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
UnitedHealth Group subsidiary Optum closed its acquisition of Change Healthcare for $13 billion following an unsuccessful U.S. Department of Justice challenge of the deal. Optum first announced its intention to acquire Change in January 2021, but the DOJ initially blocked the deal in February 2022 due to anti-competition concerns.
MedStar Health received a $2 million grant to continue research into how telehealth access impacts health equity. The grant, awarded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, comes weeks after the research team published a study in njp Digital Medicine indicating that increased telehealth access during COVID-19 did not result in increased, unnecessary access to primary care. The granted-funded, follow-up research will explore ways to connect patients with chronic conditions and other vulnerable populations to telehealth services.
A PatientsLikeMe survey concluded that patient interest in flu shots is declining. While 40% of patients surveyed didn’t get a flu shot in 2021, 43% haven’t gotten a flu shot yet this year or don’t plan to get one. Lingering concern about COVID-19 may be one motivating factor, as 48% of respondents said they’re move worried about COVID-19 than the flu. At the same time, 34% of respondents aren’t concerned about COVID-19 or the flu.
Research from customer experience company Redpoint Global found that 41% of patients are willing to leave their provider due to a poor engagement experience, while 38% said lack of personalized engagement was a key reason for considering a change. According to 57% of survey respondents, the most important consideration when choosing a provider is how well they understand you as an individual, and not just though the patient data they have about you.
A report from Western New York HIE HEALTHeLINK and the Milbank Memorial Fund found that enrollment in a CMS Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+) model at a institution that was a member of the HIE led to a 24% decrease in hospital admission rates, a 21% drop in outpatient surgeries, and a nearly 33% reduction in hospital length of stay.
Partnerships
- Wellpath partnered with the Morehouse School of Medicine and the HI-BRIDGE HIE to share patient data throughout 70 correctional facilities in Georgia.
- Specialty EHR platform Net Health is integrating workflow automation and patient engagement functionality from Alinea into its senior living platform.
- The Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission and The CARIN Alliance teamed up to create the CARIN Code of Conduct Accreditation Program to advance consumer-directed data exchange.
- Consultancy Forward Advantage collaborated with MEDITECH to develop a white-labeled patient-facing mobile app.
- Synapse Medicine launched a clinical study with Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Vanderbilt University Medical Center to measure the efficacy of its clinical decision support and medication reconciliation software.
Products
- Google Cloud launched its Medical Imaging Suite and announced Hackensack Meridian Health and Hologic as users.
- LexisNexis Risk Solutions launched a real-world data network and named five partner members: Truveta, Ovation, Solis Mammography, PointClickCare, and The Institute for Health Metrics.
- Analytics software company Advata released Advata Smart AR, an accounts receivable process automation tool.
- RCM vendor FinThrive introduced automation functionality to its insurance discovery product.
- Inovalon announced the launch of RCM Intelligence to help practices monitor payment trends and cash flow projections.
- Telemental health platform Brightside Health users with suicidal thoughts are 4.3 times more likely to experience remission than other patients, according to a study published in JMIR Formative Research.
- BeneTalk, a digital health tool for people who stutter, released an updated version of its mobile app that was initially launched in June 2021.
- Wellness platform Virgin Pulse updated its benefits navigation product with additional high-touch support and steerage services.
Sales
- San Antonio-based FQHC CommuniCare transitioned to eClinicalWorks for EHR, RCM, and patient engagement across its 22 sites of care.
- Virtual reality surgical training company FundamentalVR built a new training and education app for Houston Methodist.
- The United Way Association of South Carolina is implementing Unite Us to send and receive referrals for health and social care services.
People
- Value-based care technology provider Lumeris named Ben Grabski as its Chief Financial Officer.
- Hardware and workstation maker MBX Systems promoted Grace Hurley to Vice President of Business Development and Healthcare.
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