In advanced operating room with lots of equipment, patient and working surgical specialists
There’s no doubt that technology has really improved people’s lives. In fact, in all the ways that technology has transformed the way that people communicate, learn, and work, none are as more impactful as the changes and development in the healthcare industry.
From the introduction of medical apparatuses like X-ray machines to the creation of new surgical techniques, technology has helped people become healthier and live longer. In the coming years, you can expect technology to continue to advance and improve even more.
One area where technology has really helped a lot and is continuing to do so is patient care. The use of modern technology has allowed patient care to be safer and more reliable.
Thanks to information technology, nurses, doctors, and other healthcare professionals who are working on the frontline now have hand-held devices that allow them to track and record important real-time patient data. They can then share it instantly so the patient’s medical history will be updated, showing just how important information technology is to the healthcare industry.
Being able to get lab results, record vital signs, and other critical patient data at a moment’s notice has transformed the quality of care and efficiency that a patient can expect to receive upon entering the healthcare system.
When the COVID-19 pandemic first began affecting the United States, the entire healthcare industry moved swiftly to leverage existing technology and practices to meet the intensive demands of the global health crisis. Amid this incredibly tumultuous year, however, the healthcare community has also been able to actively develop new solutions and approaches to address some of the biggest problems we face, both related to the pandemic and beyond.
We connected with some of the leading voices in health IT to find out what they considered to be the biggest innovations of the past year and how they expect the landscape will continue to evolve in 2021, from advances in patient experience to greater public health data connectivity and more widespread digitization.
We saw prolific adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) solutions throughout 2020, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, provider organizations leveraged chatbots and other rudimentary virtual symptom screening tools to decrease infection spread and address patients’ care needs without placing even more burden on the workforce. As we continue living in a global health crisis, we will see more provider organizations leveling up AI-enabled capabilities to help manage patient volumes as they ebb and flow during COVID-19 surges. Specifically, we will see providers bringing mature, AI-driven diagnostic tools into the exam room to provide reliable “second opinions” on demand.
As providers work to address the pandemic, they will also adjust their practice of medicine to better meet the needs of their BIPOC patients. In 2020, COVID-19 and racial injustice has highlighted serious racial disparities and underscored how important it is for health leaders to improve diagnostic accuracy and outcomes for traditionally disadvantaged populations. In 2021, I predict we will see greater inclusion and representation of patients of color in our medical education curricula and resources, clinical trials, and pool of medical students and residents.
2020 will be remembered for many things but in terms of healthcare information technology (HIT), it was the year of telehealth. 2021 will be the year that patients, providers, and payers blow the doors off the idea that “virtual” equals “video doctor’s appointments.” Virtual HIT enabling doctors and nurses to do their rounds virtually from down the hospital hall or the other side of the world will grow in popularity. It’ll be the year that hospital bedside patient engagement technology demonstrates its tremendous value in enabling higher quality and satisfaction from a pandemic-safe distance. We’ll also begin to see an increase of terrific HIT solutions integrating with the data plumbing that is an EHR to finally give nurses new efficiency and satisfaction.
As we look forward to 2021, healthcare IT will see a continued focus on the COVID-19 pandemic response, including the highly anticipated roll out of a vaccine. Vaccine administration is a key component of an effective pandemic response plan at both a local and state level. Health information exchanges (HIEs) have the ability to ingest and leverage data, including demographic information, from individual access points of care across the health system and will play a critical role in matching the COVID-19 vaccine data to the correct patient. HIEs also have the potential to streamline the reporting of individual vaccination information to the state for analytics. Harnessing this technology to accurately track vaccine data in near real time will provide crucial insight around who has been immunized and who hasn’t; who has received which vaccine and any side effects in the event that multiple vaccines are available; the ability to target under serviced populations and support ongoing resource planning as we continue to navigate these unprecedented times.
The goal of therapy is to relieve or heal disorders, mental illness or rehabilitate individuals and help them function better socially. Therapy comes in many different types, based on the intended goal. The treatment cost depends on the accreditation of the mental health professional, your insurance provider, and the methods used.
The average cost of therapy in the U.S. ranges from $60 to $120 per session, and most Americans can pay anywhere from $20 and $250 per hour depending on the number of factors including coverage through an insurance plan, the number of sessions scheduled in advanced, patient location and the qualifications of the psychiatrist.
There are several ways that psychiatric care is delivered: in-person, online, and even over the phone.
Mental health professions charge per hour or session. Some may scale their prices that fluctuate based on your income. Therapists in private practice typically are more expensive than mental health clinics.
Costs are impacted by the number of sessions scheduled, the patient’s geography, and the health insurance provider, among other factors. The current state of the patient’s mental health issues determines which type of therapist a patient will see.
Insurance coverage for therapy
In the U.S., laws such as the mental health parity law require specific benefit plans to cover mental health therapy as they would cover physical conditions. Some insurers provide ample allowances in their plans; in other cases, employers craft excellent benefit plans with robust mental health coverage.
Owners of Affordable Care Act insurance plans have access to basic levels of mental healthcare.
Individual therapy cost
A patient can expect to pay at least $150 per hour session for individuals sessions. These are the most expensive.
Couples therapy
Couples therapy varies depending on the professional seen and where they are located—counselors specializing in couples and family therapy charge anywhere between $70 and $250 per hour.
Group therapy
Some counseling centers offer group therapy when they feel that their collective experiences can help them move forward. Multi-session group therapy rates are available, which cost $700 per eight-week course.
For private therapy, expect to pay as much as $50 for a one-hour session. Expect as much as $300 per session in larger metropolitan areas.
Psychiatrist cost
Psychiatrists typically cost more than a psychologist because of their medical background. While practices differ, patients can expect between $300 and $500 for the initial consultation, followed by at least $100 per hour. In many cases, these rates hover closer to $200 per hour.
A psychiatrist is essentially a medical doctor qualified to treat the psychological and physical symptoms associated with various mental health conditions, including substance abuse treatment.
Psychiatrists often work with their patient’s doctors and psychologists to implement the best possible treatment. Psychiatrists can treat patients with medication — helpful for treating individuals suffering from conditions such as schizophrenia.
Receiving IV therapy is one of the reasons many seniors and adults take advantage of nursing homes such as Fairview Rehab and Nursing Home in Queens NY. IV or intravenous therapy has many applications for a range of health issues. Before you or your loved one have to take advantage of IV therapy, it is a good idea to learn what is involved.
What is intravenous therapy used for?
Many patients in nursing homes need to receive IV therapy in some form. It does not mean that IV therapy is used for senior patients only. Depending on the patients’ health issues, medical practitioners commonly use it for patients of all ages.
What IV therapy means is that patient’s medication, as well as fluids, are delivered directly into a vein. For example, a drip you might have received in a hospital for dehydration is a form of IV therapy. Veins are part of your body’s circulatory system. When introduced through veins, medication and fluids reach all your organs directly, much faster and more effectively than when they are ingested.
When is IV therapy required?
Patients receiving IV therapy in a nursing home often battle a serious medical condition. For them, IV therapy is the fast way of getting the care they need and getting back to their normal lives.
IV therapy has three main uses: for administrating patient’s medication, to provide fluids and nutrients, and for blood transfusion. The reasons for any of these uses of IV therapy are numerous. Some of the most common are:
To feed patients who have difficulty eating or drinking;
Administer high doses of antibiotics;
To treat dehydration or imbalance of electrolytes;
Replenish blood lost in an accident;
Add essential minerals and vitamins when lacking;
Treat certain cancer patients;
To provide nutrients to patients whose illness prevents them from normal absorption of nutrients.
How IV therapy works
Only a skilled nurse or other medical practitioner should perform IV therapy. A nurse inserts a catheter or a direct access tube into a vein. Most commonly it is a peripheral vein. At times the catheter is inserted into a central vein, mostly when for some reason a peripheral vein cannot be used.
By Paul Brient, chief product officer, athenahealth.
Paul Brient
To say that this has been a challenging year for healthcare providers would be a grave understatement. From the financial hardships that the state shutdowns brought, to the need to change traditional processes to create a COVID-19 safe environment, we have proven that while healthcare may be recession proof, it is not pandemic proof. Although we hope that the majority of these immediate challenges are behind us (or will be behind us once we have a widely distributed vaccine), the healthcare industry has gone through momentous changes in 2020 which will no doubt drive lasting transformation for years to come.
No matter the role healthcare providers play or their specialties, all providers have experienced some degree of change. Some of the biggest changes that we’ve experienced in 2020 — that will continue to drive trends in the coming year — include shifts toward value-based care (VBC) models, increased focus on whole-person health, and utilization of digital health tools.
Continued Emphasis on VBC and Whole-Person Care
One of the most unexpected observations that providers have had is that those with VBC financial arrangements saw better results than practices with exclusively traditional fee-for-service (FFS) models. In effect, having both VBC and FFS models provides business model diversification and protection against systemic volume declines. This isn’t something that was considered or talked about pre-pandemic.
VBC has been an accelerating force in the healthcare landscape the past few years and has made us rethink patients as consumers. We’ll continue to see practices want to differentiate themselves by moving to VBC models. Additionally, practices will shift away from the problem-focused approach and practice medicine with a much more holistic, patient-focused strategy. There will be advancement toward whole-person care models and new ways to care for patients outside of the encounter and proactively intervene.
The healthcare industry has acknowledged the impact that behavioral, social and human service needs have on an individual’s health — which is causing primary care providers to adopt new offerings around behavioral health. This starts with assessments and will grow into psychosocial support. Also expect that there will be an increased need for mental health support because of the isolation and reduced social connections to friends and family resulting from the pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been the catalyst for accelerating many changes in the healthcare industry, hastening new innovations and putting a national spotlight on the need to improve care, vital health infrastructure, and transparency in how data is collected, stored and used.
Many experts believe 2021 will be the year of patient controlled-health and digital-first care, as consumers at-large shift from needing telehealth, virtual care and digital wellness tools to fully embracing them as part of their lives. These changes, born out of necessity, are poised to pervade all aspects of care and impact stakeholders across the industry. From doctors incorporating smart watches and apps into routine care to a complete overhaul of data practices and a renewed emphasis on price transparency, we’re in store for some sweeping changes in the year ahead.
Despite its incredible tragedy, the pandemic has brought to light many challenges the industry has been facing for years and forced us to address them head-on, with the hope that this year will bring solutions to those problems to light, as well. Electronic Health Reporter talked to 11 industry experts to get their thoughts on what’s to come. Here’s what they had to say:
2021 will be the year of patient controlled-health – Dr. Salvatore Viscomi, Chief Medical Officer,GoodCell
The COVID-19 pandemic brought the realities of a global-scale health event – and our general lack of preparedness to address it – to the forefront. People are now laser focused on how they can protect themselves and their families against the next inevitable threat. On top of this, social distancing and isolation accelerated development and use of digital health tools, from wellness trackers to telehealth and virtual care, most of which can be accessed from the comfort of our homes. The convergence of these two forces is poised to make 2021 the year for patient-controlled health, whereby health decisions are not dictated by – but rather made in consultation with – a healthcare provider, leveraging insights and data pulled from a variety of health technology tools at people’s fingertips.
Knowing your susceptibility profile will become part of the standard of care – Trevor Perry, Founder and CEO,GoodCell
While the pandemic is turning our concept of vulnerability on its head, knowing your susceptibility profile will become part of the standard of care. We’ve witnessed otherwise healthy people succumb to the virus or experience long-term ramifications as a result of infection. This is changing people’s expectations around routine care and creating renewed interest among patients to know potential health challenges and have greater control on actions you can take to approach those challenges. We’ll witness tangible steps in 2021 toward democratizing these data and their ability to inform proactive care and disease management.
Healthcare and wellness will be inextricably linked post-pandemic – Dr. Salvatore Viscomi, Chief Medical Officer,GoodCell
Economic uncertainty, childcare concerns, burnout at work and social isolation, among many other factors, has brought stress and its impacts to the forefront of the health care conversation. Normally, society has served as an alleviating force, with evenings out and vacations offering a respite from work and home stressors. With those comforts stripped away, people are finding it harder to simply “get by.” 2021 will see an even greater emphasis placed on sleep, mindfulness and other mental health strategies. Subsequently, we’re poised to see an uptick in adoption of the digital tools and services helping people manage these areas of their lives and general wellness, as people strive for a sense of control amid so much uncertainty.
Data will help signal value-based care as the future of health plan offering – Kris Fitzgerald, CTO, NTT DATA Services
Quality metrics for health plans – like data that measures performance – was turned on its head in 2020 due to delayed procedures. In the coming year, we will see a lot of plans interpret these delayed procedures flexibly so they honor their plans without impacting providers. However, for so long, the payer’s use of data and the provider’s use of data has been disconnected. Moving forward the need for providers to have a more specific understanding of what drives the value and if the cost is reasonable for care from the payer perspective is paramount. Data will ensure that this collaboration will be enhanced and the concept of bundle payments and aligning incentives will be improved. As the data captured becomes even richer, it will help people plan and manage their care better. The addition of artificial intelligence (AI) to this data will also play a huge role in both dialog and negotiation when it comes to cost structure. This movement will lead to a spike in value-based care adoption.
Healthcare professionals will embrace digital tools as part of their assessments and guidance to patients – Dr. Salvatore Viscomi, Chief Medical Officer,GoodCell
Acceleration of telehealth and personal health devices, a trial-by-fire of their capabilities through wide-scale adoption, has increased comfort levels with these concepts and reliance on these tools. This also goes for medical professionals themselves. 2021 will see healthcare professionals getting more comfortable with these data, and factoring wearables and at-home testing kits into their assessments and guidance to patients.
In the age of data democratization, companies must prove they deserve our data – Craig Eisler, Chief Technology Officer,GoodCell
Perceptions of medical data will shift dramatically in 2021, motivated by increased awareness of consumers’ medical information and how it’s shared. The pandemic has brought medical research into the public eye like never before. It has also left many wanting to know more about their own health and how their medical data could be used to help others. However, an inherent lack of trust in companies’ abilities to keep data safe remains an industry-wide challenge. In the coming year, health and health technology companies will not only have to demonstrate they are deserving of people’s data, but also communicate the value that data can provide for the greater good if they are able to access it.
Covid-19 will continue to compromise patient data, setting back efforts to fight the virus – Theresa Kushner, Senior Director of Data Intelligence and Automation, NTT DATA Services
COVID-19 is an assault on privacy in the absence of data governance. Privacy regulations and protections of personal health data have been thrown out the window, along with the pandemic response playbook, as the public sector and healthcare industry scramble to aggregate as much data as they can on COVID-19 through personal health records and contact tracing – rendered as public information. Similar to other crises in history, regulation, privacy and governance fall by the wayside during reconnaissance. I believe the lack of regulation and governance around healthcare data will result in setbacks to overcoming the virus in the next several months, not to mention that it’s compromising patient data.
Elective services will return – but they’ll be competitive – Kyle Raffaniello, CEO of Sapphire Digital
Healthcare shopping activity for elective services will increase in 2021 as patients begin to feel more comfortable re-entering medical settings. The desire to shop around for these services and research costs ahead of time will also increase given the financial impact of the pandemic on many Americans’ wallets. According to a recent study, 68% of U.S. adults report that they would research costs of health care procedures prior to going for care if there was an easy way to view the total medical cost for the procedure or their personal out-of-pocket costs. Spreading awareness of the resources available to compare care services will be vital to helping patients choose and receive high-value care in the new year.
2021 is a clear year for healthcare price transparency – Kyle Raffaniello, CEO of Sapphire Digital
Over the past year, healthcare price transparency has been a key topic for the Trump administration in an effort to lower healthcare costs for Americans. In recent months, COVID-19 has made the topic more important to patients than ever before. Starting in January, we can expect the incoming Biden administration to not only support the existing federal transparency regulations, but also continue to push for more transparency and innovation within Medicare. I anticipate that healthcare price transparency will continue its momentum in 2021 as one of two Price Transparency rules takes effect and the Biden administration supports this movement.”
Consolidation of digital healthcare companies can’t stop, won’t stop – Kyle Raffaniello, CEO of Sapphire Digital
This year has seen the consolidation of digital healthcare companies as new entrants look to move into and expand within healthcare. Big names like Amazon, Google, and Apple, have begun taking on larger roles in patients’ lives and in the healthcare industry. This shift is likely to accelerate in 2021 as patients view their health as a more holistic part of their lives and look for tools that support them in every step of their healthcare journey.
From Economic Hardship Emerges Patient-First, Digital Based Care — Dr. Justin Graham, Chief Medical Officer, GYANT
The rapid development of a COVID-19 vaccine is a monumental achievement, but it does nothing to address our extremely fragmented healthcare system. In 2021, policy makers must create and extend incentives to providers to work together to keep patients healthy rather than maximize profit. The pandemic has devastated the traditional fee-for-service budgets of many healthcare systems, and it isn’t clear they will ever be able to catch up without additional federal or local funding, or succeeding with radically different business models. Fortunately, this time of difficult budget decisions and value-based care models coincides with an explosion in growth of digital health tools that are being readily embraced by patients that are happy to see healthcare providers adopt technology familiar to them in other settings. This convergence of demand for technology and innovation by health systems and patients will enable providers to be able to reach new populations while continuing to serve their communities that have been impacted by the pandemic.
The past year presented a number of unprecedented challenges for hospitals and health systems. The COVID-19 pandemic placed significant strain on providers, causing a demand for care that their systems were simply not built to handle.
Thankfully, we live in an age of digital health technology, with an array of innovative tools ready to meet multiple hospital needs during this time. Seamlessly deployed across the board, digital health solutions helped ease the burden on hospital resources, providing much needed relief for frontline workers and systems struggling with strained resources.
As COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the U.S. with vaccines rapidly coming to market, the single biggest challenge in 2021 will be managing the demand, deployment and administrative requirements of the vaccine.
Vaccine Approval
With COVID-fatigue plaguing the nation, individuals everywhere are anxiously monitoring vaccine availability in hopes that they bring us one step closer to ending this pandemic. Now approved by the FDA, COVID-19 vaccines will be in high demand across the country. What’s more, patients are going to have questions – what is the distribution plan in my area? Am I eligible? Where and how do I receive vaccination?
The COVID-19 vaccine will be available in a phased approach, with priority populations varying state-by-state, and in some cases by zip code. It is expected that, in most states, frontline workers and the most vulnerable populations will be first to receive immunization. Considering the approval, providers need to be prepared with digital tools and infrastructure to manage the huge onslaught of patient inquiries and vaccine demand along with ongoing support for booster, side effects, and follow-up interactions.
Virtual Assistants for Vaccine Distribution
Technology can provide that infrastructure, helping providers avoid becoming overwhelmed by the demand while also ensuring a safe and seamless experience for patients, which in turn will help accelerate widespread immunity protection.
Across the country, well over 100,000 Americans are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, and these numbers continue to climb along with rising positivity rates. Similar to the earliest days of the pandemic, this surge in patients is filling hospitals to capacity and beyond.
The resulting shortage of beds and clinicians threatens to compromise quality of patient care and even raise the specter of rationing care in some hard-hit communities.
Increasingly, hospitals are recognizing that telemedicine provides a powerful tool for stretching limited resources by preventing and better managing overcrowding.
Telemedicine can make a critical difference in three key ways:
Telemedicine enables rural hospitals to treat patients with complex needs, reducing or eliminating the need for transfers. For critical access hospitals without specialists such as cardiologists or pulmonologists on staff, managing patients with complex or high-risk medical needs – whether COVID-19 related or not – typically requires transferring them to a tertiary facility. By providing virtual access to experienced board-certified specialists as needed, telemedicine allows rural hospitals to diagnose and treat many of these patients right in their own facility.
For example, consider a patient admitted to a rural hospital presenting with elevated biomarker levels. Through telemedicine, a cardiologist can remotely evaluate whether the patient is having a heart attack or displaying COVID-related organ stress. The specialist can then collaborate with on-site care providers to determine if the patient can successfully be cared for internally.
Telemedicine can also play a valuable role in critical access facilities when patients admitted with COVID-19 begin to suffer increased respiratory stress. A pulmonologist can remotely evaluate whether intubation is required. If it is not, the specialist can also help continue to treat the patient safely in place, avoiding the need for transfer.
In addition, telemedicine can provide or supplement hospitalist services, including rounding and admission coverage, for rural hospitals. This capability stretches limited resources and supports local physicians’ ability to provide quality care for all patients in-house.
