Literature Review
All posts tagged with “Technology / Innovations News | Clinical Care.”
Doctors saved her life. She didn’t want them to.
08/27/24 at 03:00 AMDoctors saved her life. She didn’t want them to. DNYUZ; by Kate Raphael; 8/26/24 Marie Cooper led her life according to her Christian faith. ... [And, she] always said that at the end of her life, she did not want to be resuscitated. ... Last winter, doctors found cancer cells in her stomach. She’d had “do not resuscitate” and “do not intubate” orders on file for decades and had just filled out new copies, instructing medical staff to withhold measures to restart her heart if it stopped, and to never give her a breathing tube. In February, Ms. Cooper walked into the hospital for a routine stomach scope to determine the severity of the cancer. After the procedure, [Ms. Cooper's daughter] visited her mother in the recovery room and saw her in a panic. ... [The daughter] called for help and was ushered to a waiting room while the medical team called an emergency code. Ms. Cooper grew even more distressed and “uncooperative,” according to medical records. Doctors restrained her and inserted a breathing tube down her throat, violating the wishes outlined in her medical chart. Ms. Uphold, livid, confronted the doctors, who could not explain why Ms. Cooper had been intubated. ...
A.L.S. stole his voice. A.I. retrieved it.
08/19/24 at 03:00 AMA.L.S. stole his voice. A.I. retrieved it. DNYUZ, originally posted in The New York Times; 8/15/24Four years ago, Casey Harrell sang his last bedtime nursery rhyme to his daughter. By then, A.L.S. had begun laying waste to Mr. Harrell’s muscles, stealing from him one ritual after another: going on walks with his wife, holding his daughter, turning the pages of a book. “Like a night burglar,” his wife, Levana Saxon, wrote of the disease in a poem. ... Last July, doctors at the University of California, Davis, surgically implanted electrodes in Mr. Harrell’s brain to try to discern what he was trying to say. ... Yet the results surpassed expectations, the researchers reported on Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine, setting a new bar for implanted speech decoders and illustrating the potential power of such devices for people with speech impairments.
Connected to the cloud at time of death: a case report
08/17/24 at 03:40 AMConnected to the cloud at time of death: a case reportJournal of Medical Case Reports; by Isabel Straw, Claire Kirkby, Preethi Gopinath; 8/24Our case report provides the first clinical evaluation of autopsy practices for a patient death that occurs on the cloud. We question how autopsy practices may require adaptation for a death that presents via the 'Internet of Things', examining how existing guidelines capture data related to death which is no longer confined to the patient's body... Through this patient case we explore novel challenges associated with digital deaths including; (1) device hardware issues (difficult extraction processes, impact of pathological tissue changes), (2) software and data limitations (impact of negative body temperatures and mortuary radio-imaging on devices, lack of retrospective cloud data analysis), (3) guideline limitations (missing digital components in autopsy instruction and death certification), and (4) changes to clinical management (emotional impact of communicating deaths occurring over the internet to members of family). Publisher's note: An interesting article posing interesting questions about the impact technology has on death and the potential use / misuse of health information gathered by devices.
Which parts of healthcare are off limits to AI?
08/14/24 at 03:00 AMWhich parts of healthcare are off limits to AI? Becker's Health IT; by Giles Bruce; 8/9/24 The AI physician will not see you now — or ever, for that matter. As artificial intelligence proliferates in healthcare, health system leaders told Becker's that human providers will always be part of the medical field, with their — AI-aided — treatment recommendations being discussed with patients and family members. "Any patient care decisions ... should be made by patients and their caregivers or family members, obviously in consultation with their physician or provider," said Joe Depa, chief data and AI officer of Atlanta-based Emory Healthcare. ... Robots — or AI — will simply never take the place of that human touch, health system leaders say.
Helpful, harmful, or illegal: Can your patients really record you? — The pros and cons of recording doctors
08/13/24 at 03:00 AMHelpful, harmful, or illegal: Can your patients really record you? — The pros and cons of recording doctorsMedPage Today; by Max Feinstein; 8/9/24My name is Max Feinstein and I'm an anesthesiologist in New York City. I'm not a lawyer, but as a physician and a content creator, I think it's really important for both patients and healthcare providers to have a good understanding of when it's okay to record audio or video in the hospital. The term "wiretap laws" refers to statutes that govern audio and video recordings made of face-to-face conversations, telephone calls, or video calls. These laws vary from state to state. Where states that have one-party consent laws means that only one person who is in the area that's being recorded has to provide consent... Thirty-seven states in the United States have one-party consent laws. This contrasts with all-party consent, meaning, as the name implies, that everyone who is involved with the recording has to provide their consent. Violation of these laws may result in fines up to $100,000 and possibly jail time as well. Wiretap laws are not the same thing as HIPAA, which you might have heard about before... In addition to wiretap laws, many hospitals also have policies in place specifically describing what is and is not allowed as far as recording is concerned...Publisher's note: Nearly everyone has a recording device (i.e., a smartphone). Does your organization have recording policies?
Alzheimer’s prognosis models should expand data sources
08/13/24 at 02:00 AMAlzheimer’s prognosis models should expand data sources McKnights Senior Living; by Kristen Fischer; 8/12/24 Integrating data from nursing home electronic health records and claims in addition to the minimum data set — data required for nursing home residents — could be better than just relying on the MDS sources to produce an accurate prognosis for nursing home residents with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, according to a report published Thursday in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. ... The authors of the report noted that a recent review of prognostic models for late-stage ADRD found that assessments commonly used to evaluate prognosis-based eligibility for hospice weren’t reliable. ... Only 15% of people enrolled in hospice have a primary diagnosis of ADRD. That’s because it’s challenging to estimate the six-month prognosis required to be eligible for hospice, and dementias have a prognosis of 12 to 18 months when they are in the late stage, the authors pointed out.
Rescue from above: How drones may narrow emergency response times
08/12/24 at 03:00 AMRescue from above: How drones may narrow emergency response timesKFF Health News; by Michelle Andrews; 7/22/24Starting in September, if someone in Clemmons, North Carolina, calls 911 to report a cardiac arrest, the first responder on the scene may be a drone carrying an automated external defibrillator, or AED. “The idea is for the drone to get there several minutes before first responders,” such as an emergency medical technician or an ambulance, said Daniel Crews, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office in Forsyth County, where Clemmons is located. The sheriff’s office is partnering on the project with local emergency services, the Clinical Research Institute at Duke University, and the drone consulting firm Hovecon. “The ultimate goal is to save lives and improve life expectancy for someone experiencing a cardiac episode,” Crews said.Publisher's note: As with all things tech, when and how might drones be used in hospice?
Cleveland Clinic names first Chief AI Officer
08/07/24 at 03:00 AMCleveland Clinic names first Chief AI OfficerCleveland Clinic press release; 7/29/24Cleveland Clinic has appointed its first Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer to direct the use of AI across the health system. Ben Shahshahani, Ph.D., a technology executive with more than 20 years of experience in AI and machine learning, will serve as Vice President, Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer, starting Aug. 12, 2024.Publisher's note: Hospice implications...?
No one is ready for digital immortality: Do you want to live forever as a chatbot?
08/02/24 at 03:00 AMNo one is ready for digital immortality: Do you want to live forever as a chatbot? The Atlantic; by Kate Lindsay; 7/31/24 Every few years, Hany Farid and his wife have the grim but necessary conversation about their end-of-life plans. ... In addition to discussing burial requests and financial decisions, Farid has recently broached an eerier topic: If he dies first, would his wife want to digitally resurrect him as an AI clone? ... Editor's Note: Click on the title's link to continue reading this fascinating and disturbing article about potential, new uses for AI. Calling all bereavement counselors--who are truly trained in contemporary grief theories, research, and clinical best practices--please learn about this trend and prepare to examine its use and misuse from your expertise, for now and through years ahead.
Empowering patient access, protection, and choice: The 21st Century Cures Act eight years on
08/01/24 at 03:00 AMEmpowering patient access, protection, and choice: The 21st Century Cures Act eight years on Healthcare Business Today; by David Navarro; 7/26/24 The 21st Century Cures Act, signed into law in December 2016, marked a significant shift in the healthcare landscape by focusing on patient empowerment through enhanced access to medical records, stringent privacy protections, and increased choices in healthcare options. Eight years later, this landmark legislation continues to revolutionize the interaction between patients, providers, and the healthcare system. Recently, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued an updated ruling to the Act to establish penalties for healthcare providers who engage in information blocking. This rule, aims to deter practices that prevent or discourage the access, exchange, or use of electronic health information (EHI).
Optimizing patient data transfer processes in healthcare settings
08/01/24 at 03:00 AMOptimizing patient data transfer processes in healthcare settings Healthcare Business Today; by Majed Alhajry; 7/28/24 Managing and transferring large and often sensitive datasets is a routine yet critical task for healthcare organizations. Practitioners and administrators regularly share substantial files containing sensitive personal health information (PHI) that must be sent not only securely and reliably, but also quickly. So how should healthcare organizations send large files? ...
Following the CrowdStrike outage, healthcare stresses the importance of prevention
07/31/24 at 03:00 AMFollowing the CrowdStrike outage, healthcare stresses the importance of prevention HealthCare Brew; by Cassie McGrath; 7/25/24... [The recent CrowdStrike outage] affected millions across all sorts of industries, from healthcare to travel. ... However, amid the chaos, what has largely gone untold are stories of the companies that emerged unscathed. And within those unaffected companies lies a lesson for others, according to Andrew Molosky, president and CEO of Tampa-based Chapters Health System. ... “We’ve really focused on business continuity, redundancies, safety nets, and understanding of the difference between cybersecurity as a task and cybersecurity as a cultural commitment of your organization,” Molosky said. ... These investments, Molosky said, included protocols for documenting on paper, using a backup application that provides patient information when electronic medical records and other systems are offline, and allowances for bringing in personal devices to use if company devices go down.
HHS unveils major revamp to shift health data, AI strategy and policy under ONC
07/31/24 at 03:00 AMHHS unveils major revamp to shift health data, AI strategy and policy under ONC Fierce Healthcare; by Emma Beavins; 7/25/24 The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) has been renamed and restructured, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced [July 25]. The restructuring will affect technology, cybersecurity, data and artificial intelligence strategy and policy functions. The agency will be renamed the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy and Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ASTP/ONC). Head of ONC, Micky Tripathi, will hold the new title of assistant secretary for technology policy in addition to his title of national coordinator for health IT. ... Under ASTP, there will be an Office of Policy, an Office of Technology, an Office of Standards, Certification and Analysis and an Office of the Chief Operating Officer.
Baptist Health taps 3 vendors to build a population health system that works
07/29/24 at 03:00 AMBaptist Health taps 3 vendors to build a population health system that works Healthcare IT News; by Bill Siwicki; 7/26/24With help from Oracle, Innovaccer and Salesforce, the South Florida provider is scoring big population health wins, including a 7% increase in coding gap closure rate and a 17% increase in annual wellness visit completion rates. Baptist Health South Florida operates a network of 11 hospitals covering four counties. It also includes numerous ambulatory facilities, urgent care centers and emergency departments to provide comprehensive healthcare services across the region. ... "One of our primary issues was the fragmented nature of patient data across multiple provider organizations and electronic health record systems," said Milady Cervera, vice president, population health and physician integrated networks, at Baptist Health South Florida. "This lack of interoperability made it difficult to gain a comprehensive view of our patients' health status, care history and ongoing needs. ..."
HIMSSCast: Improving patient safety and employee retention with best incident reporting practices
07/29/24 at 03:00 AMHIMSSCast: Improving patient safety and employee retention with best incident reporting practicesHealthcare IT News; by Andrea Fox; 7/26/24 By modernizing systems and improving leadership and culture to embrace reporting, healthcare organizations can better address the top 10 patient safety concerns for 2024, says Heidi Raines, founder and CEO of Performance Health Partners. Ultimately improving the quality of care healthcare systems deliver and preventing harm requires a degree of self-reflection. Along with digital transformation, putting an easy-to-use incident reporting system in place can help healthcare organizations address today's chief patient safety concerns, including medication errors, care delays, workplace violence and preventing patient falls, said Raines.
Can Artificial Intelligence speak for incapacitated patients at the end of life?
07/26/24 at 03:00 AMCan Artificial Intelligence speak for incapacitated patients at the end of life? JAMA Internal Medicine; by Teva D. Brender, MD; Alexander K. Smith, MD; Brian L. Block, MD; 7/22/24 Viewpoint: Imagine meeting with the daughter of a critically ill patient. The patient (her mother) had a cardiac arrest, is in multiorgan failure, and cannot communicate. The daughter is uncomfortable making decisions because they are estranged and never discussed what her mother would want in this type of situation. The patient has no advance directive or alternative surrogate. Now imagine this meeting taking place in a future where the mother’s medical visits have been audio recorded. Furthermore, you have access to an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm that can identify and play excerpts of the mother talking about what mattered most to her. You and the daughter listen to these recordings together. Then you share that another algorithm, trained on 7 million patient records, predicts that the mother’s chance of walking again is less than 5%. ...
A 'TsunamAI' of change is coming to healthcare
07/26/24 at 02:00 AMA 'TsunamAI' of change is coming to healthcareForbes; by Lee Shapiro; 7/24/24 In the last 50 years, there have been significant developments that have forever improved the delivery of healthcare. Consider imaging (MRI/CT scans), minimally invasive surgery, anti-viral therapies, precision medicine (e.g., CRISPR and gene editing) and near or complete eradication of diseases like polio and smallpox. As we look back 50 years from now, we will have experienced seismic changes from AI. When I've spoken with healthcare leaders, they've pointed to a progression of AI adoption that will occur in the following three categories, which you should consider for your organization: administrative, research and development, and care delivery.
Keeping staff members safe and sound by optimizing security technology
07/15/24 at 03:00 AMKeeping staff members safe and sound by optimizing security technology Security; by Paul Sarnese; 7/12/24 Nobody wants to invest in technology, only to have it go the way of the stationary bike that sits unused in the corner of a room. That holds true for healthcare organization leaders who are looking to invest in staff safety alarm systems that can help avert potentially dangerous situations. With workplace violence against caregivers increasing 115% since 2021, many healthcare organizations are, indeed, looking to protect workers from harm — and to shield their organizations from resultant financial distress.Editor's Note: Workplace violence and staff safety continues to trend as a root cause for nursing and other healthcare strikes across the nation. Examine your organization's Incident Reports and QAPI initiatives. What needs to be addressed?
Telehealth can drive more meaningful serious illness conversations in MDS, AML
07/12/24 at 03:00 AMTelehealth can drive more meaningful serious illness conversations in MDS, AML AJMC - American Journal of Managed Care; by AJMC contributor; 7/10/24 Using telehealth to have conversations about serious illnesses with patients may help increase clinician confidence in having these types of conversations, suggest findings from a small pilot study. Researchers collected feedback from 20 clinicians implementing a telehealth serious illness conversation with their patients with acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). The group found the intervention was considered simple and easy, and helped clinicians better understand the unique needs of their patients at end of life. The findings were published in JMIR Formative Research.
Mythbusting some misconceptions about operational improvement technology
07/12/24 at 03:00 AMMythbusting some misconceptions about operational improvement technology HIMSS; by Bill Siwicki; 7/10/24 Revenue cycle management is a great place for operational improvement technologies. These technologies can leverage process and task mining to give leaders a bird's-eye view of their teams' workflows. But according to 20-year healthcare veteran Todd Doze, CEO of Janus Health, a revenue cycle management technology company, there are three common myths associated with operational improvement technologies:
6 guidelines from ASCO on AI, cancer care
07/05/24 at 03:00 AM6 guidelines from ASCO on AI, cancer care Becker's Hospital Review; by Ashleigh Hollowell; 6/25/24 Leaders at the American Society of Clinical Oncology published a formal document June 25 that outlines what the group deems as the most appropriate use of artificial intelligence when it comes to clinical oncology care. ... When considering AI technology for oncological care, the American Society of Clinical Oncology says clinicians should keep the following principles in mind to guide their use:
How 'Human-Kind' AI can reshape your business
07/02/24 at 03:00 AMHow 'Human-Kind' AI can reshape your business Forbes; by Mark Cameron; 7/1/24 As AI models mature, their impact on the economy is becoming increasingly profound. They offer unprecedented opportunities for innovation and efficiency. Here's how. ... AI enables traditional businesses to accomplish more with fewer resources. ... As AI begins to take over mundane tasks, the role of the human workforce is evolving. Employees are no longer cogs in the machine—they're becoming value creators. The focus is evolving toward roles that require critical thinking, creativity and emotional intelligence—areas where humans excel, but AI still has limitations. This shift necessitates upskilling and reskilling initiatives to prepare the workforce for new, high-value roles in an AI-driven economy.
AMA Advocacy 2024 efforts
07/01/24 at 03:00 AMAMA Advocacy 2024 efforts American Medical Association; by AMA; Updated June 2024, 6/27/24 There are far too many everyday practice challenges interfering with patient care. That’s why the American Medical Association is advocating to keep physicians at the head of the health care team, reform the Medicare physician payment system, relieve the burdens of overused prior authorizations and so much more. [Key advocacy efforts include:]
7 of the top tech and IT jobs in demand for the future
06/28/24 at 03:00 AM7 of the top tech and IT jobs in demand for the future TechTarget; by David Weldon; 6/24/24 Businesses of the future will rely on workers with IT skills even more than they do today. Find out which jobs might be most in demand and what those roles entail. ... Organizations are having to create new tech roles and redefine existing ones to manage the integration of AI and data into core business functions. Meanwhile, cybersecurity continues to be a top concern, as do digital transformation and cloud computing. These challenges are increasing the demand for job roles that merge technical expertise with strategic business acumen. ... So, what will be some of the hottest IT jobs of the future? ... Roles are listed in alphabetical order.
Telemedicine and e-Health: May issue
06/26/24 at 03:00 AMTelemedicine and e-Health: May issue Telemedicine and e-Health; Editor-in-Chief Charles R. Doearn, MBA, FATA and Executive Editor Karen Rheuban, MD, FATA; published monthly The leading peer-reviewed journal for cutting-edge telemedicine applications for achieving optimal patient care and outcomes. [Relevant titles include the following. These are included in this current May's print edition, many were previously published "online ahead of print."]