Health IT Issues that Deserve a Second Read – September 2021
One of the ways that HealthIT Answers is different from other media sites is the sense of community. The thought leaders in our community are good about sharing their thoughts on the issues of today. We publish at least eight guest posts a week now, so in case you missed some, here are the top ten read and shared guest posts in the month of September. You can also read previous month’s Top Ten Lists. Thank you for contributing and reading.
Most Played Radio Episode in September
From HealthLaw HotSpot, host Ericka Adler, Roetzel shareholder and Health Law Practice Group Leader is joined by Andrea Winslow, Neurosurgery Recruitment Consultant at Rosman Search, for a look at both the employer and candidate sides of physician recruitment. For employers, they discuss the factors that affect recruitment decisions, including type of practice and reason for hiring, and the requirements of the new position, along with the appropriate compensation package. For the candidate side of the search, they focus on what to look for in a new position, how to analyze the officer holistically, and what red flags a candidate should be aware of to avoid ending up in an unsatisfactory employment position.
Most Read Thought Leader Posts in September
The Evolution of Patient Communication: As Easy as a Text
By Josh Weiner, CEO, SR Health by Solutionreach
Twitter: @FollowSRHealth
You might be surprised to learn just how many patients in 2021 are thumbing it. No, they’re not standing on the roadside trying to catch a ride, but rather folks of all ages are thumbing out text messages to interact with their healthcare providers. In recent years, a diverse set of factors has intersected to make text messaging one of the fastest growing forms of patient-provider communication. Continue reading…
Staying the Course for MIPS 2021 Can Pay Off Bigger Than Ever Before
By Joy Rios, Chirpy Bird Health IT Consulting
Twitter: @chirpybirdhit
Twitter: @askjoyrios
Every MIPS point will help you earn your fair share of the possible incentive money this year. In the CY 2021 PFS Final Rule, CMS states that with the finalized “performance threshold at 60 points, the maximum payment adjustment is 7.36 percent. However, if you ignore MIPS and your efforts aren’t a priority or you slack-off you could be penalized up to -9 percent. Let’s talk about what can you do in each category to stay on track and protect your reimbursement. Continue reading…
Key Takeaways from Micky Tripathi’s SHIEC 2021 Keynote
By Eliana Donner-Klein, Senior Associate for Marketing, Audacious Inquiry
Twitter: @A_INQ
AS HITECH funding wanes and health information technology innovations flourish, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology Micky Tripathi’s keynote from the SHIEC 2021 Conference highlighted the groundbreaking work being done in the health information technology (health IT) space. The keynote highlighted the nexus of technology, business, and policy and the role of health IT in pandemic and public health responses. Continue reading…
Combating Social Isolation for Aging Populations with Chronic Care Management
By David Hunt, Founder & President, Cosán Group
Twitter: @cosangrp
Social isolation is more than an emotional hardship – it can have chronic and quantifiable effects on overall health, especially for older adults. For adults aged 50 and older, social isolation significantly increases their risk of dementia, heart failure, and even premature death. The pandemic brought with it intense quarantine and stay-at-home-measures, which posed a heightened threat to this population that’s already at a higher risk of loneliness due to late-in-life factors such as living alone, the loss of family and friends, chronic illness, and sensory impairment. Continue reading…
Healthcare Apps, Data Privacy and Security Risks
By Susan Walberg JD, Principal Consultant, Compliance Ala Carte
Twitter: @AlaCompliance
Healthcare apps have become increasingly prevalent, with people using them for counting steps, monitoring their calories, or linking to various medical devices, to name just a few examples. Since the COVID outbreak, however, and the explosion of telehealth as a healthcare option, these apps have proliferated at an insane rate. As of 2020, there were 325,000 healthcare apps on the market, with more coming all the time. Continue reading…
My First 100 Days and Where We Go From Here: A Strategic Vision for CMS
By Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Twitter: @CMSGov
We’ve learned a lot during the COVID-19 pandemic on the ways access to comprehensive health care affects our lives and well-being. The availability of COVID-19 tests, vaccines, and treatments have saved millions of Americans from sickness and death ̶ because the federal government stepped up to make sure that every person who needs COVID-related care has access to the care they need. Continue reading…
Telehealth’s Limits: Battle Over State Lines and Licensing Threatens Patients’ Options
By Julie Appleby, Kaiser Health News
Twitter: @KHNews
Twitter: @Julie_Appleby
If you live in one state, does it matter that the doctor treating you online is in another? Surprisingly, the answer is yes, and the ability to conduct certain virtual appointments may be nearing an end. Televisits for medical care took off during the worst days of the pandemic, quickly becoming commonplace. Most states and CMS temporarily waived rules requiring licensed clinicians to hold a valid license in the state where their patient is located. Continue reading…
Transitioning a Healthcare Facility to a Wireless Network
By Dan Matthews, Writer, Content Consultant, and Researcher
Twitter: @danielmatthews0
Although COVID-19 jumpstarted the digital shift in almost every industry, the transition failed to completely take hold in the field of healthcare. Whether because the healthcare industry had bigger fish to fry or because security concerns ran rampant, some healthcare facilities have yet to make the complete transition to a wireless network. Continue reading…
Why HIPAA Security Practices Are a Hot Topic This Fall
By Devin Partida, Editor-in-Chief, ReHack.com
Twitter: @rehackmagazine
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act is a popular topic of conversation today. While these regulations and how they pertain to hospital security practices have always been relevant, they’ve attained unprecedented press recently. Google searches for HIPAA skyrocketed in March 2020 and again in May 2021. Discussions over HIPAA security practices will likely continue to populate the internet and business meetings throughout the fall, too. Continue reading…
V-Safe: How Everyday People Help the CDC Track Covid Vaccine Safety With Their Phones
By Amanda Michelle Gomez, Kaiser Health News
Twitter: @KHNews
Twitter: @amanduhgomez
Of the 203 million people who have received at least one dose of a covid-19 vaccine, more than 9 million have enrolled in a program to share information about their health since getting the shot. The initiative was created for the covid-19 vaccines to complement the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine safety monitoring system. Known as v-safe, the registry lets inoculated people report their experiences, including serious suspected side effects, directly to the CDC through smartphones, adding to the data gathered from clinical trials and other safety monitoring systems. Continue reading…
