The Dark Side Of Electronic Health Records: Medical Malpractice Liability (pdf)
The Dark Side of the EMR &How to Live With It
The Doctor Weighs In
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
The Dark Side of HIT
Several Surveys on Efficacy of EHRs reveal troubling and lingering concerns about the effects on health care delivery efficiency and cost.
The Dark Side Of Electronic Health Records: Medical Malpractice Liability (pdf)
The Dark Side of the EMR &How to Live With It
The Dark Side Of Electronic Health Records: Medical Malpractice Liability (pdf)
The Dark Side of the EMR &How to Live With It
Health Insurance Company Member Engagement Index: The EveryMove 100 – HealthBlawg
"'TOP DOCTORS in America" or TOP DOCTORS wherever you may be, Airport,Hotels, or Tourist destinations We have all seen the shiny magazine covers announcing their selection of the best.
Now we find a new index:
Health Insurance Company Member Engagement Index: The EveryMove 100
At last physicians can see where the 'top health insurers are as ranked by EveryMove 100
At the outset, health plans are ranked by these five categories of consumer engagement and interaction:
- Social media presence and performance. Having accounts is important. Having accounts engaged in active dialogue with consumers is more important.
- Mobile strategy. Is there a mobile website? Are there user-friendly apps available on multiple platforms?
- Website statistics. How much traffic is any website getting relative to other health plans? Is the content fresh or static?
- Customer support. How easy is it to find contact info? How are plans using technology to make contacting them easier?
- Customer satisfaction. EveryMove surveyed its own user base (100,000 nationwide) to get data on health plans.
I like the idea that consumer engagement measures are available to individuals at the time they need to make these choices. I like the use of social media presence and engagement as a key series of metrics as well. There are a million tools out there for use in choosing a health plan. I look forward to the maturing of this tool so that it can be a more useful tool for individuals facing a difficult choice.
At least as important, however, are decision tools that allow individuals to model their likely costs, so that each person can choose the best plan for his or her own specific circumstances.
And most important are the strength of their education, training and performance in the clinical space.
The metrics will be revisited on a quarterly basis by the team and advisory board (which at present includes Matthew Holt,Aman Bhandari and Garrison Bliss).And most important are the strength of their education, training and performance in the clinical space.
Health Insurance Company Member Engagement Index: The EveryMove 100 – HealthBlawg
When is HIT spending enough to outdistance increased Revenues ?
Report: Health Care IT Payer Outsourcing Market To Increase by 40%
In the never ending race to become more efficient, reduce labor cost and become more competitive, have we reached the point of negative gain ?
, iHealthBeat, Tuesday, November 24, 2015
The market for health care IT payer outsourcing is projected to increase by 40% over the next two years, according to a new Black Book report, FierceHealthPayer reports (Moody, FierceHealthPayer, 11/23).
Report Details, Findings
For the report, researchers surveyed 829 health plan IT outsourcing users from the second quarter of 2015 to Q4 2015 (Black Book release, 11/20).
The researchers attributed the projected growth in outsourcing to:
- Software tools that have accelerated expenses faster than initially expected; and
- Revenue increases (FierceHealthPayer, 11/23).
The report found health insurers in 2016 plan to increase their spending on outsourcing by at least 20% for certain service models and functions, such as:
- Application support;
- Desktop support; and
- Help desk support.
In addition, about 80% of larger health plans could start outsourcing desktop support and help desk support with the next year, according to the report.
However, the researchers found that less than 10% of health plan IT executives have considered full or end-to-end outsourcing in part because of data security concerns (Black Book release, 11/20). Black Book noted that, as of January, about three-quarters of health plans surveyed were cautious about major outsourcing initiatives (FierceHealthPayer, 11/23).
The report authors wrote, "With concerns over hostile offshore locations and escalating health data security and privacy issues, fewer payers are entertaining having a third party overseas corporation between them and their IT nervous systems in 2016" (Black Book release, 11/20).
Meanwhile, the report also found that demand for big data and analytics to support population health initiatives will increase because of health plans' investment in:
- Consumer-facing mobile applications;
- Remote health monitoring; and
- Virtual care (FierceHealthPayer, 11/23).
Source: iHealthBeat, Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Thursday, November 19, 2015
End of Year Predictions
During the last decade we have seen enormous changes in clinical medicine, and it's business workings. Some of it has been very good, and much of it has been disruptive. Much of life is letting go. In order to move forward each year, something gets left behind.
It began with bronze, then iron, then nano-technology. Horse power was replaced by steam engines, then combustion engines, now being replaced by electric engines.
In health care much the same is occurring. Few would recognize or remember the technology used to perform lab tests, diagnostic testing and treatments from 20 years ago. We are now passing through the first stages of information technology and the digital language that makes today's medical care possible. As we traverse each iteration a new one appears and we cast off the old reluctantly. Learning new techniques are time consuming until mastered.
My own story as an ophthalmologist beginning in 1978 mirrors what is now occurring in health information technology.
In 1977 it was common for a cataract removal to take over one hour or more. The recovery period required sandbags and a three day hospital stay. Numerous advances in material design, and operative technique created a nexus. The addition of micro surgery, intraocular lenses and a revolutionary method of dissolving the crystalline lens made for a major change, including better outcomes fewer complications, creating the ability to have a fifteen minute surgery and an outpatient encounter of less than two hours door to door. In 1977 in order to see clearly it required special thick lenses or a custom contact lens. Today in 2015 we have intraocular lenses which are placed in the eye at the time of cataract removal. Vision is restored within several hours following surgery, and not infrequently there is no eye patch !
Mine was not a unique experience. Other specialists, in orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, abdominal surgery, have gained from what I like to call "scopology", endoscopes, laparoscopes, small incision back surgery, even small incision heart surgery.
What is coming next will effect not only medicine, it will effect almost every industry, from entertainment to retail sales, travel, and home.
By chance I happened to receive an email, one of those that takes you to a lengthy video that you cannot stop, but are drawn to remain by it[s content and promise of some special deal with a money-back guarantee if dissatisfied. This was no different. However, buried within the presentation were the facts that a new device would soon be entering the market. The smart watch and other wearable are a brief pit stop on the way to a device akin to Mr Clean's all in one magic sponge. It is predicted that over 500 million will be purchased in the initial two years of production. What it is will revolutionize our lives in medicine, at the store, and in the home or wherever you may be. It is a device that is worn and works passively with little, if no input from the user.
Like most mobile devices, at first, they will be very expensive. However in a relatively short period of time they will become ubiquitous and available in inexpensive material such as rubberized neoprene, or plastic material. They will be available as expensive jewelry, embedded with gems in a variety of metals. The electronics will be in a removable cartridge to be transferred from your daytime wear to evening apparel.
Apple, LG, Nokia and Samsung are all waiting to capitalize on this development. The journey from tablet PC to handheld phones, smart watches are all development tools to design and produce the Smart Band. The inner workings of this band contain some proprietary components that will make some companies and people very rich. It includes GPS, RFID, connectivity, and considerable computing power. The device will have a relatively short half-life....designed to be replaced with new technology every year or so, just as Apple and Android smart phone manufacturers release new iterations each year with new functionality. The driving force is to be able to do more with less. This innovation cycle is what drives our economy. It has for a very long time in consumer devices, cars, appliances. We see now that fewer and fewer gadgets can be repaired, it is now a throw away market place. Labor has become more expensive than parts.
Think of all the occurrences during your day from arising in the morning, eating breakfast, driving to the office or hospital, waiting for your first patient, travelling to the hospital, making rounds and more. Messaging has become commonplace but requires active participation. Imagine a wearable that would calculate your location and signal whoever is waiting for you where you are and how long it will be until your arrive. No more calls from the O.R. the floor, your partners, or anyone expecting to meet with you that day. All of this without the wearer lifting a finger. If you planned to meet someone for lunch the device will notify your favorite eatery and have your selection hot and waiting for you. After your meal it will automatically pay your bill.
The only choice will be which wrist do you want to wear it on? Oh yes...color and do you want it engraved?
It began with bronze, then iron, then nano-technology. Horse power was replaced by steam engines, then combustion engines, now being replaced by electric engines.
In health care much the same is occurring. Few would recognize or remember the technology used to perform lab tests, diagnostic testing and treatments from 20 years ago. We are now passing through the first stages of information technology and the digital language that makes today's medical care possible. As we traverse each iteration a new one appears and we cast off the old reluctantly. Learning new techniques are time consuming until mastered.
My own story as an ophthalmologist beginning in 1978 mirrors what is now occurring in health information technology.
In 1977 it was common for a cataract removal to take over one hour or more. The recovery period required sandbags and a three day hospital stay. Numerous advances in material design, and operative technique created a nexus. The addition of micro surgery, intraocular lenses and a revolutionary method of dissolving the crystalline lens made for a major change, including better outcomes fewer complications, creating the ability to have a fifteen minute surgery and an outpatient encounter of less than two hours door to door. In 1977 in order to see clearly it required special thick lenses or a custom contact lens. Today in 2015 we have intraocular lenses which are placed in the eye at the time of cataract removal. Vision is restored within several hours following surgery, and not infrequently there is no eye patch !
Mine was not a unique experience. Other specialists, in orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, abdominal surgery, have gained from what I like to call "scopology", endoscopes, laparoscopes, small incision back surgery, even small incision heart surgery.
What is coming next will effect not only medicine, it will effect almost every industry, from entertainment to retail sales, travel, and home.
By chance I happened to receive an email, one of those that takes you to a lengthy video that you cannot stop, but are drawn to remain by it[s content and promise of some special deal with a money-back guarantee if dissatisfied. This was no different. However, buried within the presentation were the facts that a new device would soon be entering the market. The smart watch and other wearable are a brief pit stop on the way to a device akin to Mr Clean's all in one magic sponge. It is predicted that over 500 million will be purchased in the initial two years of production. What it is will revolutionize our lives in medicine, at the store, and in the home or wherever you may be. It is a device that is worn and works passively with little, if no input from the user.
Like most mobile devices, at first, they will be very expensive. However in a relatively short period of time they will become ubiquitous and available in inexpensive material such as rubberized neoprene, or plastic material. They will be available as expensive jewelry, embedded with gems in a variety of metals. The electronics will be in a removable cartridge to be transferred from your daytime wear to evening apparel.
Daytime Wear
Evening Wear
Special Occasions
Apple, LG, Nokia and Samsung are all waiting to capitalize on this development. The journey from tablet PC to handheld phones, smart watches are all development tools to design and produce the Smart Band. The inner workings of this band contain some proprietary components that will make some companies and people very rich. It includes GPS, RFID, connectivity, and considerable computing power. The device will have a relatively short half-life....designed to be replaced with new technology every year or so, just as Apple and Android smart phone manufacturers release new iterations each year with new functionality. The driving force is to be able to do more with less. This innovation cycle is what drives our economy. It has for a very long time in consumer devices, cars, appliances. We see now that fewer and fewer gadgets can be repaired, it is now a throw away market place. Labor has become more expensive than parts.
Think of all the occurrences during your day from arising in the morning, eating breakfast, driving to the office or hospital, waiting for your first patient, travelling to the hospital, making rounds and more. Messaging has become commonplace but requires active participation. Imagine a wearable that would calculate your location and signal whoever is waiting for you where you are and how long it will be until your arrive. No more calls from the O.R. the floor, your partners, or anyone expecting to meet with you that day. All of this without the wearer lifting a finger. If you planned to meet someone for lunch the device will notify your favorite eatery and have your selection hot and waiting for you. After your meal it will automatically pay your bill.
The only choice will be which wrist do you want to wear it on? Oh yes...color and do you want it engraved?
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