Greenway Health, a leading health information technology services provider, announces an expanded partnership with HealthLinc, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving healthcare for the residents of northern Indiana. A Greenway client for more than a decade, HealthLinc will be leveraging Greenway Telehealth, the first tool in the company’s virtual care portfolio, to remove care delivery barriers, enabling greater provider productivity and improved patient outcomes.
HealthLinc is a leading nonprofit organization with 12 community locations, serving five counties in northern Indiana with 97 providers and over 150 staff. The organization operates a Patient-Centered Medical Home model, offering medical, dental, optometry, behavioral health and more. HealthLinc implemented telehealth early into the pandemic but was seeking an improved solution that did not require separate logins for each of their providers, and that was easier for patients to use while completely protecting their data. With Greenway Telehealth, the organization now benefits from a secure, HIPAA-compliant solution that is integrated with its core electronic health record.
“Our goal at HealthLinc is to make a difference in our patients’ lives by delivering the exceptional care they deserve,” said Melissa Mitchell, chief operating officer, HealthLinc. “Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic we were seeking a telehealth solution that would offer the convenience and flexibility our patients were requesting. Now, with Greenway Telehealth, we have a long-term solution in place that will further enable us to improve access to resources and care, including as part of our paramedicine program for homebound patients. Our improved experience with Greenway Telehealth enables us to focus more on innovation, exploring what virtual care looks like for our most at-risk patients, ultimately closing gaps in care and improving outcomes.”
Launched in October of 2020, Greenway Telehealth was developed in direct response to evolving client needs and the increasing demand for a secure, high-quality and flexible remote care solution that practices can implement as part of a long-term virtual care strategy. Since its initial launch, the solution has been implemented by thousands of users and featured on Becker’s list of Telehealth Companies to Know.
“For ambulatory care providers, having a telehealth solution integrated with its core EHR is a key component to reducing administrative burden and provider burnout, while maximizing the efficiency of the practice with added flexibility to maintain business continuity,” said David Cohen, chief product and technology officer, Greenway Health. “We’re excited to expand our partnership with HealthLinc and to provide them with the telehealth solution they need to further improve care and patient outcomes.”
Greenway Telehealth is now available at a special rate of $39 per provider, per month. For more information on how Greenway’s EHR-integrated telehealth solution can help your practice maintain business continuity, create additional revenue streams and reach new patient populations, visit http://www.greenwayhealth.com/solutions/telehealth.
This bipartisan movement in the House to remove barriers to accurate patient identification and increased patient privacy has been strengthened in the past year by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Patient misidentification caused challenges for health systems during the pandemic, including thousands of duplicate records created during the vaccination registration process, and disruptions in vaccine availability at provider sites because of inaccurate patient documentation.
Patient ID Now is calling on the US Senate to finally follow suit to protect patient safety and patient privacy — and to bolster the public health system — by removing Section 510 from its Labor-HHS bill. In a letter sent this year to the Senate Appropriations Committee, more than 100 healthcare organizations called for the removal of this ban. With a third year of bipartisan support in the House of Representatives and overwhelming support from the healthcare community, this must be the year the Senate takes action to remove this outdated and harmful ban.
The coalition would like to thank Representative Bill Foster (D-IL) and Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA) for their steadfast leadership, and House Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Representative Katherine Clark (D-MA) for their continued support to advance patient identification.
People are constantly under the glare of artificial light these days, with lighting systems brightening the night and their eyes constantly on a screen. It’s impossible to avoid artificial light exposure, and unfortunately, sometimes it can be risky. Studies show that artificial light can have a negative effect on mental and physical health.
The primary issue with artificial lighting is the color spectrum it uses because it includes a blue spectrum, brighter than natural light. Research suggests that the artificial light in digital devices’ screens emits blue light at peak emissions and can influence people’s natural sleeping and waking patterns.
The dangers of artificial light: Artificial light impacts the circadian rhythm
The circadian rhythm works like an internal clock that regulates the body’s feelings of wakefulness and tiredness. Some outside factors like light can influence its functioning because the human body relies on light to regulate its metabolisms. The hypothalamus controls the circadian rhythm. When the night comes and the lights dim, the eyes signal to the hypothalamus to release melatonin and get the body ready for sleep.
But if you’re exposed to too much light (you use digital devices at night or don’t switch off the lights in the bedroom), your sleeping patterns can get disturbed. Artificial light can cause several mental and physical issues like a negative effect on your memory and disruption to the melatonin cycles.
Artificial light can increase the risk of cancer
Specialists connected overexposure to artificial light to the diagnosis of breast and prostate cancer. As stated before, light interferes with melatonin production, which should be at peak during the night and lower during the day. The Barcelona Institute for Global Health studied how heavy artificial light exposure affects residents of large cities. It concluded that the residents in these areas have a doubled risk of suffering from prostate cancer and 1.5 times higher risk of having breast cancer. Studies also suggest that people who work night shifts are more likely to develop these types of cancer because their bodies are exposed to both natural and artificial light 24 hours a day.
Artificial light can cause macular degeneration
Blue light can damage the eye’s retina. When blue light penetrates the macular pigment in the eye, it can lead to a breakdown in the retina. It makes the eyes more likely to develop cell degeneration that can cause issues like cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration. Even if blue light can trigger macular degeneration in various ways, the most common one is retinal damage through a photochemical mechanism.
COVID-19 sent telemedicine on the fast track for widespread adoption, helping doctors manage and care for their patients — especially those at high risk — during the nationwide shelter-in-place ordinance. But for patients in low-income families, there wasn’t such a simple solution.
While the ACA makes health insurance accessible for a significant number of Americans, there are still millions of vulnerable people who rely on receiving care from free clinics like CommunityHealth. So when COVID-19 hit the U.S. in March 2020 and strict shelter-in-place orders went into effect across the Chicagoland area, many low-income patients were left unable to seek basic treatment for their preexisting, ongoing, or newly-developed medical needs.
At CommunityHealth, the nation’s largest volunteer-based free clinic, we strive to deliver high-quality care to those who need it most, providing 15,000 medical and dental visits to thousands of Chicagoans who are underserved and uninsured each year. Up to 65 percent of our patients live at or below the federal poverty line, which is $24,300 for a family of four. Many also suffer from chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension, which require ongoing medical treatment.
While most healthcare providers turned to telehealth solutions to continue providing care to their high-risk patients during the pandemic, we knew that many of our low-income families wouldn’t be able to download additional software in advance of a virtual visit — a common prerequisite for many telemedicine tools — or even have reliable access to high-speed internet.
What we needed was a solution that worked with any smartphone as seamlessly as possible, and an easy-to-use telehealth solution that could be rapidly deployed across our network of providers. We also needed a simple platform for physicians and, most importantly, a user-friendly and accessible solution for our patients.
COVID-19 brought its fair share of trials and tests with it. Not only has it taken lives, infected millions, and left thousands unemployed, but it has also changed the course of society as we know it. A new normal has taken over: social distancing, face masks, frequent medical visits, and a shift online.
With millions of cases around the world, medical professionals have their work cut out for them. Healthcare workers have to manage other patients, their education, and the rising number of COVID-19 cases at the same time. Managing their time in such cases can be a tough challenge to overcome.
As a healthcare professional, if you have a hard time managing time, this article is for you. We will be talking about six things you can incorporate into your daily routine to help with time management
Prioritize your tasks
With college deadlines piling up, work commitments to attend to, and managing your daily chores, you may feel overwhelmed at times. Most medical practitioners are studying something or another most of the time.
Whether it’s a subject to diversify their expertise or something that will help them grow in their field, chances are, you will see them with their face buried in books after their shift ends. With mounting deadlines, you may want to look at tackling the most critical tasks first.
Not only does this reduce stress, but it ensures that the consequences of missed deadlines decrease as you move through your tasks. It wouldn’t make sense to start with the most trivial tasks and leave the big ones for the end. Missing those could have far-reaching implications which may affect your career.
By Vidya Murthy, vice president of operations, MedCrypt.
Type 1 diabetes is a way of life. It is a chronic condition in which the pancreas creates little to no insulin. Those living with the condition, or type 2 insulin treated diabetes, must diligently monitor their carbohydrate intake, at a per-gram precision, to calculate and manage insulin levels. This occurs 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
This means regularly getting up in the middle of the night when a glucose monitor alarms as insulin levels either spike or drop precipitously, calculating insulin requirements and then either administering an insulin injection or eating something.
Technology over the last 20 years has transformed how treatments are planned and delivered, namely two separate hardware components evolved 1) In the 1970s, pumps were developed that could dispense insulin and 2) In 1999, the continuous glucose monitor eliminated the finger prick for point-in-time insight, and instead continuously tracked sugar levels. These devices were clinical leaps that advanced the quality of care for patients, but these technologies did not evolve ‘together.’ They lacked the ability to connect with each other and thus required that patients actively participate in the delivery of care.
As diabetes technology evolves, so does life insurance offerings to people with Type 1 Diabetes. Melissa Thompson of Diabetes365.org notes “life insurance companies have kept a close eye on the diabetes community, and the technology that’s available to those with diabetes. Life insurance for type 1 diabetes used to be very difficult to qualify for. Not only is it much easier to be approved for coverage, but certain life insurance providers are providing discounted rates to those using Insulin pumps.”
Patients were looking for a solution and began to develop their own alternative. “Looping,” as the solution became known in the diabetic community, involved overriding the default algorithm that came with a pump and feeding data from a glucose monitor into the calculation. Doing this required multiple pieces of technology to be connected into a system that could be managed by an end-user. It allowed diabetics to experiment with treatment plans — something device manufacturers and the FDA could neither regulate nor monitor.
Understandably, most patients don’t have access to the right funds to invest into technologies like these to help with their diabetes. Fortunately, there are online services now available that pay cash for diabetic test strips. A quick search online will produce plenty of options to choose from.
Devices
that allowed this level of manipulation were not commercially prevalent, as
manufacturers continuously work to improve the security posture of their
products. It therefore became common to source a legacy pump off eBay or
Craigslist from others in the community. Once these devices were procured,
there are multiple open source solutions available to enable even those who are
not tech-savvy to build a system that works for them. Patients were clearly
looking for a solution that was not available on the market and found a way to
change their quality of life by hacking existing technology.
“Looping” introduced a variety of concerns, including whether patients truly understood the calculations that had been introduced and how manipulations of those calculations impacted patient care. This unregulated solution meant a level of uncertainty around security as well — could a malicious actor intentionally manipulate a solution to cause harm to an individual?
Many in the community cited parallels to open-source software as a response to these concerns, arguing continuous improvement of open source solution is more secure than proprietary solution development. The FDA’s regulatory purview does not seem to extend to the solution at this time as there is no commercial gain nor medical advice being dispensed from this community.
In
2006, the first project to pursue an artificial pancreas
was launched. With time and more research, automated insulin delivery, also
known as a closed-loop system, became the modality of care preferred by both
clinicians and patients. This meant that a continuous glucose monitor would
provide data to an insulin pump to manage a patient’s needs. Industry leader
Medtronic was the first to make this technology commercially available in September 2016.
Cost considerations, personal preferences and the idea of control continue to fuel the DIY-artificial pancreas community’s efforts to equip patients to manage their own care. Even as the FDA advocates for more rigorous cybersecurity controls being built designed into devices, the impact of patient-hacked solutions is indelible in the larger ecosystem and will continue to inform the evolution of commercially available solutions.
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, free and charitable clinics across the country quickly pivoted to telehealth to keep staff, volunteers and patients safe. A year later, the ability to provide low-income, uninsured patients with a new, more convenient way to connect with their care team has been embraced by healthcare providers and patients alike.
There’s a good reason for this almost universal adoption. Telehealth facilitates virtual video appointments with providers using a patient’s computer or smartphone. It’s a game changer for patients with transportation or mobility issues as well as those working multiple jobs or in need of childcare, or in many cases, both.
The National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics reports 67 percent of free and charitable clinics across the country successfully implemented telehealth services in response to the pandemic. Many other safety net clinics so vital for the healthcare of underserved communities in the U.S., would do they same but they are still struggling to find the funding, training and the technical assistance necessary to make telehealth viable at their facilities.
The reality is, a third of free and charitable clinics in this country have operating budgets of less than $100,000. Many rely on volunteer providers and staff, and most simply don’t have the technical or financial resources to pivot to telemedicine.
Yet for the low-income communities they serve, telehealth increases access to care. It provides patients with the flexibility to attend appointments without having to miss work and lose much-needed income, coordinate childcare, or find reliable transportation—barriers that often stand in the way of low-income patients and their healthcare.
Now that it’s January gym memberships are bought by the thousands and cutting sugar becomes popular. And now that its January of 2019, times have changed. Technology has become advanced in ways that health-related resolutions have actually become more manageable. You no longer have to juggle the paper and pen while flipping through a booklet to calculate calories. Improving one’s health means the use of incorporating some of the following technological advances:
Google it
If you’ve ever had a question, chances are you have used Google to find the answer. So there is no reason to not include Google when planning. For example, if you’re looking to lose weight, use Google Maps to find the nearest gym. But, don’t stop there. Take it one step further and check the gym location for fast food or other temptations. If you cant resist them, make sure to check Diet Menus so you know what you can eat and stay on your diet. For instance, this gym in Corona, CA isn’t surrounded by burger joints and convenience stores, making it less likely for someone to pick up some junk on the way in or out. Google has also developed a specialized feature called “Google Fit” for coaching you to a healthier and active life. Google Fit is the result of collaboration with the American Heart Association (AHA) and focuses on improving heart health.
Breathalyzers
If your health resolution is to cut back on alcohol consummation, this handy device can help. Personal breathalyzers are compact and often Bluetooth enabled to track results to your smartphone. Just pair the device with your smartphone and blow into the device. Sensor technology quickly estimates your blood alcohol content and takes care of any guesswork on your part. Breathalyzers can also be installed to a car to help deter driving under the influence. However, breathalyzer installation should be overseen by a professional to ensure proper function and prevent any damage to the vehicle.
There’s an app for that
Nowadays, there’s an app for just about anything from instant messaging to ordering fast food. So it’s no surprise that there are many fitness trackers and apps available to help with motivation. Wearable fitness trackers such as Fitbit or Apple Watches are great for tracking your steps, calories burned and heart rate during workout sessions. Also, many come with their own apps for cellphones to help record and graph your progress over time. If you’re on a budget you can also look into the following brands of fitness trackers under $50:
Letscom Fitness Tracker
Xiaomi Mi Band 2
TooBur
HuaWise Fitness Tracker
If you find yourself lacking motivation, check out the following apps. Several are game based and is sure to get your heart racing:
Zombie Run is an audio-based adventure that puts you in the running shoes of a hero trying to survive the zombie apocalypse. With zombie chance sequences, you’re sure to get your heart pumping.
Pact allows users to make monetary pacts with other users. Accomplishing your goal could put a few extra bucks in your pocket! But failure means paying out.
Burn Your Fat With Me made for anime lovers. This app provides motivation using the power of “moe” where you can choose your “training partner” in the form of an adorable girl to help encourage you through various trials.
Nutritional information online
Thankfully with the internet being so widely available, people seeking to eat better can find nutritional information easily available online. Not to mention this makes meal planning around your diet a lot easier. For example, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Nutrient Database is the ultimate guide to nutritional information and nutrient data for over five thousand foods.
Becoming healthy has changed in the modern year and real signs of progress have made changes easier and convenient. There is no reason not to take advantage of the various technologies available and to find an enjoyable path to a healthier you.
