Digital Transformation

This evolution of healthcare involves using technology to improve diagnosis, treatments, monitor patients, enhance hospital operations and culture, and bolster consumer-focused care. This includes virtual reality tools, wearable devices, workflow software, health apps and other digital health tools.

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CommonWell rolls out IT connectivity nationwide in interoperability push

CommonWell Health Alliance, a not-for-profit trade association of healthcare and technology organizations, has advanced its connection to the Carequality Framework to increase health IT connectivity nationwide.

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Healthcare organizations join blockchain effort to resolve credentialing inefficiencies

Five healthcare organizations have joined a new effort to use blockchain to resolve administrative inefficiencies with professional credentialing.

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Athenahealth sold for $5.7 billion

After being courted by several bidders, athenahealth has been sold to Veritas Capital and Evergreen Coast Capital for approximately $5.7 billion.

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Health IT improves patient care in nursing homes

Adopting sophisticated information technology (IT) in nursing homes leads to better patient care, according to a recent study from the University of Missouri published in Nursing Care Quality.

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Harvard: AI might be an answer to healthcare red tape

Artificial intelligence may help stop the “downward spiral in productivity” in the U.S. healthcare system, which has been plagued by labor-intensive, inefficient administrative tasks, according to an article in the Harvard Business Review.

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EHR tools face challenges collecting social determinants of health

As social determinants of health (SDH) play a more prominent role in healthcare, more providers are looking for ways to incorporate social needs into electronic health records. But documenting SDH alongside other health information in EHRs isn’t so easy, according to a recent study published in the Annals of Family Medicine.

Amazon healthcare exec: Doctors hate computers

As technology continues to disrupt the healthcare space and advance care, doctors are increasingly seeing issues with more screen time and less face time with patients, according to Atul Gawande, the CEO of Amazon’s healthcare joint venture with Berkshire Hathaway and JPMorgan Chase.

How virtual reality is reshaping the way we train medical students

Medical education, after years of sticking to a tried-and-true formula of lectures, exams and rotations, is racing to catch up with technological innovations that are reshaping the way we train nurses and doctors in the U.S., the New York Times reported Oct. 31. Virtual reality (VR) and high-fidelity simulations are leading the charge.

Around the web

The tirzepatide shortage that first began in 2022 has been resolved. Drug companies distributing compounded versions of the popular drug now have two to three more months to distribute their remaining supply.

The 24 members of the House Task Force on AI—12 reps from each party—have posted a 253-page report detailing their bipartisan vision for encouraging innovation while minimizing risks. 

Merck sent Hansoh Pharma, a Chinese biopharmaceutical company, an upfront payment of $112 million to license a new investigational GLP-1 receptor agonist. There could be many more payments to come if certain milestones are met.