Although research supported the efficacy of video telepsychiatry, the National Institute of Mental Health-funded study notes, only 5% of psychiatrists in the Medicare program had ever provided a telemedicine visit. Department of Health and Human Services indicated that it would waive penalties for good faith use of non-HIPAA compliant video conferencing software during the nationwide public health emergency." Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS Media publication MORE

As the COVID-19 virus wreaks havoc with the healthcare system, telemedicine is stepping up into the spotlight and helping healthcare provider organizations and caregivers better respond to the needs of Americans who have contracted the virus and Americans who need to touch base with their providers on the status of their health. The first is simple, to screen patients remotely rather than having them visit the practice or hospital. MORE

To help private-practice physicians manage the operational and business challenges posed by the coronavirus emergency, AMA has put together some new toolkits to help practices stay strong and deliver better care during the fast-evolving coronavirus crisis. Among the resources, AMA has published a guide designed to help keep practices solvent. Meanwhile, AMA has also updated its Quick Guide to Telemedicine in Practice in light of the COVID-19 outbreak. MORE

Health Level Seven International publishes the FHIR Release 4 standard. Epic says that health system EHR sales have plateaued and the company will move “beyond the walls” to store patient records from dentists, on-site clinics, drugstores, and potentially home and hospice care providers. The New York Times looks at Facebook’s suicide risk screening algorithms, which try to walk the line between user privacy and public health but have not been validated. MORE

My name is Tiffany Chhuom and I’m a therapist, researcher, and the owner of EthTech: a consulting firm on technology and ethics for mental health professionals. That stuff you set to private on your profile, like the school you went to or the place you work? Now it’s public. How Private is Facebook? Practical Tips for Keeping Yourself Secure Online. This is the best way to see what information you have online that is public. MORE

Stephen Brown, MSW, LCSW is director of preventive emergency medicine at University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System. I’m director of preventive emergency medicine at University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System. I run the Better Health Through Housing program, which identifies the chronically homeless in our emergency department and transitions them into permanent supportive housing. MORE

My name is Tiffany Chhuom and I’m a therapist, researcher, and the owner of EthTech: a consulting firm on technology and ethics for mental health professionals. That stuff you set to private on your profile, like the school you went to or the place you work? Now it’s public. How Private is Facebook? Practical Tips for Keeping Yourself Secure Online. This is the best way to see what information you have online that is public. MORE

As the COVID-19 virus wreaks havoc with the healthcare system, telemedicine is stepping up into the spotlight and helping healthcare provider organizations and caregivers better respond to the needs of Americans who have contracted the virus and Americans who need to touch base with their providers on the status of their health. “The first is simple, to screen patients remotely rather than having them visit the practice or hospital. MORE

In an effort to increase access to remote medical services during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) has recently announced that they will exercise enforcement discretion and will not impose penalties for noncompliance with the regulatory requirements of HIPAA Rules against covered health care providers in connection with the good faith provision of telehealth. Private Practice MORE

Sam Shah COVID-19 has been deadly, it’s infective and has posed the biggest public health risk to society in almost a hundred years. Amongst these tragic circumstances there has also been a lot of attention on technology in healthcare and public health. Whilst the system used by NHS General Practice is fairly well embedded, there is nothing similar for private practices or for any hospitals or dental services. MORE