HEALTH CARE WEEK IN REVIEW: APIs That Connect to Certified EHR Technology on the Rise, Voice-only Telehealth May Go Away With Pandemic Rules Expiring, Tips to Integrate EHR with Clinical Communication and Collaboration Tools, CMS Expands Medicare Coverage for Remote Patient Monitoring

Here's The Latest in Health Care:
• The number of APIs that integrate with certified EHR technology is expected to continue to climb as more developers meet Cures Act requirements. As a result, it should start to become easier for patients to use smartphones, tablets, and desktop apps to access their personal health information from certified EHR systems. Read More
• Telehealth has become a common practice in the last couple of years, but the rules that temporarily eased licensing and reimbursement restrictions in ways that expanded the usage are rapidly shifting. For example, about half of all U.S. states have passed measures keeping audio-only telehealth in place, while the remaining states, absent legislation or old restrictions governing telehealth have either kicked back in or will sunset when the federal public health emergency ends. Read More
• Healthcare systems looking to remedy the fatigue brought on by unwieldy electronic health records systems and mounting staff shortages should explore how the integration of clinical communication and collaboration tools can modernize their workflows and ultimately enhance patient care. Read More
• Health systems are looking at remote patient monitoring as an emerging piece of the care delivery puzzle, but they need help embracing the strategy. Recent moves by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to improve coverage are a step in the right direction, but experts say the effort is still very much a work in progress. Read More
Every Friday, Signor Goat reports the latest from the week in health care. Check back next Friday for your dose of our little medical corner of health care news. Brought to you by pMD, innovators in charge capture, medical billing, revenue cycle management, telehealth, secure messaging, clinical communication, and care navigation software.