Welcome to the weekly 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 and Research
More than four in five (82%) of wearable device owners are willing to share health data with their physicians, according to a poll conducted by the Connected Health Initiative. Additionally, 87% of users said the device helped them meet their health and fitness goals, while 40% of users with a chronic condition said the device simplified management of their health and improved their quality of life.
Nearly 60% of Americans would visit a pharmacy as their first stop for non-emergency care, and 81% trust pharmacists and nurse practitioners to diagnose minor illnesses and prescribe medications, according to a Wolters Kluwer Health survey. More than 60% of adults were willing to go to a pharmacy for vaccinations, though 54% preferred the doctor’s office for vaccines for their children.
Disruption is the new normal for the hospital supply chain due to economic pressures and shortages, a new report from Deloitte concluded. Tellingly, 70% of organizations cite data visibility as a major supply chain issue, as it limits to understand and address risks with suppliers.
Younger patients are twice as likely than older patients to cancel appointments due to anxiety, according to poll results from communication platform provider Weave. Women are also twice as likely than men to cancel appointments because of anxiety.
Executives for Health Innovation will wind down operations over the remainder of the year. Formed in 2001 as the eHealth Initiative, EHI has advocated for federal reimbursement for e-prescribing, EHR use, and telehealth, all while convening competitors to foster industry-wide collaboration.
Partnerships
- Suki integrated its AI-powered voice assistant with Epic.
- Intermedia Cloud Communications integrated its Intermedia Intelligent Contact Center with Epic, Cerner, and MEDITECH.
- PatientsLikeMe is partnering with Massachusetts General Hospital to share de-identified patient data for ALS research.
- Included Health is partnering with Dispatch Health to connect virtual primary care to in-home urgent medical care.
Products and Resource Releases
- Cognizant launched the Cognizant Neuro AI Platform to help enterprises evaluate generative AI technology, with healthcare use cases focused on symptom triage, research, decision support, and more.
- Digital pathology provider Paige updated its Paige Platform to better integrate with third-party AI applications.
- Data collaboration software maker BeeKeeperAI released EscrowAI, which supports research without exposing patient data.
- AI-based triage assistant Mediktor introduced new functionality to improve usability for those with sensory, physical and intellectual disabilities.
- The Rare Disease Company Coalition published a set of policy recommendations to removing barriers and expediting access to FDA-approved treatments for rare diseases.
Sales
- Massachusetts-based Garden City Pediatrics is implementing eClinicalWorks.
- University Hospital of Siena (Italy) is using AccYouRate‘s wearable clothing to monitor vital signs in children with Rett syndrome, a genetic disorder affecting brain development.
- New Jersey-based ACO Shore Quality Partners selected Spatially Health to identify barriers to health equity and provide intervention recommendations.
Awards and Certifications
- Health information network eHealth Exchange earned HITRUST Risk-based, 2-year and NIST Certification for its HUB Platform.
- Consumer care coordination company Quantum Health was certified as a Great Place to Work.
People
- Interoperability vendor Rhapsody named Jeff Chiumiento as Chief Financial Officer.
- Sana Primary Care appointed Jay Parkinson, M.D., as Chief Medical Officer.
- IT services firm HCTec hired Bill Lewkowski as Vice President of Strategic Client Services.
- ERH, RCM, and practice management vendor ModMed appointed Venkatesh Jayaraman as Chief Technology Officer.
- The American Telemedicine Association named three new board members: Marc Adelson at Teladoc Health, Kavita Patel, M.D., at Mary’s Center, and Sarah Pletcher, M.D., at Houston Methodist.
- Healthcare IoT and medical device cybersecurity specialist Cylera formed an Advisory Council of IT and security leaders from hospitals and private sector companies.
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.