Here's The Latest in Health Care:

•  The nonprofit Physicians Foundation has started a program to financially incentivize physicians to link their electronic health records to health information exchanges (HIEs). The Foundation is partnering with six state medical societies in an effort to facilitate the sharing of and access to interoperable patient data. The number of EHRs and other systems physicians are required to use is one of the leading causes of burnout. This initiative has the potential to improve data sharing while reducing the burdens currently faced by physicians and patients.  Read More

•  According to a new report from The Leapfrog Group, patients at hospitals that received “D” and “F” grades in safety were 88% more likely to die from medical error compared to those treated at higher scoring facilities. Although the death rate from medical error has improved over time, decreasing from 205,000 avoidable deaths in 2016 to 160,000 in 2018, these statistics are alarming to researchers. Some people criticize Leapfrog’s rating system as being too simple and potentially deceptive, although the CEO defends the program, citing that the results are based on actual death rates and real occurrences of medical error.  Read More

•  Research in brain-stimulation has seen many recent developments, including the creation of electric current skullcaps to enhance the memory of older people and electrode skull implants that boost memory storage. The current knowledge about brain stimulation recognizes that there are many different techniques, applications, and unknown risks that come with it. Electrical intervention therapy has been used for many years to provide relief for depression and manage intense medical conditions such as Parkinson’s disease. Brain stimulation studies have been groundbreaking and intriguing, although they have had their share of controversies and still reveal many mysteries to uncover about the human mind.  Read More

•  The United States saw a 2% drop in birth rates from 2017 to 2018, the lowest number in 32 years. Demographers had predicted the birthrate to stabilize or increase due to the growth in the U.S. economy and job market but instead were surprised by the declining birthrate, calling it a “national problem.” Some researchers cite factors such as the increase in Americans who are delaying getting married and having children and an overall negative outlook for the future from those of childbearing age.  Read More

Each 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, secure messaging, clinical communication, MIPS registry, and care navigation software.

Here's The Latest in Health Care:

•  A study from the American Medical Association has found that for the first time since this survey was conducted in 2012, the percentage of employed physicians outnumber self-employed physicians. The findings confirm a continuing trend of declining physician ownership of medical practices due to the administrative burden of health care reform and decreased reimbursement.  Read More

•  A recent study, published in the journal PNAS, provides new evidence of a single gene that determines how different one person's "smellscape" is from another's. The scientists who conducted the study found that the single genetic mutation was linked to dozens of scents including the lily of the valley scent, beet’s earthiness, and the intensity of whiskey’s smokiness.  Read More

•  A new experimental genetic test that can help predict obesity has the scientific community questioning whether a deep dive into DNA databanks is valuable, especially since there is currently no clear way to put that information to use. This type of analysis performed in this study doesn't reveal specific information about individual genes, instead calculating a composite score, and can't be used to understand one’s underlying biology. Some researchers have concluded that while genes influence a person's risk of obesity, the obesity-promoting culture sweeping the nation is far more impactful than being at genetic high risk.  Read More

•  A new study shows that more hospitals and health systems are recognizing the innovation that nurses can bring to their organizations. According to the report, nurses are appreciated by their colleagues for skills in areas such as the "interface of clinical innovation and technology" and "design-thinking for process change.” While this appears to be increasingly true, many health system leaders recognize the need to have more nurse innovators at the leadership level and recognize the forward-thinking skills nurses can contribute to product and process development.  Read More

Each 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, secure messaging, clinical communication, MIPS registry, and care navigation software.

Here's The Latest in Health Care:

•  New research is asking the question: can treating patients with both medicine and compassion make a measurable difference on the wellbeing of both patients and doctors? A recent study has shown that when health care providers take the time to show compassion and make human connections, patient outcomes improve, medical costs decrease, and physicians suffer less burnout.  Read More

•  The Department of Health and Human Services issued a request from December 2018-February 2019 for the public's input on how the HIPAA Privacy Rule could be changed to further promote health care that is better coordinated at lower cost. HHS requested this information on specific HIPAA regulations that present barriers to patient care and interoperability. The office said it wants to update HIPAA to support care coordination, improved patient outcomes, and easier access for patients to their protected health information. The AMA later posted a letter saying that this wasn't necessary and urging HHS not to make changes.  Read More

•  A recent United Nations report says that the overuse of common antimicrobial drugs is leading to the world’s population becoming unable to fight deadly infections. The problem is predicted to majorly impact underdeveloped countries, which are more prone to the spread of infectious diseases. The report seeks to raise public awareness and urge political leaders to take action.  Read More

•  Cincinnati-based health system Bon Secours Mercy is planning on yet another merger - this time in Ireland. The new partnership will create a system with more than 60,000 employees and improve care for their patients and communities. These new merger talks with Bon Secours Ireland comes only months after Bon Secours and Mercy Health finalized their merger, which resulted in a whopping $293 million in operating income.  Read More

Each 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, secure messaging, clinical communication, MIPS registry, and care navigation software.

Here's The Latest in Health Care:

•  Recent studies show that time spent on smartphones impacts sleep, self-esteem, relationships, memory, and more. The use of our favorite devices can also cause elevated levels of cortisol, the body’s main stress hormone. Increased stress levels can have dangerous effects, including an increased risk of serious health problems and a shorter lifespan.  Read More

•  On April 19, CMS proposed increasing payments to skilled nursing homes by 2.5% in 2020. This new structure for the SNF Value-Based Purchasing Program will calculate Medicare payments based on the patient’s condition and care received, rather than the amount of care provided, more closely aligning with value-based care models.  Read More

•  The FDA has approved an AI-powered wearable device that patients can use to track multiple vital signs, including heart rate and oxygen saturation. Clinicians can receive real-time updates with highly accurate analytics, allowing them to monitor patients’ health and intervene when needed. The company has partnered with large health systems worldwide to assist in delivering home health care, aiming to decrease readmissions and preventable deaths.  Read More

•  Social factors such as food security and access to transportation have been proven to impact health. Health systems are trying to address patient populations struggling in these social and environmental areas to deliver successful care and improve patient outcomes.  Read More

Each 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, secure messaging, clinical communication, MIPS registry, and care navigation software.

Here's The Latest in Health Care:

•  Past studies have struggled to determine whether workplace wellness programs actually improve the health of employees and if it’s worth the $8 billion industry that it’s become. A large-scale study, recently published by the University of Chicago and Harvard, has discovered that incentives and a more targeted approach to these programs may be the key to positive health outcomes.  Read More

•  Telehealth is currently being utilized by 1 in 5 physicians, a 5% increase since 2015, and is expected to skyrocket in the next few years. A new survey from American Well found a correlation between physicians’ likelihood to use Telehealth and physician burnout.  Read More

•  OrthoAtlanta, one of the largest physician-owned orthopedic and sports medicine practices in the greater Atlanta area, has started using an AI-powered, voice-enabled digital assistant named Suki. The technology leverages artificial intelligence to become a digital scribe, capable of completing notes to ease the burden of documentation by clinicians. The practice saw their average note completion time decrease significantly as well as many other advantages.  Read More

•  A hand-held ultrasound scanner, Butterfly iQ, is being utilized in rural countries that have limited access to X-ray machines, CT and MRI scanners. In some African villages, the scanner is being used to check for pneumonia and other potentially fatal conditions. The battery powered device, which can connect to a mobile phone, is expected to have huge diagnostic potential.  Read More

Each 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, secure messaging, clinical communication, MIPS registry, and care navigation software.

Here's The Latest in Health Care:

•  In a new study, research suggests that sitting for more than 13 hours a day can cause metabolic problems, even with exercise. Exercising can improve our metabolisms and keep our blood sugar and insulin levels steady. Being inactive, however, has the opposite effects, raising the risk of diabetes and heart disease.  Read More

•  Interoperability in health care should not only be thought of as a goal but also as an ongoing process that continues to evolve and be redefined with emerging technologies. One health care expert says health care should simplify its approach to data exchange by focusing on worthwhile use cases, sharing first, and then standardizing later. A more unified infrastructure should be in place in order for patients to access their entire medical record.  Read More

•  New York City is now declaring a state of emergency and calling for mandatory vaccinations after over 285 cases of measles have been reported since October. Brooklyn neighborhoods, Williamsburg and Borough Park, have been hit the hardest. All unimmunized children and adults in this area are mandated to receive vaccinations and those who do not comply could incur fines and violations.  Read More

•  Walgreens is opening a series of primary care clinics in Houston as part of its new health care delivery models and in partnership with VillageMD. The first locations are scheduled to open by the end of the year, with plans to possibly expand in Texas and other markets.  Read More

Each 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, secure messaging, clinical communication, MIPS registry, and care navigation software.

Here's The Latest in Health Care:

•  How well do you know this week's latest news in health care? Take the quiz to find out!  Read More

•  Experts in health IT consulting offer advice on software implementation best practices. Where best to start? To ensure success, they recommend beginning relationships with consultants as early as possible. By engaging consultants early in the process, health care organizations can discuss alternatives before predetermining which technologies to use and implement.  Read More

•  Poor diets are responsible for about 11 million deaths a year around the globe. As a planet, many diets lack whole grains, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables and are supplemented with too many sugary drinks, salt, and processed meats. When it comes to ending hunger and improving health globally, we don't just need food, we need nourishment.  Read More

•  As care begins to shift away from physician offices to outpatient settings, we see the cost go up for those services. This comes at a time when more and more medical practices are being absorbed by hospitals and large health systems. Services in the outpatient setting tend to be more expensive and also tend to increase at a faster rate.  Read More

Each 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, secure messaging, clinical communication, MIPS registry, and care navigation software.

Here's The Latest in Health Care:

•  In a recent study, researchers point out how quickly the adverse effects of chronic sleep deprivation, which includes weight gain and increased risk of Type 2 diabetes, can kick in. However, by making up for loss of sleep in the short term, like long weekend sleep to compensate for short weekday sleep or by taking naps, you're less likely to have an increased risk of premature death.  Read More

•  Proper communication amongst care team members is critical and can directly impact patient care. When implementing clinical communication technology, it's important to have the buy-in of the entire organization. Why? While organizations are provided with the software tools, it's the responsibility of everyone in the organization to ensure internal optimization and collective use of those communication tools. It takes a large amount of time, commitment, and resources to do it right.  Read More

•  Experts in nutritional psychiatry argue that fresh and nutritious food can be a potent addition to more traditional therapies such as prescribed medications and therapy. A recent study has shown that there are higher levels of mental health and well-being among those who ate more fresh fruits and vegetables.  Read More

•  The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) updated Medicaid regulations for community and home-based health facilities for certain beneficiaries. The aim of this new guidance is to remove bias against certain types of health care settings and allow providers the ability to meet the rule's criteria while serving individuals in integrated community settings.  Read More

Each 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, secure messaging, clinical communication, MIPS registry, and care navigation software.

Here's The Latest in Health Care:

•  The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently proposed a new rule to improve the interoperability of Electronic Health Information between different health systems. In a recent press release, HHS will require the health care industry to adopt standardized application programming interfaces (APIs) to allow seamless movement of health information from one system to another by 2020. This has been a long-awaited victory for patients, now giving them the accessibility they need to view their medical and insurance records from any device.  Read More

•  In a report published Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention highlighted the start of the nation's third opioid epidemic wave with fentanyl at the center of it all. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that offers a particularly potent high but can also shut down breathing in under a minute. What's fueling the recent spike in fentanyl deaths? The drug is easy to produce due to its synthetic nature, making it easier for drug dealers to traffic and for users to get a hold of it.  Read More

•  As technology begins to drive the health care industry, providers need to be cautious not to lose the element of humanity in how they deliver care. Telehealth can be a powerful tool to gather data and logic but if handled well, it can also be a compelling model for quality patient care. It's important to think of telehealth as a virtual starting point in providing convenient, transparent, and quality care, remembering to incorporate a personal touch and acknowledging the value of both the provider's and the patient's time.  Read More

•  Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) - a concept that's been sensationalized in Hollywood films and a reality that's slowly starting to make its way into health care. A new breed of artificial intelligence technology is rapidly spreading across the medical field in which systems and devices are able to detect signs of illness and disease in a wide variety of images, such as C.A.T. scans and X-rays. However, scientists warn of a dark side of A.I. where small manipulations can change the behavior of A.I. systems. The biggest concern is of these devices or systems getting into the wrong hands of those who would manipulate A.I. to misdiagnose patients for the purpose of maximizing on insurance reimbursements.  Read More

Each 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, secure messaging, clinical communication, MIPS registry, and care navigation software.

Here's The Latest in Health Care:

•  In a recent statement by the Food and Drug Administration, the agency reported that several makeup products from Claire's stores, a common sight in many malls across the U.S., tested positive for asbestos. Asbestos is a mineral that has been linked to deadly cancers. Claire's has removed the three products that tested positive from stores, which includes eye shadows, compact powder, and contour powder.  Read More

•  The joint health care venture between Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, and JPMorgan Chase will officially be called Haven. The aim of the company is to bring together the three companies to create better patient outcomes, greater satisfaction, and lower costs for U.S. employees and their families.  Read More

•  Eating grapefruit or drinking grapefruit juice can have dangerous and even life-threatening effects while taking certain drugs. Grapefruit juice is known to interfere with absorption of some drugs. Additional drugs affected by grapefruit are some AIDS medications, certain birth control pills, antihistamines, some blood pressure drugs, and more.  Read More

•  Health care professionals are urging the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to clarify its opioid guideline pertaining specifically to the matters of opioid taper and discontinuation. Experts say the CDC's opioid guideline is being misapplied and is hurting chronic pain patients, even driving some to suicide.  Read More

Each 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, secure messaging, clinical communication, MIPS registry, and care navigation software.