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 Studies
Amid the push for interoperability, data gaps persist, according to the inaugural State of Interoperability report from Health Gorilla, a health information network. The survey of provider, EHR, lab, and digital health executives found that 69% of digital health companies experience gaps in their data sets, while 60% of health systems report that data retrieved from HIEs is duplicative or incomplete. That said, the majority of executives support TEFCA as well as information sharing for use cases beyond clinical care.
Two-thirds of patients don’t know where their healthcare data goes when they leave the doctor’s office, according to the latest survey from data platform Carta Healthcare. This is despite the fact that 65% of survey respondents saying they believe patients should own their data. In addition, 60% of respondents said they don’t have immediate access to their medical records after an appointment – and 17% don’t know if they have access at all.
Only 52% of healthcare workers believe they are paid fairly, according to the Qualtrics 2023 Healthcare Experience Trends Report, which surveyed 3,000 workers in 27 countries. Nearly 4 in 10 workers reported that they’re considering leaving their current role, and a similar percentage (38%) are at risk of burnout. This is having an impact on the patient experience, as more consumers said they are satisfied with their insurance plan (76%) than with their hospital (74%).
Research from analytics and value-based care platform Clarify Health confirmed that Higher surgical volume of hip and knee replacements resulted in better clinical and financial outcomes. High-volume surgeons had readmission rates that were up to 51% lower than low-volume surgeons, while the total cost of care as $2,800 for hip replacements and $1,500 lower for knee replacements.
Global AI cybersecurity firm Darktrace reported that healthcare organizations are increasingly susceptible to suspicious network scanning, which is often the first step in a cyberattack. The company also noted that the volume of data exfiltration threats against healthcare increased in 2022 – not surprising given the value of healthcare data to attackers.
DirectTrust announced announced TNAP-Participant program, Version 2.0 criteria is available for public comment until March 20. This version of the accreditation program address the Recognized Coordinating Entity (RCE) requirements for working with Qualified Health Information Networks (QHINs).
Thirty-nine vendors and organizations signed the Global Health Equity Network Zero Health Gaps Pledge at the World Economic Forum, pledging to reduce gaps in health equity through their organizations. Notable healthcare technology signatories include Accolade, Cityblock Health, and StartUp Health, along with providers such as Boston Medical Center, Hackensack Meridian Health, and Kaiser Permanente.
Partnerships
- Diagnostics company PERSOWN launched SMASH-H, its open platform for monitoring sepsis in the hospital and at home, with the platform’s predictive analytics powered by SAS.
- DrFirst is collaborating with wellconnected, a social and mental care platform, to connect clients for referrals, services, and follow-up.
- ShiftMed has integrated with UKG, enabling streamlined healthcare workforce and schedule management.
- Data sharing platform Datavant is partnering with Socially Determined to provide deidentified social risk data at the patient level. In addition, Datavant received FedRAMP authorization for cybersecurity and compliance.
- Clinical decision support system VisualDx received a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support national public health efforts in India and Nigeria.
Products
- AVIA launched AVIA Marketplace, a platform connecting hospitals and health systems to curated digital health tools.
- Workflow automation company OmniLife Health expanded its FlowHawk platform to cover oncology, organ transplant, and other complex care use cases.
- Community health network AllianceChicago achieved a 13% increase in well-child visits and immunizations using QliqSOFT chatbots, which were donated to support the research project.
- Healthcare workforce development company HealthStream has issued 1 million life support certifications.
Awards
- Advata CEO Julie Rezek was recognized as a Female Executive of the Year by the TITAN Women In Business Awards for launching the advanced analytics company six months after integrating six merged companies.
- Health information network Availity was named a Great Place to Work for the third consecutive year.
People
- RPM solution provider Clear Arch Health made two additions to its business development leadership team. Bill Paschall joins as Senior Vice President, Growth and Strategic Accounts, and Matt Peterson joins as VP, Sales and Business Development.
- The American Telemedicine Association named Cigna’s Mary Griskewicz the chair of its Policy Council and also appointed three new members to the council.
- Medical device security firm Cylera appointed Geyer Jones as Chief Operating Officer.
- Consultancy ICF announced Jennifer Welham as the head of its health, human services, and workforce business.
- Law firm Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner appointed Jennifer Csik Hutchens as Global Head of Health Care.
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