COVID-19 Test Results: How Texting Makes it Easy for Patients to Access Lab Results from Epic
Since COVID-19 began affecting our communities in March, nearly 75 million tests for the viral infection have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For the public health laboratories and clinics that are processing results, that's a...
Telehealth Beyond the Virtual Visit
Patient volumes are near 2019 levels for many healthcare providers, even as they continue to be impacted by waves of COVID-19 cases due to newly emerging variants. Some of the approximately 40 percent of Americans who delayed medical care during the height of the...
Digital Healthcare: Automating Administrative Workflows to Reduce Burnout and Address Staffing Shortages
In its Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century report, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) listed one of its "Aims for Improvement" as healthcare being efficient. In summary, the goal of this efficiency is reducing waste and...
HIPAA Compliance: Keeping Patient Data Secure While Conducting Patient Outreach
The healthcare industry wasn’t always considered a primary target for cybercrime. However, the rapid emergence and adoption of technology by providers along with the vast amounts of protected health information (PHI) they’re required to handle have resulted in it...
Seven Recent Regulatory Changes for COVID-19 Vaccine and Testing Mandates: What Healthcare Providers Should Know
A lot has happened in the United States since early September. In the entertainment world, Jamie Spears was suspended and subsequently removed as the conservator for his daughter, Brittany. In politics, California Governor Gavin Newsom won the recall election to...
Patient Portals: A Valuable Tool For Improving Patient Engagement
Just a couple years ago, many healthcare providers cited artificial intelligence and machine learning as key areas of focus for their organizations. Now, the emphasis has shifted to patient engagement. More than half of healthcare chief information officers (CIOs)...
Delayed Treatment, Screenings and Care Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Healthcare Provider Guide
Lack of health insurance and high costs have long been major factors limiting access to healthcare in the United States. In 2019, a record 25 percent of Americans reported that they or a family member put off treatment for a serious medical condition because of the...
How EHR Workflows are Enabling Healthcare Organizations to Improve Patient Engagement for Lung Cancer Screenings
November is lung cancer awareness month and an annual reminder of the life-saving benefits of a low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) scan which can detect lung cancer early when it’s often curable. Given the high mortality rate of patients who are diagnosed with lung...
Telehealth: Offering Enhanced Care for Our Veterans
Focusing on patient engagement offers a multitude of advantages for healthcare providers, from improved clinical outcomes and lower costs to better reimbursement. It also aids in improved operational efficiency and boosts population health and value-based care...
How a Community Health Partnership Is Addressing Health Disparities Amidst COVID-19
Racial and ethnic inequities have underpinned disparities in health care for decades, but the COVID-19 pandemic shined a light on a broader range of dimensions that systematically impact both the quality and accessibility of health care for various people groups...
3 Disruptive Technologies That Will Advance Patient Care
Innovations in computer science and data science are on track to revolutionize almost every sector of the economy — including critical fields like healthcare. Big data, AI and smart technology all provide organizations with better access to data than ever before, as...
5 Obstacles to Overcome for Seamless Lab Workflows Using EHR Technology
Electronic health record (EHR) technology intends to minimize the administrative burdens of paper documentation for healthcare providers. But when it comes to ordering and tracking lab results, disjointed workflows can make it harder for clinicians to maximize the...
Integrating The Social Determinants of Health Into Value-based Care
Access to healthcare, which consists of coverage, services, timeliness and workforce, should be equally available to all Americans. However, there are multiple barriers to healthcare, including lack of health insurance, poor access to transportation and limited...
