This week: Early ICD-10, pushing use of apps
This week, we covered Partners HealthCare’s 10th Annual Connected Health Symposium, which focused on collaborations and innovations to engage patients and elevate care. Also this week, a healthcare system announced its plan to begin using ICD-10 ahead of schedule and medical apps were front and center.
Sutter Health is planning to go live with ICD-10 on May 31, 2014—four months ahead of the Oct. 1, 2014 compliance date. The health system prepared physicians for ICD-10 with awareness campaigns, enlisting physician champions and peer-to-peer training.
Regarding medical apps, a report from the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics explores the role of apps in healthcare and how the industry can move the use of apps from novelty to mainstream. Key findings include the limited functionality of most apps geared to health and fitness; few apps address the areas of greatest need—people over 65 with multiple chronic conditions, and a lack of incentive and evidence of clinical outcomes preventing physicians from being more enthusiastic about recommending apps to their patients.
Meanwhile, the Center for Connected Health, a division of Partners HealthCare, has launched Wellocracy, a clinically-based source of impartial, easy-to-understand information on new personal ‘self-health’ technologies such as health and fitness trackers and mobile apps.
Wellocracy’s goal is to empower consumers to self-manage their health, create and maintain individual wellness goals and achieve a greater quality of life, according to the center's announcement.
“There are dozens of activity and health trackers on the market today, and literally thousands of health apps available for consumers. Yet, instead of getting people moving towards a healthy lifestyle, most feel paralyzed by all these choices and the technology can be dizzying,” said Joseph C. Kvedar, MD, founder and director, Center for Connected Health. “Wellocracy is focused on inspiring and empowering individuals to self-manage their health and wellness by providing up-to-date information, expert guidance and innovative ideas to help people get the most out of personal health technologies.”
I hope you read our Connected Health coverage this week along with the rest of the health IT news. Please share your thoughts.
Beth Walsh
Clinical Innovation + Technology editor
Editor
Editor Beth earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and master’s in health communication. She has worked in hospital, academic and publishing settings over the past 20 years. Beth joined TriMed in 2005, as editor of CMIO and Clinical Innovation + Technology. When not covering all things related to health IT, she spends time with her husband and three children.