August, 2022

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The Pandemic Policy Excuse of ‘Meeting People Where They Are’

Bill of Health

By Daniel Goldberg. Too often throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, policymakers have justified controversial policy choices by stating that the world is not arranged in a way to make certain actions feasible. While practical difficulties matter, permitting such difficulties to exhaust the scope of our ethical obligations is a grave mistake that moves us farther away from a just and equitable world.

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4 Growing Trends In Healthcare Technology

Electronic Health Reporter

This article is copyrighted strictly for Electronic Health Reporter. Illegal copying is prohibited. Healthcare innovation relies on expanding base knowledge as it improves technology designed to provide specific solutions in the healthcare field. Add to the many challenges facing healthcare and coming out of a once-in-a-century pandemic that […].

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No Take-Backs: Moderna’s Attempt to Renege on its Vaccine Patent Pledge

Bill of Health

By Jorge L. Contreras. On October 8, 2020, Moderna, the maker of one of the first mRNA-based vaccines for COVID-19 and the recipient of billions of dollars of U.S. government funding, announced that it felt “a special obligation … to use our resources to bring this pandemic to an end as quickly as possible.” As a result, it publicly promised that “ while the pandemic continues, Moderna will not enforce our COVID-19 related patents against those making vaccines intended to combat the pandemic.

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How Intermountain Healthcare gets top marks for virtual care

Healthcare It News

Telehealth has been operationally implemented within Intermountain Healthcare since 2015, with pilots running for several years prior. As a centralized service, it was possible to engage with a broad consortium of departments such as legal, finance, marketing, compliance and physician affairs to develop models, learn about the nuances of implementing telehealth as an embedded service and engage with clinical leadership on the opportunities.

COVID-19 360
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Bridging Innovation & Patient Care: The Growing Role of AI

Speaker: Simran Kaur, Co-founder & CEO at Tattva.Health

AI is transforming clinical trials—accelerating drug discovery, optimizing patient recruitment, and improving data analysis. But its impact goes far beyond research. As AI-driven innovation reshapes the clinical trial process, it’s also influencing broader healthcare trends, from personalized medicine to patient outcomes. Join this new webinar featuring Simran Kaur for an insightful discussion on what all of this means for the future of healthcare!

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Telehealth visits rose in May, mirroring COVID-19 diagnoses

Healthcare Dive

Patients made greater use of virtual care visits for a second straight month during an upturn in coronavirus cases.

COVID-19 359
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Why telehealth is more than just a pandemic trend

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

The COVID-19 pandemic brought telemedicine technology and services to a mainstream audience – like it or not. As it turned out, studies have shown that a great many patients and providers like the flexibility that telemedicine affords. Liz Fobare is vice president of product management at Kareo, a vendor of cloud-based clinical and practice management software for independent healthcare practices and billing companies.

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Virtual Care and Mental Health Top of Mind for Employers’ Workplaces in 2023

Health Populi

The concept that all companies are “health care companies” takes on greater import in the wake of the pandemic. The 2023 Large Employers’ Health Care Strategy and Plan Design Survey from the Business Group on Health (BGH) found that two in three large employers see their health and well-being strategy as an integral part of their overall workforce strategy.

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Another Legislative Attempt to Revive Gene Patenting

Bill of Health

In its unanimous 2013 decision in Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics (569 U.S. 576) the U.S. Supreme Court held that naturally occurring genomic sequences are not eligible for patent protection. Not surprisingly, some representatives of the biotechnology industry, and many patent lawyers, reacted negatively to the decision, and have steadily lobbied Congress to restore patent protection for isolated and purified genomic sequences.

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Leveraging the cloud and AI to transform the patient experience

Healthcare It News

Whether they are about mental health, COVID, general health concerns or any number of other issues, healthcare provider organizations constantly are managing droves of calls from patients. Vendors of cloud technologies are aiming to tackle the issue of high call volumes while at the same time helping healthcare call centers reimagine the patient and employee experience.

HIPAA 351
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California probes Kaiser over enrollee access to mental health appointments

Healthcare Dive

The investigation comes as a strike by therapists over staffing issues at Kaiser facilities in Northern California enters its third week.

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HIPAA Compliance 2025: Navigating Regulatory Changes & Industry Trends

Based on comprehensive survey data from diverse healthcare providers, the 2025 HIPAA Benchmark Report delivers actionable intelligence for modern compliance programs. This report examines how organizations are restructuring HIPAA Privacy Programs to address emerging regulatory requirements. Through analysis of staffing models, program operations, and breach management protocols, it provides a clear picture of current best practices.

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HIMSSCast: The nursing shortage – how health IT helps and harms

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

Most healthcare professionals are well aware of the nurse shortage that America faces today. In this HIMSSCast podcast, we'll be digging into this crisis and the role played, both good and bad, by healthcare information technology. Joining Healthcare IT News to discuss this and more is April Kapu, DNP, president of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

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July 2022 Healthcare Data Breach Report

HIPAA Journal

In July 2022, 66 healthcare data breaches of 500 or more records were reported to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights, which is a 5.71% reduction from the 70 data breaches reported in June 2022 and July 2021. While the number of data breaches fell slightly from last month, data breaches are being reported at well over the average monthly rate of 57 breaches per month.

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Using Data-Driven Fintech Tools to Tackle the Healthcare Affordability Crisis

Healthcare IT Today

The following is a guest article by Chiranjib Gupta, Chief Risk Officer at PayZen. We are witnessing a healthcare affordability crisis in America. Reading the headlines, it doesn’t take long to encounter some horror story of medical costs running rampant: an uninsured woman saddled with bills in the tens of thousands for a complicated birth, a life-saving medication costing a patient hundreds of dollars per vial, the list goes on.

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A New Theory for Gene Ownership

Bill of Health

By James Toomey. The story of Henrietta Lacks is surely among the most famous in the history of bioethics, and its facts are well-known. Ms. Lacks sought treatment for cervical cancer. After conducting a biopsy on her tumor, her doctors learned that her cancer cells reproduced uniquely effectively. Without her knowledge or consent, her doctors derived from the cells the HeLa cell line — the world’s first immortal human cell line, worth billions and a driver of the biotechnology revolution.

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Simplify Screening for Excluded Providers

Every health care provider that accepts federal payments must screen for excluded providers. Use this sample Exclusion Screening Checklist and Compliance Policy to evaluate and improve your organization’s compliance with the law. Payments from Medicare, Medicaid, and TriCare trigger screening requirements that may extend to employees, contractors, volunteers, board members, and network providers.

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Athenahealth adds automated patient engagement feature to help with medication adherence

Healthcare It News

Whether it’s due to high out-of-pocket costs, concerns about side effects, procrastination or other factors, 20-30% of patients don’t act on their new prescriptions, while others do not take medications as prescribed. WHY IT MATTERS. By partnering with Watertown, Massachusetts-based athenahealth, the system’s 145,000 providers can now access automated messaging within their established prescribing workflows to help drive better adherence to prescribed treatment plans.

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Hospitals have low level of accountability for connected device breaches

Healthcare Dive

Of the 43% of organizations that reported a data breach in the past two years, 88% said at least one connected device was a contributing factor to the breach, according to a new report.

Hospitals 349
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One Medical posts revenue, membership gains as it preps for Amazon acquisition

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

One Medical announced is 2nd quarter financial results this week, showing growth in both net revenue and membership. Year-over-year, compared to the three months ending June 30, 2021, the technology-enabled primary care provider posted the following numbers: Net revenue was $255.8 million YOY, compared to $120.4 million in 2021 – a 112% increase.

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Ransomware Gangs Adopt Callback Phishing Techniques for Gaining Initial Network Access

HIPAA Journal

Multiple ransomware groups have adopted the BazarCall callback phishing technique to gain initial access to victims’ networks, including threat actors that have targeted the healthcare sector. BazarCall is a type of callback phishing, where organizations are targeted and sent ‘phishing’ emails that request a call to a telephone number to resolve an important issue.

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Navigating Payroll Compliance: Future-Proofing Payroll in an Evolving Regulatory Landscape

Speaker: Jennifer Hill

Payroll compliance is a cornerstone of business success, yet for small and midsize businesses, it’s becoming increasingly challenging to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of federal, state, and local regulations. Mistakes can lead to costly penalties and operational disruptions, making it essential to adopt advanced solutions that ensure accuracy and efficiency.

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The Biggest Challenge to Lowering Costs in Healthcare

Healthcare IT Today

In all of my conversations, people know that I often go back to one basic principle: Follow the Money. It’s amazing how often that explains various behaviors, market dynamics, or trying to understand the why of something that seems unexplainable. However, in healthcare I find this is often dramatically more complicated than people realize. The number of people and organizations that profit off the dysfunction of healthcare is troubling to say the least.

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Prior Authorization Insurance Requirements: A Barrier to Accessing Lifesaving Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder?

Bill of Health

By Juan M. Hincapie-Castillo and Amie J. Goodin. Policies to mitigate the drug overdose crisis continue to fall short, as evidenced by increasing rates of opioid-involved overdoses and deaths in the United States. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this overdose crisis , and efforts are urgently needed to mitigate harm. Individuals who have problematic opioid use are most frequently involved in opioid-involved overdoses, meaning that the use of a prescription opioid, or much more commonly a n

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Geisinger's telemedicine program shoots from 20 specialties to more than 70

Healthcare It News

Pennsylvania's Geisinger health system faces several challenges common to the healthcare industry, such as improving access to care, recruiting and retaining providers, and scaling technologies for rapid deployment across multiple campuses and dozens of medical specialties. THE PROBLEM. Serving predominantly rural communities, many of Geisinger's patients experience barriers to getting the care they need.

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15M Medicaid enrollees risk coverage loss when PHE ends, HHS reports

Healthcare Dive

A disproportionate number of those who stand to lose coverage are children and young adults, according to the agency.

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The Evolution of Communication in Healthcare Settings

Healthcare communication has evolved from handwritten notes and paper charts to digital tools like EHRs, telemedicine, and AI-powered platforms. This blog explores how these advancements improve patient outcomes, streamline care delivery, and enhance provider collaboration. Learn about the role of mobile health (mHealth) apps, secure messaging, and social media in bridging communication gaps.

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AI-powered telehealth improves PT care at Essen Health Care

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

Essen Health Care, a medical group in New York City, has a Center of Excellence for Pain with physical therapy, pain specialists, neurology and orthopedic specialists. It serves patients with acute and chronic issues in need of physical therapy. In addition, it serves many elderly house call patients, due to pandemic restrictions, who have functionally deteriorated due to a lack of physical activity.

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55% of Healthcare Organizations Suffered a Third-Party Data Breach in the Past Year

HIPAA Journal

Cyberattacks on businesses have been increasing year over year across all industry sectors, and there has been an increase in cyberattacks involving third parties. From the point of view of a cyber threat actor, it makes more sense to attack a vendor such as a managed service provider, as if the attack is successful, the threat actor will be able to gain access to the networks of the company’s clients.

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CommonWell, MEDITECH, TEFCA, and QHINs

Healthcare IT Today

The topic of TEFCA and QHINs has been an extremely important one in the world of healthcare IT and particularly when it comes to healthcare interoperability. In many ways, it’s setting the national infrastructure for healthcare interoperability going forward. So, we should be paying attention. As we continue to learn about how the industry is responding to TEFCA and which organizations are planning to apply to be a QHIN, we thought it would be valuable to sit down with CommonWell and a C

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Does the Right to Health Enhance Patient Rights?

Bill of Health

By Luciano Bottini Filho. Despite the value of a constitutionally enshrined right to health, such a guarantee, on its own, does not ensure patient rights or a nuanced understanding of patient-centered care. This article will consider the case study of Brazil as an example. Despite Brazil’s recognition of the right to health, this constitutional protection does not set sufficient standards to guide judicial decision-making around patient care.

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3 Reasons to Retire Pagers from Healthcare Settings

Let's discuss the trusty pager—an old favorite that’s losing its shine in hospitals and clinics. While once a staple in hospitals and clinics, pagers now present significant limitations that hinder rather than facilitate communication among healthcare professionals. Healthcare professionals are constantly on the move, and they need communication tools that can keep up with their fast-paced lives.

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OptimizeRx AI pilot identifies non-adherence risks

Healthcare It News

Patients can experience unexpected access and affordability barriers that physicians lack visibility into, but by searching for the early indicators of non-adherence, physicians could act to help patients stay on their treatment plans. Rochester, Michigan-based OptimizeRx Corp., which provides care-focused engagement throughout patient journeys and connects more than 60% of U.S. healthcare providers to their patients, launched a pharmaceutical pilot to identify doctors whose patient treatment pl

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Strikes among healthcare workers in 2022

Healthcare Dive

On Monday, some 15,000 nurses at 15 hospitals across Minnesota voted to authorize a strike.

Nurses 347
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New healthcare uses for existing technologies

Healthcare IT News - Telehealth

Enterprise Taxonomy: Node settings: Exclude from Accelerate RSS feed

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326,278 Aetna ACE Members Affected by Ransomware Attack at Mailing Vendor

HIPAA Journal

The health insurer Aetna ACE is one of the latest healthcare organizations to announce it has been affected by a ransomware attack on a mailing vendor, which involved the protected health information of 326,278 plan members. Aetna said the breach was limited to individuals insured under Aetna ACE, and that no protected health information of individuals served by Aetna or CVS Health was involved.

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15 Modern Use Cases for Enterprise Business Intelligence

Large enterprises face unique challenges in optimizing their Business Intelligence (BI) output due to the sheer scale and complexity of their operations. Unlike smaller organizations, where basic BI features and simple dashboards might suffice, enterprises must manage vast amounts of data from diverse sources. What are the top modern BI use cases for enterprise businesses to help you get a leg up on the competition?