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How Amazon Can Position Itself as the Pharmacy of the Future

We know Amazon has a knack for disruption—over the years it has upended countless brick and mortar bookstores and other major players in the retail industry. The e-commerce behemoth may be at it again, making headlines for its interest in breaking into the pharmacy market in the United States. But delivery of prescription medications to the home already exists for patients with chronic and even acute conditions, while patient portals already give patients online access to payments and prescription refills.

Spotlight

Legacy Home Care, Inc.

Legacy Home Care is a licensed, Class A private duty home health care agency serving Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the surrounding suburbs. Legacy provides exceptional home care services for clients and their families 24/7. With well over 30 years of combined home care experience, the operators of Legacy Home Care do everything to help our clients and their families in living normal lives and wading through the confusing health care system on daily occasions.

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Healthtech Security

Why Including Anesthesia Services in a Single-Bill Strategy Makes Sense

Article | November 29, 2023

As competition for patients intensifies, more hospitals and health systems are embracing a consolidated, single-bill approach for services rendered. Creating a single bill for the patient’s portion of inpatient or outpatient services can help eliminate confusion and reduce the ill will that frequently results when patients receive multiple invoices for a single care event. Yet incorporating anesthesia charges into a consolidated invoice is often problematic due to the unique nature of the anesthesia billing compliance. Anesthesia Billing Service Hurdles A few weeks ago, I met with the CEO of a 300-bed hospital. We discussed anesthesia billing, and he explained that his hospital traditionally outsourced this portion of its billing due to the more complex nature of anesthesia coding and the need to collect anesthesia minutes for billing. Unlike most inpatient services, anesthesia charges are not directly derived from CPT codes but instead utilize minutes and modifiers unique to the specialty. That means coders must use a CPT crosswalk to account for ASA codes, base and time units, emergency- and physical-status monitors, split anesthesia units reflecting CRNA involvement, and other specialty-specific nuances. Most coders and hospital billing staff are not trained in these complexities, and hiring and retaining capable staff in today’s competitive market can be difficult. Moreover, many billing platforms are simply not equipped to incorporate all the variables necessary to produce an accurate anesthesia bill. As a result, producing a consolidated patient bill that includes anesthesia is tricky. Yet leaving anesthesia off a single bill can undercut its value since, after facility and surgical charges, anesthesia often is one of the largest cost items patients incur. Fortunately, we at Change Healthcare know how to roll anesthesia charges into existing hospital billing systems to produce an accurate and timely single patient bill. Helping to Reduce Costs The benefits of consolidated billing extend beyond an improved patient experience. Producing just one bill reduces costs and repetition at both the front and back end of the revenue cycle management process. It can also ease staff burden when collecting on self-pay accounts, since there’s only one bill per patient. Finally, consolidated bills can help increase revenue by simplifying collections when patients present for follow-up care. Here’s an example: When the patient comes back for post-surgery physical therapy, a hospital employee at the registration desk can remind them that they still owe $150 for anesthesia and ask if they’d like to take care of that now. In my experience, patients usually hand over their credit card and settle their bill on the spot when asked at the time of care about a balance due. System-Agnostic Billing Across Hospital Platforms Change Healthcare has a long history of providing full-service, outsourced anesthesia-billing services to hospital and health-system clients. Unlike most other billing vendors, we’ve developed what we call a system-agnostic approach. That means we’ll provide billing services on our proprietary system or on the hospital’s existing billing platform, regardless of type, to generate accurate anesthesia-billing results. In practical terms, we’ll function as part of your billing team and use the same system your coders and billing staff rely on to generate anesthesia charges that can be included in a single patient bill. System-agnostic billing also allows us to provide clients with custom anesthesia reporting that wouldn’t otherwise be available with an outsourced billing solution. This helps clients gain far greater visibility and insight into anesthesia-billing charges. And by incorporating our anesthesia coding and billing capabilities into your existing billing system, you’ll be spreading the platform’s fixed costs across a greater number of departments. The bottom line? It’s not a heavy lift for us to virtually embed our trained anesthesia coders and billing professionals into your system. Our specialists will review your existing platform and provide, at no obligation, a return-on-investment analysis that can help you determine whether outsourcing anesthesia billing to capture claims on a single hospital bill makes sense for you. We expect the answer will be yes. Not only will you enjoy greater system efficiencies, but you’ll be in a position to produce a single bill that truly reflects the entire episode of care.

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Health Technology, Digital Healthcare

How Telehealth is Changing the Nursing Industry

Article | September 7, 2023

Before we discuss the importance of telehealth and how it is changing the nursing industry in general, it is important to understand what telehealth is all about. With the advent of new-age technologies and their impact on the fast-paced, growing population, medical health is an essential department that requires special attention. One’s health is of utmost importance, and to enhance the medical facilities, we as responsible citizens and experts in this particular field must come up with novel and quick solutions to provide optimum precaution and cure. Hence, one of such technological achievements is telecommunication,s and by utilizing such a useful resource, health-related services too can be offered. Telehealth promotes the distribution of various services related to medical health through electronic devices and telecommunication technologies. What can one possibly do if he or she lives in a different country and is pushed to an emergency situation where he requires medical advice from a physician who lives in another corner of the world? Of course, through telecommunication devices, the whole process of exchanging information becomes smoother and easier. Several health-related services such as medical advice, medical care, monitoring, education, remote admissions, and intervention can be extended to a long-distance patient with the help of telehealth facilities. Hence, the contemporary picture of health and medicine has been radically improved with the introduction of these electronic telecommunication systems.

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Health Technology, Digital Healthcare

What are the Risks of AI in the healthcare industry

Article | August 21, 2023

While artificial intelligence (AI) offers numerous advantages across a wide range of businesses and applications, an ongoing report spreads out some convincing focuses on the different difficulties and perils of using AI in the social insurance segment. As of late, AI has been progressively consolidated all through the medicinal services space. Machines would now be able to give emotional wellness help by means of a chatbot, screen tolerant wellbeing, and even anticipate heart failure, seizures, or sepsis.

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Health Technology, Medical Devices

Boost Your Lab's Efficiency with LIMS Software

Article | April 17, 2023

Contents 1. Getting Started with LIMS Software 2. Benefits of Incorporating LIMS Software into Lab Management 3. LIMS Software Classification 4. Selecting the Right LIMS Software: A Comparison of Variants 5. How LIMS Software Revolutionized Laboratory Management 6. Future Scope 1. Getting Started with LIMS Software Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) software automates laboratory operations, improves productivity, and ensures the accuracy as well as reliability of laboratory data. It can be implemented in clinical laboratories, research & development labs, and environmental testing labs and tailored to meet specific needs. LIMS software seamlessly integrates with other laboratory systems, such as electronic lab notebooks and scientific data management systems. LIMS class software enables storing and managing all information in one place, improving day-to-day work. Yet, research reveals that still 40% of industry leaders 'had not embarked on applying digital to research and development or quality control labs'. (Source: Accenture) 2. Benefits of Incorporating LIMS Software into Lab Management By implementing LIMS software, laboratories can significantly reduce time spent locating samples and records, entering data, and generating reports. LIMS software also offers additional advantages when integrated into laboratory management, such as 1. Optimizing: LIMS automates laboratory processes, allowing for a paperless environment and increased productivity. It also ensures accurate test results by preventing the use of outdated instruments. 2. Automating: LIMS facilitates the input of essential sample information, including its source, date, time, and location of the collection as well as processing data. 3. Compliant: LIMS helps labs follow FDA regulations by creating an audit trail that tracks all activities, including record creation, modification, and deletion. It also enables electronic signatures to authenticate key activities and keep data secure and traceable. 4. Collaborative: LIMS streamlines inter-laboratory collaboration through the option to share data access. This allows lab technicians from disparate laboratories to be seamlessly assigned to different projects and obtain the required information without disruption. 5. Security: LIMS systems offer various mechanisms for managing user access, such as an in-built user management system with a unique username and password, integration with LDAP or Active Directory for user authentication, and access through an Identity Server. 3. LIMS Software Classification Laboratory Information Management System software can be classified based on several criteria, including functionality, deployment model, industry focus, and the laboratory's needs. Here is a list of critical features that can be considered while classifying LIMS software: 1. Functionality: Different LIMS software may have varying functionality, including sample tracking, data management, instrument integration, quality control, workflow management, and reporting. 2. Deployment Model: LIMS software can be deployed on-premises or in the cloud. On-premises deployment means that the software is installed and run on the laboratory's own servers, while cloud-based deployment means that the software is hosted and maintained by a third-party provider. 3. Industry Focus: LIMS software can be designed for specific industries or applications, such as pharmaceutical research, clinical laboratories, food and beverage testing, environmental testing, and more. 4. Open-Source vs. Proprietary: LIMS software can also be classified as either open-source or proprietary. Open-source software is freely available and can be modified by users, while a company owns proprietary software and requires a license to use it. 5. Scalability: The size of the laboratory and the number of users accessing the LIMS software can also be a factor in classification. Some LIMS software may be more scalable, allowing for easy expansion as the laboratory grows. 6. Integration Capabilities: LIMS software can also be classified based on its ability to integrate with other software or instruments. Some LIMS software may be more flexible and have better integration capabilities than others, allowing for seamless data exchange between different systems. 4. Selecting the Right LIMS Software: A Comparison of Variants While selecting the most appropriate LIMS variant, the wide range of available options can pose a challenge for laboratory decision-makers. To aid in this selection process, a comprehensive comparative analysis of LIMS variants is presented below: 1. Lab managers can adopt an objective approach for evaluating and comparing different LIMS solutions by creating a grading rubric. This involves designing a table with separate columns for each LIMS vendor and rows listing the desired features as well as functionalities. To provide a more comprehensive evaluation, advanced rubrics may include rating each functionality on a particular LIMS using a scale of 1 to 5. 2. Next, it is crucial to review how LIMS solutions are structured and stored. This includes determining whether the solution is on-premise or cloud-based, either as a platform-as-a-service (PaaS) or software-as-a-service (SaaS). For optimal flexibility in the laboratory's computing structure, choosing a vendor that offers LIMS as a comprehensive solution is advantageous. 3. Data access must be controlled by using unique user IDs and passwords. Furthermore, data security standards such as HIPAA compliance and SSL encryption will likely be mandatory across many laboratory industries. It is thus imperative to carefully consider and ensure the security features of any potential LIMS solution. 4. To assess the level of support that can be expected with a particular LIMS, one effective method is to directly inquire with the software vendor about outages, response time, and plans of action to address any glitches preemptively. Managing expectations around the LIMS requires asking about the frequency of LIMS updates, including how often the platform is updated, how updates are announced and deployed, and the expected duration of any update-related outages. 5. While selecting a LIMS solution, laboratories must establish a target go-live date, especially when implementing the system in response to, or preparation for, an audit. Software vendors should provide a deployment and implementation timeline, which can be used to compare with the laboratory's objectives and goals. This helps to ensure that the LIMS solution is implemented in a timely and efficient manner. 5. How LIMS Software Revolutionized Laboratory Management LIMS software has fundamentally revolutionized the laboratory management system in several ways. Before the advent of LIMS, laboratory operations were often paper-based and highly manual, leading to inefficiencies, errors, and inconsistencies. However, with the implementation of LIMS, laboratories have become more efficient, accurate, and compliant. LIMS has also improved laboratory productivity, allowing scientists to focus on higher-value tasks like data analysis and interpretation. It has enabled collaboration between different laboratories, facilitating communication and knowledge sharing between scientists, researchers, and analysts, and is also leading to more significant innovation and progress in the field of science and research. 6. Future Scope The future scope of Laboratory Information Management System software is promising as it continues to evolve and adapt to the changing needs of laboratory management. Potential developments include integrating emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and robotics, cloud-based solutions for scalability and accessibility, IoT integration for automation and safety, enhanced data analytics for improved decision-making, and mobile applications for on-the-go access. Moreover, with SaaS LIMS, there are no license costs, minimal installation fees, and no need for in-house servers or databanks, resulting in reduced IT maintenance costs for hardware and software.

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Healthtech Security

NIS2 Cybersecurity Rules are Coming: Are You Ready?

Article | November 29, 2023

As competition for patients intensifies, more hospitals and health systems are embracing a consolidated, single-bill approach for services rendered. Creating a single bill for the patient’s portion of inpatient or outpatient services can help eliminate confusion and reduce the ill will that frequently results when patients receive multiple invoices for a single care event. Yet incorporating anesthesia charges into a consolidated invoice is often problematic due to the unique nature of the anesthesia billing compliance. Anesthesia Billing Service Hurdles A few weeks ago, I met with the CEO of a 300-bed hospital. We discussed anesthesia billing, and he explained that his hospital traditionally outsourced this portion of its billing due to the more complex nature of anesthesia coding and the need to collect anesthesia minutes for billing. Unlike most inpatient services, anesthesia charges are not directly derived from CPT codes but instead utilize minutes and modifiers unique to the specialty. That means coders must use a CPT crosswalk to account for ASA codes, base and time units, emergency- and physical-status monitors, split anesthesia units reflecting CRNA involvement, and other specialty-specific nuances. Most coders and hospital billing staff are not trained in these complexities, and hiring and retaining capable staff in today’s competitive market can be difficult. Moreover, many billing platforms are simply not equipped to incorporate all the variables necessary to produce an accurate anesthesia bill. As a result, producing a consolidated patient bill that includes anesthesia is tricky. Yet leaving anesthesia off a single bill can undercut its value since, after facility and surgical charges, anesthesia often is one of the largest cost items patients incur. Fortunately, we at Change Healthcare know how to roll anesthesia charges into existing hospital billing systems to produce an accurate and timely single patient bill. Helping to Reduce Costs The benefits of consolidated billing extend beyond an improved patient experience. Producing just one bill reduces costs and repetition at both the front and back end of the revenue cycle management process. It can also ease staff burden when collecting on self-pay accounts, since there’s only one bill per patient. Finally, consolidated bills can help increase revenue by simplifying collections when patients present for follow-up care. Here’s an example: When the patient comes back for post-surgery physical therapy, a hospital employee at the registration desk can remind them that they still owe $150 for anesthesia and ask if they’d like to take care of that now. In my experience, patients usually hand over their credit card and settle their bill on the spot when asked at the time of care about a balance due. System-Agnostic Billing Across Hospital Platforms Change Healthcare has a long history of providing full-service, outsourced anesthesia-billing services to hospital and health-system clients. Unlike most other billing vendors, we’ve developed what we call a system-agnostic approach. That means we’ll provide billing services on our proprietary system or on the hospital’s existing billing platform, regardless of type, to generate accurate anesthesia-billing results. In practical terms, we’ll function as part of your billing team and use the same system your coders and billing staff rely on to generate anesthesia charges that can be included in a single patient bill. System-agnostic billing also allows us to provide clients with custom anesthesia reporting that wouldn’t otherwise be available with an outsourced billing solution. This helps clients gain far greater visibility and insight into anesthesia-billing charges. And by incorporating our anesthesia coding and billing capabilities into your existing billing system, you’ll be spreading the platform’s fixed costs across a greater number of departments. The bottom line? It’s not a heavy lift for us to virtually embed our trained anesthesia coders and billing professionals into your system. Our specialists will review your existing platform and provide, at no obligation, a return-on-investment analysis that can help you determine whether outsourcing anesthesia billing to capture claims on a single hospital bill makes sense for you. We expect the answer will be yes. Not only will you enjoy greater system efficiencies, but you’ll be in a position to produce a single bill that truly reflects the entire episode of care.

Read More
Health Technology, Digital Healthcare

Unlocking the Puzzle: Navigating EHR Interoperability Solutions

Article | September 7, 2023

Before we discuss the importance of telehealth and how it is changing the nursing industry in general, it is important to understand what telehealth is all about. With the advent of new-age technologies and their impact on the fast-paced, growing population, medical health is an essential department that requires special attention. One’s health is of utmost importance, and to enhance the medical facilities, we as responsible citizens and experts in this particular field must come up with novel and quick solutions to provide optimum precaution and cure. Hence, one of such technological achievements is telecommunication,s and by utilizing such a useful resource, health-related services too can be offered. Telehealth promotes the distribution of various services related to medical health through electronic devices and telecommunication technologies. What can one possibly do if he or she lives in a different country and is pushed to an emergency situation where he requires medical advice from a physician who lives in another corner of the world? Of course, through telecommunication devices, the whole process of exchanging information becomes smoother and easier. Several health-related services such as medical advice, medical care, monitoring, education, remote admissions, and intervention can be extended to a long-distance patient with the help of telehealth facilities. Hence, the contemporary picture of health and medicine has been radically improved with the introduction of these electronic telecommunication systems.

Read More
Health Technology, Digital Healthcare

Top 10 Best Practices for EHR Ethical Issues

Article | August 21, 2023

While artificial intelligence (AI) offers numerous advantages across a wide range of businesses and applications, an ongoing report spreads out some convincing focuses on the different difficulties and perils of using AI in the social insurance segment. As of late, AI has been progressively consolidated all through the medicinal services space. Machines would now be able to give emotional wellness help by means of a chatbot, screen tolerant wellbeing, and even anticipate heart failure, seizures, or sepsis.

Read More
Health Technology, Medical Devices

Boost Your Lab's Efficiency with LIMS Software

Article | April 17, 2023

Contents 1. Getting Started with LIMS Software 2. Benefits of Incorporating LIMS Software into Lab Management 3. LIMS Software Classification 4. Selecting the Right LIMS Software: A Comparison of Variants 5. How LIMS Software Revolutionized Laboratory Management 6. Future Scope 1. Getting Started with LIMS Software Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) software automates laboratory operations, improves productivity, and ensures the accuracy as well as reliability of laboratory data. It can be implemented in clinical laboratories, research & development labs, and environmental testing labs and tailored to meet specific needs. LIMS software seamlessly integrates with other laboratory systems, such as electronic lab notebooks and scientific data management systems. LIMS class software enables storing and managing all information in one place, improving day-to-day work. Yet, research reveals that still 40% of industry leaders 'had not embarked on applying digital to research and development or quality control labs'. (Source: Accenture) 2. Benefits of Incorporating LIMS Software into Lab Management By implementing LIMS software, laboratories can significantly reduce time spent locating samples and records, entering data, and generating reports. LIMS software also offers additional advantages when integrated into laboratory management, such as 1. Optimizing: LIMS automates laboratory processes, allowing for a paperless environment and increased productivity. It also ensures accurate test results by preventing the use of outdated instruments. 2. Automating: LIMS facilitates the input of essential sample information, including its source, date, time, and location of the collection as well as processing data. 3. Compliant: LIMS helps labs follow FDA regulations by creating an audit trail that tracks all activities, including record creation, modification, and deletion. It also enables electronic signatures to authenticate key activities and keep data secure and traceable. 4. Collaborative: LIMS streamlines inter-laboratory collaboration through the option to share data access. This allows lab technicians from disparate laboratories to be seamlessly assigned to different projects and obtain the required information without disruption. 5. Security: LIMS systems offer various mechanisms for managing user access, such as an in-built user management system with a unique username and password, integration with LDAP or Active Directory for user authentication, and access through an Identity Server. 3. LIMS Software Classification Laboratory Information Management System software can be classified based on several criteria, including functionality, deployment model, industry focus, and the laboratory's needs. Here is a list of critical features that can be considered while classifying LIMS software: 1. Functionality: Different LIMS software may have varying functionality, including sample tracking, data management, instrument integration, quality control, workflow management, and reporting. 2. Deployment Model: LIMS software can be deployed on-premises or in the cloud. On-premises deployment means that the software is installed and run on the laboratory's own servers, while cloud-based deployment means that the software is hosted and maintained by a third-party provider. 3. Industry Focus: LIMS software can be designed for specific industries or applications, such as pharmaceutical research, clinical laboratories, food and beverage testing, environmental testing, and more. 4. Open-Source vs. Proprietary: LIMS software can also be classified as either open-source or proprietary. Open-source software is freely available and can be modified by users, while a company owns proprietary software and requires a license to use it. 5. Scalability: The size of the laboratory and the number of users accessing the LIMS software can also be a factor in classification. Some LIMS software may be more scalable, allowing for easy expansion as the laboratory grows. 6. Integration Capabilities: LIMS software can also be classified based on its ability to integrate with other software or instruments. Some LIMS software may be more flexible and have better integration capabilities than others, allowing for seamless data exchange between different systems. 4. Selecting the Right LIMS Software: A Comparison of Variants While selecting the most appropriate LIMS variant, the wide range of available options can pose a challenge for laboratory decision-makers. To aid in this selection process, a comprehensive comparative analysis of LIMS variants is presented below: 1. Lab managers can adopt an objective approach for evaluating and comparing different LIMS solutions by creating a grading rubric. This involves designing a table with separate columns for each LIMS vendor and rows listing the desired features as well as functionalities. To provide a more comprehensive evaluation, advanced rubrics may include rating each functionality on a particular LIMS using a scale of 1 to 5. 2. Next, it is crucial to review how LIMS solutions are structured and stored. This includes determining whether the solution is on-premise or cloud-based, either as a platform-as-a-service (PaaS) or software-as-a-service (SaaS). For optimal flexibility in the laboratory's computing structure, choosing a vendor that offers LIMS as a comprehensive solution is advantageous. 3. Data access must be controlled by using unique user IDs and passwords. Furthermore, data security standards such as HIPAA compliance and SSL encryption will likely be mandatory across many laboratory industries. It is thus imperative to carefully consider and ensure the security features of any potential LIMS solution. 4. To assess the level of support that can be expected with a particular LIMS, one effective method is to directly inquire with the software vendor about outages, response time, and plans of action to address any glitches preemptively. Managing expectations around the LIMS requires asking about the frequency of LIMS updates, including how often the platform is updated, how updates are announced and deployed, and the expected duration of any update-related outages. 5. While selecting a LIMS solution, laboratories must establish a target go-live date, especially when implementing the system in response to, or preparation for, an audit. Software vendors should provide a deployment and implementation timeline, which can be used to compare with the laboratory's objectives and goals. This helps to ensure that the LIMS solution is implemented in a timely and efficient manner. 5. How LIMS Software Revolutionized Laboratory Management LIMS software has fundamentally revolutionized the laboratory management system in several ways. Before the advent of LIMS, laboratory operations were often paper-based and highly manual, leading to inefficiencies, errors, and inconsistencies. However, with the implementation of LIMS, laboratories have become more efficient, accurate, and compliant. LIMS has also improved laboratory productivity, allowing scientists to focus on higher-value tasks like data analysis and interpretation. It has enabled collaboration between different laboratories, facilitating communication and knowledge sharing between scientists, researchers, and analysts, and is also leading to more significant innovation and progress in the field of science and research. 6. Future Scope The future scope of Laboratory Information Management System software is promising as it continues to evolve and adapt to the changing needs of laboratory management. Potential developments include integrating emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and robotics, cloud-based solutions for scalability and accessibility, IoT integration for automation and safety, enhanced data analytics for improved decision-making, and mobile applications for on-the-go access. Moreover, with SaaS LIMS, there are no license costs, minimal installation fees, and no need for in-house servers or databanks, resulting in reduced IT maintenance costs for hardware and software.

Read More
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Spotlight

Legacy Home Care, Inc.

Legacy Home Care is a licensed, Class A private duty home health care agency serving Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the surrounding suburbs. Legacy provides exceptional home care services for clients and their families 24/7. With well over 30 years of combined home care experience, the operators of Legacy Home Care do everything to help our clients and their families in living normal lives and wading through the confusing health care system on daily occasions.

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Digital Healthcare

Adherehealth and Levrx Technology Announce Strategic Partnership to Improve Medication Optimization and Reduce Pharmacy Costs

AdhereHealth | January 27, 2022

AdhereHealth, a healthcare technology leader in medication adherence insights and health outcomes, today announced a new integration partnership with Levrx TechnologyInc, a digital health technology company that drives prescription efficiencies and maximizes savings. Their combined solution enables health plans and self-insured employers to realize immediate pharmacy cost savings and near-term medical cost reductions by integrating Levrx's plan-specific and real-time prescription insights into the Adhere Platform's Medication Optimization solution. One of the biggest challenges in U.S. healthcare is the increasing cost of pharmacy. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), prescription spend for private insurance and state-run programs was$348.4 billionin 2020 and is projected to reach$560.3 billionby 2028. As total costs continue to rise, member cost-share also increases along with concern for medication non-adherence. Statistics show that at least 12.8 million adults delayed or did not get prescription drugs in 2018-19 due to cost. "More than 50 percent of prescriptions are abandoned at the pharmacy when exceeding$125. By partnering with Levrx, our Medication Optimization solution now includes formulary cost savings analytics and technologies, which address lower-cost medication options for the patient, health plan, and employer. Care teams can use these insights to further drive medication adherence and deliver immediate and lasting cost savings." Jason Z. Rose, CEO of AdhereHealth Anchored within the Adhere Platform™, the Medication Optimization solution creates insights based on medical claims, pharmacy claims, and direct patient and provider engagement to automatically identify patients at the highest risk for non-adherence. The system generates targeted analytics, which are updated daily and integrated into the various clinical workflows to prioritize high-risk patients and guide personalized outreach.Insights from predictive analytics enable care teams with actional insights as they engage high-risk patients to close critical medication optimization gaps. With the addition of Levrx capabilities, AdhereHealth can now enhance its impact by adding prescription formulary opportunity analytics into its data-driven medication optimization workflow. The Adhere Platform uses these analytics to alert clinicians when lower-cost alternatives are available. The provider is empowered to proactively coordinate with the patient and provider to prescribe the right medication, minimize non-adherence, and improve health outcomes. Conversely, the Adhere Platform's analytics are integrated into Levrx Practice App™technology workflows for providers. Unlike other formulary optimization solutions, Levrx delivers plan-specific and real-time prescription insights. This is far superior to general or national information other solutions utilize because they account for the patient's plan-specific formulary, accumulator, and real-time pricing. Levrx also engages physician groups and members directly, giving healthcare consumers the information needed at the point of care to keep costs low, avoid prescription rewrites, and prevent non-adherence based on cost. "Our analyses consistently identify 10-20% total annual prescription savings opportunities for clients. By integrating Levrx, AdhereHealth's platform now has the power to lower prescription costs by combining real-time medication pricing information with other actionable insights," saidVikram Agrawal, President & CEO at Levrx."What's beenthe cherry on top is the increasedtrust and satisfaction that members have for their insurance." AboutLevrx Technology Levrxis aninnovativesoftwarecompanythat usestechnology to transform the healthcare experience, one prescription at a time. Levrxalignsproviders,patients,pharmacies, and payerson oneplatformtosimplifyprescribing and ensure affordability. AboutAdhereHealth AdhereHealth delivers purpose-built, innovative technology solutions to improve quality of care, medication adherence, and cost outcomes – all with an emphasis on overcoming social determinants of health (SDOH) and improving patient experience. AdhereRx, an AdhereHealth digital pharmacy, provides high-risk, underserved patients with personalized pharmacy services that drive medication compliance and reduce unnecessary utilization costs. This unique combination of predictive analytics, intelligent clinical workflow software, and proactive telepharmacy outreach performed by a nationwide team of licensed clinicians addresses an estimated half a trillion dollars of unnecessary annual medical costs attributed to medication adherence issues. Today, the Adhere™ Platform touches nearly 30 million patients across dozens of health plans, self-insured employers, and other risk-bearing entities.

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Digital Healthcare

Hero and AdhereHealth Establish Strategic Partnership to Improve Medication Adherence Among Vulnerable Patients

AdhereHealth | December 18, 2021

AdhereHealth, a healthcare technology leader in medication adherence insights and health outcomes, has entered into a strategic partnership with Hero, the market leader in digital in-home care. This new agreement enables AdhereHealth to deploy Hero's digital in-home care platform to help high-risk, high-cost, chronically ill patients adhere to complex medication regimens. Hero's platform includes a connected smart pill dispenser, which automatically sorts and dispenses medications according to a patient's unique medication schedule. Hero's connected app then tracks what a patient took and when, and sends real-time alerts to the patient's care team if a dose is missed or a medication is ready for refill. Hero continually monitors the patient's medication inventory and facilitates real-time medication reconciliation and synchronization. "Combining Hero's industry-leading medication management platform with AdhereHealth's advanced technologies and its nationwide AdhereRx digital pharmacy creates the first complete lifecycle medication management service," said Kal Vepuri, founder and CEO of Hero. "Our partnership will also simultaneously improve patient safety by focusing on medication management, further support caregivers and help people take more control of their health," added Mr. Vepuri. AdhereHealth's digital pharmacy, AdhereRx, leverages data analytics to identify and prioritize vulnerable populations most at risk for nonadherence or drug safety problems. Trained pharmacists then connect via phone with patients to conduct comprehensive medication reviews and address social determinants of health (SDOH) that might get in the way of medication adherence. "Hero's patient-centric technology will enable care managers, providers and health plans to remotely monitor medication intake, providing real-time visibility into how patients are adhering to medication regimens at home. Combined with our medication synchronization technologies and our nationwide AdhereRx digital pharmacy solution, we can drive better patient experience and improve value-based outcomes for vulnerable populations." Jason Z. Rose, CEO of AdhereHealth Poor medication adherence is a leading cause of re-hospitalizations and ER visits, especially among the elderly and those with chronic conditions. The financial impact is significant: medication nonadherence accounts for 16% of U.S. healthcare spending annually, accounting for more than half a trillion dollars. About Hero Hero is a leading digital in-home care platform delivering the first end-to-end medication management service for patients and caregivers. Hero's solution includes its award-winning smart pill dispenser, medication management app, automatic refills with free delivery and 24/7 live support. Since launching in 2018, Hero has dispensed more than 70 million medications. Hero is used as a care management solution by individuals, caregivers and medical providers. About AdhereHealth™ AdhereHealth delivers purpose-built, innovative technology solutions to improve quality of care, medication adherence, and cost outcomes – all with an emphasis on overcoming social determinants of health (SDOH) and improving patient experience. AdhereRx, an AdhereHealth digital pharmacy, provides high-risk, underserved patients with personalized pharmacy services that drive medication compliance and reduce unnecessary utilization costs. This unique combination of predictive analytics, intelligent clinical workflow software and proactive telepharmacy outreach performed by a nationwide team of licensed clinicians addresses an estimated half a trillion dollars of unnecessary annual medical costs attributed to medication adherence issues. Today, the Adhere™ Platform touches nearly 30 million patients across dozens of health plans, self-insured employers and other risk-bearing entities.

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Digital Healthcare

TRC Healthcare Teams Up with Pharmacy Quality Solutions on Pharmacy Continuing Education Podcasts

TRC Healthcare | October 12, 2021

TRC Healthcare, a top provider of evidence-based medication advisory resources for clinicians announced a partnership with Pharmacy Quality Solutions (PQS), a leading technology provider of pharmacy performance management services. Along with PQS, TRC Healthcare will offer a pilot program for pharmacy continuing education (CE) through the PQS podcast, the PQS Quality Corner Show. The first podcast episode available for CE debuted August 2021 in TRC Healthcare's Pharmacist's Letter. With the pilot program, TRC Healthcare is exploring expansion of its CE channels with the inclusion of audio podcasts. Listeners of the PQS Quality Corner Show have the ease of podcast learning with the ability to earn CE credits through the Pharmacist's Letter website. "Our research has shown that many pharmacists are eager to explore different ways to digest CE content, and podcasts were at the top of the list. PQS is a leader in pharmacy quality and education and has developed a solid podcast listenership. We are very much aligned to make it more convenient for our pharmacy audience to access content on the go. We are excited to work with PQS in this endeavor." Wes Crews, CEO of TRC Healthcare The first set of episodes available for CE credit covers the topic of immunizations and can be downloaded on all major streaming services. "In our efforts to make each one of our episodes better than the last, we are pleased to evolve our content in 2021 and work with TRC Healthcare to provide continuing education for pharmacists. As our show has always been about education and improvement on quality, we have purposefully structured our show to follow a CE seminar format where we ask key questions and help our audience learn essential details." Quality Corner Show Host and PQS Senior Manager of Pharmacy Accounts, Nick Dorich, PharmD The second set of episodes covers geriatric care and is available on the Pharmacist's Letter and the Quality Corner Show. About TRC Healthcare TRC Healthcare (TRC) is a premier source of lifelong learning solutions for healthcare professionals. TRC is most recognized for their education and CE offerings within the highly-regarded Pharmacist's Letter, Prescriber's Letter, and Pharmacy Technician's Letter. TRC also offers Pharmacy Technicians University, the leading online training program for pharmacy technicians. The Natural Medicines database makes it easy for subscribers to find unbiased, evidenced-based research about alternative drug therapies. Through the acquisition of CriticalPoint and NetCE, TRC Healthcare recently expanded its offerings. CriticalPoint increases patient safety through a variety of educational compounding offerings concentrating on USP 797, 800, and 795. NetCE is an industry-leading, continuing-education platform, specializing in continuing education across multiple professions including nurses, physicians, and mental health. These additions give TRC Healthcare the industry's largest catalog of continuing education and advisory services, with thousands of courses trusted by healthcare professionals to provide accredited training that meets continuing education and licensing requirements. About Pharmacy Quality Solutions, Inc. (PQS) PQS is a healthcare quality technology company, connecting healthcare payers and providers who value measurement as the pathway to better patient outcomes. Partners of PQS represent nearly 90% of all Medicare Part D lives and 95% of community pharmacies. PQS delivers quality insights and guidance to support their customers' efforts to optimize the quality of medication management and use for their Medicare, Medicaid and commercial populations. PQS' industry-leading platform, EQUIPP®, provides standardized measurement and reporting on key medication use quality measures and value-based reimbursement programs focused on medication adherence, treatment outcomes and patient safety.

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Digital Healthcare

Adherehealth and Levrx Technology Announce Strategic Partnership to Improve Medication Optimization and Reduce Pharmacy Costs

AdhereHealth | January 27, 2022

AdhereHealth, a healthcare technology leader in medication adherence insights and health outcomes, today announced a new integration partnership with Levrx TechnologyInc, a digital health technology company that drives prescription efficiencies and maximizes savings. Their combined solution enables health plans and self-insured employers to realize immediate pharmacy cost savings and near-term medical cost reductions by integrating Levrx's plan-specific and real-time prescription insights into the Adhere Platform's Medication Optimization solution. One of the biggest challenges in U.S. healthcare is the increasing cost of pharmacy. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), prescription spend for private insurance and state-run programs was$348.4 billionin 2020 and is projected to reach$560.3 billionby 2028. As total costs continue to rise, member cost-share also increases along with concern for medication non-adherence. Statistics show that at least 12.8 million adults delayed or did not get prescription drugs in 2018-19 due to cost. "More than 50 percent of prescriptions are abandoned at the pharmacy when exceeding$125. By partnering with Levrx, our Medication Optimization solution now includes formulary cost savings analytics and technologies, which address lower-cost medication options for the patient, health plan, and employer. Care teams can use these insights to further drive medication adherence and deliver immediate and lasting cost savings." Jason Z. Rose, CEO of AdhereHealth Anchored within the Adhere Platform™, the Medication Optimization solution creates insights based on medical claims, pharmacy claims, and direct patient and provider engagement to automatically identify patients at the highest risk for non-adherence. The system generates targeted analytics, which are updated daily and integrated into the various clinical workflows to prioritize high-risk patients and guide personalized outreach.Insights from predictive analytics enable care teams with actional insights as they engage high-risk patients to close critical medication optimization gaps. With the addition of Levrx capabilities, AdhereHealth can now enhance its impact by adding prescription formulary opportunity analytics into its data-driven medication optimization workflow. The Adhere Platform uses these analytics to alert clinicians when lower-cost alternatives are available. The provider is empowered to proactively coordinate with the patient and provider to prescribe the right medication, minimize non-adherence, and improve health outcomes. Conversely, the Adhere Platform's analytics are integrated into Levrx Practice App™technology workflows for providers. Unlike other formulary optimization solutions, Levrx delivers plan-specific and real-time prescription insights. This is far superior to general or national information other solutions utilize because they account for the patient's plan-specific formulary, accumulator, and real-time pricing. Levrx also engages physician groups and members directly, giving healthcare consumers the information needed at the point of care to keep costs low, avoid prescription rewrites, and prevent non-adherence based on cost. "Our analyses consistently identify 10-20% total annual prescription savings opportunities for clients. By integrating Levrx, AdhereHealth's platform now has the power to lower prescription costs by combining real-time medication pricing information with other actionable insights," saidVikram Agrawal, President & CEO at Levrx."What's beenthe cherry on top is the increasedtrust and satisfaction that members have for their insurance." AboutLevrx Technology Levrxis aninnovativesoftwarecompanythat usestechnology to transform the healthcare experience, one prescription at a time. Levrxalignsproviders,patients,pharmacies, and payerson oneplatformtosimplifyprescribing and ensure affordability. AboutAdhereHealth AdhereHealth delivers purpose-built, innovative technology solutions to improve quality of care, medication adherence, and cost outcomes – all with an emphasis on overcoming social determinants of health (SDOH) and improving patient experience. AdhereRx, an AdhereHealth digital pharmacy, provides high-risk, underserved patients with personalized pharmacy services that drive medication compliance and reduce unnecessary utilization costs. This unique combination of predictive analytics, intelligent clinical workflow software, and proactive telepharmacy outreach performed by a nationwide team of licensed clinicians addresses an estimated half a trillion dollars of unnecessary annual medical costs attributed to medication adherence issues. Today, the Adhere™ Platform touches nearly 30 million patients across dozens of health plans, self-insured employers, and other risk-bearing entities.

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Digital Healthcare

Hero and AdhereHealth Establish Strategic Partnership to Improve Medication Adherence Among Vulnerable Patients

AdhereHealth | December 18, 2021

AdhereHealth, a healthcare technology leader in medication adherence insights and health outcomes, has entered into a strategic partnership with Hero, the market leader in digital in-home care. This new agreement enables AdhereHealth to deploy Hero's digital in-home care platform to help high-risk, high-cost, chronically ill patients adhere to complex medication regimens. Hero's platform includes a connected smart pill dispenser, which automatically sorts and dispenses medications according to a patient's unique medication schedule. Hero's connected app then tracks what a patient took and when, and sends real-time alerts to the patient's care team if a dose is missed or a medication is ready for refill. Hero continually monitors the patient's medication inventory and facilitates real-time medication reconciliation and synchronization. "Combining Hero's industry-leading medication management platform with AdhereHealth's advanced technologies and its nationwide AdhereRx digital pharmacy creates the first complete lifecycle medication management service," said Kal Vepuri, founder and CEO of Hero. "Our partnership will also simultaneously improve patient safety by focusing on medication management, further support caregivers and help people take more control of their health," added Mr. Vepuri. AdhereHealth's digital pharmacy, AdhereRx, leverages data analytics to identify and prioritize vulnerable populations most at risk for nonadherence or drug safety problems. Trained pharmacists then connect via phone with patients to conduct comprehensive medication reviews and address social determinants of health (SDOH) that might get in the way of medication adherence. "Hero's patient-centric technology will enable care managers, providers and health plans to remotely monitor medication intake, providing real-time visibility into how patients are adhering to medication regimens at home. Combined with our medication synchronization technologies and our nationwide AdhereRx digital pharmacy solution, we can drive better patient experience and improve value-based outcomes for vulnerable populations." Jason Z. Rose, CEO of AdhereHealth Poor medication adherence is a leading cause of re-hospitalizations and ER visits, especially among the elderly and those with chronic conditions. The financial impact is significant: medication nonadherence accounts for 16% of U.S. healthcare spending annually, accounting for more than half a trillion dollars. About Hero Hero is a leading digital in-home care platform delivering the first end-to-end medication management service for patients and caregivers. Hero's solution includes its award-winning smart pill dispenser, medication management app, automatic refills with free delivery and 24/7 live support. Since launching in 2018, Hero has dispensed more than 70 million medications. Hero is used as a care management solution by individuals, caregivers and medical providers. About AdhereHealth™ AdhereHealth delivers purpose-built, innovative technology solutions to improve quality of care, medication adherence, and cost outcomes – all with an emphasis on overcoming social determinants of health (SDOH) and improving patient experience. AdhereRx, an AdhereHealth digital pharmacy, provides high-risk, underserved patients with personalized pharmacy services that drive medication compliance and reduce unnecessary utilization costs. This unique combination of predictive analytics, intelligent clinical workflow software and proactive telepharmacy outreach performed by a nationwide team of licensed clinicians addresses an estimated half a trillion dollars of unnecessary annual medical costs attributed to medication adherence issues. Today, the Adhere™ Platform touches nearly 30 million patients across dozens of health plans, self-insured employers and other risk-bearing entities.

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Digital Healthcare

TRC Healthcare Teams Up with Pharmacy Quality Solutions on Pharmacy Continuing Education Podcasts

TRC Healthcare | October 12, 2021

TRC Healthcare, a top provider of evidence-based medication advisory resources for clinicians announced a partnership with Pharmacy Quality Solutions (PQS), a leading technology provider of pharmacy performance management services. Along with PQS, TRC Healthcare will offer a pilot program for pharmacy continuing education (CE) through the PQS podcast, the PQS Quality Corner Show. The first podcast episode available for CE debuted August 2021 in TRC Healthcare's Pharmacist's Letter. With the pilot program, TRC Healthcare is exploring expansion of its CE channels with the inclusion of audio podcasts. Listeners of the PQS Quality Corner Show have the ease of podcast learning with the ability to earn CE credits through the Pharmacist's Letter website. "Our research has shown that many pharmacists are eager to explore different ways to digest CE content, and podcasts were at the top of the list. PQS is a leader in pharmacy quality and education and has developed a solid podcast listenership. We are very much aligned to make it more convenient for our pharmacy audience to access content on the go. We are excited to work with PQS in this endeavor." Wes Crews, CEO of TRC Healthcare The first set of episodes available for CE credit covers the topic of immunizations and can be downloaded on all major streaming services. "In our efforts to make each one of our episodes better than the last, we are pleased to evolve our content in 2021 and work with TRC Healthcare to provide continuing education for pharmacists. As our show has always been about education and improvement on quality, we have purposefully structured our show to follow a CE seminar format where we ask key questions and help our audience learn essential details." Quality Corner Show Host and PQS Senior Manager of Pharmacy Accounts, Nick Dorich, PharmD The second set of episodes covers geriatric care and is available on the Pharmacist's Letter and the Quality Corner Show. About TRC Healthcare TRC Healthcare (TRC) is a premier source of lifelong learning solutions for healthcare professionals. TRC is most recognized for their education and CE offerings within the highly-regarded Pharmacist's Letter, Prescriber's Letter, and Pharmacy Technician's Letter. TRC also offers Pharmacy Technicians University, the leading online training program for pharmacy technicians. The Natural Medicines database makes it easy for subscribers to find unbiased, evidenced-based research about alternative drug therapies. Through the acquisition of CriticalPoint and NetCE, TRC Healthcare recently expanded its offerings. CriticalPoint increases patient safety through a variety of educational compounding offerings concentrating on USP 797, 800, and 795. NetCE is an industry-leading, continuing-education platform, specializing in continuing education across multiple professions including nurses, physicians, and mental health. These additions give TRC Healthcare the industry's largest catalog of continuing education and advisory services, with thousands of courses trusted by healthcare professionals to provide accredited training that meets continuing education and licensing requirements. About Pharmacy Quality Solutions, Inc. (PQS) PQS is a healthcare quality technology company, connecting healthcare payers and providers who value measurement as the pathway to better patient outcomes. Partners of PQS represent nearly 90% of all Medicare Part D lives and 95% of community pharmacies. PQS delivers quality insights and guidance to support their customers' efforts to optimize the quality of medication management and use for their Medicare, Medicaid and commercial populations. PQS' industry-leading platform, EQUIPP®, provides standardized measurement and reporting on key medication use quality measures and value-based reimbursement programs focused on medication adherence, treatment outcomes and patient safety.

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