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Shopping For a Health Insurance Plan Again. Seriously?

On the golf course, my son Jason has an uncanny ability to hit any tree within earshot of his intended target line. It’s fait accompli in his book. And his reaction is always the same: seriously! The same is his plight with health insurance. Though a self-employed healthy single male with a successful career and no need for government assistance in buying coverage, he just got this letter from his insurer: The last seven years within the health insurance market have led all of us to decisions we have never before considered. It has remained a very challenging environment as the debate over the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA) continues today.

Spotlight

Sacred Heart Hospital

Sacred Heart Hospital is a 215-bed Catholic medical center located in central Allentown, Pa. Founded in 1912, Sacred Heart Hospital offers a wide range of advanced medical services ranging from obstetrics to bariatric surgery, vascular surgery, cardiology, rehabilitation and behavioral health services.

OTHER ARTICLES
Health Technology

What’s So Great About FHIR? Find Out Here

Article | September 12, 2023

Affordable healthcare is the need of the hour and interoperability is the means to that end. The healthcare ecosystem is looking into ways they can enable this affordability as soon as possible, and that is where FHIR comes in. FHR promises an on-demand exchange of secure healthcare information. It has become an increasingly popular protocol, thanks to its commitment to ensuring interoperability in the app economy, via apps. The privilege enjoyed by consumers and participants in most industries is the ease of accessibility of information. With most of it being on the cloud, a URL ensures access to the same information regardless of where it is being accessed from or which internet enable device. This is the privilege FHIR aims to introduce in healthcare, over the current document-based approach where forms are either faxed, emailed, or electronically exchanged. FHIR is for Building new healthcare apps Develop cloud-based health apps that integrate with social networks Providing a simple to use standards-based API for cloud-based health integration services The government looking to implement a national EHR FHIR Aims to Reduce Cost The medical expenses of an average American in a year are north of $12k and rising. The reasons are the unnecessary complications in the healthcare IT infrastructure. With FHIR, HL7 aims to reduce the burden on providers in sharing and accessing healthcare data at the point of care, thereby reducing the administrative expenses spent on moving data back and forth. It also promises to grant on-demand access to patients – enabling them to make better-informed healthcare decisions. What is part of FHIR? Pre-defined Resources and API A common way to represent data as building blocks and rules for connecting them Target support for common scenarios Implementer Friendly Familiar tooling and technologies using web standards Multiple Libraries available for faster implementations Mobile Friendly Concise and easily understood specifications, RESTful API and JSON Leverages cross-industry web technologies Multi-paradigm Thick client, browser, or mobile devices Supports human readability as the base level of interoperability Large Community for Support Heaps of open-source software and training events, webinars, and connectathons Specification feedback welcomed, including update requests-tracker Out-of-the-box Interoperability Base resources can be used as it is, can also be adapted for local requirements Seamless exchange of information using messages or document Start The FHIR Health plans are jumping on the FHIR bandwagon faster than ever thanks to the Interoperability and Patient Access rule as well as the latest proposals. Do not get left behind or sustain the ramifications of non-compliance with CMS regulations.

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Health Technology, Digital Healthcare

Why Medical Drones Are Taking Off in Healthcare

Article | September 8, 2023

With their speed and maneuverability, drones have long captured attention for their potential to deliver shopping orders and photograph the world from above. But the machines can also serve a medical purpose by shuttling drugs, defibrillators and other equipment to emergency sites or care facilities. Improvements in battery life, GPS navigation and artificial intelligence functions are making drones a more practical option in healthcare, says Dr. Daniel Kraft, faculty chair for medicine and neuroscience at Singularity University, an executive education program that also serves as a business incubator and consultancy service. Theft is also a concern, says Will Stavanja, chief technical officer at AirBox Technologies, which is testing its DroneX fleet for medical deliveries in the Caribbean. “Right now, most drones land, drop the package and leave,” says Stavanja, whose team has developed smart mailboxes for secure delivery. Addressing that risk will be key to determining whether drones can handle sensitive cargo. “You want a very high degree of certainty,” Kraft says. “It’s one thing if you lose a urine sample or a blood sample; you can get another one. It’s another to lose an organ.”

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Healthtech Security

The digital hospital of the future

Article | August 31, 2023

​As the cost of care continues to rise, many hospitals are looking for long-term solutions to minimize inpatient services. Learn how technology and health care delivery will merge to influence the future of hospital design and the patient experience across the globe in this report developed by Deloitte US. Five use cases for the digital hospital of the future The future of health care delivery may look quite different than the hospital of today. Rapidly evolving technologies, along with demographic and economic changes, are expected to alter hospitals worldwide. A growing number of inpatient health care services are already being pushed to home and outpatient ambulatory facilities. However, many complex andv very ill patients will continue to need acute inpatient services. With aging infrastructure in some countries and increased demand for more beds in others, hospital executives and governments should consider rethinking how to optimize inpatient and outpatient settings and integrate digital technologies into traditional hospital services to truly create a health system without walls. To learn what this future of health care delivery may look like, the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions conducted a crowdsourcing simulation with 33 experts from across the globe. Participants included health care CXOs, physician and nurse leaders, public policy leaders, technologists, and futurists. Their charge was to come up with specific use cases for the design of digital hospitals globally in 10 years (a period that can offer hospital leaders and boards time to prepare). The crowdsourcing simulation developed use cases in five categories Redefined care delivery Emerging features including centralized digital centers to enable decision making (think: air traffic control for hospitals), continuous clinical monitoring, targeted treatments (such as 3D printing for surgeries), and the use of smaller, portable devices will help characterize acute-care hospitals. Digital patient experience Digital and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies can help enable on-demand interaction and seamless processes to improve patient experience. Enhanced talent development Robotic process automation (RPA) and AI can allow caregivers to spend more time providing care and less time documenting it. Operational efficiencies through technology Digital supply chains, automation, robotics, and next-generation interoperability can drive operations management and back-office efficiencies. Healing and well-being designs The well-being of patients and staff members—with an emphasis on the importance of environment and experience in healing—will likely be important in future hospital designs. Many of these use-case concepts are already in play. And hospital executives should be planning how to integrate technology into newly-built facilities and retrofit it into older ones. Technology will likely underlie most aspects of future hospital care. But care delivery—especially for complex patients and procedures—may still require hands-on human expertise. Laying the foundation for the digital hospital of the future ​Building a digital hospital of the future can require investments in people, technology, processes, and premises. Most of these investments will likely be upfront. In the short term, hospital leadership may not see immediate returns on these investments. In the longer term, however—as digital technologies improve care delivery, create operational efficiencies, and enhance patient and staff experience—the return result can be in higher quality care, improved operational efficiencies, and increased patient satisfaction. These six core elements of an enterprise digital strategy can help you get started as you begin to push your hospital into the future Create a culture for digital transformation It is essential that senior management understands the importance of a digital future and drives support for its implementation at all organizational levels. Consider technology that communicates Digital implementation is complex. Connecting disparate applications, devices, and technologies—all highly interdependent—and making certain they talk to each other can be critical to a successful digital implementation. Play the long game Since digital technologies are ever evolving, flexibility and scalability during implementation can be critical. The planning team should confirm that project scope includes adding, modifying, or replacing technology at lower costs. Focus on data While the requirements of data interoperability, scalability, productivity, and flexibility are important, they should be built upon a solid foundation of capturing, storing, securing, and analyzing data. Prepare for Talent 2.0 As hospitals invest in exponential technologies, they should provide employees ample opportunities to develop corresponding digital strategies. Maintain cybersecurity With the proliferation of digital technologies, cyber breaches can be a major threat to hospitals of the future. Executives should understand that cybersecurity is the other half of digital implementation and allocate resources appropriately.

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AI

AI Governance Much Needed by Healthcare Providers : Exploring The Genuine Reasons

Article | December 18, 2021

Artificial Intelligence or AI has attained continuous evolution over the years and witnessed widespread adoption across major industries of the globe. The Forbes report of December 2021mentions that the number of AI startups since 2000 has increased 14 times, and investments in AI startups have grown six times. It underlines the fact that the AI industry, powered by its path-breaking developments and innovations, has always been an attractive and trending option in the market. Within a very few years, AI has taken over different segments of healthcare like wellness, early detection, diagnosis, decision making, treatment, research, training, public health functions (surveillance and outbreak response), virtual care etc. A study by Accenture claims that AI-enabled devices and gadgets meet 20% of the clinical demands, and this has reduced the unnecessary visits to hospitals by a great number. Applications of AI in healthcare is broadly categorised into 3 segments, namely, Patient-oriented AI; Clinician-oriented AI; and Administrative-oriented AI. The transformative role of AI in healthcare is undeniable, as it scripts new journey for patients and practitioners, alike. According to Healthcare IT News, 63% of the research subjects agree to the observation that the devices and machinery enabled by AI have provided excellent value to the specialty healthcare divisions like radiology, generic pharmacy, pathology, etc. The rapid growth of AI in highly delicate domains like healthcare calls for great promise to accelerate diagnosis and treatment. At the same time, it also puts ethics, patient safety and privacy concerns at the heart of it; thereby calling for a framework of governance. Gartner report of July 2019 predicted the application of AI in more than 75% of the healthcare delivery organizations (HDOs) around the globe. Since most of these HDOs are new to adopting and applying AI-enabled machinery and services, AI governance is crucial to prevent the actions that may lead to errors, misjudgements and further chaos. Moreover, the degree of variance in the application of AI is high, and therefore it is not advised to implement the AI mechanisms without proper guidance or governance. From AI-enabled smart bands to pacemakers, the range of devices and gadgets offered by the AI industry is simply remarkable. The implementation of AI in the healthcare sector has proven to be highly effective in drastically reducing the scope of slipups. Moreover, AI has also facilitated early detection of illness with the help of daily use gadgets and devices in a smart way. At this juncture, it is equally important to create data governance framework that ensure ethical principles are applied to patient, providers and payers’ data. Further, AI initiatives by healthcare providers should be created using transparent protocols, auditable methodologies and metadata. These technologies should do no harm, reduce biases and help patients make informed decisions about their care. A significant part of AI governance also lies in change management. To build trust towards AI’s adoption across the healthcare ecosystem, there should be a dialogue between clinicians, scientists, technologist and end-users. Such discussions will address the opportunities, value and investment, including concerns across the stakeholders. In fact, prominent think tanks suggest healthcare providers to establish an AI Governance Council to monitor the value, investment and use of strategic AI capabilities. Some of the crucial roles and responsibilities for the Council include addressing legal and regulatory compliance; clinical evaluations; ethical usage guidelines and organisational deployment of AI across the system. AI is indeed a revolutionary technology that has huge surprises up its sleeves for the future. But exploring new frontiers comes with its fair share of challenges. Establishing appropriate governance over AI implementation and initiating a conversation around the ethical implications and regulations as well, will play a fundamental role in the introduction and scale-up of AI in healthcare.

Read More
Health Technology

5 Ways AI is Likely to Benefit Medicine & Improve Patient Care

Article | September 12, 2023

Affordable healthcare is the need of the hour and interoperability is the means to that end. The healthcare ecosystem is looking into ways they can enable this affordability as soon as possible, and that is where FHIR comes in. FHR promises an on-demand exchange of secure healthcare information. It has become an increasingly popular protocol, thanks to its commitment to ensuring interoperability in the app economy, via apps. The privilege enjoyed by consumers and participants in most industries is the ease of accessibility of information. With most of it being on the cloud, a URL ensures access to the same information regardless of where it is being accessed from or which internet enable device. This is the privilege FHIR aims to introduce in healthcare, over the current document-based approach where forms are either faxed, emailed, or electronically exchanged. FHIR is for Building new healthcare apps Develop cloud-based health apps that integrate with social networks Providing a simple to use standards-based API for cloud-based health integration services The government looking to implement a national EHR FHIR Aims to Reduce Cost The medical expenses of an average American in a year are north of $12k and rising. The reasons are the unnecessary complications in the healthcare IT infrastructure. With FHIR, HL7 aims to reduce the burden on providers in sharing and accessing healthcare data at the point of care, thereby reducing the administrative expenses spent on moving data back and forth. It also promises to grant on-demand access to patients – enabling them to make better-informed healthcare decisions. What is part of FHIR? Pre-defined Resources and API A common way to represent data as building blocks and rules for connecting them Target support for common scenarios Implementer Friendly Familiar tooling and technologies using web standards Multiple Libraries available for faster implementations Mobile Friendly Concise and easily understood specifications, RESTful API and JSON Leverages cross-industry web technologies Multi-paradigm Thick client, browser, or mobile devices Supports human readability as the base level of interoperability Large Community for Support Heaps of open-source software and training events, webinars, and connectathons Specification feedback welcomed, including update requests-tracker Out-of-the-box Interoperability Base resources can be used as it is, can also be adapted for local requirements Seamless exchange of information using messages or document Start The FHIR Health plans are jumping on the FHIR bandwagon faster than ever thanks to the Interoperability and Patient Access rule as well as the latest proposals. Do not get left behind or sustain the ramifications of non-compliance with CMS regulations.

Read More
Health Technology, Digital Healthcare

Unlocking Better Health Online: Exploring Power of EHR Telemedicine

Article | September 8, 2023

With their speed and maneuverability, drones have long captured attention for their potential to deliver shopping orders and photograph the world from above. But the machines can also serve a medical purpose by shuttling drugs, defibrillators and other equipment to emergency sites or care facilities. Improvements in battery life, GPS navigation and artificial intelligence functions are making drones a more practical option in healthcare, says Dr. Daniel Kraft, faculty chair for medicine and neuroscience at Singularity University, an executive education program that also serves as a business incubator and consultancy service. Theft is also a concern, says Will Stavanja, chief technical officer at AirBox Technologies, which is testing its DroneX fleet for medical deliveries in the Caribbean. “Right now, most drones land, drop the package and leave,” says Stavanja, whose team has developed smart mailboxes for secure delivery. Addressing that risk will be key to determining whether drones can handle sensitive cargo. “You want a very high degree of certainty,” Kraft says. “It’s one thing if you lose a urine sample or a blood sample; you can get another one. It’s another to lose an organ.”

Read More
Healthtech Security

Modernizing Caregiving: How a Robotic Emotional Support Animal Can Help Caregivers

Article | August 31, 2023

​As the cost of care continues to rise, many hospitals are looking for long-term solutions to minimize inpatient services. Learn how technology and health care delivery will merge to influence the future of hospital design and the patient experience across the globe in this report developed by Deloitte US. Five use cases for the digital hospital of the future The future of health care delivery may look quite different than the hospital of today. Rapidly evolving technologies, along with demographic and economic changes, are expected to alter hospitals worldwide. A growing number of inpatient health care services are already being pushed to home and outpatient ambulatory facilities. However, many complex andv very ill patients will continue to need acute inpatient services. With aging infrastructure in some countries and increased demand for more beds in others, hospital executives and governments should consider rethinking how to optimize inpatient and outpatient settings and integrate digital technologies into traditional hospital services to truly create a health system without walls. To learn what this future of health care delivery may look like, the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions conducted a crowdsourcing simulation with 33 experts from across the globe. Participants included health care CXOs, physician and nurse leaders, public policy leaders, technologists, and futurists. Their charge was to come up with specific use cases for the design of digital hospitals globally in 10 years (a period that can offer hospital leaders and boards time to prepare). The crowdsourcing simulation developed use cases in five categories Redefined care delivery Emerging features including centralized digital centers to enable decision making (think: air traffic control for hospitals), continuous clinical monitoring, targeted treatments (such as 3D printing for surgeries), and the use of smaller, portable devices will help characterize acute-care hospitals. Digital patient experience Digital and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies can help enable on-demand interaction and seamless processes to improve patient experience. Enhanced talent development Robotic process automation (RPA) and AI can allow caregivers to spend more time providing care and less time documenting it. Operational efficiencies through technology Digital supply chains, automation, robotics, and next-generation interoperability can drive operations management and back-office efficiencies. Healing and well-being designs The well-being of patients and staff members—with an emphasis on the importance of environment and experience in healing—will likely be important in future hospital designs. Many of these use-case concepts are already in play. And hospital executives should be planning how to integrate technology into newly-built facilities and retrofit it into older ones. Technology will likely underlie most aspects of future hospital care. But care delivery—especially for complex patients and procedures—may still require hands-on human expertise. Laying the foundation for the digital hospital of the future ​Building a digital hospital of the future can require investments in people, technology, processes, and premises. Most of these investments will likely be upfront. In the short term, hospital leadership may not see immediate returns on these investments. In the longer term, however—as digital technologies improve care delivery, create operational efficiencies, and enhance patient and staff experience—the return result can be in higher quality care, improved operational efficiencies, and increased patient satisfaction. These six core elements of an enterprise digital strategy can help you get started as you begin to push your hospital into the future Create a culture for digital transformation It is essential that senior management understands the importance of a digital future and drives support for its implementation at all organizational levels. Consider technology that communicates Digital implementation is complex. Connecting disparate applications, devices, and technologies—all highly interdependent—and making certain they talk to each other can be critical to a successful digital implementation. Play the long game Since digital technologies are ever evolving, flexibility and scalability during implementation can be critical. The planning team should confirm that project scope includes adding, modifying, or replacing technology at lower costs. Focus on data While the requirements of data interoperability, scalability, productivity, and flexibility are important, they should be built upon a solid foundation of capturing, storing, securing, and analyzing data. Prepare for Talent 2.0 As hospitals invest in exponential technologies, they should provide employees ample opportunities to develop corresponding digital strategies. Maintain cybersecurity With the proliferation of digital technologies, cyber breaches can be a major threat to hospitals of the future. Executives should understand that cybersecurity is the other half of digital implementation and allocate resources appropriately.

Read More
AI

AI Governance Much Needed by Healthcare Providers : Exploring The Genuine Reasons

Article | December 18, 2021

Artificial Intelligence or AI has attained continuous evolution over the years and witnessed widespread adoption across major industries of the globe. The Forbes report of December 2021mentions that the number of AI startups since 2000 has increased 14 times, and investments in AI startups have grown six times. It underlines the fact that the AI industry, powered by its path-breaking developments and innovations, has always been an attractive and trending option in the market. Within a very few years, AI has taken over different segments of healthcare like wellness, early detection, diagnosis, decision making, treatment, research, training, public health functions (surveillance and outbreak response), virtual care etc. A study by Accenture claims that AI-enabled devices and gadgets meet 20% of the clinical demands, and this has reduced the unnecessary visits to hospitals by a great number. Applications of AI in healthcare is broadly categorised into 3 segments, namely, Patient-oriented AI; Clinician-oriented AI; and Administrative-oriented AI. The transformative role of AI in healthcare is undeniable, as it scripts new journey for patients and practitioners, alike. According to Healthcare IT News, 63% of the research subjects agree to the observation that the devices and machinery enabled by AI have provided excellent value to the specialty healthcare divisions like radiology, generic pharmacy, pathology, etc. The rapid growth of AI in highly delicate domains like healthcare calls for great promise to accelerate diagnosis and treatment. At the same time, it also puts ethics, patient safety and privacy concerns at the heart of it; thereby calling for a framework of governance. Gartner report of July 2019 predicted the application of AI in more than 75% of the healthcare delivery organizations (HDOs) around the globe. Since most of these HDOs are new to adopting and applying AI-enabled machinery and services, AI governance is crucial to prevent the actions that may lead to errors, misjudgements and further chaos. Moreover, the degree of variance in the application of AI is high, and therefore it is not advised to implement the AI mechanisms without proper guidance or governance. From AI-enabled smart bands to pacemakers, the range of devices and gadgets offered by the AI industry is simply remarkable. The implementation of AI in the healthcare sector has proven to be highly effective in drastically reducing the scope of slipups. Moreover, AI has also facilitated early detection of illness with the help of daily use gadgets and devices in a smart way. At this juncture, it is equally important to create data governance framework that ensure ethical principles are applied to patient, providers and payers’ data. Further, AI initiatives by healthcare providers should be created using transparent protocols, auditable methodologies and metadata. These technologies should do no harm, reduce biases and help patients make informed decisions about their care. A significant part of AI governance also lies in change management. To build trust towards AI’s adoption across the healthcare ecosystem, there should be a dialogue between clinicians, scientists, technologist and end-users. Such discussions will address the opportunities, value and investment, including concerns across the stakeholders. In fact, prominent think tanks suggest healthcare providers to establish an AI Governance Council to monitor the value, investment and use of strategic AI capabilities. Some of the crucial roles and responsibilities for the Council include addressing legal and regulatory compliance; clinical evaluations; ethical usage guidelines and organisational deployment of AI across the system. AI is indeed a revolutionary technology that has huge surprises up its sleeves for the future. But exploring new frontiers comes with its fair share of challenges. Establishing appropriate governance over AI implementation and initiating a conversation around the ethical implications and regulations as well, will play a fundamental role in the introduction and scale-up of AI in healthcare.

Read More
MORE ARTICLES

Spotlight

Sacred Heart Hospital

Sacred Heart Hospital is a 215-bed Catholic medical center located in central Allentown, Pa. Founded in 1912, Sacred Heart Hospital offers a wide range of advanced medical services ranging from obstetrics to bariatric surgery, vascular surgery, cardiology, rehabilitation and behavioral health services.

Related News

Future of Healthcare

BioIntelliSense Joins Polaris Dawn Mission to Advance Understanding of Human Health in Space

BIOINTELLISENSE | November 15, 2022

BioIntelliSense, Inc., a continuous health monitoring and clinical intelligence company, today announced its partnership with the Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) to further understanding of human health in space. The BioButton® medical grade wearable device will be used for commercial spaceflight research programs and notably during the upcoming five-day Polaris Dawn mission. This historic mission will be flown by SpaceX and is scheduled to launch after March 2023. Medical and scientific research on human health in space promotes the advancement of translational technologies by adapting known technology for space applications, and by using space-based insights to improve healthcare at home. “BioIntelliSense has proudly gained industry recognition for its innovative and comprehensive portfolio of continuous multi-parameter monitoring solutions for application in the acute care environment, at home settings and now, in the next frontier of space, As a lifelong space exploration enthusiast, it is a tremendous honor to be working with TRISH on health research that can benefit astronauts and crews during commercial space flight and for the BioButton devices to be part of the upcoming Polaris Dawn mission.” -James Mault, MD, founder and CEO of BioIntelliSense The BioButton multi-parameter device is designed to be worn on the upper left chest and will passively capture trending physiologic and movement data from the Polaris Dawn crew during its milestone mission. The future of healthcare is here. Today, the BioIntelliSense Data-as-a-Service (DaaS) platform and clinical intelligence solution is commercially available and rapidly adopted by acute and post-acute providers in the U.S. along with select international markets. TRISH is proud to partner with innovative healthcare technology leaders like BioIntelliSense as we further our understanding of human health in space, Our EXPAND (Enhancing eXploration and ANalog Definition) commercial spaceflight health research platform provides unique opportunities to rapidly test technologies in orbit, as well as collect new datapoints on the health impact of spaceflight for a wider, more diverse population,said James Hury, TRISH Chief Innovation Officer and Deputy Director. BioIntelliSense (Booth #5025) and TRISH (Space Health Pavilion #2636) will be showcasing the BioButton wearable device and clinical intelligence solution at the premier HLTH 2022 conference November 13 – 16 in Las Vegas, NV. ABOUT BIOINTELLISENSE BioIntelliSense is ushering in a new era of continuous health monitoring and clinical intelligence for remote patient monitoring (RPM). Its medical-grade Data-as-a-Service (DaaS) platform seamlessly captures multi-parameter vital signs, physiological biometrics and symptomatic events through an effortless patient experience. The medical-grade BioButton® wearable device makes remote monitoring and early detection simple. Through the platform’s advanced analytics, clinicians have access to high-resolution patient trending and reporting to enable medical grade remote care from in-hospital to home. ABOUT TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE for SPACE HEALTH (TRISH) Led by Baylor College of Medicine’s Center for Space Medicine, TRISH is a consortium that includes partners Caltech and MIT. NASA recently awarded the Institute a six-year extension to further its work by delivering disruptive solutions to mitigate biomedical risks for human exploration while advancing terrestrial health technologies.

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Digital Healthcare

MedX Health and Health Partners Announce Agreement to Launch MedX’s Teledermatology Screening Platform

MedX Health Corp | March 03, 2022

MedX Health Corp.("MedX" or the "Company"), a global leader in teledermatology, is pleased to announce a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) and the launch of a new commercialization pilot project with Health Partners (OH) Limited, a well-respected, privately-owned corporate health, treatment and primary care services company in the United Kingdom. Serving a broad client base comprising corporates, government agencies, insurers, health trusts, pension funds and individuals, Health Partners (“HP”) employs 700+ people with telehealth, mobile and on-site operations across the UK and the Republic of Ireland. The pilot will span three to six months and involve an estimated 600 patients across two of HP’s sites. Upon the successful completion of the pilot, the MedX DermSecure® Screening Platform will be made available to Health Partners' two million-plus patients. The agreement is the latest initiative in MedX’s global commercialization strategy and follows pilots recently launched across the Europe and Middle East region. "Health Partners’ Clinical Team constantly strives to identify leading technological innovations that offer the highest level of support to our two million-plus patients. MedX's leading skin assessment technology allows dermatologists to not only make more accurate diagnoses of pigmented lesions and moles, but to do that remotely and quickly. We are very proud to be partnering with MedX Health to bring this innovative and life-changing service to our clients.” Health Partners Managing Director Andrew Noble In addition to expanding its DermSecure® Screening Platform network globally, MedX has focused on building a presence in multiple market verticals such as pharmacies, medical clinics, building hubs, medical scanning clinics, mobile and remote medical practices, as well as esthetics and skincare clinics. The partnership with Health Partners represents MedX’s expansion into a new vertical; occupational health and wellbeing services. MedX Managing Director, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Naman Demaghlatrous, added, "MedX is pleased to have established a presence in the strategic occupational health vertical. Health Partners brings our technology to a population of more than two million workers across the United Kingdom, thus expanding our footprint in the EMEA region considerably. We continue to execute on our strategy to identify strategic partnerships in the region that will allow us to grow our business and save lives simultaneously.” Health Partners will pilot MedX’s high-definition image-capture technology, SIAscopy®, and its secure, cloud-based patient management system, DermSecure®, which transmits and stores patient data throughout the assessment process. MedX's SIAscopy® is the only technology available that captures five high-resolution images of suspicious moles, lesions and skin conditions, including four spectrophotometric images taken 2mm below the skin's surface. This technology provides detailed patient scans, which a certified dermatologist can virtually assess within 72 hours. "We are honoured to be working with Health Partners on this most important initiative. According to Health & Safety Executive-commissioned research, there are more than 3000 cases of skin cancer annually in the construction industryalone. We are delighted to be entering the occupational health services market with a leader in the industry," stated Mike Druhan, MedX President, Dermatology Services. About Health Partners (OH) Ltd. Health Partners, headquartered in Uckfield, East Sussex, United Kingdom, is a leading health and wellbeing company, providing a full range of corporate health, treatment and primary care services to corporates, government, insurers, health trusts, pension funds and families. We combine expert advice and clinical services with smart systems to deliver impact-driven health programmes, tailored to improve people’s wellbeing and performance. Health Partners is founded on patient privacy and holds a significant number of accreditations, certifications and memberships, including ISO27001, CQC, SEQOHS and ISO9001. Health Partners offers its services across the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, reaching two million plus people in organisations across several industries. About MedX Health Corp. MedX, headquartered in Ontario, Canada, is a leading medical device and software company focused on skin health with its SIAscopy® on DermSecure® telemedicine platform, utilizing its SIAscopy® technology. SIAscopy® is also imbedded in its products SIAMETRICS®, SIMSYS®, and MoleMate®, which MedX manufactures in its ISO 13485 certified facility. SIAMETRICS®, SIMSYS®, and MoleMate® include hand-held devices that use patented technology utilizing light and its remittance to view suspicious moles and lesions up to 2mm beneath in a pain-free, non-invasive manner. Its patented software then creates real-time images for physicians and dermatologists to evaluate all types of moles or lesions within seconds. These products are cleared by Health Canada, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Therapeutic Goods Administration and Conformité Européenne for use in Canada, the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, the European Union, Brazil and Turkey.

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Digital Healthcare

Cognizant Collaborates with Microsoft to Offer New Virtual Healthcare Solution for Remote Patient Monitoring and Improved Care

Cognizant | March 02, 2022

Cognizant today announced it is collaboratingwith Microsoft to delivera new digital health solution to enhance remote patient monitoring for improved medical care. Cognizant's new solution, leveraging components of the Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare, is the first of several planned offerings that combine remote patient monitoring and virtual health, utilizing products like smart watches, blood pressure monitors, and glucose meters to collect and communicate patient health data to providers. Built-in analytics allow providers to cross-reference historical health information to gain patient insights and potentially identify early warning signs of chronic conditions so preventative measures can be taken. Additionally, the solution's remote capabilities enable telehealth visits, which continue to be a valuable option to mitigate barriers of care for patients with accessibility constraints, as well as implement time-sensitive interventions and improve personalized care. With chronic diseases expected to account for 70% of global deaths by 2030, advancements in digital integration are quickly becoming recognized as an optimal approach to preventing, managing, and treating disease.* As an early Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare partner, Cognizant has designed a solution that leverages Microsoft Azure services including FHIR, API Services, and Teams integration to improve scalability and reliability. This digital healthcare endeavor is backed by Cognizant's dedicated Microsoft Business Group, bringing together Cognizant's digital modernization expertise with Microsoft's focus on building Industry Clouds to deliver a commercially available, comprehensive, healthcare solution. This new offering is the first in a series of digital healthcare solutions from Cognizant as the company accelerates its client offerings aimed at implementing advanced healthcare technology to increase patient engagement, enhance personalized care, provide remote patient monitoring, and facilitate improved patient outcomes. Future offerings will build upon existing solution capabilities to help clients expedite implementation. "The bridging of technology and healthcare is creating new opportunities to improve how providers monitor the health of their patients and engage with them for time-sensitive interventions. Utilizing data analytics, secure cloud technology and interoperability products, our collaboration with Microsoft offers a unique, scalable solution that aims to connect providers and patients, and enhances the quality, timeliness, and personalization of healthcare." Surya Gummadi, Head of Cognizant Healthcare "Cognizant's new virtual healthcare solution utilizes differentiated capabilities, built on the secure and compliant Microsoft Cloud, that make it easy for people to collect and share health data using their own devices, while ensuring that providers have the data and insights they need to diagnose and treat patients," saidTom McGuinness, Corporate Vice President, Global Healthcare and Life Sciences, Microsoft. "We look forward to combining our technologies and collective expertise to deliver additional solutions that offer high quality healthcare and enable patient well-being." About Cognizant Cognizantengineers modern businesses. We help our clients modernize technology, reimagine processes and transform experiences so they can stay ahead in our fast-changing world. Together, we're improving everyday life.

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Future of Healthcare

BioIntelliSense Joins Polaris Dawn Mission to Advance Understanding of Human Health in Space

BIOINTELLISENSE | November 15, 2022

BioIntelliSense, Inc., a continuous health monitoring and clinical intelligence company, today announced its partnership with the Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) to further understanding of human health in space. The BioButton® medical grade wearable device will be used for commercial spaceflight research programs and notably during the upcoming five-day Polaris Dawn mission. This historic mission will be flown by SpaceX and is scheduled to launch after March 2023. Medical and scientific research on human health in space promotes the advancement of translational technologies by adapting known technology for space applications, and by using space-based insights to improve healthcare at home. “BioIntelliSense has proudly gained industry recognition for its innovative and comprehensive portfolio of continuous multi-parameter monitoring solutions for application in the acute care environment, at home settings and now, in the next frontier of space, As a lifelong space exploration enthusiast, it is a tremendous honor to be working with TRISH on health research that can benefit astronauts and crews during commercial space flight and for the BioButton devices to be part of the upcoming Polaris Dawn mission.” -James Mault, MD, founder and CEO of BioIntelliSense The BioButton multi-parameter device is designed to be worn on the upper left chest and will passively capture trending physiologic and movement data from the Polaris Dawn crew during its milestone mission. The future of healthcare is here. Today, the BioIntelliSense Data-as-a-Service (DaaS) platform and clinical intelligence solution is commercially available and rapidly adopted by acute and post-acute providers in the U.S. along with select international markets. TRISH is proud to partner with innovative healthcare technology leaders like BioIntelliSense as we further our understanding of human health in space, Our EXPAND (Enhancing eXploration and ANalog Definition) commercial spaceflight health research platform provides unique opportunities to rapidly test technologies in orbit, as well as collect new datapoints on the health impact of spaceflight for a wider, more diverse population,said James Hury, TRISH Chief Innovation Officer and Deputy Director. BioIntelliSense (Booth #5025) and TRISH (Space Health Pavilion #2636) will be showcasing the BioButton wearable device and clinical intelligence solution at the premier HLTH 2022 conference November 13 – 16 in Las Vegas, NV. ABOUT BIOINTELLISENSE BioIntelliSense is ushering in a new era of continuous health monitoring and clinical intelligence for remote patient monitoring (RPM). Its medical-grade Data-as-a-Service (DaaS) platform seamlessly captures multi-parameter vital signs, physiological biometrics and symptomatic events through an effortless patient experience. The medical-grade BioButton® wearable device makes remote monitoring and early detection simple. Through the platform’s advanced analytics, clinicians have access to high-resolution patient trending and reporting to enable medical grade remote care from in-hospital to home. ABOUT TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE for SPACE HEALTH (TRISH) Led by Baylor College of Medicine’s Center for Space Medicine, TRISH is a consortium that includes partners Caltech and MIT. NASA recently awarded the Institute a six-year extension to further its work by delivering disruptive solutions to mitigate biomedical risks for human exploration while advancing terrestrial health technologies.

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Digital Healthcare

MedX Health and Health Partners Announce Agreement to Launch MedX’s Teledermatology Screening Platform

MedX Health Corp | March 03, 2022

MedX Health Corp.("MedX" or the "Company"), a global leader in teledermatology, is pleased to announce a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) and the launch of a new commercialization pilot project with Health Partners (OH) Limited, a well-respected, privately-owned corporate health, treatment and primary care services company in the United Kingdom. Serving a broad client base comprising corporates, government agencies, insurers, health trusts, pension funds and individuals, Health Partners (“HP”) employs 700+ people with telehealth, mobile and on-site operations across the UK and the Republic of Ireland. The pilot will span three to six months and involve an estimated 600 patients across two of HP’s sites. Upon the successful completion of the pilot, the MedX DermSecure® Screening Platform will be made available to Health Partners' two million-plus patients. The agreement is the latest initiative in MedX’s global commercialization strategy and follows pilots recently launched across the Europe and Middle East region. "Health Partners’ Clinical Team constantly strives to identify leading technological innovations that offer the highest level of support to our two million-plus patients. MedX's leading skin assessment technology allows dermatologists to not only make more accurate diagnoses of pigmented lesions and moles, but to do that remotely and quickly. We are very proud to be partnering with MedX Health to bring this innovative and life-changing service to our clients.” Health Partners Managing Director Andrew Noble In addition to expanding its DermSecure® Screening Platform network globally, MedX has focused on building a presence in multiple market verticals such as pharmacies, medical clinics, building hubs, medical scanning clinics, mobile and remote medical practices, as well as esthetics and skincare clinics. The partnership with Health Partners represents MedX’s expansion into a new vertical; occupational health and wellbeing services. MedX Managing Director, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Naman Demaghlatrous, added, "MedX is pleased to have established a presence in the strategic occupational health vertical. Health Partners brings our technology to a population of more than two million workers across the United Kingdom, thus expanding our footprint in the EMEA region considerably. We continue to execute on our strategy to identify strategic partnerships in the region that will allow us to grow our business and save lives simultaneously.” Health Partners will pilot MedX’s high-definition image-capture technology, SIAscopy®, and its secure, cloud-based patient management system, DermSecure®, which transmits and stores patient data throughout the assessment process. MedX's SIAscopy® is the only technology available that captures five high-resolution images of suspicious moles, lesions and skin conditions, including four spectrophotometric images taken 2mm below the skin's surface. This technology provides detailed patient scans, which a certified dermatologist can virtually assess within 72 hours. "We are honoured to be working with Health Partners on this most important initiative. According to Health & Safety Executive-commissioned research, there are more than 3000 cases of skin cancer annually in the construction industryalone. We are delighted to be entering the occupational health services market with a leader in the industry," stated Mike Druhan, MedX President, Dermatology Services. About Health Partners (OH) Ltd. Health Partners, headquartered in Uckfield, East Sussex, United Kingdom, is a leading health and wellbeing company, providing a full range of corporate health, treatment and primary care services to corporates, government, insurers, health trusts, pension funds and families. We combine expert advice and clinical services with smart systems to deliver impact-driven health programmes, tailored to improve people’s wellbeing and performance. Health Partners is founded on patient privacy and holds a significant number of accreditations, certifications and memberships, including ISO27001, CQC, SEQOHS and ISO9001. Health Partners offers its services across the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, reaching two million plus people in organisations across several industries. About MedX Health Corp. MedX, headquartered in Ontario, Canada, is a leading medical device and software company focused on skin health with its SIAscopy® on DermSecure® telemedicine platform, utilizing its SIAscopy® technology. SIAscopy® is also imbedded in its products SIAMETRICS®, SIMSYS®, and MoleMate®, which MedX manufactures in its ISO 13485 certified facility. SIAMETRICS®, SIMSYS®, and MoleMate® include hand-held devices that use patented technology utilizing light and its remittance to view suspicious moles and lesions up to 2mm beneath in a pain-free, non-invasive manner. Its patented software then creates real-time images for physicians and dermatologists to evaluate all types of moles or lesions within seconds. These products are cleared by Health Canada, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Therapeutic Goods Administration and Conformité Européenne for use in Canada, the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, the European Union, Brazil and Turkey.

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Digital Healthcare

Cognizant Collaborates with Microsoft to Offer New Virtual Healthcare Solution for Remote Patient Monitoring and Improved Care

Cognizant | March 02, 2022

Cognizant today announced it is collaboratingwith Microsoft to delivera new digital health solution to enhance remote patient monitoring for improved medical care. Cognizant's new solution, leveraging components of the Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare, is the first of several planned offerings that combine remote patient monitoring and virtual health, utilizing products like smart watches, blood pressure monitors, and glucose meters to collect and communicate patient health data to providers. Built-in analytics allow providers to cross-reference historical health information to gain patient insights and potentially identify early warning signs of chronic conditions so preventative measures can be taken. Additionally, the solution's remote capabilities enable telehealth visits, which continue to be a valuable option to mitigate barriers of care for patients with accessibility constraints, as well as implement time-sensitive interventions and improve personalized care. With chronic diseases expected to account for 70% of global deaths by 2030, advancements in digital integration are quickly becoming recognized as an optimal approach to preventing, managing, and treating disease.* As an early Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare partner, Cognizant has designed a solution that leverages Microsoft Azure services including FHIR, API Services, and Teams integration to improve scalability and reliability. This digital healthcare endeavor is backed by Cognizant's dedicated Microsoft Business Group, bringing together Cognizant's digital modernization expertise with Microsoft's focus on building Industry Clouds to deliver a commercially available, comprehensive, healthcare solution. This new offering is the first in a series of digital healthcare solutions from Cognizant as the company accelerates its client offerings aimed at implementing advanced healthcare technology to increase patient engagement, enhance personalized care, provide remote patient monitoring, and facilitate improved patient outcomes. Future offerings will build upon existing solution capabilities to help clients expedite implementation. "The bridging of technology and healthcare is creating new opportunities to improve how providers monitor the health of their patients and engage with them for time-sensitive interventions. Utilizing data analytics, secure cloud technology and interoperability products, our collaboration with Microsoft offers a unique, scalable solution that aims to connect providers and patients, and enhances the quality, timeliness, and personalization of healthcare." Surya Gummadi, Head of Cognizant Healthcare "Cognizant's new virtual healthcare solution utilizes differentiated capabilities, built on the secure and compliant Microsoft Cloud, that make it easy for people to collect and share health data using their own devices, while ensuring that providers have the data and insights they need to diagnose and treat patients," saidTom McGuinness, Corporate Vice President, Global Healthcare and Life Sciences, Microsoft. "We look forward to combining our technologies and collective expertise to deliver additional solutions that offer high quality healthcare and enable patient well-being." About Cognizant Cognizantengineers modern businesses. We help our clients modernize technology, reimagine processes and transform experiences so they can stay ahead in our fast-changing world. Together, we're improving everyday life.

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