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
CMS is holding off on enforcing a provision of the No Surprises Act, expected to go into effect Jan. 1, which required providers to offer good faith estimates to uninsured or self-pay patients. At issue: The challenge of including cost estimates from providers or facilities outside of the one scheduling the service. “This exercise of enforcement discretion was necessary to allow time for providers and facilities to develop mechanisms for convening providers and facilities to request, and co-providers and co-facilities to provide, complete and accurate pricing information,” CMS said. Enforcement will be delayed pending a new rule from the agency.
A report from Wolters Kluwer suggested that patients are willing to shift primary care to new care settings if it means the cost of care will decrease. Looking five year into the future, 61% of patients saw primary care services being provided at pharmacies, retail clinics and/or pharmacy clinics, and more than half said they’d trust pharmacists, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants to provide healthcare services and prescriptions if it led to lower costs. In addition, 82% of patients expressed interest in providing blood sample for genomic testing if it meant that their prescriptions would be safer or more effective.
Studies
- A survey from medication management provider Bluesight revealed that 85% of consumers have been surprised by the cost of their medication. More than 45% of respondents said they don’t trust the pharmaceutical industry.
- A survey of digital health investors from GSR Ventures found that ROI and clinical validation will be the greatest markers of success in 2023, with 94% deeming ROI “important” or “very important” and 79% saying the same of clinical evidence and trials.
- Research from the University of Maryland co-authored by DrFirst indicated that patients with chronic heart disease and lung disease are more likely to fill prescriptions if enrolled in a Mobile Integrated Healthcare and Community Paramedicine (MIH-CP) program after hospital discharge.
- A workplace safety trends report from Stericycle showed a 23% increase in the number of health professionals saying improper medical waste disposal greatly impacts patient health and puts provider safety at risk.
- A consumer survey from virtual specialty care provider Summus found that patients prefer virtual visits to in-person visits for specialty care if it means they can spend more time with a physician or don’t have to wait as long for an appointment.
Partnerships
- Data service firm LogicStream Health is collaborating with FDB, integrating the FDB MedKnowledge database into its Drug Supply App.
- Symphion announced a partnership with Vereco Healthcare Solutions to improve security for unprotected and unmonitored printers.
- HIE entity Santa Cruz Health Information Organization is collaborating with the Santa Cruz 2-1-1 Program to share information related to housing, transportation, and food services.
- Neonatal and pediatric engagement platform AngelEye Health will be the primary corporate sponsor for the National Perinatal Association’s discharge and care transition planning guidelines.
Products
- Medical genetics company Invitae released a transparency report detailing how the company uses de-identified patient data. The company’s database of about 2 million patients was used to contribute to 38 peer-reviewed publications, co-sponsor 47 testing programs with biopharma companies, and conduct clinical trial outreach initiatives covering 17 medical conditions.
- Behavioral health EHR Valant launched Prospective Patient Management, a tool for matching patients and providers.
- QGenda launched QGenda Nurse and Staff Workforce Management for scheduling, attendance, and compensation management.
- AI assistant Navina reported that users spend 61% time on chart review and increase diagnoses captured by 25%.
- NextGen reported a 33% reduction in length of hospital stay and 30% reduction in re-admission rates for hospitals using its Population Health solutions in conjunction with a value-based care model.
Sales
- Ohio Gastroenterology expanded its use of Orbita, implementing the company’s virtual assistants to engage patients before and after procedures.
- National specialty hospital PAM Health selected AtlasJobs for its talent acquisition and engagement app.
- Sutter Health chose Get Well as the platform for its virtual mental health program for patients ages 12 to 26.
- The Cancer Support Community is using Equiva Health‘s relationship management platform to bring support services and other resources to underserved communities.
- Conversational intelligence platform Authenticx reported a 2.5x increase in annual recurring revenue and a 2x increase in its customer base.
Awards
- Broadband expansion non-profit Partnership for a Connected Illinois recognized StationMD for providing solutions to underserved populations in its 2022 Awards for Excellence in Telehealth Leadership.
- Caregiver service provider Avanlee Care was named to Inc. Magazine’s 2022 Best in Business list in the Rocky Mountain Region.
People
- Imaging platform provider Agfa HealthCare announced Mark Burgess as President North America Agfa HealthCare.
- VR-based surgical training platform Osso VR made two executive hires: Stacie Frederick as Chief Technology Officer and Heather Gervais as Chief Revenue Officer.
- Diabetes care support service provider Podimetrics announced two additions to their executive team, with Sid Rao joining as Chief Information Officer and Dr. Gary Rothenberg joining as Director of Medical Affairs. In addition, Sukanya Soderland joins the company’s board of directors.
- Digestive health digital service provider Vivante Health hired Dr. Hau Liu as Chief Medical Officer.
- Telemental health platform Brightside Health appointed Jeff Margolis as an independent board member and Dr. David Shulkin as an advisor.
- Data protection platform Privya added Peter Swire to its Executive Advisory Board; as Chief Counselor for Privacy under President Bill Clinton, he led the effort to write the HIPAA Privacy Rule.
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