News 9/24/15

Top News

Healthcare can’t seem to catch a break when it comes to cyber security concerns: A Raytheon|Websense study finds that healthcare sees 340 percent more security incidents than the average industry and is that much more likely to be impacted by data theft. (Health data is now 10 times more valuable on the black market.) Researchers have also found that one in every 600 attacks in healthcare involve advanced malware, and that the industry is 74 percent more likely than others to be impacted by phishing schemes. There doesn’t seem to be much of a silver lining here, other than to point out that any organization that hasn’t yet been breached has ample opportunity to learn from the mistakes of others. (I can’t decide if if the image of clipboard and paper above is intentionally ironic or actually quite fitting given the report’s dismal statistics around digital health data.)

Webinars

October 7 (Wednesday) 1:00 ET. “Develop Your Analysts and They’ll Pay for Themselves.” Sponsored by Health Catalyst. Presenters: Peter Monaco, senior business intelligence developer, Health Catalyst; Russ Stahli, VP, Health Catalyst. It takes years for analysts to develop the skills they need to build reports and dashboards that turn data into valuable insights. This webinar will describe how to cultivate those analytical skills, including technical prowess and adaptive leadership. Leaders will learn how to develop a culture that fosters improvement, how to encourage analysts to develop the right skills, and ways to remove the barriers that stand in their way.

#HIStalking Tweet Chat

Check out the recap of today’s #HIStalking tweet chat, hosted by @iatricFJF.

Announcements and Implementations

AristaMD will integrate the University of California, San Francisco’s Electronic Physician Referral and Consultation Platform into its software and service referral support program as part of a five-year licensing agreement.

RxNT partners with FlavorX to enable pediatricians to choose a patient’s medication flavor via its e-prescribing or EHR tools.

Entrada updates its mobile documentation and communication platform to include a real-time view of clinical schedules, care coordination and secure messaging tools, and quick reference to clinical data synced from the EHR.

Mountain Medical Physician Specialists, a radiology practice with 70 physicians serving patients in Utah and Idaho, moves from an in-house billing system to RCM services from Medical Billing Experts.

Government and Politics

FDA’s Associate Director for Digital Health Bakul Patel tweets out the agency’s need for three digital health scientists. Job duties include: review digital health policies and programs to determine their impact on current operations or regulations; researching emerging digital health technologies; identifying opportunities for innovation and collaboration; and improving processes and policies to remove barriers to the development and incorporation of digital health technologies.

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker names Fay Donohue (DSM/Dentaquest), Bill Geary (Flare Capital Partners), and Colin Hill (GNS Healthcare) to the Health Information and Analysis Oversight Council, which is developing the research agenda and analytic priorities of the state’s Center for Health Information and Analysis. The council, which met for the first time yesterday, also includes Marylou Sudders, state secretary of HHS, and Kristen Lepore, state secretary of administration and finance.

Telemedicine

Hello Health announces the successful physician practice implementation of and reimbursement for its Wellbox telemedicine chronic care management system.

TelehealthOne opens a walk-in clinic at Fred’s Pharmacy in Flora, Mississippi. It’s the first walk-in clinic in the town of just under 2,000 people.

Northern Oswego County Health Services Inc. (NY) receives $1 million in funding from HHS as part of the ACA Health Infrastructure Investment Program. NOCHSI, which serves 30,000 patients across, will use part of the financing to provide telemedicine services to its primary care practice locations.

Research and Innovation

A survey of 400 physicians reveals that quality patient interaction is key to experiencing joy while practicing medicine, and yet 80 percent of physicians feel those experiences are highly difficult to attain. Between 80 and 90 percent feel it’s becoming harder to authentically engage patients; focus on their needs, treatments, and methods; and develop intimate professional relationships with them. The results aren’t surprising, given the proliferation of screens between physician and patient, and the decreasing amount of time available to physicians – particularly PCPs – to spend with them during office visits.

Other

A ComScore report shows that Americans spent up to 70 hours using smartphone apps in June; those in the 18-24 bracket spent almost 90 – compelling statistics for companies looking to get into the mobile healthcare app business. Seventy hours would seem like plenty of time to explore dozens of apps, and yet just three took up the biggest chunk of time for users – Facebook, YouTube, and Facebook Messenger. Fitbit, as well as Under Armor’s Myfitnesspal and Mapmyfitness, were singled out as the fastest-growing health and wellness apps.

Contacts

Jennifer,  Mr. H, Lorre, Dr. Jayne, Dr. Gregg, Lt. Dan

More news: HIStalk, HIStalk Connect.

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#HIStalking Tweet Chat Recap

Readers Write: Everybody’s Talkin’ Telemedicine

Everybody’s Talkin’ Telemedicine
By Janet Munro, CEO, Mehealth

From the corridors of power, where talk is of the Telehealth Parity Act, to the drugstore on the corner, with CVS Health reporting patient satisfaction rates topping 90 percent in its huge telemedicine pilot, everybody’s talking about telemedicine.

But does it work? Yes. Over 40 years of publications demonstrate that telemedicine saves money for patients, providers and payers; improves care; and yields high levels of patient satisfaction.

Here’s an example. There is a problem in pediatric ADHD care. The percentage of US children diagnosed with ADHD is climbing alarmingly; 11 percent of US children have diagnosed with ADHD. Specialists are warning that although environmental factors and social pressures may partly account for the rise in cases, poor diagnostic practices are also (probably substantially) to blame. The recommendations for the evaluation and diagnosis of ADHD are clear, but they are not systematically being followed. Misdiagnosis is a big problem. Of the 6.4 million kids diagnosed with ADHD, 4.2 million have been prescribed psychostimulants.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends the use of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The relevant symptom groups should begin before 12 years of age, be present in at least two settings (for example home and school), and cause meaningful impairment. The symptoms and impairment should not be better explained by some other diagnosis, psychiatric or otherwise.

Digital health technologies are great for automatically coordinating this type of complex clinical task:

• Communication.
• Remote monitoring.
• Data analysis and application of algorithms.
• Mapping individual results against guidelines.
• Providing alerts.

Does this example resonate with you? Are you ready to begin utilizing telemedicine? Let’s take a look at best telemedicine practices that will start physicians off on the right foot:

• Use telemedicine to solve a problem. it’s best to start by using technology to tackle a clinical or admin problem that really bugs you. So, list your everyday challenges, determine what telemedicine tools could help you solve them (talk to colleagues, associations, professional organizations, etc.), then pick just one problem and implement a solution to help you tackle it. Don’t try to boil the ocean!
• Check out the laws in your state. We’re moving towards central regulation of telemedicine, but we’re not there yet.
• Check your equipment. For a remote consultation, you need a reliable Internet connection. For IT solutions such as on-line clinical decision support tools, make sure your Internet browser is compatible with the software.
• Don’t share your passwords and user credentials. It’s bad practice and will likely violate the terms and conditions of your service providers. If someone else in your practice needs access, then they need their own log-in.
• Privacy and confidentiality are critical. For a remote consultation, make sure you have a private and professional location, just as you would do in your clinic.
• Select the right patients for telemedicine interventions. It’s great for some patients, but not right for others.
• Obtain the patient’s consent. Whether it’s for use of a remote monitoring tool, a clinical decision support tool in the clinic, or a remote consultation. Explain what the technology is, why you are using it, and if there are any risks. Make sure patients understand what’s required of them, too.
• Think “patient-centered care” – not technology centered care!

Ready to begin? Check out the American Telemedicine Association or your own specialty organization and get connected.

Janet Munro is CEO of Mehealth in Marlborough, MA.

Contacts

Jennifer,  Mr. H, Lorre, Dr. Jayne, Dr. Gregg, Lt. Dan

More news: HIStalk, HIStalk Connect.

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News 9/23/15

Top News

GE Healthcare creates Sustainable Healthcare Solutions, a new division that will serve emerging markets in Africa, India, and South and Southeast Asia. SHS will invest $300 million in a multi-phase effort to develop low-cost, high-value technologies and delivery solutions, working with local partners such as governments, business, NGOs, and physicians to roll them out. “SHS will leverage GE’s Fastworks methodology to accelerate, test, and rapidly commercialize relevant, affordable technologies,” explains Terri Bresenham, president and CEO of the new division. “By taking this ‘start-up’ model approach, we can rapidly test new ideas, products, and services to maximize effectiveness for customers before we scale up.”

HIStalk Practice Announcements and Requests

While we’re on the subject of emerging markets … I had the opportunity to hear a presentation on health data disparity from Vecna Technologies co-founder and CEO Deborah Theobald yesterday, during which she presented the CliniPak, a “lightweight” EHR that requires minimal training and can be hooked up to a variety of power sources (including a car battery!) One hundred of the devices are in the field – free clinics, hospitals, medical missions – in the very markets GE Healthcare’s new division will target, which makes me wonder if there’s some potential synergy between the two companies. 

Working remotely sometimes has its drawbacks, as I discovered when connected to guest WiFi at a venue I rarely frequent. The content filtering service listed HIStalk Practice as “not rated,” so I submitted a request to have it classified appropriately, which will hopefully enable access the next time I visit. HIStalk and HIStalk Connect were a-ok, making me wonder if other services consider HP to be the black sheep of the HIStalk family.

A friend and I were discussing favorite industry podcasts earlier today, which made me realize I only know of a handful devoted to healthcare IT. Are there others I should be tuning in to? Any I shouldn’t waste my time with? Let me know via the comments below.

Webinars

October 7 (Wednesday) 1:00 ET. “Develop Your Analysts and They’ll Pay for Themselves.” Sponsored by Health Catalyst. Presenters: Peter Monaco, senior business intelligence developer, Health Catalyst; Russ Stahli, VP, Health Catalyst. It takes years for analysts to develop the skills they need to build reports and dashboards that turn data into valuable insights. This webinar will describe how to cultivate those analytical skills, including technical prowess and adaptive leadership. Leaders will learn how to develop a culture that fosters improvement, how to encourage analysts to develop the right skills, and ways to remove the barriers that stand in their way.

Here’s the video of Tuesday’s webinar from The Breakaway Group titled “Just Step on the Scale: Measure Ongoing EHR Success and Focus Improvements using Simple but Predictive Adoption Metrics.”

#HIStalking Tweet Chat – Portals, Mobile Devices, and Patient Engagement

Frank Fortner (@iatricFJF) will host the next #HIStalking tweet chat on Thursday, September 24 at 1pm ET. Check out discussion topics here.

Telemedicine

Community health center network Horizon Health Care (SD) plans to expand its telemedicine services thanks to a $292,000 Expanded Services Grant from HHS. Horizon was also named as one of the 160 recipients of the HHS $1 million Health Infrastructure Investment Program Grant, which it will use to renovate and expand its facility in Aberdeen.

Announcements and Implementations

FQHC Central Virginia Health Services implements the EClinicalWorks EHR for 70 physicians across 15 locations. CVHS joins the 54 percent of FQHCs across the US using the eCW tool.

Renaissance Health Network, a Pennsylvania-based IPA with over 70 locations, selects digital chronic care management tools from MD Revolution and WellTrackOne to better manage chronic and preventative care.

Boston-based Whoop launches a wearable wristband that goes beyond the more traditional metrics of a Fitbit or Jawbone. Geared towards elite athletes, the wristband measures skin conductivity and heart-rate variability, as well as how the athlete’s body recovers. The device, including analytics, doesn’t come cheap, clocking in at between $500 and $5,000 a year for individuals and upwards of $100,000 a year for teams. Whoop investors include Mike Mancias, a medical analytics advocate and the long-time personal trainer of LeBron James.

MDTool Box adds a certified real-time EPA module to the MDToolbox-Rx e-prescribing product.

AHIMA launches Code-Check, a coding question and resource service for members and non-members that will be available via ongoing subscription or one-time use starting October 12.

People

The New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute promotes Linda Schwimmer to president.

Government and Politics

Massachusetts Medical Society President Dennis Dimitri, MD testifies before the state’s Joint Committee on Health Care Financing in strong support of providing additional time for physicians to comply with a mandate requiring them to establish an interoperable EHR by 2017. “While physicians are much further along on interoperable records than many other professions, 2017 is not achievable for all of us and much less so for other providers,” Dimitri said during his testimony. “This date was arbitrary and aspirational when established and needs to be recalculated to a more reasonable goal, such as 2022.”

Research and Innovation

Austin Regional Clinic (TX) tests out Humm patient feedback technology as part of a three-month pilot program at three of its clinics. The Central Texas locations are trying out different feedback devices to determine which is the best fit for their patient populations – a standing kiosk in public areas, a tablet handed to patients at checkout, and a table-top tablet in each exam room. The pilot runs through the end of this month. ARC has already collected real-time feedback from 4,000 visits.

The local paper profiles Harrington Family Health Center (ME) and its use of tablets and medical-related apps, including a symptom checker, pill identifier, dosage calculator, and medical encyclopedias. The tablets, provided by nonprofit Health eVillages (founded by Physicians Interactive CEO Donato Tramuto), have proved helpful in caring for the rural area’s patients suffering from multiple chronic conditions. HFHC staff provide feedback to Health eVillages as to how they’re using the devices and what’s of most value. They eventually hope to tie the project to population health metrics.

Other

The local business paper dives into the year-long ICD-10 prep undertaken by Southeast Orthopedic Specialists (FL). The process, which CFO Scott Quinn says costs in the six figures, involved overhauling software, employee training, and making sure outside vendors were aware of the changes. “What really helps is communicating with every party involved in the revenue cycle,” Quinn says. “Making sure the front desk, billing, and third-party partners are all up to speed.”

The Annals of Improbable Research (distant cousin to the Nobel Prizes) award their annual Ig Nobel prizes for a variety of “comical scientific achievements.” Lauded research included the revelation that nearly all mammals take about 21 seconds to urinate, the ability to partially un-boil an egg with chemicals, and the mathematical determination of how a 17th century North African emperor fathered nearly 900 kids in just 30 years. The Ig Nobel medicine prize went to researchers who conducted “experiments” to study the biological effects of intense kissing, which include decreasing skin allergies.

Sponsor Updates

• Aprima Medical Software will exhibit at the Colorado MGMA Fall Conference September 24-25 in Breckinridge.
• Clockwise.MD CEO Mike Burke will speak at the Urgent Care Fall Conference September 24-26 in New Orleans.
• Nordic adds its 500th Epic consultant.

Blog Posts

• Strategies to enhance your scheduling process, steps 1 & 2 of 5 (AdvancedMD)
• Healthcare Social Media: Hospitals Jump on Digital Bandwagon (Billian’s HealthDATA)

Contacts

Jennifer,  Mr. H, Lorre, Dr. Jayne, Dr. Gregg, Lt. Dan

More news: HIStalk, HIStalk Connect.

Get HIStalk Practice  updates.
Contact us online.
Become a sponsor.

News 9/22/15

Top News

The White Houses releases findings from a Broadband Opportunity Council review of government programs that provide assistance for broadband, highlighting the need for increased support and infrastructure development. The report, which seems to have gone through a month-long review process given the August 20 publication date, includes the news that HHS will award $25 million in grants by the end of next year to assist health centers in implementing EHRs and other healthcare IT to improve care and patient access to data. A series of national HHS connectivity workshops will also be held to help consumers and healthcare organizations work with government agencies to expand and/or upgrade broadband connectivity. It will be interesting to see how, in a year’s time, grant awardees incorporate telemedicine initiatives into their broadband expansion plans.

HIStalk Practice Announcements and Requests

Most of my day has been spent en route, which makes this section more about musings than announcements or requests. I don’t fly often, but when I do I thoroughly enjoy the solitude and accompanying lack of interruptions. I’ve put in some of my most productive hours at 30,000 feet. What did we do before in-flight WiFi? Note to ladies: Wearing sequined shirts will get you a not-quite full-body pat down at the security checkpoint. The TSA employee who did the honors made it slightly less awkward by complimenting my sparkle. Note to men: Please don’t file your nails in public. If you’ve got enough time to whip out a nail file, chances are you’ve got enough time to walk to the nearest restroom to give yourself a manicure.

#HIStalking Tweet Chat – Portals, Mobile Devices, and Patient Engagement

Frank Fortner (@iatricFJF) will host the next #HIStalking tweet chat on Thursday, September 24 at 1pm ET. Check out discussion topics here.

Acquisitions, Funding, Business, and Stock

Cohero Health launches its mobile health platform for asthma at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco. The FDA-approved platform includes a medication inhaler sensor with accompanying smartphone app that tracks adherence, and a mobile spirometer to monitor lung function. The New York City-based startup plans to market its technology to payers, pharmaceutical companies, and clinics that still use “chunky equipment” to monitor lung function.

People

Joe Purnell (Healthcare Advisors) joins Wrightsville Beach, NC-based DocsInk as chief growth officer.

Announcements and Implementations

BestPT Billing offers the GEMs Plus Solution to assist physical therapy practices with the transition to ICD-10.

DigiChart adds practice analytics and medical billing services to its EHR for OB/GYN practices. 

Government and Politics

The FDA announces the establishment of a patient engagement advisory committee, which will advise FDA Acting Commissioner Stephen Ostroff, MD on issues relating to medical devices, as well as their regulation and use by patients. The administration is also seeking public input on issues the new committee should address.

The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (quite a mouthful) reports that most US patients will receive at least one misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis during their lifetimes – a dismal statistic that begs the question, how has healthcare IT improved or exacerbated these diagnostic errors? It all comes back to interoperability, in my opinion. The IOM notes that, “Improving diagnosis is a complex challenge, partly because making a diagnosis is a collaborative and inherently inexact process that may unfold over time and across different healthcare settings.” Among its laundry list of recommendations is the charge for healthcare organizations to provide patients with opportunities to learn about diagnosis; improved access to EHRs, including clinical notes and test results; and settings in which patients and caregivers are made to feel comfortable sharing diagnosis feedback and concerns.

Telemedicine

The Wounded Warrior Project awards Brain Injury Services of Southwest Virginia a $125,000 grant to expand its Community Living Connection for Veterans telemedicine program for veterans with traumatic brain injuries. BISSWVA provides its services to veterans at no cost.

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s counseling center teams with the VA to roll out a mental health telemedicine program for student veterans. “One thing that shows strength,” explains UTRGV Counseling Center Director Christopher Albert, “is being able to admit ‘Hey, I’m having difficulty with it,’ and reaching out for help, learning new skills to be able to be more resilient, whether it’s on the battle field or here on campus.”

Research and Innovation

A survey of over 1,000 medical students reveals that the issue of interoperability is alive and well in the hallowed halls of academia. Students believe fragmented care is the number one safety risk for patients, while nearly 100 percent feel easily sharing patient health data between care teams is critical to care improvement. Less than half, however, are worried about the ability to do so within a practice or hospital. Close to 75 percent are concerned about the ability of unaffiliated practices to share patient records. Surprisingly, students don’t have much love for initial patient encounters via telemedicine – perhaps that’s a reflection of their desire to show off the bedside manner they’ve trained so hard to acquire.

Other

AHIMA CEO Lynne Thomas Gordon chimes in on the recent New York Times doom-and-gloom coverage of the ICD-10 transition, noting that some organizations (and physicians) are indeed afraid of change. “But with change comes opportunity,” she adds. “The greater detail in ICD-10 codes will tell a more accurate and complete patient story and reverse the trend of deteriorating health data. The richer data will increase the ability to measure quality, safety, and efficacy of care; reduce fraud and waste; and ensure that healthcare dollars are used most efficiently. This is a point that everyone can agree on.” Gordon will likely get an earful of ICD-10 transition tales during AHIMA’s annual convention September 26-29 in New Orleans.

A little ICD-10 humor from the above-mentioned BestPT

Contacts

Jennifer,  Mr. H, Lorre, Dr. Jayne, Dr. Gregg, Lt. Dan

More news: HIStalk, HIStalk Connect.

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Contact us online.
Become a sponsor.