Health Technology, Digital Healthcare
Article | August 21, 2023
With data security becoming a pressing issue in the healthcare industry, having a robust security operations center is the cybersecurity solution. Over the past few years, US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) data breaches have been at an all-time high. Moreover, in the United States alone, cyber-attacks on the healthcare systems result in a loss of US$6.2 billion every year. Thus, making the use of SOC in healthcare very crucial.
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Health Technology
Article | September 12, 2023
The fall is a time of renewals and choices. It is also a time of so called “open enrolment” for health plans. It is the one time of year we can study and learn about the options offered through employers or government sponsored plans. Individuals and small business owners alike are also are faced with a myriad of choices with confusing and often contradictory language promising lower premiums with higher out of pocket costs for covered services subject to deductibles. What does it even mean anymore when your monthly premiums exceed your pay check and you still have to pay for your colonoscopy or your insulin? Where is it all going?
Let’s imagine you twist your ankle playing basketball. You might go to an urgent care, receive an X-ray, probably be examined by a non-physician, and then referred to your primary care, who can’t see you for a few weeks but eventually sends you to an orthopaedic who takes another X-ray and treats your injury. Weeks have passed, multiple visits, time out of work, and co-pays, not to mention the out-of-pocket fees associated with imaging and perhaps a $100 ace bandage. What stops you from going straight to the ankle specialist in the first place? First, we have become conditioned to follow the directions dictated by the insurance companies, even when restrictions are not in place, patients have been convinced that stepping out of line will make all insurance promises null and void resulting in catastrophic bills and financial ruin. Second, the doctors and their office staffs have been conditioned to deny entry to any patient who does not have the proper referral, authorization, or identification. There are dire consequences for both if the insurance rules are not followed and fear keeps both sides aligned.
The past two decades have seen an explosion of healthcare costs. Health insurance has become the single biggest line item second only to payroll for most businesses. It is no coincidence that as the government increased its role as payor with state subsidies, the prices have gone up. Much like college tuitions, when loans are easy to obtain and guaranteed by federal support, there is little to deter those in charge from increasing the price. After all, everyone is doing it, it must be OK, and even if students end up in debt, it will be repaid because they have received the value of a great education. Right? But unlike higher education, healthcare is a necessity. We cannot avoid it, and there needs to be a reliable mechanism in place to guarantee access.
Ironically, as charges and prices have continued to escalate, payments to doctors have diminished. Why medicine is the only service industry where there is no transparency is truly astounding, especially since the there has been no increase in so called “reimbursements” for decades. As physicians, we have been complicit, being fully aware of the discrepancies between what is charged and what a patient’s insurance will pay. Even as patients began to have higher deductibles, and therefore higher out of pocket expenses, we continued to follow the rules, asking insurance permission to collect payment from the patient. It is not surprising that bad debt accounts for over 50% of most account receivables and why over 70% of doctors are now employed by hospital networks or private equity, who not only go after patients, but benefit from the repricing that occurs when insurers pay a negotiated amount as opposed to the charge. In other words, we pay more not just for less, but for nothing.
But what if we twisted our ankle and went directly to that specialist and paid out of pocket a transparent price? What would it take for that to happen? Not much, the cost of care is predictable, and because payments have always been decreasing, most physicians have learned to be economical. Plus, out of pocket costs are capped by federal law, so no patient is really responsible for catastrophic bills. Charges inflate to cover overhead, but if payments were guaranteed and immediate, then the cost of doing business goes down. Add technologies like telemedicine to a practice and you have increased patient access to a doctor without adding more personnel. Direct pay doctors are emerging all over the country and have consistently offered better access and more affordable care. The bar is also being set by independent surgery centers and imaging centers who offer better outcomes at lower costs. Perhaps motivated by prohibitive pricing, better options have emerged that have moved patients away from expensive operating rooms to safe, office-based procedures. Even cutting-edge cancer therapies can be delivered at home, preserving more of the healthcare dollar for medical care rather than the complex system built to manage it.
Competition and choice inevitably drive prices, but in a monolithic system the price is not negotiated, but instead it is set by only a few, in this case the big insurers. Small businesses cannot compete when bigger companies come to town. Eventually, the local hardware store gives way to a national brand, and the consumer is left with fewer choices and eventually higher prices. Amazon disrupted this equation by creating a marketplace for individual buyers and sellers. The convenience of finding a trusted brand, no longer available locally, is irresistible and the reason why we became loyal consumers. Healthcare is no different. Trust exists implicitly between a physician and patient, because it is an authentic, empathetic, and logical relationship. Trust does not exist between a patient and their insurer, on the contrary it is an unsympathetic business relationship without transparency or consistency. Few doubt the insurance company’s top priority is the premium, not the patient. Creating a direct relationship between the doctor and patient is a common-sense approach that serves both stakeholders well, and requires merely a fair and affordable price. But do doctors have the capability or the will to do it and if so, can the rest of the system follow?
Never in the history of modern medicine have physicians been more dissatisfied. US healthcare used to lead the world in innovation and outcomes, now we struggle to break the top thirty. We may have the most brilliant doctors and scientists with access to the best resources, but the need to maximize profits while catering to special interests, be they commercial or political, has led us to favour certain therapies over others despite marginal proven benefits. Doctors have little autonomy and less authority; prescribed treatments are routinely denied by insurance companies without a second thought or appropriate peer review. In fact, insurers even renamed us “providers”, a term used to by Nazis when referring to Jewish doctors to devalue them professionally. Over 56% of physicians are burned out, nearly all report moral injury and as hospitals have systematically replaced doctors with non-physicians with limited training, we have watched the standard of care deteriorate. It is no wonder we have witnessed the single biggest loss in life expectancy since WWII. The prognosis is grim, but there are solutions.
We need to reinvent healthcare by removing the middleman. We don’t have to set the price, but we can make it transparent so patients can decide for themselves if it is worth the inconvenience, the delay, and the co-pay to use insurance or just pay directly. Health savings accounts are tax deferred and can cover an out-of-pocket maximum in just a couple of years. Paying for care means there are no surprise bills or out of network costs, because there are essentially no networks and therefore no need to follow restrictions. You’d be hard pressed to find a doctor or hospital unwilling to accept an immediate cash payment, especially when it costs nothing more than the service provided. There are no billing cycles, or claims to prepare, no up coding, or authorizations. Doctors free to care for patients, patients treated individually and not subject to protocols designed to maximize charges. There are literally thousands of direct pay primary care and specialists now available all over the country and they are building alliances with likeminded people providing imaging, ancillary services, surgery centers, and prescriptions all at fair market prices. More and more employers are moving toward medical cost sharing plans that not only lower the cost of care but the cost of administration. Even the biggest payor, namely the government, sees the benefit of price transparency and is piloting models of direct contracting.
We will always need coverage for those unexpected events, emergencies, or hospital-based services, but all the rest - doctor visits, screening tests, and outpatient procedures - are easily affordable. After all, do we use our car insurance to pay for an oil change? If we did, the cost would be prohibitive and few of us would drive. But health insurers have lost our trust, they no longer cover necessary services and no longer honour contracts with physicians or patients. It is time to offer another option and let the patients and doctors get back to the real business of medicine.
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Health Technology, Digital Healthcare
Article | July 14, 2023
Do you know a friend or loved one who suffers from fear, anxiety, and depression and do not know what to do?
It can be difficult to watch someone you know struggle with their mental health and not be able to do anything about it.
As a result, here are 8 important tips on how to help the person you care about in these kinds of situations.
1. Learn as much as you can in managing anxiety and depression: There are many books and information that will educate you on how to deal with fear and anxiety. Share this information with the person who is struggling with their mental health.
2. Be understanding and patient with the person struggling: Dealing with depression and anxiety can be difficult for the person so do not add more problems than what is already there. Do not get into arguments with the person who is having a difficult time with their mental health.
3. Talk to the person instead of talking at them: It is important not to lecture the person who is struggling with anxiety and depression. Talk to the person about their issues without getting upset. Most people will listen if you approach them in the right manner.
4. Remind the person the importance of getting help: One way to convince the person who is struggling with fear and depression is to tell them what may happen if they don't get some assistance. Anxiety and depression can be difficult to manage and usually these mental health issues won't go away by themselves.
5. Find out why the person won't seek assistance: Address the issues on why the person will not get the necessary help. Many people who are struggling are fearful and frustrated. Try to find out the reasons why he or she won't get the help they need and then try to find ways that will overcome their resistance of seeking treatment.
6. Join a local support group: There are many mental health support groups in your area that can help you. Many hospitals, churches, and counselors in your area will be able to provide you with a list of groups. These mental health organizations will be supportive of your situation and they can give you additional advice on how to help the person who is struggling.
7. Talk to someone who has been there: Find somebody who used to struggle with fear, anxiety, or depression and have them talk to the person who is struggling. He or she could use their past experiences to try to reason with the person that you care about, and they might be able to use their insights to convince the individual to seek treatment.
8. Talk to a counselor: Talk to a professional counselor on how you can help your friend or relative with their mental health struggles. A counselor can give you advice and ideas on how to help out your friend. Your main goal is to get the person who is struggling to seek help from a mental health specialist.
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Digital Healthcare
Article | July 7, 2023
Stay at the forefront of the digital healthcare revolution by mastering EHR analytics. Discover the top EHR certifications that provide comprehensive training and industry-recognized credentials.
As healthcare organizations increasingly embrace digital solutions, the demand for skilled professionals well-versed in EHR analytics continues to soar. Numerous certifications and courses have emerged to meet this demand, offering comprehensive training and industry-recognized credentials.
This article delves into the top EHR certifications and courses, exploring their unique features, advantages, and opportunities for professional growth and advancement.
1. Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist
By pursuing this course, participants will gain knowledge and practical skills in EHR, medical billing & coding, anatomy & physiology, medical terminology, medical law and ethics, and health insurance in the United States. This electronic health record specialist certification includes hands-on exercises using specialized software to create patient records, generate lab reports, and take notes & codes. Furthermore, it emphasizes the legal aspects of patient confidentiality and the responsible disclosure of medical records, ensuring a solid understanding of privacy regulations and ethical obligations within the healthcare industry.
2. Deep learning in Electronic Health Records - CDSS 2
The course provides a comprehensive overview of the fundamental principles of electronic health records (EHR) while also addressing the challenges of applying time-series classification methods to EHR data, such as missing values and variable heterogeneity. Professionals will learn various imputation techniques and encoding strategies to handle these challenges effectively. Upon completion of the course, University of Glasgow awards a certificate. Additionally, this electronic health records certification explores the role of clinical decision support systems (CDSS) in analyzing data to aid healthcare providers in making informed decisions and improving patient care.
3. Introduction to Electronic Health Records
The course aims to provide an introduction to the field of digital health, covering essential concepts and definitions in this emerging area. It encompasses various vital topics, including Learning Health Systems, EHR, and a wide range of digital health technologies such as mobile applications, wearable devices, health information systems, telehealth, telemedicine, ML, AI, and big data. The EHR analytics course evaluates these technologies by examining the opportunities and challenges they present and the evidence of their effectiveness in the context of digital health, both globally and within public health and healthcare domains. This electronic health record certification includes a case study on using digital health technologies to address various aspects of the global response to COVID-19.
4. Interprofessional Healthcare Informatics
This course is offered jointly by the University of Minnesota and its National Center for Interprofessional Practice and Education. It provides a hands-on and interactive exploration of fundamental informatics tools and techniques, incorporating technology-enabled educational innovations to enhance the learning experience. The ten modules in the course will help participants create an online learning community and a functioning healthcare informatics network. The EHR analytics course covers multiple topics, such as emerging technologies, telehealth, gaming, simulations, and eScience. It aims to collectively imagine and shape the future of healthcare informatics within the rapidly evolving landscape. The course welcomes healthcare professionals and IT enthusiasts, encouraging a diverse and interdisciplinary approach to learning.
5. Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist
The Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist (CEHRS) course is a fully-online program designed to train individuals to become certified specialists in electronic health records. It equips participants with the necessary skills to navigate EHR systems and pass the CEHR certification exam. In this EHR certification program, professionals will learn essential tasks such as auditing patient records for compliance, extracting clinical information, coding for reimbursement claims, processing medical record requests, reviewing documents for accuracy, collecting patient data, and facilitating communication with healthcare professionals and insurance providers. The course focuses on hands-on experience with actual EHR software, provides an overview of EHR systems, emphasizes compliance with HIPAA regulations, explores various medical record components, and trains students to track vital patient information and report public health data effectively.
6. Electronic Healthcare Records Basics, Plain & Simple
This EHR analytics course emphasizes the critical role EHRs play in improving healthcare services. The course holds immense importance as it delves into topics such as the comparison between digital and paper patient records, definitions of EMR, EHR, and PHR, the necessity for a unified view of records, the critical components of EHR systems, perspectives from both patients and clinicians, technology-related challenges, the concept of meaningful use, and the impact of the 21st Century Cures Act in facilitating advancements in healthcare. By undertaking this course, participants will acquire comprehensive knowledge as well as an understanding of EHR systems and their potential for revolutionizing healthcare delivery.
7. Records and Health Information Management
This comprehensive EHR training certification program has been designed for professionals looking to advance their careers or seeking to stay up-to-date in the medical field and prepare for industry-standard certification exams. The course covers essential skills such as processing patient admission and discharge documents, accurately recording and maintaining information in the electronic medical record (EMR), understanding third-party reimbursement terminology and concepts, and utilizing computer hardware as well as software to enter and process data using medical record software. Learners can get an excellent opportunity to gain comprehensive insights into electronic health records and enhance career prospects in the healthcare industry.
Closing Lines
The EHR analytics certifications discussed in this article offer healthcare professionals invaluable opportunities for long-term success and growth in the evolving realm of healthcare informatics. By acquiring the necessary skills and knowledge through these programs, professionals can enhance their proficiency in managing and utilizing EHR systems, positioning themselves as highly sought-after assets within the healthcare industry.
The comprehensive EHR certification training provided by these certifications and courses not only equips individuals with the technical know-how but also grants them industry-recognized credentials that validate their expertise. This recognition opens doors to diverse career pathways, including positions in healthcare organizations, consulting firms, research institutions, and governmental agencies. Moreover, staying abreast of the latest developments in EHR systems through continuous education ensures professionals remain at the forefront of technological advancements, enabling them to adapt and thrive in a fast-paced digital healthcare landscape.
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