// By Andy Gradel // My father spent practically his entire career working for the same company. With the change of our workforce from a production-driven economy to a service and information-driven model, staying with the same company more than a decade has become more and more rare. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Read More
The results of an Economist Intelligence Unit survey, commissioned by Marketo, indicate that 99% of marketers plan to invest in marketing technologies in the next year. Here are other key findings: Impact on Revenue Of the B2C marketers surveyed, more than half (55%) feel that their marketing departments are regarded as little more than a Read More
eHealthcare Pulse The HIMSS15 Patient Engagement Symposium, one of 10 all-day pre-conference sessions, featured an impressive—and passionate—lineup of leaders representing government, providers, technology innovators, patients, and caregivers. #givememydamndata The central theme of the symposium, stressed throughout the day, was that patients need access to their clinical records to actively participate in their own care. But Read More
Patient engagement is the Holy Grail of healthcare. The theory is if patients take an active role in managing and maintaining their health, they will reap the benefits, staying healthier, spending less, and costing the system less. One way to get and keep patients engaged is through patient portals. But how do you get them Read More
eHealthcare Pulse In 2010, 100 primary care physicians affiliated with three health systems agreed to explore the impact of sharing clinical notes with patients in a project dubbed OpenNotes. The total panel for the initial trial was 20,000 patients from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Geisinger Health System in Pennsylvania, and Harborview Medical Read More
WEBSITES Help for People Affected by Accidental Bowel Leakage (ABL) is focus of a new site at www.ablinfo.org. Millions of men and women older than 40 are affected by ABL. Quiz to Gauge Understanding of Severe, Life-Threatening Allergic Reactions launched at www.Auvi-Q.com/WhatsYourAQ. The feature is sponsored by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America and Read More
RESOURCES Social Media Analytics Tools Adopted by 61 Percent of Marketers, finds a study conducted by Demand Metric and sponsored by NetBase. The major cited uses of analytics were for campaign tracking (60 percent), brand analysis (48 percent), competitive intelligence (40 percent), and customer care (36 percent). Other key findings in the study were: Social Read More
WEBSITES Resources for Caregivers of Loved Ones with Rare Diseases launched at www.rarecaregivers.org. Sponsored by the Caregiver Action Network, the site is not intended for patients. New Website About Lung Cancer Screening at www.checkmylungs.com. Sponsored by Scottsdale (AZ) Medical Imaging, the site features an assessment tool to help site visitors determine if a low-radiation CT Read More
WEBSITES Unilever’s Heart Age Tool is gaining increased attention, with studies finding that people are more likely to change behavior if they know that their heart age is greater than their chronological age. The tool may have more promise in changing behaviors as compared with the widely used Framingham Heart Study, an assessment that indicates Read More
WEBSITES Details of Healthcare Reform for Consumers is the focus of www.myHealthCareReformed.org, which is presented by CaroMont Health and The Gaston Gazette, both of Gastonia, NC. The home page features a large banner that rotates five messages of individuals and families who are now benefiting from insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act. The site Read More
WEBSITES Unique Features Added to Redesigned www.Pain.com. When a 3-D spinning model called PIP (Person in Pain) is clicked, red squares appear on different areas of the body. Visitors who hover over a square will find a callout that features a selection of articles on the pain problem. A click brings up the article of Read More
RESOURCES New Public HCAHPS Scorecard introduced by Professional Research Consultants. Although it utilizes the national HCAHPS database, this tool is more user-friendly than the federal government’s Hospital Compare site and allows for direct comparisons of multiple hospitals. It also includes Value-Based Purchasing (VBP) Incentive rates. The company’s clients can get an additional tool called VBP Read More
WEBSITES/MOBILE APPLICATIONS Free Messaging Platform Introduced to Improve Medication Adherence. Care4Today Mobile Health Manager 2.0, which also works on a website, sends out reminders on scheduled medications to be taken and prompts a response from users that is recorded in an adherence report. Caregivers can link family members to their account. Go to www.care4today.com. Hospital Read More
WEBSITES/MOBILE APPLICATIONS Concussion Recognition App Now Available for Free. The popular Concussion Recognition & Response app from PAR is available at the Apple App Store and at Google Play for Android devices. New Symptom Checker Identifies Conditions Caused by Drugs. The free personalized symptom checker from eHealthMe compares symptoms with more than 40 million drug Read More
WEBSITES/MOBILE APPLICATIONS Information on New State Health Insurance Exchanges for consumers is the subject of a new site at www.HealthCare.gov. The site has a Spanish language version. New Healthcare Blog presented by Forbes.com and written by the chair of the Council of Accountable Physician Practices and CEO of the Permanente Medical Group, Robert Pearl, MD. Read More
WEBSITES/MOBILE APPLICATIONS Capital BlueCross Challenges Students to Develop Innovative Web-Based Tools or Mobile Apps to Improve Healthcare. Available to students age 18 and older, the challenge supports innovative ideas in one of three categories: financial, telemedical, and experiential. Top prize is $15,000. Work must be original and submitted by November 22. Details at www.blueinnovates.com. RESOURCES Read More
RESOURCES Unique Online Patient-Physician Consultation launched in March at www.MeVisit.com. To preserve the patient-physician relationship, the patient’s health history is collected using an intuitive questionnaire, which is then transmitted to the patient’s personal physician. Software allows the physician to interpret the patient’s symptoms and return a customized care plan, including a prescription order sent to Read More
WEBSITES/MOBILE APPLICATIONS New Kaiser Family Foundation Site Launched at www.kff.org. Five websites and gateways have been consolidated into one site centered on 10 health policy issues. All content on a topic – whether a fact sheet, poll, data table, video, or news report – is integrated for one-stop viewing. Assistance for Young People Whose Lives Read More
WEBSITES/MOBILE APPLICATIONS Help in Reducing Stress is the focus of a new mobile app available at www.t2health.org/apps/provider-resilience. Although developed for military healthcare providers to cope with burnout and compassion fatigue, the app is relevant for any medical provider working in a high-stress environment. The app seeks to help professionals reduce stress through restful breaks, educational Read More
WEBSITES/MOBILE APPLICATIONS Public Input on Health IT Strategic Planning is purpose of new site at www.PlanningRoom.org. The new platform is a collaboration between Cornell University’s eRulemaking Initiative and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. The initial focus, through May 9, will be on consumer e-health strategy. Helping Evaluate a Sports Concussion Read More
WEBSITES/MOBILE APPLICATIONS New Features Added to T2 Mood Tracker App. The app was developed for the U.S. Department of Defense, and one notable new feature is the ability of users to send information to their home computers for long-term tracking. More than 100,000 people have downloaded the app, which tracks how changes in home, work, Read More
WEBSITES/MOBILE APPLICATIONS Initiative to Help Eliminate Needle Phobia launched by Healthline Networks at www.BigShotsGetShots.com. It’s estimated that 50 million Americans are afraid of shots, a fear that usually starts at age 4 or 5 with a traumatic immunization experience. Since distraction appears to help ease a shot’s pain, the campaign to end needle phobia includes Read More
WEBSITES New Tool to Track Patient Assistance Programs for Pharmaceuticals introduced at www.NeedyMeds.com. The Patient Assistance Program Update Service provides consumers and their advocates with daily and weekly emails updates of all pharmaceutical assistance programs.