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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CMS to release more Medicaid, Medicare Advantage data

In a speech at AcademyHealth’s Health Datapalooza conference in Washington, D.C., CMS Administrator Seema Verma said giving researchers the same access to data for other federal health programs that they can currently utilize for fee-for-service Medicare can help support “the creation of tools to help consumer make better care decisions.”

Switching EHRs is expensive—but physicians find plenty of reasons to change vendors

Physicians, hospitals and health systems cited a variety of reasons for looking for a new electronic health record (EHR) vendor, from seeking better functionality to meeting new regulatory requirements. The fact the change likely won’t bring a quick return on their investment, however, doesn’t seem to deter anyone looking to make a switch.

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Epic’s $62M contract at University of Illinois could be voided

A state board in Illinois has recommended voiding a seven-year, $62 million contract for Epic to implement a new electronic health record (EHR) system at University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System in Chicago, finding some merit to Cerner’s claims that there was conflict of interest with the firm hired to evaluate the bids.

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Workers biggest source of healthcare industry’s data breaches

Verizon’s 2018 Data Breach Investigations Report mirrored what was released last month in its report on breaches involving protected health information (PHI) in prior years. Whereas all other industries profiled—including education, financial and retail—saw the majority of their breaches come from external forces, most of the healthcare industry’s threats came from inside.

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Cerner’s DOD contract will now include the Coast Guard

The U.S. Coast Guard has announced it will join the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) $4.3 billion rollout of a Cerner electronic health record (EHR) system, giving the health IT giant yet another major customer within the federal government.

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Greater data sharing exposes patient ID problems

A survey from Black Book Research found when healthcare organizations don’t have a master patient database across various departments, match rates when exchanging records with other health systems are much lower.

Facebook wanted hospitals to share patient data

Facebook had been discussing a data sharing project with hospitals and medical groups to match patient data with socioeconomic information from Facebook profiles, but CNBC reports the project has been put on hold as the social network faces scrutiny over how it collects and shares data on its users.

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CHS sued by Microsoft over alleged copyright infringement

Microsoft has filed a lawsuit against for-profit hospital giant Community Health Systems (CHS), claiming CHS unlawfully helped hospitals it was selling to continue using Microsoft software.

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.