Despite major changes in the healthcare system over the last few years, it’s still hard for many patients to get answers for the causes of chronic or sudden-onset health issues. The pandemic made things even worse by increasing testing delays and doctor visit wait times. Many private health care practices use commercial, off-site laboratories to provide test results to their patients. Some of these labs have improved the slow test result turnaround times that were exacerbated by the pandemic, and also now offer more tests to wider groups of patients.
Unfortunately, it can still take days if not weeks for many labs to return accurate results. At least 10 percent of patients say the most frustrating aspect of their medical experience is a long waiting period for results. An even larger percentage might have to wait weeks to get a visit to their personal care provider, only to be sent to a specialist provider and then on to a lab to get the specific test they need, and then wait even longer to get results back. Not to mention, these tests are frequently expensive and often subject to the whims of insurance.
However, through new developments with telemedicine, biometric technology, precision diagnostics, and diagnostics-as-a-service testing models, private medical practices gain advantage solving testing challenges and can offer faster care for patients who need a diagnosis now rather than in a few days or weeks. Here’s how private practices can best leverage new personalized health diagnostics technologies, protocols, and providers to improve individual care and give patients more control over their own health, both now and in the future.
By Eric Hyman, vice president of corporate and product marketing, GTT.
Telehealth and telemedicine have made rapid advancements in the past few years. However, while these advancements greatly improved access to healthcare services, they’ve also created a new avenue of attack for cybercriminals looking for valuable personal data or just to cause chaos.
A report by Omdia found that there has been an increase in cyberattacks on enterprises since 2020 across network applications, public and private clouds as well as fixed and mobile endpoints. The healthcare sector is experiencing the same too; healthcare organizations in the U.S. faced record-high cyberattacks impacting over 45 million patients last year.
One crucial solution to protect healthcare organizations against cyberattacks is Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), a framework first coined in 2019 that promises a better and more secure integration of software-defined networking and cloud-based security. The SASE framework provides advanced visibility, flexible connectivity, network reliability, application-aware routing, enterprise-grade security, and advanced protection for today’s rapidly expanding and evolving healthcare networks. It’s critical that forward-thinking healthcare security leaders understand what makes SASE such a vital tool to curb modern cyber threats and how to ensure proper deployments that help to keep their organization and its patients safe.
Why SASE?
In 2020, many healthcare companies were forced to explore telehealth and telemedicine options. This meant that IT and security teams suddenly had to securely connect doctors and nurses while they provided services online, and everyone had to move applications for managing sensitive health data to the cloud. This created a need for sophisticated security measures to keep patients’ records safe and ensure patient care wouldn’t be interrupted. This is when healthcare IT began to understand the SASE framework as an indispensable part of any post-pandemic cybersecurity strategy.
SASE integrates powerful network capabilities including software-defined wide area networks (SD-WAN) with a robust collection of security tools such as firewall-as-a-service , secure web gateway , zero-trust network access , and cloud access security broker. It supports organizations in setting and automating network and security policy, including secure, individualized, accelerated access to the cloud resources – especially critical for the healthcare sector. Each of these tools have evolving feature roadmaps that continue to address ever-changing threat actor behaviors and the changing needs of healthcare companies and their mission-critical applications.
Wasteful administrative costs are crippling healthcare. That’s the key finding of a recent research brief published by Health Affairs, a leading journal of health policy under the aegis of Project HOPE, a nonprofit international health education organization.
Claiming that nearly 50% of administrative spending is wasteful, the brief reveals that systemic non-standardization of procedures and widespread administrative billing errors as the major root causes for the waste.
While the report admits no single intervention is likely to make a dent in the problem – and its solution includes a multi-billion dollar, three-tier healthcare reform plan – there are ways modern healthcare practices can start reducing harmful administrative waste without having to reinvent America’s entire healthcare system.
The solution to address wasteful expenditures for individual clinics and practices can come through updating their current administrative procedures. Thanks to advances in AI and automation, this “modernization” can be accomplished relatively inexpensively and doing so has proven beneficial for both practice staff and their patients. Best of all, it’s a step the industry has already begun taking during the pandemic – instituting new protocols such as telehealth and pre-arrival appointment check-in. Seeing the process through is still not a high priority for a lot of practices who still ask themselves, where’s the tangible ROI on such an investment?
The pandemic showed us what a log-jam the traditional waiting room represents to the business. It showed us how much time front office staff spends on the phone, and in person, recording patient information and managing the practice’s work flow.
When waiting rooms were no longer a healthy option, it didn’t take long for solutions to become available that would effectively take the chore of waiting room “paperwork” requisition online. For many practices, it was a long overdue improvement.
Michigan Avenue Primary Care of Chicago knew they needed to consolidate disparate registration and appointment management systems into one integrated platform. At the same time, they needed to implement telehealth to accommodate their immediate care, primary care, and ENT practices. By adopting pre-arrival focused and fully customizable patient-intake solution, they were able to bring these services to their offices and successfully pivot during the pandemic lockdowns.
By Bobby Sherwood, vice president of product development, GuidingCare.
A lack of interoperability permeates U.S healthcare. Despite the rapid adoption of new technologies, we have failed to fully realize some of the most impactful opportunities they present. Data silos that hinder collaboration, efficiency, and innovation stubbornly persist across the industry. For health plans, embracing digital transformation to digitize process and improve member experience pays dividends, but can come with difficult integration and interoperability challenges if not done properly.
There has been a recent spotlight on government initiatives and regulations to address these growing concerns. Take the new CMS proposed rule on interoperability and prior authorization, which will require payers to implement an electronic prior authorization process, shorten the time frames for payers to respond to prior authorization requests, and establish policies to make the prior authorization process more efficient and transparent.
In a world where nearly anything can be instantaneously ordered from your mobile phone or laptop and delivered overnight, it seems inconceivable that prior authorizations – something so critical to member and population health – is managed by an antiquated system. This seamless exchange of data will reduce provider abrasion, improve the member experience and potentially their health outcomes, and ultimately decrease the cost of care, as the manual effort and time linked to prior authorizations markedly decreases.
As we execute on the year ahead, interoperability remains top-of-mind for stakeholders: a new report suggests that barriers such as poor data quality and information sharing remain challenging to over 60% of healthcare executives. For health plans prioritizing interoperability, consider these three areas of focus:
By Richard Dion, PharmD, pharmacy clinical program manager for clinical surveillance and compliance, Wolters Kluwer Health.
In recent years, the data collected by health systems has skyrocketed in volume. Unfortunately, studies show that up to 97% of data collected in hospitals is not used to inform or improve care — an issue that could offer new opportunities for both providers and patients. Hot-button topics like inpatient Opioid Stewardship could benefit from an increased utilization of available data.
Institutions looking to leverage existing data to improve quality and safety of opioid use should consider several steps to create meaningful and attainable data-backed goals.
From the outset, it’s important to consider who would drive these programs within hospitals and health systems. Leadership roles, as well as day-to-day drivers of activities, will require thoughtful selection and designation. Leadership plays a critical role in overall organizational buy-in, while pharmacists within a health system can provide the education and support necessary for physicians to optimize electronic healthcare records (EHR) and other data to provide appropriate pain management options. With the recent relaxation of opioid prescribing guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to no longer promoting strict thresholds for pain medication doses and duration, developing standardized opioid stewardship programs based on local data is critical.
When it comes to analyzing existing information for care decisions, utilizing local data is vital to a complete understanding of opioid use and patient needs within the health system. Some EHRs and third-party applications may have metrics and dashboards available, but sites may need to curate their own data to fit organizational needs. Technologies such as dashboards that offer a composite view of patient and prescribing data are invaluable to providers to identify patterns and at-risk patients. There may still be several areas where manual processes are prevalent and / or necessary. While individualized care for patients is important to maintain, creating structure using automation that can help identify patterns and insights from data can be invaluable in preventing and treating opioid use disorder (OUD) efficiently and effectively.
Finding the right rehab center that fits your needs and insurance requirements can be a daunting task. Fortunately, advancements in health technology have made this process easier and more accessible for patients. Here are 10 ways health tech is empowering patients to find rehab centers that fit their insurance needs.
Online Directories
Online directories, such as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) directory, provide a comprehensive list of rehab centers that accept insurance. Patients can filter their search based on their location, insurance provider, and treatment preferences.
Mobile Apps
Mobile apps like Addicaid and Sober Grid provide users with a platform to connect with other individuals in recovery, find nearby meetings, and access resources such as insurance information and local rehab centers.
Telemedicine
Telemedicine allows patients to receive virtual consultations with medical professionals, enabling them to discuss treatment options and insurance coverage from the comfort of their own home. This is particularly beneficial for individuals living in rural areas or with mobility issues.
Insurance Provider Portals
Many health insurance providers offer online portals where patients can search for detox and rehab centers that accept their coverage. These portals often provide information on treatment options, in-network providers, and co-pay information. Patients can simply log in to their insurance provider’s portal to access a detox that takes Cigna, Anthem or other insurance providers. This can save patients time and frustration by eliminating the need for multiple phone calls to different providers. Additionally, some insurance providers may offer additional resources for patients seeking detox, such as care coordinators or case managers who can help patients navigate the complex insurance process and find the best detox center for their needs.
In the rapidly-evolving landscape of biopharmaceuticals, it has become increasingly important for companies to establish effective partnerships in order to stay competitive. One such partnership that has gained popularity in recent years is the collaboration between biopharmaceutical companies and contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs). In this article, we will discuss how to build an effective CDMO partnership in biopharma.
First and foremost, it is important to identify the key areas where a CDMO can add value. This can include services such as cell line development CDMO, process development, and clinical manufacturing. By leveraging the expertise of a CDMO, biopharmaceutical companies can accelerate their drug development timelines and reduce costs.
Once the key areas of focus have been identified, it is important to evaluate potential CDMO partners based on their capabilities, experience, and track record. It is also important to consider factors such as geographic location, regulatory compliance, and intellectual property protection. A thorough due diligence process is essential to ensure that the chosen CDMO is the right fit for the specific needs of the biopharmaceutical company.
Communication is also a critical component of a successful CDMO partnership. Clear and frequent communication between the biopharmaceutical company and the CDMO can help to ensure that both parties are aligned on project timelines, budgets, and expectations. Additionally, regular updates and progress reports can help to identify and address any issues that may arise during the course of the project.
By Dan Pichette, executive vice president, Output.
When we think of innovation in healthcare, what comes to mind? For many, it may be fancy diagnostic machines or breakthrough drug therapies. But sometimes, it can be as simple as a 3D-printed cover for an insulin pod. A product, or an improved process, that solves a need. While medical settings like hospitals and clinics are good at managing patient care, it can still be challenging to create and manage a culture of innovation.
According to Stanford University, innovation management is the process of taking imaginative concepts from inception to implementation, beginning with “the fostering of an environment where a new idea is encouraged.” In healthcare, stringent regulations and multilayered administration can often discourage this process. Staff in large medical environments often work within silos where close teamwork can incubate new ideas, but whose independence from each other can also isolate communication.
Embracing Innovation
Innovation is a key goal for the World Health Organization. Since 2017, the WHO Innovation Network, a digital and in-person network of global colleagues, has been engaged in learning and sharing events exploring “new ways of applying innovation in WHO’s work to accelerate health impact.” For its part, the American Medical Association has its seven-year-old Medical Education Innovation Challenge, enlisting small teams to propose a change to an aspect of medical education that better prepares students to meet future healthcare needs.
Nurses, the employees most on the front lines of medical care, are welcoming improvements. Nursing Management Journal exhorted that even though the healthcare industry is “innately risk-averse,” nurses must not only embrace new technologies such as AI, virtual reality and advances in genomic science, nurse leaders should proactively foster a culture of innovation, encouraging divergent thinking and promoting autonomy to instill confidence in employees.
Some institutions of higher learning have recognized the role that innovation increasingly plays in the medical sphere. Temple University’s Fox School of Business offers a 12-credit Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Innovation Management designed for current professionals looking toward the industry’s future. These credits can be applied to graduate degree programs such as Temple’s Master of Health Administration or its appropriately named Master of Science in Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship.
A Pandemic Catalyst
There is little doubt that the pandemic has shepherded unprecedented change. A May 2021 McKinsey survey, which polled over 100 industry leaders from medical providers to health payers to pharmaceutical and technology companies, found close to 90% of respondents agreed that the Covid pandemic “will fundamentally change the way they do business, requiring new products, services, processes, and business models.” Two main areas where they expected significant changes to endure: digital acceleration (from telehealth to digitally enabled clinical trials and customer-engagement models) and the workplace of the future (spanning remote patient care and virtual collaboration for professionals in the pharmaceutical and medtech industries).
The McKinsey Healthcare Innovation Through Crisis Survey concluded that adapting to these shifts, among others, will require many healthcare organizations to transform their operations and mindsets. During times of crisis, prioritizing innovation can “help unlock growth in the recovery, provided leaders approach it with commitment and establish key capabilities and processes.”
