RSNA conference and annual meeting

Healthcare APIs get a new trial run for Medicare claims

Blue Button 2.0 is a new healthcare API aimed at making sense of Medicare claims. Developed by the U.S. Digital Service at HHS, the API is in 500 developer hands so far. Continue Reading

Blockchain-powered telemedicine application debuts in U.K.

A pilot program in the U.K. is testing MyClinic.com, a telemedicine application that allows patients to schedule video consultations with doctors and pay for services with cryptocurrency. Continue Reading

CMS creates chief health informatics officer position

The newly created chief health informatics officer position for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will focus on developing a health IT strategy for CMS. Continue Reading

Cryptojacking emerging as a new threat to healthcare

Although cryptojacking attacks may appear relatively harmless compared to other cyberthreats, healthcare organizations should remain on alert for this new type of attack. Continue Reading

A web-based approach to preauthorization for insurance

Most specialty medicine needs preauthorization for insurance coverage and it's a headache for providers and staff. ZappRX hopes to solve the problem with a web-based app. Continue Reading

AI lowers hurdles to digital transformation of healthcare

Depending on the organization, the digital transformation of healthcare comes in many stages and flavors. Consensus dictates that artificial intelligence is one of the major reasons for undertaking the painstaking process of transformation from paper-based to digitized forms of healthcare. AI's potential benefits are seen as enormous in helping meet the never-ending quest by hospitals and health systems to provide more efficient and cost-effective patient care.

The July issue of Pulse opens with our editor's letter and great expectations for improved patient engagement that can come with the digital transformation of healthcare. Along those lines, our cover story examines the roadblocks to digital transformation and AI implementation, including slowdowns in government funding, landing the right tech skills and ensuring accurate data -- as seen through the eyes of hospital IT professionals who share their experiences in overcoming these challenges. In another feature, we look at the rewards of going digital and implementing AI -- greater integration of electronic health records, better access to patient data, more accurate diagnostics and stronger population health management.

Also in this issue, infograph statistics show the critical role AI can play in preventing heart attacks and diagnosing early stages of cancer; healthcare APIs take center stage among government health regulators; and AI's great strengths don't necessarily immunize it from clinical fraud, hacks and medical errors.

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Hacking and fraud escalate concerns about AI in healthcare

While many in healthcare tout the benefits of AI in clinical settings, artificial intelligence isn't immune to nefarious misuses, such as hacking and clinical fraud. Continue Reading

Healthcare APIs weave into common lingo of federal officials

It's hard to imagine that a federal health policy announcement would have ever included the term 'API', but it's on the minds of health regulators. Continue Reading

Healthcare digital transformation maps the new patient journey

The modern patient experience features flavors of consumerism combined with healthcare data. Giving patients greater access to that information is one area in which technology options thrive. Continue Reading

Use of AI in healthcare seen saving lives of patients

Prevention of heart attacks and diagnoses of cancer may one day improve, thanks to AI. Infograph statistics reveal promising findings for AI applications in healthcare. Continue Reading

Healthcare AI struggles with funding and data quality

Finding enough funds and validating data quality can be heavy challenges when it comes to adopting AI technology in healthcare organizations. Hospital IT professionals explain their approaches. Continue Reading

Digital transformation in healthcare boosts patient engagement

As healthcare becomes increasingly digital, patients expect a top-notch experience accessing their medical information as they bid farewell to paper records. Continue Reading

AI messaging in healthcare can enhance the patient experience

With the ability to deliver information like lab results and appointment reminders 24/7, AI-enabled messaging allows patients to be more proactive about their healthcare. Continue Reading

To fix healthcare IT, start with medical appointment reminders

All the talk about interoperability in healthcare misses the point, according to Rick Halton, vice president of Lumeon, a European automated care pathway platform provider that moved in to the US ... Continue Reading

Hacking and fraud escalate concerns about AI in healthcare

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Healthcare APIs weave into common lingo of federal officials

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Healthcare digital transformation maps the new patient journey

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Use of AI in healthcare seen saving lives of patients

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Healthcare AI struggles with funding and data quality

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Digital transformation in healthcare boosts patient engagement

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Govern AI technology in healthcare to keep patients safe

AI can be a boon to healthcare providers, but groups like the American Medical Association recommend putting policies in place to protect patient data and privacy. Continue Reading

Can value-based care models cut costs? Yes, they can

While value-based care efforts can be hard to implement and aging technology services don't always support them, these efforts are gaining a foothold and saving money. Continue Reading

IoT may bring the promise of connected healthcare to life

Can the promise of the internet of things bring order to chaos when it comes to true healthcare interoperability? Two different attempts are underway. Continue Reading

Understanding fundamentals of health information management

With the increase in available data, the practice of health information management is becoming more critical to acquiring, organizing and assessing medical information. Continue Reading

Health information management professionals aid cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is an ongoing priority -- and challenge -- for healthcare organizations. A health information management team can help keep data secure and protected. Continue Reading

After implementation of electronic health records, design rises

Data presentation and interface design will influence how physicians use EHRs in the future. New tools that integrate better with health records will feed off of analyzed data. Continue Reading

Electronic medical records certification aims at data sharing

To promote better patient access to their digital health information, EHR certification requirements now include provisions for interoperability and APIs. Continue Reading

Pharmacy benefit manager turns to analytics to fight healthcare fraud

To be able to detect fraud in healthcare more quickly and accurately, a pharmacy benefit manager is turning to advanced data analytics, allowing it to integrate pharmacy and medical claims. Continue Reading

Patient care documentation benefits from dictation tools, AI

Physicians spend a lot of time entering clinical data and notes into EHRs. AI, natural language processing and dictation tools can alleviate the burden of care documentation. Continue Reading

News briefs: Study outlines best practices for patient matching

Two organizations seek to improve patient identity management. A cybersecurity firm published a study on PHI sold on the dark web. And the FDA permitted the marketing of an AI algorithm for wrist-fracture detection. Continue Reading

To prevent medical records breach, assess system risk factors

Healthcare organizations could face a breach of medical records at any time, yet they may not be prepared when it happens, according to the founder of a data protection research firm. Continue Reading

Jefferson College of Population Health gets $2M endowment from vendor

The dean of a prominent population health college discussed a new professorship at the school, thanks to an unusual endowment from a commercial health IT vendor. Continue Reading

Medical records privacy a concern with increased mobile use

More consumers are using their mobile devices to access their medical records, but there are concerns about the security and privacy of health data stored on these devices. Continue Reading

Deception technology applied to pharma cybersecurity

Thanks to automation and virtualization, deception technology may make inroads into healthcare. Here is one pharmaceutical company's approach to using the technology. Continue Reading

Why healthcare APIs will save lives, money and time

APIs have a toe-hold in the healthcare space today but that has to change, and quickly. Stan Huff, M.D., explains why open source has to be healthcare's future. Continue Reading

How digital rounding tools are changing hospital practices

When nurses use a digital rounding tool, patients are happier and compliance rates are higher. Here's what KLAS Research found in a survey of 65 hospitals. Continue Reading

Hospital cybersecurity might slightly increase heart attack deaths

Although the findings are not a slam-dunk, statistics in a study show some sort of link between more deaths of heart attack patients and hospitals' responses to data breaches. Continue Reading

AARP, startups partner to study digital healthcare technology

Clinicians and groups like AARP view in-home digital technology as the future of healthcare and are studying different technologies to assist patients in the home. Continue Reading

What technology can make medical records retrieval more efficient?

When healthcare providers need to retrieve medical records from an EHR, keeping in mind where the data is stored will affect how quickly and efficiently the records can be accessed. Continue Reading

What medical records storage requirements should you insist on?

Expert Brien Posey explains the storage requirements healthcare organizations should insist on before choosing a vendor and system for their medical records. Continue Reading

Easier medical record access is key to ideal patient journey

A chief medical information officer suggests that giving people easier access to their medical information is one way to improve the patient experience. Continue Reading

New Apple Health Records API may make a PHR app easier

Apple's new Health Records API should mean a slew of incredibly customized healthcare apps later this year. But concerns remain about security and interoperability. Continue Reading

Value-based care initiatives benefit from the use of analytics

As healthcare organizations begin to move toward value-based care, analytics can play a critical role in detecting high-risk patients and tracking patterns for certain conditions. Continue Reading

AthenaHealth CEO Jonathan Bush out as cloud EHR vendor soars

Jonathan Bush quits as CEO of AthenaHealth in the midst of an unsolicited purchase bid from an activist investor and details surface about domestic abuse in Bush's 2006 divorce. Continue Reading

Improving population health goal of data analytics research

Data analytics may be just what the doctor ordered for a Nevada hospital. Findings from a study of genetic, medical, environmental and demographic data could improve population health. Continue Reading

E-prescribing of controlled substances works for Hartford HealthCare

After a new state law required healthcare providers to e-prescribe controlled drugs, Hartford HealthCare put in an EPCS system that uses biometric security technology. Continue Reading

Physician burnout targeted by health IT, wellness vendors

Industry consolidation, tech reporting mandates, heavy workloads and 'EHR fatigue' are causing high levels of stress and work dissatisfaction among healthcare professionals, experts say. Continue Reading

Blockchain can help improve the quality of patient care

Improving patient care quality is an ongoing conversation among healthcare professionals. Learn how the implementation of blockchain can make a difference. Continue Reading

Electronic health records vendors eye move to comprehensive systems

As an influx of data places greater demands on EHRs, vendors are realizing the need to shift toward comprehensive health records to better manage multiple different data sources. Continue Reading

Components of a cloud-based healthcare disaster recovery plan

As more healthcare organizations turn to the cloud for disaster recovery, IT must address HIPAA requirements and connectivity to ensure data is protected in a DR scenario. Continue Reading

Balance healthcare cybersecurity best practices and end-user needs

Hospital IT is constantly looking for ways to secure patient data without inconveniencing staff. The challenge is finding a middle ground that meets security and end-user needs. Continue Reading

Healthcare data analytics success grows when IT advises execs

Educating healthcare executives about data analytics, and seeing that healthcare organizations invest in data, is critical, according to a panel of experts. Continue Reading

4 features Amazon Alexa in healthcare offers users

Although Alexa has yet to achieve widespread adoption in healthcare, there are several promising uses that can improve both the patient and end-user experience. Continue Reading

ATA CEO: Telemedicine technology can mitigate physician shortages

Telehealth can ease physician shortages and provide patients with access to mental health services, but work still remains to remove barriers, ATA CEO Ann Mond Johnson says. Continue Reading

Patient engagement system ties Change, Adobe, Microsoft

In these news briefs, read how Change Healthcare partnered with Microsoft and Adobe to use their cloud and AI services. Also, learn about Uber and CVS' latest pushes into healthcare. Continue Reading

Google, Fitbit, startups storm into healthcare AI

Google is moving quickly into healthcare, forging alliances with Fitbit and selling AI services to smaller health IT vendors. Meanwhile, Fitbit is expanding into healthcare. Continue Reading

American Well expands acute care services with Avizia acquisition

At ATA18, American Well's chairman and CEO expressed the company's desire to 'democratize healthcare' with its acquisition of acute care telehealth company Avizia. Continue Reading

Don't overlook HIPAA issues when developing AI healthcare tools

So you have an idea for using AI in healthcare software? Be sure you adhere to HIPAA rules, suggests a healthcare regulatory expert, to avoid noncompliance problems. Continue Reading

Payer-provider convergence hinges on data integration

A hospital population health officer and vendor CEO detail their views about payer-provider partnerships. One key aspect is the ability to boost customer service efforts. Continue Reading

CMS elevates electronic health records interoperability

CMS is replacing meaningful use with 'Promoting Interoperability' and proposing new Medicare payment programs with looser physician reporting rules and more price transparency. Continue Reading

Patient readmission rates may fall with more AI use in healthcare

AI has a number of uses in healthcare, including analyzing patient data to determine which patients have a high risk of being readmitted after discharge. Continue Reading

Hospital takes aim at patient health data security with AI tools

AI and machine learning software is giving a four-hospital health system 100% visibility into its network and increased control over patient data security. Continue Reading

New patient care models showcased at HLTH 2018 conference

Top healthcare executives from all sectors of the industry convene to do business and dialogue about new approaches and technologies seen as disruptive to established care models. Continue Reading

ATA18 to explore the impact, potential of telemedicine

AI in healthcare will feature prominently at the 2018 ATA annual conference. The role of telemedicine in the fight against the opioid crisis will also be discussed. Continue Reading

Health informaticians weave medicine, tech and science

Natalie Pageler, M.D., explains the setup of informaticist teams at Stanford Children's Health and what motivates clinicians to join this data-heavy field. Continue Reading

Facebook's medical data sharing plan raises privacy concerns

Facebook's proposal to match anonymized patient data with user profiles has some experts worried about the possible privacy implications of such a project. Continue Reading

Medical imaging data will go further with informatics, mobile

Learn about seven areas to watch when it comes to healthcare imaging data, including how informatics and artificial intelligence will use such information. Continue Reading

Guide to examples of cloud computing in healthcare

The potential of cloud computing in healthcare can no longer be understated as cloud providers step up their security features and undergo testing to ensure HIPAA compliance. Continue Reading

VDI in healthcare possible with thin clients like Raspberry Pi

Because of its small form factor and low cost, Raspberry Pi as a thin client is becoming a popular replacement device for the traditional healthcare workstation. Continue Reading

As digital healthcare expands, tough questions arise

Indu Subaiya, M.D., talks about digital transformation, the intersection of healthcare and consumer tech and how directing short films has informed her work in health IT. Continue Reading

Report: Patient relationship management could curb readmissions

A new report from Chilmark Research points to future gains for patient relationship management software, potentially in the tricky area of decreasing 30-day patient readmissions. Continue Reading

Preventing diagnostic errors in medicine with software

In this podcast, a medical expert talks about how physicians can avoid diagnostic errors -- a top threat to patient safety -- by using AI-based clinical decision support software. Continue Reading

Researchers use EHR data to predict opioid prescriptions

EHR data can help healthcare providers identify which patients in a hospital were most likely to be prescribed opioids after discharge, according to researchers at the University of Colorado ... Continue Reading

Apple Health app pilot combines engagement and interoperability

The Apple Health app pilot combines flavors of EHR interoperability and patient engagement, according to some hospitals involved in the early stages of the effort. Continue Reading

Cybersecurity in healthcare ails from lack of IT talent

Healthcare cybersecurity woes continue unabated, with more frequent cyberattacks amid a lack of IT talent and employee awareness, but organizations are spending more on security. Continue Reading

Five pitfalls of implementing an AI initiative in healthcare

As more hospitals turn to artificial intelligence to improve patient care and daily operations, missteps like overlooking security and compliance can cause an AI project to fail. Continue Reading

HIMSS notebook: EHR trends embraced by vendors with AI and CRM

EHR trends were among the news at HIMSS 2018. Cerner and Salesforce are teaming to bring patient data into healthcare CRM. Meanwhile, Epic and Nuance promoted an AI assistant. Continue Reading

HEALTHeLINK HIE surpasses one million consenting patients

New York-based health information exchange HEALTHeLINK recently surpassed one million enrolled patients, due in part to increased awareness of the benefits of HIEs. Continue Reading

5 healthcare cybersecurity best practices for care organizations

Hospital CIOs who want to ensure that their environments are protected should be sure to implement multifactor authentication and AI-based monitoring to prevent data breaches. Continue Reading

Connected medical device security, AI battle health hackers

More hacker threats, including via connected medical devices, are coming to healthcare organizations, but health IT professionals can look to AI and blockchain for possible help. Continue Reading

Healthcare ransomware attacks threaten patient safety

Worry about health IT cybersecurity has shifted from hacker-triggered health data breaches to ransomware and malware exploits that shut down hospitals and threaten patient safety. Continue Reading

New risk to cybersecurity in healthcare: Hacker as a service

Health IT and hospital security professionals must try to stay ahead of cyberattacks against electronic patient records. But now hackers are prepping the next generation. Continue Reading

Healthcare breaches drop, but ransomware attacks rise

Patient data breaches dropped in 2017, mainly due to fewer large-scale breaches, but ransomware strikes intensified and insiders kept hacking. Continue Reading

Reprimand on healthcare and cloud computing spurs HIMSS debate

The benefits of the cloud are well-known, as is the healthcare industry's wariness about moving patient data to the cloud. At the HIMSS conference, the deliberations expanded. Continue Reading

HIPAA compliance not guaranteed with ePHI security

Medical facilities sometimes believe security is equivalent to compliance with HIPAA -- but not so fast. Organizations must consider other aspects when guarding patient data. Continue Reading

Hospitals bone up on medical device cybersecurity plans

Healthcare cybersecurity can be likened to those old movie westerns pitting the good guys against the bad guys. Back then, however, it was easy to distinguish the white hats from the black hats. Not so in today's complex, sinister world of computer hacking, malware, ransomware and botnets, where the black hats stealthily maneuver through the shadows of a cyberspace that has often been compared to the wild wild west. In some respects, healthcare systems have shown definite signs of improvement in preventing certain types of cybercrimes. But crime reductions in one area can mean increases in other areas as cybercriminals turn their attention to easier and perhaps more lucrative targets that threaten medical device cybersecurity.

The March issue of Pulse opens with the recognition that hackers are forever vigilant at concocting new and innovative ways to steal patient information and disrupt hospital operations. To add insult to injury, the perpetrators are now offering their hacking "best practices" as a service for less than altruistic reasons.

Along those lines, our cover story reports on healthcare's increasing use of and dependence on connected medical devices and the resulting vulnerability to hacks, namely ransomware. But IT analysts and security executives see artificial intelligence and blockchain as effective weapons in strengthening medical device cybersecurity. In another feature, we examine the misconception that security measures to safeguard electronic protected health information contained in clinical files march in lockstep with HIPAA privacy laws. To overcome that false sense of security, healthcare organizations need to closely assess key HIPAA mandates like risk analysis and policy audits.

Also in this issue, crippling ransomware attacks are supplanting health data breaches as the greatest enemy to patient privacy and safety. Statistics show that even though the number of patient records breached plummeted last year, ransomware and malware incidents doubled, security threats from insiders continued unabated, and health organizations took longer to discover they were breached. But there are several steps CIOs and CISOs can follow to protect patient information and shore up cybersecurity.

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Transition to value-based care slowed by lack of standardization

At HIMSS 2018, a CIO and CMO gave their perspectives on the current state of value-based care and the barriers that are impeding the transition. Continue Reading

HIPAA compliance not guaranteed with ePHI security

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5 healthcare cybersecurity best practices for care organizations

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Healthcare ransomware attacks threaten patient safety

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Healthcare breaches drop, but ransomware attacks rise

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Connected medical device security, AI battle health hackers

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New risk to cybersecurity in healthcare: Hacker as a service

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With health IT interoperability in mind, CMS announces changes

Senior White House adviser Jared Kushner and CMS administrator Seema Verma outlined big changes coming to promote interoperability and greater patient access to EHRs. Continue Reading

HIMSS 2018 exhibitors push cybersecurity products heavily

Over the past month, HIMSS 2018 exhibitors have proposed nearly 150 story ideas to me, so I decided to informally track the topics associated with these product pitches. Although it didn't surprise ... Continue Reading

AAFP recommends steps to reduce health IT regulations

The American Academy of Family Physicians has recommended steps to relieve the burden of health IT regulations on physicians. In a letter to CMS administrator Seema Verma and ONC national ... Continue Reading

HIMSS 2018 focuses on AI in healthcare

With AI in healthcare trending, the HIMSS conference is showcasing vendors and users turning to AI and machine learning for clinical and business applications; interoperability also is hot. Continue Reading

HIMSS 2018 conference coverage and analysis

SearchHealthIT returns to Las Vegas for the HIMSS annual conference, which runs from March 5 to 9, 2018. Follow this guide for ongoing conference coverage. Continue Reading

What are some useful multifactor authentication examples?

Health IT expert Brien Posey offers some examples of multifactor authentication as a way for hospitals to further safeguard access to protected health information. Continue Reading

Considerations for transgender patient documentation in EHRs

Most modern EHRs document sexual identity as a fixed, binary value, but classic designations such as male and female fail to include documentation for transgender patients. Continue Reading