We are quickly moving to a patient-centric world in healthcare where treatment is coming to the patient, the patient is treated more like a customer, and medical facilities of all types must use technology from the business sector. Business sector software designed to improve the customer experience can now be used to improve the patient experience. No technology is driving this shift faster than artificial intelligence (AI). AI is propelling us into an increasingly digital medical experience where patients expect personalized experiences that take into account their individual needs and values, and empower them to get information fast and accurately.
Prescription drugs are ground zero for AI innovation
Although AI has been touted for everything from diagnosis to automating medical imaging to drug discovery, we believe that ground zero for AI innovation in patient-centric healthcare is prescription medicine. Prescribers and patients are suffering in countless ways from the complexity and associated errors in prescriptions.
A single drug has hundreds of factors that must be considered by a doctor or a pharmacist when prescribing or dispensing a drug to a patient. We examined 50 of the most popular drugs and found that the average number of considerations for a single drug is enormous:
Mental health affects everyone at some point in our lives. A commonly quoted statistic in the UK is that one in four people suffer the impact of mental ill health. In the U.S., 80 percent of workers experience stress at some point every day, and anxiety and depression cost the world $1 trillion in lost productivity annually.
Once taboo, mental health is talked about more frequently and openly than ever before. From Hollywood celebrities to the British royal family, the impact and treatment for the global mental health crisis we are currently living through is rarely out of the news.
Young men, in particular, are being encouraged to talk more openly. Poor mental health, when it goes unchecked, can have a serious impact on overall well-being, physical health, relationships, work, productivity, absenteeism, money, and it can result in suicide. In the UK, suicide is the biggest killer of men under 45.
As a result, governments and healthcare providers need to find new ways to deliver mental health services. Digital healthcare solutions, including smartphone apps, are some of the most common ways to support those who need and want to access more help and support.
During her trip to HIMSS19, Center for Medicare & Medicaid Service administrator Seema Verma spoke with registered members of the media to preview her keynote speech and answer questions about her department’s newly released proposed interoperability rule. The rule dictates that data generated by patients while in the scare setting is theirs to own, transfer and share with caregivers. It also would require healthcare providers and plans to implement open data sharing technologies to support transitions of care as patients move between these plan types.
In a statement released prior to her meeting with the media, Verma said that ensuring patients have easy access to their information, and allowing that information to follow them on their healthcare journey “can reduce burden, and eliminate redundant procedures and testing, thus giving clinicians the time to focus on improving care coordination and, ultimately, health outcomes.”
During her meeting with the media at HIMSS, Verma started by discussing CMS’ “why” — why CMS is moving toward enhanced patient empowerment – as well as her and the administration’s focus on the improving the sustainability of the healthcare community.
Patient empowerment remains front and center for the agency, she said. For example, from the patient perspective, everyone has their own experience of going to the healthcare system and not being an empowered patient, she said, and not having access to data decreases patient engagement. CMS is working to change that, now.
When people understand their health and participate in their health, this has the ability to improve care outcomes, she added, and through complete access to their healthcare records, patient care can be more complete. Ultimately, she said, with every detail of a person’s health information in one place — and accessible to the patient — will kick start the digital health data revolution.
By Jennifer Lockman, freelance journalist and blogger.
If you know a student who will soon be graduating with a degree in any kind of medical discipline, this article is for you. Young people thrive in environments where they feel supported and valued. The help you give can make the difference between making the right career choices and not. It’s a big responsibility and one that can help shape someone’s future career.
What kinds of help does a college grad or soon-to-be graduate need when transitioning into the job market? We have a few examples that you may or may not have already considered that we believe are among the most important at this pivotal time.
Deciding on a career path
Not all medical degree programs require transitioning into post-graduate work. Many colleges offer degrees and certificates in everything from laboratory technology to radiology to medical billing. The student’s career path will depend on the type of training he or she received in college and the types of jobs that one can realistically pursue based on his or her significant and existing practice.
Some medical careers require or encourage internship programs, and some of those programs are unpaid. You might be able to best help students in those situations by providing a place to stay, a hot meal, or a place to stay. Things as basic as that could actually make it possible to take an unpaid internship in the first place. Guidance and support are essential if your goal is to help a young person be successful.
Primary care physicians are at the frontlines of our nation’s health. The average family doctor cares for 2,300 patients with visits varying from acute conditions to chronic diseases. Treating patients with the highest quality of care is a fundamental goal of every physician. However, with a very high volume of patients, limited in-office time and space, and restricted patient availability, doctors actively seek innovative alternatives to meet patient needs. More and more physicians see telemedicine as the solution and are now offering consultations through virtual devices, such as smartphones, tablets and laptops, to their patients.
Our primary care practice, the Kaufmann Clinic that has been around in Atlanta since 1954 and has multiple locations and multiple providers, recognized the need to incorporate telemedicine into our traditional, brick-and-mortar practice. Here are the ways telemedicine has benefited our practice:
Telemedicine optimizes our practice’s capabilities. A physician can only examine a limited number of patients in office due to administrative time, severity of cases, and number of exam rooms. By using telemedicine our practitioners can now increase the number of patients they see in a given day. Seeing less acute patients virtually enables us to be more efficient and effective overall. Not only remote visits, but also in-clinic visits are optimized.
Care transitions, such as pre- and post-admissions and pre- and post-surgery, are pivotal points for ensuring adherence to the care plan and improved outcomes. However, organizations have historically struggled to keep patient engaged and compliant with the care plan during these transitions – leading to costly re-admissions and poor satisfaction. Virtual care can be applied in these settings to provide an efficient and convenient way to keep the lines of communication open during these pivotal transitions, leading to increased adherence and better outcomes.
Importance of transitional care
A carefully considered transition of care strategy is critical to enabling the safe and timely movement of patients throughout the care continuum. Each transition stage should include the communication of a comprehensive care plan that ensures continuity and coordination of care across points and providers of care. Points of care include hospitals, rehab centers, skilled nursing facilities, long-term care facilities, and even the patient’s own home. Providers of care include clinicians, specialists, nurses, home health workers, in addition to pharmacists, nutritionists, interpreters and transportation assistants.
According to the Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare, sub-standard transitions may result in delay of treatment, inappropriate treatment, adverse events, omission of care, increased hospital length of stay, avoidable readmissions, increased costs, inefficiency from rework and other minor or major patient harm. According to JAMA, failures of care coordination can increase costs by $25 billion to $45 billion annually.
When you are reaching senior age, there are various challenges that you may need to face. As you get older, you will be at more risk of developing an illness. With that in mind, there are plenty of tech health devices that can keep you active, fit and out of danger. Here are a few devices that you should consider and learn how they may benefit you.
Apple Watch
One of the most popular tech health devices on the market is the Apple Watch. While not specifically created for seniors, the apple watch can still provide you with a range of health benefits. With the device being able to monitor and track heart rate, blood pressure, activity and sleep, it can nudge you in the right direction, encourage you to develop healthier habits, while tracking basic health information that helps you understand sooner if you are facing health issues.
Medical alert system
Your safety in the home should be your number one priority when reaching senior age. There are various medical alert systems that you can have installed in your property, immediately alerting your neighbors and family members should you have a fall, heart attack or stroke. You can compare medical alert systems to find one that is right for you and your needs. However, be sure to do your research as you cannot put a price on your safety.
Mobile apps for doctors help organize their workflow, learn more about medicine, and interact with patients. For example, one of the most popular types of apps for physicians is doctor on demand app. It helps patients find doctors and consult with them online anytime and anywhere. But the field of healthcare application development is not limited to this.
Apart from apps there are also such unexpected aid tools as writing services — beneficial for both doctors and patients. Doctors can ask such writing assistants to adjust the medical documentation they prepare for the patients who know little about medical terms and need more detailed explanation in simpler words.
Apps for doctors can be a library with a vast amount of sources for physicians with the ability to learn the material and officially upgrade the qualification at the same time. Moreover, the apps give doctors advice on the necessary information about drug compatibility and doses, the latest updates, and reduce practice risk of medical malpractice claims and medical board issues. Also, they can provide healthcare workers with actual updates and news of the medical industry in free and paid formats. Here is the list of medical reference and educational apps for physicians.
Epocrates
(Image Source: EPOCRATES.COM)
Doctors’ work is always complicated. It requires diagnosing, prescribing the right medicines in the precise doses. They often have to make decisions on the go. What does a doctor do if a patient is allergic to a particular drug? What are the doses of the new pills? Millions of doctors worldwide who downloaded Epocrates can use the app to look up the compatibility of medicines, calculate doses, and search for alternatives for free. Other functions of the app include access to guidelines or patient-specific recommendations, safety recommendations on thousands of drugs, verification and identification of drugs by pill ID, and updates on the latest news in the medical industry. For the most curious physicians, there is Epocrates Plus paid subscription, which extends the content.
If you know a student who will soon be graduating with a degree in any kind of medical discipline, this article is for you. Young people thrive in environments where they feel supported and valued. The help you give can make the difference between making the right career choices and not. It’s a big responsibility and one that can help shape someone’s future career.
One of the most popular tech health devices on the market is the 