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...
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...
The Expanded Employee Retention Credit: Is Your Medical Group Eligible?
After a dismal financial year in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, physician practice revenue is once again increasing. Hospital groups saw improvements in physician productivity and revenue in the second quarter of 2021 compared to the second quarter of...
Achieving Value-based Care Through Population Health and Patient Engagement
It’s been a little more than 15 years since Michael Porter, Ph.D., a professor at Harvard Business School, published his book “Redefining Health Care Creating Value-Based Competition on Results.” Along with Elizabeth Teisberg, Ph.D., Porter introduced through his...
Leveraging Digital Technology to Provide Healthcare During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond
The COVID-19 virus isn’t making its exit anytime soon. Although life has returned somewhat to “normal” with the approval and distribution of three highly effective vaccines, the twice-as-contagious Delta variant has put more than 90,000 coronavirus patients in...
COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Social Determinants of Health: A Challenging Combination
National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) is an annual observance held in August to highlight the importance of vaccination for people of all ages. As of August 23, 2021, approximately 171 million United States residents (51.16 percent of the total population) have...
How Technology Can Improve Future Health Outcomes for Women with Complicated Pregnancies
We owe our lives to our mothers. Yet, in many ways, the American healthcare system is failing to care for them beyond pregnancy. The American Heart Association (AHA) and College of Cardiology know that pregnancy-related complications can indicate a heightened risk of...
The Importance of HIPAA-compliant Technology
Healthcare is one of the most targeted industries for cybercrime. That’s nothing new. However, the rate at which it’s being attacked is rapidly increasing. Ransomware attacks cost the industry $20.8 billion in downtime in 2020, double the amount from 2019. One report...
Automation and Communication in Healthcare: Improving Patient Care While Reducing Waste
Waste is an unfortunate part of almost every industry. Construction, demolition and renovation companies generate waste in the form of ignitable or toxic wreckage and debris. Motor freight and railroad transportation businesses emit residuals from shipment of product...
Telehealth for Rural Communities: An Important Component in the Transition to Value-based Care
Have you ever visited McMullen, Alabama or traveled to Hobart Bay, Alaska? How about Jerome, Arizona or Magnet Cove, Arkansas? If you’ve never stepped foot in any of these American towns, you’re probably not alone. Along with Vernon, California, they’re five of the...
Three Social Determinants of Health to Address Via Patient Outreach Post-COVID-19
Examining social determinants of health (SDOH) and how they affect certain populations is nothing new for healthcare providers and payers. Some providers are investing in additional staff and other resources to zero in on SDOH to improve health outcomes, reduce...
