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Health Technology, Digital Healthcare

Article | August 21, 2023

As medical science has improved rapidly, life expectancy around the world also has risen. Still, as longevity increases, healthcare systems are facing a growing demand for advanced services, increased costs, and a struggling workforce to meet various requirements of patients. Demand is driven by many unstoppable forces: a shift in lifestyle choices, shifting patient expectations, population aging, and the never-ending cycle of innovation are a few among others. Challenges Faced by the Healthcare Industry According to Mckinsey, one in four people in North America and Europe will be over the age of 65 by 2050. This shows that, soon, the healthcare industry will have to deal with a larger number of patients with more complex requirements. Catering to these patients is expensive and requires health systems for providing long-term focused and proactive care. To remain sustainable, healthcare systems need major transformational and structural changes. The industry also needs a larger workforce because according to the World Health Organization (WHO), globally there is a shortfall of approximately 9.9 million nurses, physicians, and midwives. Apart from attracting, training, and retaining these healthcare professionals, you also have to ensure that their time and effort add value to patient care. Utilizing the solutions powered by modern technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the healthcare industry, will add perfection and more value to human efforts. AI in the healthcare industry has the potential required to transform and revolutionize healthcare by addressing the challenges in the industry mentioned earlier. AI can better the outcomes, improve efficiency, and augment productivity in healthcare delivery. This article takes an in-depth look at the impact of AI in healthcare. Impact of AI in the Healthcare Industry In the coming years, AI in the healthcare industry will improve the day-to-day life of healthcare practitioners, augment the patient experience, improve care delivery, and can even facilitate life-saving treatments and revolutionize the industry. Additionally, AI will improve population-health management, operations, and strengthen innovations. According to Statista, the global AI healthcare market will increase to more than US$28 billion by 2025. Here is a detailed look into the areas where and how AI in the healthcare industry will be impactful. Chronic Care Management Chronic diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, kidney diseases, are the leading cause of disability and death in the US and the main drivers of the country’s annual health cost. Effectively managing various chronic diseases is an overarching and long-term process. But with the help of the right tool, healthcare providers can meet the needs of these patients without delay. Artificial intelligence tools in the healthcare industry can help healthcare providers overcome the complexities of chronic disease management and make it more effective and provide quality treatment. AI in the healthcare industry is increasingly being leveraged by organizations to improve chronic disease management, enhance patient health, and drive down costs, which will also eventually result in data-driven and personalized care. AI in the healthcare industry is expected to move the industry toward proactive care delivery from a reactive one and lead the industry to provide more individualized treatments. This is just one of the ways AI in the medical industry is going to revolutionize chronic care management in hospitals. Care Delivery Artificial intelligence in the healthcare industry is changing the way care is delivered; it is expected to make healthcare more efficient, accurate, and accessible. Reducing costs and improving health outcomes are the values health systems and hospitals are trying to deliver to patients every day. Hospitals are increasingly incorporating technologies, which are powered by the use of AI in healthcare to meet the challenge. According to the American Hospital Association (AHA), AI in the healthcare industry has unlimited potential to solve most of the vexing challenges in the industry. They identify AI use cases in the healthcare industry in four broad areas, which are administrative, operational, financial, and clinical areas. Administrative Use Cases for AI in the Healthcare Industry • Admission procedures • Appointment scheduling • Customer service responses • Discharge instructions • Hiring and orientation protocols • Licensure verification • Patient check-in procedure • Prior authorizations • Quality measure reporting Operational Use Cases of AI in the Healthcare Industry • Inventory management • Materials management • Supply chain management • Facilities management Financial Use Cases for AI in the Healthcare Industry • Billing and collections • Claims management • Insurance eligibility verification • Revenue cycle management Clinical Use Cases of AI in the Healthcare Industry • Predictive technologies • Interventional technologies By incorporating and utilizing these scopes with AI in the healthcare industry, the industry can be transformed into a next-gen level in no time. It also allows healthcare practitioners to focus more on patients, which would eventually help in raising staff morale and improving retention. Clinical Decision Support Recent advancements in AI in the health industry are capable of enhancing the currently used clinical decision support (CDS) tools to have value-based imaging and to improve patient safety. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), the synergy between CDS systems and AI in the healthcare industry will be able to: • Reduce friction in radiology workflows • Identify relevant imaging features easily • Generate structured data to develop machine learning algorithms • Enable an evolution toward decision support for a holistic patient perspective • Suggest imaging examinations in complex clinical scenarios • Assist in identifying appropriate imaging opportunities • Suggest appropriate individualized screening • Aid health practitioners to ensure continuity of care AI in the healthcare industry is competent in making CDS a next-gen one, enhancing the experiences of radiologists and providers, and improving patient care. Diagnostics Slowly but surely, AI is improving almost every aspect of human life with innovations and advancements. The latest is that AI in the healthcare industry is impending a revolution in medical diagnostics by providing accurate risk assessments, accelerating disease detection, and boosting hospital productivity. By automatically prioritizing urgent cases and accelerating reading time, image recognition AI enhances the workflow of radiologists. It even helps in the prevention of diseases by the early detection of diseases. In medical images such as x-rays, MRIs, and CT scans, AI-driven software can efficiently be used to accurately spot signs of many diseases, especially in detecting many chronic diseases such as cancer. According to the NIH, AI will be widely applied in the healthcare industry especially for various tasks such as patient engagement and adherence, diagnosis, and treatment recommendations. So, there is no doubt that AI in healthcare will revolutionize the diagnostic process in the approaching years by detecting diseases, classifying diseases, and improving the decision-making process. The application of AI in the healthcare industry will make people live longer. Triage and Diagnosis AI can be effectively used to automatically triage cases. AI algorithms will analyze the cases and forward cases to pathologists after determining the priority based on the probability of cases according to the criteria set by labs. This makes the workflow of pathologists easier and efficient. Through the process the algorithm will be able to: • Verify the digital images attached to the case belong to that case • Validate the tests ordered and match the specimen type • Identify cases marked as stat • Determine the cases, which can be positive or are most likely to be negative Moreover, AI technologies in the healthcare industry also can be effectively used to provide more accurate and faster diagnoses. This speeds up the entire process of triage and diagnosis and is expected to revolutionize the healthcare industry soon. The Future Outlook for AI in the Healthcare Industry Over the next few years, AI in the healthcare industry has the best opportunities in hybrid models to support clinicians in diagnosis, identifying risk factors, and in treatment planning. This scope will result in faster adoption of AI technology in healthcare, which will show measurable improvements in operational efficiency and patient outcomes. With a plethora of issues to overcome, which are driven by documented factors such as growing rates of chronic diseases and the aging population, it is obvious that the healthcare industry needs new innovative solutions. AI-powered solutions in the healthcare industry will achieve a clear impact on the global healthcare industry in a short time. Frequently Asked Questions Which is the best application of AI in the healthcare sector? Cognitive surgical robotics is the best application of AI in the healthcare sector as it helps practitioners collect data from real surgical processes, which would help in improving existing surgical approaches. Why is artificial intelligence important in healthcare? Artificial intelligence in healthcare is vital as it can help make decisions, analyze and manage data, and have conversations. So, AI will drastically change the everyday practices and roles of clinicians. When was AI-first used in healthcare? The term, Artificial intelligence (AI) was first described in 1950, but the limitations of the term prevented its acceptance. In the 2000s, these limitations were overcome and people started to accept the term.

Healthtech Security

Article | November 29, 2023

It’s no secret now that healthcare is an in-demand field. Today, business leaders need modern and intelligent decision-making solutions for their customers and clients. They must also focus on the right investment areas and learn the tricks for investing, spending, and setting goals for revenue generation to accelerate business. With continuous developments in the healthcare sector, integrating AI into processes can help increase ROI. Therefore, if you, like any other business leader, are looking for solutions to empower your services and products in the healthcare domain, this article will help you through AI’s ultimate use cases and churn out a higher ROI. What’s with AI in Healthcare at Present? AI’s role in healthcare is evolving and enhancing traditional business operations, particularly marketing. According to a study by IBM, 71% of customers expect real-time communication. Thus, global demand is fueling the rising adoption of AI marketing solutions. The effects of AI in healthcare are evident. Gartner reports increased marketing efficiency and effectiveness (86%), improved decision-making (71%), better data analysis and new insights (79%). Global AI spending will rise from $450 million in 2019 to over $28 billion by 2024 is not surprising. Similar and further studies are ongoing on various use cases of AI in healthcare at scale. What are the efficient use cases of AI that will help healthcare businesses boost their ROI? Let’s find out. How is AI Applied in Healthcare? The promising applications of AI in healthcare to improve outcomes are very intriguing. While there is still much to achieve in the AI-dependent healthcare business, there is sufficient potential that tech companies are willing to invest in AI-powered tools and solutions. Let’s examine the potential examples of AI in healthcare to prepare and support business strategies accordingly and foster higher ROI generation. Predictive Analytics AI-based predictive analytics impacts a business by automating administrative tasks, predicting sales outcomes for a year, customers’ behavior and making strategies accordingly. According to a Forbes study, AI-based predictive analytics can save businesses $18 billion in tasks, expenses, and pricing. To understand this, one example of using AI to automate admin tasks is a collaboration between the Cleveland Clinic and IBM. Cleveland Clinic uses IBM’s Watson to mine big data and provides personalized services for customers and clients on marketing deeds. Some of the practical applications of AI and predictive analytics in healthcare are: Monitoring market trends to maximize marketing efforts Organizing datasets Creating marketing campaigns tailored to each demographic-based client Mining collective data for future decision-making Fraud Prevention AmerisourceBergen Corp detects fraud and misleading business operations through AI. A sales account team conducts audits with AI to detect usual lea and queries to prevent hefty expenses for businesses. The example explains that implementing AI in your process will help detect any significant fraud attempts inside your business operation. This will help your business save huge expenditures. Boost Sales By putting down false leads, AI helps in maximizing sales numbers, resulting in significant ROI generation. For example, AI transforms data into personalized data, which reduces the cost of operations. Chatbots Most healthcare businesses leverage chatbots on their websites to engage more and more customers and boost engagement. In this way, businesses tend to gain multiple leads and convert them into clients by providing the best marketing solutions. Chatbots are fruitful for AI start-ups in healthcare—small businesses can deploy AI to their websites. By doing so, they can save millions in administrative costs and attract numerous leads. The most prominent examples of AI in healthcare hail from giant tech titans such as IBM, Amazon, and Microsoft. They are assisting healthcare providers with AI to create and deploy digital-human employees. Segmentation of Marketing Targets Is your target audience not responding to your marketing campaigns (for example, by not clicking a link, subscribing or unsubscribing to a newsletter, or not registering for a medical event)? If that's the case, how should you go ahead? Using AI-based tools allows your marketing to easily identify target behaviors and reactions based on the type of marketing actions to be carried out. Analyzing these actions can help segment targets based on your company's marketing objectives. The most significant development took place in April 2022, when Amazon Alexa became fully HIPAA compliant. It works with health developers and service providers that manage protected information for customers. AI Leads to Data Modernization It’s all about the data—not any data! There’s a precise association between AI and data management, resulting in data modernization. According to a Cognizant research study, healthcare leaders have made significant progress in modernizing their data. In contrast, most upcoming businesses are expecting to do so by 2024. The maximum acceleration of AI in modernizing data will be seen in the manufacturing and marketing of healthcare products and services, respectively. It is because AI helps to churn data easily. The accessibility of data, in particular, becomes simpler with automation than doing it manually, which generates a massive amount of data. Such effects of AI in healthcare can be one of the prime reasons for the higher ROI of your business in the future. “There has never been a greater need for skilled analytic talent in health care. Because AI is becoming more strategic, organizations must ensure access to this skill set, either by growing their analytic teams or seeking out experienced partners." Steve Griffiths, CEO of Optum Enterprise Analytics AI Expenditure is on the Rise McKinsey says that by 2025, the use of AI in healthcare will be widespread, resulting in significant expenditure by global healthcare leaders. AI is a significant concern for healthcare decision-makers, investors, and innovators as customers extensively engage and react to AI-powered services and solutions. AI is constantly bringing improvements to almost all processes, including cost savings, management of services and products, and monitoring of multiple operations. Even small businesses in the healthcare industry are proactively investing in AI applications to match steps with the current wave of innovation in healthcare services. Accelerate ROI Using AI AI in healthcare is becoming one of the prime responsible technologies for accelerating ROI. Technology can eradicate multiple business growth challenges. Let’s find out how. Enhanced Performance As previously stated, use cases of AI in healthcare can relieve stress on employees. This would allow them to devote their time to more value-added marketing activities to churn more ROI. Emphasize Cost-Effectiveness Most of the businesses associated with healthcare are concerned about the costs involved. With AI, they now develop policies to spend less on non-essential activities and necessitate profit-oriented actions. "We believe in the potential of AI to deliver insights and operational efficiencies that unlock better health-care performance." Robert Musslewhite, CEO at OptumInsight Frequently Asked Questions How is AI used in healthcare? AI in healthcare automates and predicts processes by analyzing data throughout. It is used to predict potential customers, improve business management workflows, and manufacture medical products. How does AI drive growth in the healthcare industry? AI drives business growth by improving the ability to understand better day-to-day customer patterns and needs based on services and products. How is AI changing the Healthcare industry? AI applications in healthcare have demonstrated their potential to improve analytics and data management and assist service providers in making timely medical decisions.

Healthtech Security

Article | August 31, 2023

Unleash the power of attending EHR events, empowering healthcare providers with accessible patient information for enhanced care. Stay updated with the latest trends at these top EHR summits. Electronic health records (EHRs) have sparked a transformative revolution in the healthcare industry, empowering providers with readily accessible patient information. With technology progressing and digital healthcare solutions becoming increasingly vital, staying up-to-date with the latest EHR trends and developments has become crucial for healthcare professionals and C-suite executives. This article highlights a curated list of EHR events that gather visionaries, experts, and pioneers from diverse domains to foster knowledge exchange, collaborations, and exploration of cutting-edge EHR advancements propelling the industry to new frontiers. 1. The MedTech Conference October 9-11, 2023 | California This EHR conference offers attendees an opportunity to stay abreast of the latest updates and insights through an extensive program featuring over 100 sessions that showcase diverse perspectives. From examining physicians' viewpoints on value-based care to exploring the approaches of policymakers in cybersecurity and trade considerations, as well as delving into the innovative applications of AI by scientists, the conference provides a platform for knowledge exchange. With world-class speakers, comprehensive educational programming, valuable networking opportunities, and the potential for business development, this EHR summit serves as a homecoming for the global medtech community, fostering collaboration and forming partnerships that drive innovative solutions for a healthier world. 2. IEEE International Conference on Digital Health July 2-8, 2023 | Chicago The IEEE International Conference on Digital Health (ICDH) stands as a powerful global platform where esteemed researchers and industry practitioners converge to exchange cutting-edge advancements in digital health technologies. With a focus on both the current state-of-the-art and practical applications, ICDH facilitates discourse on emerging research themes and the future trajectory of digital health. Its overarching objective is to unite prominent researchers, community leaders, visionaries from academia and industry, end-users, and healthcare professionals in the digital health domain. It fosters the exchange of research findings, practical expertise, and forward-looking perspectives on sustainable health and social care transformations. 3. EAI MobiHealth 2023 November 28-30, 2023 | Portugal The 12th EAI International Conference on Wireless Mobile Communication and Healthcare (MobiHealth 2023) serves as a testament to the significant growth of the healthcare industry, propelled by factors such as an aging population, the prevalence of chronic diseases, and technological advancements. The healthcare sector has been greatly influenced by wireless communication & mobile computing and is constantly evolving with new technologies like 5G, IoT, robotics, and smart buildings. The integration of these innovations, along with e-health, m-health, edge computing, software-defined networks, and network function virtualization, has further revolutionized the industry. This hybrid conference aims to unite individuals and organizations worldwide in wireless communication, mobile computing, and healthcare applications. 4. 3rd IEEE International Conference on ICT Solutions for eHealth July 9-12, 2023 | Tunisia e-Health has emerged as a significant research area, attracting cross-disciplinary research groups interested in deploying new ICT technologies for healthcare, particularly cloud computing, IoT, and computational intelligence. After five successful workshop editions, ICTS4eHealth, which has transitioned into an International IEEE Conference, now announced its third edition. The conference brings together researchers from academia, industry, government, and medical centers to present the latest advancements in cloud systems for connected health infrastructure and applications and the utilization of IoT and computational intelligence techniques in eHealth. By fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange, this EHR conference aims to advance the field of e-Health and contribute to developing innovative ICT solutions for improved healthcare outcomes. 5. DigiHT 2023 October 19-20, 2023 | Virtual The International Conference on Digital Health and Telemedicine 2023 (DigiHT 2023) will serve as a global platform for diverse participants, including academics, practitioners, technologists, application developers, students, and industry professionals. The conference will feature parallel sessions, enabling attendees to engage in knowledge-sharing and networking opportunities. It will also offer avenues for publishing research findings and host high-level forums featuring speeches from esteemed hospitals and health systems, both national and international, who will provide valuable perspectives, insights, and expertise. The central focus of the conference revolves around the theme 'Enhancing Health Equity and Improving Patient Outcomes: Empowerment Strategies for Patients to Take Control of Their Care and Well-being through Digital Healthcare.' EHR events like this one aim to increase access to health technology research and innovations while fostering collaboration and innovation among global digital health and telemedicine professionals. 6. MEDITECH LIVE 2023 September 20-22, 2023 | Massachusetts This EHR conference aims to convene a diverse group of experienced healthcare innovators who are deeply committed to fostering collaboration amidst the ongoing transformation of health information technology. Through engaging in high-level panel discussions and specialized breakout sessions, participants will collectively explore the disruptive forces that impact the industry and brainstorm tangible solutions. EHR events like this serve as a platform for redefining the intersection of healthcare leadership and technology, focusing on making a meaningful impact on communities. Distinguished speakers at the event include Paul Keckley (Healthcare Policy Analyst and Managing Partner of Keckley Group) and Amer Kaissi, a nationally-recognized speaker, author & executive coach who will bring valuable insights to the discourse. 7. Electronic Medical Records Boot Camp August 21-22, 2023 | Virtual 'Electronic Medical Records Boot Camp: Biostatistical Methods for Analyzing EMR Data' is a comprehensive two-day virtual event that offers seminars and interactive analytical sessions, providing participants with an in-depth understanding of electronic health data opportunities, statistical challenges, and the latest techniques. The widespread implementation of EHRs and EMRs in US hospitals has resulted in vast amounts of patient information, enabling cohort-wide investigations and personalized medicine. However, analyzing such extensive and diverse observational data poses technical difficulties. This intensive workshop addresses the potential of EMR/EHR data for health studies, statistical challenges, and advanced techniques through hands-on computer lab sessions and case studies. Participants will learn about data integration, addressing biases and missing data, comparative effectiveness studies, and predictive analysis. By the end of the boot camp, attendees will be well-versed in harnessing the power of EMR/EHR data for transformative healthcare research. 8. eClinicalWorks National Conference October 20-22, 2023 | Tennessee Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville will host electronic health records events like eClinical Works National Conference. This EHR summit will be an engaging and informative event for healthcare professionals. Attendees can delve into the latest enhancements and developments related to the V12 and Healow products for three days. The event will showcase these products' cutting-edge features and functionalities, demonstrating their potential to revolutionize the healthcare industry. 9. 2023 GSA Conference Workshop November 8-12, 2023 | Florida At the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) 2023 Annual Scientific Meeting in November, multiple principal investigator Vincent Mor, Ph.D., and colleagues will conduct a workshop titled 'The Long-Term Care Data Cooperative: Leveraging Nursing Home Electronic Health Records for Research.' Funded by National Institute of Aging, this initiative aims to enhance care quality in skilled nursing facilities by compiling comprehensive electronic health records data from over 2,100 nursing homes nationwide. The workshop will allow attendees to explore sample data, understand the core data model, and learn how to request access for research purposes. Additionally, interested participants can apply for 'real-world data scholars' training grants to leverage this valuable resource further. 10. International Conference on Global Healthcare November 16-18, 2023 | France The 10th edition of the upcoming scientific conference (Global Healthcare 2023) will be held in Paris. With a central theme of 'Fostering the Endeavors to Enhance Global Healthcare, ' this EHR summit aims to be the largest and most comprehensive event in the worldwide healthcare industry. The conference will focus on various aspects such as clinical best practices, research advancements, innovation, discoveries, and emerging trends in healthcare. Attendees can expect an enriching scientific program featuring symposiums, seminars, keynote addresses, oral presentations, and poster presentations showcasing the latest global best practices, research findings, industry regulations, and technological breakthroughs. EHR events like this one are held to empower attendees by providing comprehensive insights and fostering knowledge exchange in electronic health records and beyond. Final Analysis These electronic health records events offer medical professionals a comprehensive conference track that is tailored to their specific needs and interests. Attendees can engage in face-to-face conversations, access high-quality programming focused on current hot topics, and benefit from unparalleled networking with industry leaders, making these EHR events a must-attend! Furthermore, the conference track provides medical professionals with specialized sessions, workshops, and presentations that delve deep into the practical aspects of implementing, optimizing, and utilizing electronic health record systems. By actively participating in these sessions, medical professionals can gain practical skills, learn best practices, and acquire valuable insights that can directly impact their daily routine and patient care.

Article | October 26, 2020

Do you have a difficult time explaining your mental health issues to your family and friends? If so, here are six suggestions on how to discuss your mental health issues with your friends and relatives. 1. Talk to a counselor: The most important thing that you need to do is to talk to a counselor about your mental health problems. Seeking professional help will go a long way in overcoming your current issues. In addition, a counselor will be able to give you additional advice on how to deal with your friends and family members. 2. Don’t argue with others: It is important that you do not get into arguments with those who are giving you a hard time. Your number one priority is getting your life back on track. Your health is more important than what other people may think. 3. Watch who you hang out with: It is important to surround yourself with positive people. Try to keep your distance from those people who are giving you a difficult time. Remember that your goal is to remain positive and hopeful. Do not let the negative people in your life bring you down. 4. You are not alone: It can be very frustrating to deal with your mental health issues when your friends and relatives are on your case. Remember, you are not alone. There are millions of people around the world who struggle with their fears, anxieties, and depression. The key is to find those people who can relate to you. 5. Stand your ground: It is important to stand your ground when dealing with family members and friends who are giving you a hard time. Explain your situation and your feelings to the people in your life, however don’t let them hassle you. Your number one priority is to get better and not to please everyone that you know. 6. Join a 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 regarding your problems.