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
ONC is releasing a proposed rule to implement more provisions of the 21st Century Cures Act. Proposals include additional clarity on exceptions to information blocking, revisions to the Health IT Certification Program, and policies to help advance and build trust in predictive decision support interventions. The full proposed rule is set to be posted on April 18 – just in case you want something to read on the airplane ride home from HIMSS – and comments will be accepted until June 20.
Two recent reports from Accenture – Technology Vision 2023 and Generative AI – suggest a significant role for language-based AI in healthcare. Accenture estimated that 40% of all working hours in healthcare could be supported or augmented by language-based AI. The consultancy also found that 50% of healthcare organizations plan to use ChatGPT for learning purposes, and 52% are planning CHatGPT pilots in 2023. Overall, 98% of provider executives and 89% of payer executives said generative AI is ushering in a new era of enterprise intelligence.
A Salesforce survey of healthcare workers found that 76% agree that keeping data safe is their priority. However, only 54% said their cybersecurity training is efficient, and 19% said it’s irrelevant for their job. Tellingly, 22% said cybersecurity protocols aren’t followed at their organization – with one-third of workers using the same passwords for personal and work-related log-ins – and 31% said they don’t know what to do in the event of a data breach.
The inaugural report on consumer technology software and services from the Consumer Technology Association (the folks who put on CES) named digital therapeutics as the fastest-growing software and services market, with 25% growth from 2021 to 2022 and 19% growth from 2022 to 2023. THat said it’s still a relatively small market, according to CTA, with a value of $300 million.
Only 48% of consumers visit their doctor annually, according to a recent PatientsLikeMe survey. However, 65% of consumers said they would feel more confident in going to the doctor if they had a mobile app or service that regularly reminded them to schedule an appointment, with Millennial and Gen Z consumers most interested in such services.
Partnerships
- Chronic care at home company Pria is using InterSystems Health Connect Cloud for data integration.
- The 4medica Enterprise Master Patient Index platform is now available on Google Cloud Marketplace.
- Interlace Health and Samsung are collaborating to run Interlace’s informed consent products on Samsung tablets.
- Real-world data company OM1 released PhenOM, which identify unique digital phenotypes associated with chronic conditions.
Product and Company News
- Google Cloud announced an AI-enabled Claims Acceleration Suite to streamline prior authorization and claims processing. The product integrates technology from Myndshft and Pegasystems, and Blue Shield of California is an early customer.
- eConsult and referral management vendor AristaMD launched a unified care transition platform for primary care.
- Unified communications company Skyscape debuted Lightning Plus, which improves access to clinical libraries and other medical information.
- Health system data network Truveta unveiled the Truveta Language Model, which turns EHR data into data points that can be used for health outcomes research.
- Honeywell released a real-time health monitoring system that measures vital signs through a skin patch.
- MediMergent implemented its platform for the collection and analysis of real-world data in a multi-center clinical trial.
- Precision health company LifeOmic launched its Patient Mobile App, enabling two-way communication between patients and care teams.
- RCM vendor Savista is launching Patient Debt Awareness Day on April 19 with educational materials, webinars, and an in-person event.
- Researchers at the University of Virginia using chatbot technology from Invitae screened three times as many patients with high-risk cancer genes compared to traditional screening methods and achieved cost savings of 26x.
Sales
- Florida’s BayCare Health System chose Oracle Health’s RevElate Patient Accounting. In addition. New York’s Saint Joseph’s Medical Center is now implementing RevElate Patient Accounting as well as the Oracle Health EHR across all locations.
- California-based Meritage Medical Network selected Assure Health to launch a virtual-first comprehensive diabetes management program.
- Michigan-based Heart & Vascular Institute selected CareCloud’s chronic care management program.
- Indiana’s Major Health Partners chose Unite Us to help build a coordinated care network extending into the community.
- Arizona-based TRUE Health Family Medicine selected eClinicalWorks EHR. In addition, Idaho-based Women’s Health Associates used eCW healow Payment Services to increase revenue cycle payment processing by 40%.
Accreditations
- ScImage achieved SOC 2 Type 2 attestation for PICOM365 Cloud, its enterprise imaging management system.
- Clinical data exchange company MRO earned the Validated Data Stream designation from NCQA for the second consecutive year.
Awards
- Sierra7 and AvaSure received the 2023 Disruptive Tech Program Award from G2Xchange for their VA tele-nursing program.
- KLAS recognized Cedar Gate, a value-based care technology company, with its Payer/Provider Points of Light Award for reducing hospitalizations and lowering care costs for cardiovascular patients.
People
- Oncology analytics firm COTA appointed Sandy Leonard as its first Chief Commercial Officer.
- Oncology analytics and service company OncoHealth appointed Wesley Staggs as Chief Commercial Officer.
- Telemental health platform Brightside Health appointed Chris Murray as Chief Financial Officer.
- PointClickCare named Brian Drozdowicz as Senior Vice President and General Manager of Acute & Payer Markets.
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