COVID-19 brought about the explosion of telemedicine for obvious reasons — quick and convenient access between patient and provider, maintaining patient load to prevent appointment cancellations, and — most important — safety for both patients and providers. “Why would I want to go to a doctor’s office now if I don’t have to?” is today’s Read More
// By Ndome Yvonne Essoka // In 2019, Optum’s medical algorithms were flagged for underestimating the needs of the sickest Black patients in its system. Hospitals and insurers all over the country use these algorithms daily to make healthcare decisions for hundreds of millions of Americans in the U.S. each year. The error highlighted flaws Read More
// By Kyle Hardner // When Adventist HealthCare, a three-hospital system based in Gaithersburg, Maryland deployed a chatbot on its website in late 2018, it did so to connect with two distinct audiences. First, it asked the chatbot to give moms-to-be answers to their pregnancy and childbirth-related questions. Next, Adventist used the chatbot to provide Read More
If you’ve ever used Microsoft Office, you’re familiar with the ribbon — the horizontal toolbar at the top of the document loaded with icons that make it easy for users to change things like fonts, formatting, colors, layouts, and alignment with a single click. Now take that same concept and drop it into the electronic Read More
Ask the Expert, with Bryce Cannon, President of Modea // By Jane Weber Brubaker // The pandemic has taken a toll on every aspect of our lives for the past several months. As health systems have scrambled to meet the needs of their communities, technology projects that may have been nice to have down the Read More
Virtual care is here to stay. // By Marcia Simon, APR // COVID-19 brought about the explosion of telemedicine for obvious reasons — quick and convenient access between patient and provider, maintaining patient load to prevent appointment cancellations, and — most important — safety for both patients and providers. “Why would I want to go Read More
// By Jane Weber Brubaker // If you’ve ever used Microsoft Office, you’re familiar with the ribbon — the horizontal toolbar at the top of the document loaded with icons that make it easy for users to change things like fonts, formatting, colors, layouts, and alignment with a single click. Now take that same concept Read More
Hitting the pause button on elective procedures has resulted in deep financial losses across all U.S. health systems, and they now face immense pressure to recover financially, as quickly as possible. In Ohio, nonessential elective procedures stopped on March 18 and didn’t reopen until May 1. Even now, only elective procedures that do not require Read More
// By Jane Weber Brubaker // Looking back at the winners from the 2019 eHealthcare Leadership Awards, we can see how leading organizations moved the industry forward in ways that they couldn’t have anticipated would be so necessary as the COVID-19 pandemic surged. Could they have known, for example, that virtual visits would become an Read More
The COVID-19 pandemic brought health system leaders a myriad of brand-new questions, and precious little time to find solutions. How can we effectively triage COVID-19 patients? How can we predict COVID-19’s impact on our health system going forward? How can we estimate our capacity for elective surgeries and other vital services when the time comes? Read More
// By Jane Weber Brubaker // Hitting the pause button on elective procedures has resulted in deep financial losses across all U.S. health systems, and they now face immense pressure to recover financially, as quickly as possible. In Ohio, nonessential elective procedures stopped on March 18 and didn’t reopen until May 1. Even now, only Read More
// By Sachin Kalra // Our reality has been split in two by the coronavirus pandemic. There is the reality of what was important pre-coronavirus and what is important now. It has forced a rapid rethink of priorities, as medical institutions try to save as many lives as they can while dealing with pressures that Read More
If there’s a silver lining to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, it is that there appears to be renewed respect between communities and the hospitals that serve them. “A lot of healthcare providers have suffered from the loss of their leading roles in their communities,” says Jean Hitchcock, president of Hitchcock Marketing and Communications in Woodstock, Read More
As healthcare consumers nationwide are still being urged to stay home when possible, the surge in demand for virtual visits has provider organizations nationwide scrambling to scale up telehealth capabilities if they have them — or stand them up if not. What does it take to completely change the way you deliver care, practically overnight? Read More
Not long after the first confirmed case of COVID-19 hit the United States, hospitals began to cancel on-site programs and events, particularly those for at-risk populations. Expectant mothers are among the group of people considered to be vulnerable to the coronavirus because their immune system is compromised while they’re pregnant. According to the CDC: “Pregnant Read More
// By Kyle Hardner // The COVID-19 pandemic brought health system leaders a myriad of brand-new questions, and precious little time to find solutions. How can we effectively triage COVID-19 patients? How can we predict COVID-19’s impact on our health system going forward? How can we estimate our capacity for elective surgeries and other vital Read More
// By Jane Weber Brubaker // As healthcare consumers nationwide are still being urged to stay home, the surge in demand for virtual visits has provider organizations nationwide scrambling to scale up telehealth capabilities if they have them — or stand them up if not. Ochsner Health in Louisiana reported an increase of nearly 1,000 Read More
// By Jim Samuel // If there’s a silver lining to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, it is that there appears to be renewed respect between communities and the hospitals that serve them. That’s one of the conclusions expressed during a recent panel discussion hosted online by Scorpion Healthcare and moderated by Brian Q. Davis, executive Read More
“We are living in a world already changed,” says Dave Wieneke, healthcare innovation director at PK. “Unlike even 60 days ago, we face a new imperative to embrace social distancing to save lives and preserve clinical capacity. If history has taught us anything, it’s that times of crisis drive innovation.” Here’s an excerpt from Wieneke’s Read More
As COVID-19 creates chaos throughout the U.S. healthcare system, caring for people with other illnesses and routine provider appointments presents a challenge. Scheduled appointments or wellness visits are being canceled because of social distancing mandates or state lockdowns, and providers aren’t sure how or when to accept new patients. Patients with chronic illnesses who can’t Read More
// By Althea Fung // Not long after the first confirmed case of COVID-19 hit the United States, hospitals began to cancel on-site programs and events, particularly those for at-risk populations. Expectant mothers are among the group of people considered to be vulnerable to the coronavirus because their immune system is compromised while they’re pregnant. Read More
// By Wendy Stark Healy // As COVID-19 creates chaos throughout the U.S. healthcare system, caring for people with other illnesses and routine provider appointments presents a challenge. Scheduled appointments or wellness visits are being canceled because of social distancing mandates or state lockdowns, and providers aren’t sure how or when to accept new patients. Read More
// By Jane Weber Brubaker // A focus on fostering a culture of connectedness before the coronavirus pandemic is helping SSM Health Medical Group navigate through these challenging times. On March 4, we spoke with Kevin Lewis, MD, president and CEO of SSM Health Medical Group in Oklahoma, a multi-specialty medical practice that is part Read More
// By Dave Wieneke // We are living in a world already changed. Unlike even 60 days ago, we face a new imperative to embrace social distancing to save lives and preserve clinical capacity. If history has taught us anything, it’s that times of crisis drive innovation. Crisis helps overcome the inertia of the status Read More
In an address to the Alliance for Connected Care Telehealth Policy Forum in 2018, CMS administrator Seema Verma said, “Telehealth is changing the very face of healthcare.” She’s right. Studies have found that telehealth programs have reduced 30-day hospital readmission rates for heart failure patients, sped up the time to treatment for patients experiencing a Read More