head to the gym or out on a bike ride along Lake Michigan with the girls.” For the full article click here

from health IT caucus http://ift.tt/2ercZLj
via IFTTT

What will a Trump presidency mean for digital health?

The unexpected election of Donald Trump who, as a candidate, was weak on specific policy promises, has mired a lot of industries in uncertainty about their future, but perhaps none more so than healthcare. The Republican party has long sought to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, a landmark piece of legislation that has affected most parts of the healthcare landscape since it was passed in 2010.

There’s no way to know for certain what’s going to happen come January, but plenty of writers around the web have spoken with experts to get their best bets. Below we’ve rounded up some perspectives on different facets of health IT, government infrastructure, and digital health.

The Affordable Care Act

While Trump has stood by his campaign promise to “ask Congress to immediately deliver a full repeal of Obamacare”, in reality that could be very difficult. For one thing, the ACA consists of not only the government-run health exchanges the law is best known for, but also cost-saving and quality improvement measures with broader support. And even getting rid of the exchanges, without something to replace them with, would leave some 18 million people without health insurance, something that could be devastating for Republicans in the 2018 mid-term elections. This piece in Quartz lays out some of the challenges Republican leadership would have repealing ACA. For the full article click here

from health IT caucus http://ift.tt/2f2EyH0
via IFTTT

Collaboration between user and designer advantageous, reveals paper

[Gloucestershire, UK] A close working relationship between users and designers can provide several benefits for the functioning of the healthcare system, reveals an analysis of the development and piloting of an IT system in the UK.

“It was through this close collaboration that the system could be fine-tuned according to the needs of its end users,” the article states, which was published this week in the Advances in Medical Education and Practice Dove Press Journal.

“Unanticipated requirements can be realised more quickly, and superfluous ones removed. Having adaptable requirements is a strength, as predicting every requirement at the outset is not always possible.

“The project was user driven, with a clear vision of the end product and its purpose.”

The article offers a detailed examination as developments of affordable IT systems in the UK for healthcare organisations have received a lot of publicity in the past. For the full article click here 

from health IT caucus http://ift.tt/2fHEuw2
via IFTTT

Will Trump presidency disrupt current health IT policy?

Healthcare IT executives are anxiously looking for a sense of how HIT policy will turn under the Trump administration.

Some of the president-elect’s positions on healthcare are well-known, such as his stated intent to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act with health savings accounts, and working with Congress to create a “patient-centered healthcare system that promotes choice, quality, and affordability.”

But, when it comes to Trump’s approach to health IT, little is known about the kinds of changes and policy prescriptions he would bring to the White House. For the full article click here 

from health IT caucus http://healthitcaucus.com/will-trump-presidency-disrupt-current-health-it-policy/
via IFTTT

Artificial Intelligence to Strain Health IT Infrastructure

Pennsylvania has 1M in path of Obamacare repeal

If president-elect Donald Trump and a Republican-controlled Congress repeal Obamacare as they promised, more than 20 million Americans — including about a million Pennsylvanians — could lose their health insurance.

Congressional Republicans have been trying to repeal the federal Affordable Care Act since it was passed six years ago, even as millions of Americans signed up for subsidized health plans on the law’s insurance marketplace and enrolled in expanded state Medicaid programs. When repeal proposals reached President Obama’s desk, he vetoed them.

Some of the latest proposals, which could be revived when Trump reaches office, would reverse the Medicaid expansion and eliminate the subsidies. Changes outlined in a proposal that both houses of Congress passed early this year would cut an estimated 22 million people from insurance, according to Congressional Budget Office estimates.

“I don’t think we’ve seen anything on this scale,” said Julie Donohue, an associate professor of health policy and management in the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public Health. “… It would be unprecedented.” For the full article click here 

from health IT caucus http://healthitcaucus.com/pennsylvania-has-1m-in-path-of-obamacare-repeal/
via IFTTT

Facebook Friend Requests Linked To Overall Health Benefits

Facebook friend requests, a social action we see daily on Facebook or in any social media partaining to that sort of idea. Did you ever think that this could affect our overall health?

Did you even know about how it affects us overall? Well think again. This might be real interesting.

According to The Washington Post, Studies from Scientists found out that people who received tons of friend requests were less likely to die over a two-year period than those who don’t. However, this has seem to have not affected on the poll on death rates.

William Hobbs said he has known for decades now that the offline social networks, especially social integration, were related to longer life, but not to the point of online interactions as well For the full article click here 

from health IT caucus http://healthitcaucus.com/facebook-friend-requests-linked-to-overall-health-benefits/
via IFTTT

BU to begin offering public health program

Starting next fall, Binghamton University plans to offer a new graduate program for public health. The program will add to the University’s already expanding areas of studies, including the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, which will open next fall.

Public health refers to the research, education and implementation of medical policy on a local and global level. It focuses on protecting and insuring public health. It differs from physicians and other medical jobs in that they do not directly treat the patients, but focus on the causes and effects of their condition and how it can be prevented in the future through medical policy and administration. It encompasses a large variety of fields in science and can manifest itself into a number of careers, including health insurance management, health care or careers at government agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Provost Donald Nieman said he recognizes the importance of expanding the University’s academic offerings to satisfy growing demands from students. The University currently offers master’s programs in nursing that prepare for administrative health jobs, but they are tailored toward the nursing field. For the full article click here 

from health IT caucus http://healthitcaucus.com/bu-to-begin-offering-public-health-program/
via IFTTT

4 tips for hospitals implementing population health analytics

Hospitals are increasingly focused on leveraging predictive analytics to streamline their services — but how many organizations have successfully met this goal?

Since 2014, Buffalo Grove, Ill.-based research and consulting organization Healthcare Center of Excellence has been tracking how the healthcare industry uses data analytics. J. Bryan Bennett, founder and executive director of HCOE, spoke with Becker’s Hospital Review about the results of the organization’s third annual State of Population Health Analytics report, which integrated interviews with healthcare executives, survey responses from hospital employees and findings from recent research on health IT. Here’s what he had to share:

1. Health IT is a spectrum, from EHRs to decision support. The State of Population Health Analytics report evaluates hospitals’ evolving use of health IT
based on a model developed by Mr. Bennett, called the “healthcare transformation change model.”

The model predicts a technology continuum from non-analytic to analytic-focused, with the implementation of complex, analytical decision support services as the ultimate goal.

The suggested timeline begins with descriptive technology (characterized by EHR implementation), and moves through phases of diagnostic technology (characterized by integration of data sources), predictive technology (characterized by analysis and modeling) and prescriptive technology (characterized by real-time decision support). For the full article click here 

from health IT caucus http://ift.tt/2eRl1t5
via IFTTT

Treasury flags concerns over downturn in DHB finances

A leaked Treasury report warns the financial performance of district health boards has deteriorated severely over the past two years, and flags eight regions where there are serious concerns over services.

The results leave the Ministry of Health with two options, according to Labour’s Annette King: increase funding, or expect cuts in services.

The report measured financial and non-financial performance of the country’s 20 DHBs, and was presented to Health Minister Jonathan Coleman in June. For the full article click here 

from health IT caucus http://ift.tt/2ei9hn3
via IFTTT

Health care costs for needy down slightly at Casper hospital

The Wyoming Medical Center in Casper is experiencing a slight downward trend in the amount of charity care it provides, but it still had over $24 million in costs for fiscal year 2016.

While care for the needy declined by about $300,000, bad debt was still trending upward. The hospital had $32.8 million in unpaid bills for those who did not qualify for charity care, or $6.3 million more than in 2015.

The total of the two categories came to $57 million, compared with $51 million in 2015.

In its annual report to the Natrona County commissioners, hospital officials said they still had a profit margin of 1.8 percent. Part of that, however, was due to a $10.8 million budget cut following five months of losses in the first half of the year. The cuts included the layoffs of 58 staff and other cost-saving measures. For the full article click here 

from health IT caucus http://ift.tt/2eEVCFq
via IFTTT

New social prescribing service benefits people with mental health conditions

People with mental health conditions are benefitting from being prescribed non-medical treatments by their doctors, according to a new report.

The Rotherham Social Prescribing Mental Health Pilot was developed to help people with mental health conditions overcome the barriers which prevent discharge from secondary mental health care services.

The 12-month pilot – which has now been extended to March 2017 – helps service users build and direct their own packages of support by encouraging them to access personalised services provided by local voluntary and community groups.

The pilot was delivered in partnership by Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH) and a group of local voluntary sector organisations led by Voluntary Action Rotherham on behalf of NHS Rotherham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). For the full article click here 

from health IT caucus http://ift.tt/2ef0oum
via IFTTT

Colorado could revolutionize the health care reform as it did on legalizing recreational marijuana

Coloradans will vote Nov. 8 on a plan that would provide all state residents with health care when they need it.

Amendment 69 would replace an inefficient private insurance system with a cooperative insurer that would cover Coloradans similarly to how Medicare covers our seniors.

The measure, called ColoradoCare, builds on the Affordable Care Act, which has succeeded in expanding health insurance coverage but failed to stop the rise of health care costs.

The average premium on Colorado’s health insurance exchange will rise by 20 percent in 2017, and voters are looking for solutions. For the full article click here 

from health IT caucus http://ift.tt/2eJbLHo
via IFTTT

FactCheck: Does this year’s Budget include the biggest ever investment in health?

ONE OF THE government’s biggest talking points in the aftermath of last month’s Budget announcement was the claim that they had just made the biggest investment in health in Irish history.

Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe said it during his Dáil speech, Health Minister Simon Harris said it during a post-Budget press conference, and Taoiseach Enda Kenny repeated the claim in the Dáil later on.

You can see excerpts of government ministers reiterating the claim, in the video above.

In his Dáil speech on Budget Day, Paschal Donohoe described the health budget as “the highest ever level of health funding in the history of our country”. For the full article click here 

from health IT caucus http://ift.tt/2eJaC2r
via IFTTT

Meningococcal vaccination urged by SA Health after Adelaide toddler death

Parents should consider paying hundreds of dollars to vaccinate their children against the potentially deadly B-strain of meningococcal disease, South Australian health authorities have said.

The issue is in the spotlight again after this week’s death in an Adelaide hospital of 16-month-old toddler Charlie Mason.

Vaccinating against the C-strain of meningococcal has been part of the free National Immunisation Program since 2003, with successful results.

But Eliza Ault Connell, director of Meningococcal Australia and a survivor of the disease when she was a teenager, said the danger was from other strains.

“We see just a handful of meningococcal C cases now in Australia,” she said. For the full article click here 

from health IT caucus http://ift.tt/2fBXvVM
via IFTTT

How technology will shape healthcare in the future

Thirty six years from now medical clinicians may be a quaint memory, and people might turn to artificial intelligence to diagnose their health problems and prescribe remedies.

It might be possible to monitor a patient’s vital statistics remotely and detect poor health before it became a serious problem.

This vision of the future was laid out by Wellington area registrar Michael Chen-Xu, speaking at the Health Informatics New Zealand (HiNZ) discussion panel, one of the events held on the conference’s final day on Thursday.

Along with fellow panellists Mariam Parwaiz, Michael Quirke, Shreya Rao, and Ann-Marie Scroggins, Dr Chen-Xu discussed various possibilities that might await the New Zealand health sector in 2050.

All speakers agreed technology would play a major role in healthcare’s future.

IT essential for dialogue with the public

Dr Quirke believes information technology will be essential for health professionals to engage in a dialogue with the public about healthcare and deliver services. For the full article click here 

from health IT caucus http://ift.tt/2fiW1Mc
via IFTTT

Brad Pitt health issues revealed, actor spotted at infectious disease specialist

#Brad Pitt health questions are on the rise. The “Fight Club” star may be fighting some serious health issues these days according to recent reports. Pitt health concerns have become a big question for fans after a celebrity news site reported that Pitt was spotted sneaking into an infectious disease specialty center recently. Brad, (52), is said to have arrived before office hours for a very early morning appointment hoping to enter the building unnoticed.

Is Brad Pitt hiding a secret health issue?

Things did not go as Pitt had plannedbecause the source claims that staff members were running late and Brad was left waiting outside the building. The employee was hurrying to get to work and arrived at the gated parking lot a little later than usual. Using the key card to gain entrance the staff member was surprised when the gate opened and a man behind her rushed inside the gates, startling her enough to call for security. For the full article click here 

from health IT caucus http://ift.tt/2ehHbn1
via IFTTT

Tackle men’s health globally with Movember this year

Have you heard about #Movember? Don’t worry if not. It’s only been in recent years that it’s become a major thing. It’s something that everyone can get involved in, and is no longer only for men. However, the money raised from this charity event does only go to support men’s health. It’s the only charity of its kind, helping to only tackle men’s health globally all year round. You can find out more about Movember and what it means right here. Is this your year to get involved?

30 days and 30 days only to grow a moustache

The name “movember” comes from the amalgamation of “moustache” and “november.” Those taking part have 30 days and 30 days alone to grow their own moustache to show off to their friends. You’re supposed to start from the very beginning and build it from there, but there are now different ways that you can get involved.

This is no longer just for men, with many women getting involved in the fundraising part of the monthly event. There are now many women taking part, as men’s health problems affect everyone around the world. While the focus was originally on testicular and #Prostate Cancer, there is now a focus on depression and suicide in men. For the full article click here 

from health IT caucus http://ift.tt/2fHlVfS
via IFTTT

mHealth apps could reduce hospital costs, shows study

[London, UK] A new study shows there is a strong belief among mHealth app developers that platforms “will become an integrated part of the healthcare system” while reducing the costs for hospital readmission and length of stay.

Research2guidance published their 6th annual study on mHealth in October this year, analysing the current status and trends of the global market.

Since 2015, reportedly 100,000 mHealth apps have been added although the demand side has gradually decreased from 35% to only 7% this year.

The research2guidance study shows that the number of global mHealth app publishers has doubled over the past four years.

‘Health professionals think health apps would really benefit their patients’

Liz Ashall-Payne, Co-founder of the Organisation for the Review of Care and Health Applications (ORCHA)  talked exclusively to BJ-HC about the complex process of app reviewing. For the full article click here 

from health IT caucus http://ift.tt/2fdnJu9
via IFTTT

Technology could transform primary care by 2025, says Gartner

IT research firm, Gartner, presented research last week predicting that virtual personal health assistants, or VPHAs, could replace human interfaces in primary care – and that by 2025, 50% of the population would rely on them.

What’s more, said Gartner analysts when they presented the findings, at the Gartner Symposium/ ITxpo in Orlando Florida last week, they could actually be more effective, with patients finding them “more responsive and accurate than their human counterparts”.

Demand for doctors ‘outpacing supply’

“There is significant evidence that the majority of primary healthcare visits are of little value to the patient, and represent a massive drain on trained physician time,” said Laura Craft, research director at Gartner. “Physician demand is outpacing supply, begging the need for alternatives.”

“Technology has advanced to the point where computers have become superior to the human mind; they are more accurate and consistent, and they are better at processing all the determinants of health and well-being than even the best of doctors,” continued Craft. For the full article click here 

from health IT caucus http://ift.tt/2fdqRGA
via IFTTT

First NZ smokefree outdoor dining trial underway

It is part of the first formal trial of smokefree outdoor dining in New Zealand.

“We signed up because it really isn’t cool anymore to light up when you’re sitting in a busy garden,” said Under the Red Verandah cafe owner Amanda Heasley.

“We get really busy here and I’m a grandma, so I hate to see someone light up beside a baby or other children so we just thought it was time.”

For the next six months they’ve pledged to make their outdoor areas completely smoke free, which has approval from regulars.

“It does invade your space a wee bit when you’re sitting down with other people so I think it’s a great initiative,” Martin Anderson said. For the full article click here 

from health IT caucus http://ift.tt/2fzONXp
via IFTTT

ONC Revises Health IT Certification Program Requirements

The HHS Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) has adopted a final rule to enable the ONC to directly review certified health information technology (IT) to determine whether it conforms to the requirements of the ONC Health IT Certification Program (‘‘Program’’).

Such ONC review would be independent of, and may be in addition to, ONC-Authorized Certification Body (ONC–ACB) surveillance.  This direct review authority will apply (1) when ONC has reason to believe that the certified health IT is causing or contributing to serious risks to public health or safety, or (2) in cases where practical challenges prevent an ONC–ACB from effectively investigating the suspected non-conformity or providing an appropriate response (e.g., because of the need to access confidential information or if overlapping reviews by multiple ONC-ACBs would be required).

In addition, the rule sets forth ONC’s enforcement authorities when certified health IT does not conform to certification requirements, including correction of non-conformities, certification suspension or termination, and a ban on the future certification of any of a health IT developer’s health IT. For the full article click here 

from health IT caucus http://ift.tt/2fzODz2
via IFTTT