by Kym S. Wambold July 2012 – I just returned from my third healthcare conference in 12 months and must admit I am increasingly surprised by the lack of discussion around “Sleep Health” in general and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) in particular. I recognize that managing chronic conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease, and… Read more »
Healthcare Musings
Doctor Who? How younger generations are questioning their doctors’ authority
by Alexandra Drane June 2012 -Every generation has its legacy – whether it’s toppling dictators, championing civil rights, or changing attitudes around sex, drugs, and rock & roll. These formative events tend to imprint a person’s attitudes for life – thus shaping generational profiles. Consumer advertising, of course, has generational tailoring down to a science,… Read more »
A Plea to All Men
Author’s Note: Although this article deals with healthcare, it’s a departure from our usual presentation. Rather than a healthcare or health IT topic that is, in essence, a business issue, this month it’s personal. The story is mine, and I debated whether to write it. But if it moves just one reader to action, I’ve… Read more »
Collaborative Workflows: An Economic Imperative for Thriving in an Era of Payment Reform
by Mark Blatt, M.D. April 2012 – The simple truth about healthcare in the US is that the product the industry offers is too expensive for anyone to actually afford. Healthcare has been unaffordable for individuals for a long time. More recently, healthcare costs are threatening to bankrupt not only large self-funded corporations, but also… Read more »
Radiologists: Adapt or Face the Consequences
by Richard Toren March 2012 -The Affordable Care Act has had a tectonic change effect across all segments of healthcare. Hospitals have become “health systems” through acquisitions of other hospitals, absorption of physician practices, and movements to accept total risk as if they were insurance companies. At the same time, there have been wholesale purchases… Read more »
Integrated Endoscopy: The Promise of Freeing Patient Data
by David Guy February 2012 – As the ARRA act incentivizes physicians to jettison paper files in favor of electronic records, integrating analog patient data to a digital ecosystem is prohibitive and problematic. Traditionally, medical device companies have focused on the device, and healthcare IT has focused on the data. Little work has been done… Read more »
“Fourth Dimensional Thinking”
by Mark Tomaino January 2012 – During a now distant 2011 holiday party, a social acquaintance asked me why I was so excited about the future of private equity investment in healthcare information technology (“HCIT”) companies. My somewhat bearish friend contexted his question with a litany of relevant observations, including that the HCIT landscape was… Read more »
Empowering Consumers to Manage their Health and Healthcare
by Mike Critelli December 2011 – We are at the beginning of a potentially transformative way of thinking about health and the role of healthcare and health insurance in our society. We demand the best care at the lowest cost, but we are using health management tools that are obsolete and inadequate in enabling our… Read more »
Unleash Your Star Power: Using Data Analytics to Improve Medicare Advantage Star Rating
by Mike Coyne September 2011 – The rules of the game have changed. Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act, payments to Medicare Advantage (MA) plans will decrease on average an estimated 12 percent by 2017. To offset this lost revenue, MA plans must now focus efforts on demonstrating healthcare quality and efficiency… Read more »
Five Things Healthcare IT Can Learn from Facebook
by Albert Santalo August 2011 – The healthcare industry is facing a monumental shift in how it handles information. The paper records, faxes and phones calls are being replaced with electronic health records, emails and instant messages. As the industry transitions to technology-enabled health care, it could learn from how Facebook built its system to… Read more »