Welcome to the holiday weekend edition of Healthcare IT Today Bonus Features. This article will be a weekly roundup of interesting stories, product announcements, new hires, partnerships, research studies, awards, sales, and more. Because there’s so much happening out there in healthcare IT we aren’t able to cover in our full articles, we still want to make sure you’re informed of all the latest news, announcements, and stories happening to help you better do your job.
News
An International Trade Commission (ITC) judge has ruled that Apple infringed AliveCor’s patented personal electrocardiogram technology. The judge’s decision follows two complaints that AliveCor filed against Apple – an April 2021 allegation of patient infringement and a May 2021 antitrust allegation. A full determination from the ITC is expected in October 2022. If the ITC stands by the judge’s decision, then Apple could be barred from importing the Apple Watch into the United States, AliveCor said in a statement.
Studies
A DrFirst survey of 1,000 Americans found that 54% of patients think managing health records is difficult. While 92% of patients value quick and easy access to their medical records, 45% struggle to get them from their patient portal and 42% have a hard time getting them directly from their provider. Patients are also more likely to maintain paper records than use a mobile app to manage their health information.
Joint research from Qualtrics and ServiceNow determined that 43% of healthcare consumers are at least “somewhat likely” to switch to a new brand based on a single poor customer experience. This is the highest percentage among the industries included in the study, which polled more than 3,000 consumers.
Products
Digital therapeutics company OxfordVR received a breakthrough device designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its cognitive behavioral therapy treatment. OxfordVR targets patients with serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia spectrum disorders or an affective diagnosis with psychotic symptoms.
Olive has released its revenue cycle management product suite, known as Autonomous Revenue Cycle. Built on the company’s existing Clearinghouse product, ARC focuses on automating claims submissions, status checks, and managing denials. In addition, ARC can verify a patient’s insurance eligibility and benefits, as well as identify patients eligible for financial assistance.
Lung health decision support software vendor Optellum announced a payment rate for its lung cancer prediction technology. Effective July 1, the reimbursement rate of $600-$700 is available under temporary CPT code 0721T and describes quantitative computed tomography tissue characterization that’s performed separate to a CT scan.
Partnerships
- Data management company Harmony Health IT and DrFirst are working together to use AI and machine learning to migrate structured data from one EHR system to another.
- Personalized health app marketplace Solera Health has partnered with digital therapeutic company DarioHealth, adding DarioHealth’s hypertension management product to its suite of tools targeting cardiometabolic conditions.
Sales
- Vibrent Health will provide the digital health research platform for My Healthy Maryland, an effort to enroll 250,000 Marylanders to support genomic studies and other research efforts.
- Value-based care consultancy Zane Networks has launched the care and case management platform for NJ InCK, a collaborative care delivery model for New Jersey’s Medicaid program.
- Value-based care platform company Cedar Gate Technologies is expanding its collaboration with Baptist Memorial Health Care’s Brain & Spine Network Center of Excellence.
- Online lactation consultant Nest Collaborative is supporting Trinity Health of New England’s telehealth breastfeeding program at the health system’s three birthing hospitals in Connecticut and Massachusetts.
People
- Provider search and scheduling software vendor Kyruus hired Paul Merrild as the company’s first President.
- Remote and wearable monitoring device maker Withings appointed Elizabeth Coleon as Chief Marketing Officer.
- Post-acute care CRM and EHR vendor Trella Health promoted Andy Powell to Senior Vice President of Customer Experience and hired Bernie Segura as Vice President of Customer Success.
- On the heels of announcing its clinical trials business, Walgreens named four members of the clinical trials leadership team working under Chief Clinical Trials Officer Ramita Tandon.
If you have news that you’d like us to consider for a future edition of Healthcare IT Today Bonus Features, please submit them on this page. Please include any relevant links and let us know if news is under embargo.
