Literature Review

Navigating the Generative AI journey: A strategic roadmap for healthcare organizations Perficient; by Felix Bradbury; 12/13/24 The healthcare industry stands at a transformative crossroads with generative AI (GenAI) poised to revolutionize care delivery, operational efficiency, and patient outcomes. Recent MIT Technology Review research indicates that while 88% of organizations are using or experimenting with GenAI, healthcare organizations face unique challenges in implementation. Let’s explore a comprehensive approach to successful GenAI adoption in healthcare. ... The journey to GenAI adoption requires careful consideration of three key dimensions: organizational readiness, use case prioritization, and infrastructure capabilities, [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]

Top places to work in IT: 17 health systems rank in 2025 Becker's Health IT; by Laura Dyrda; 12/10/24 Computerworld published a list of the top places to work in IT for 2025, including several prominent health systems. Foundry, the publisher for Computerworld, examined several companies across the size spectrum on their commitment to in-house IT talent, training, technical and soft skills, as well as culture, diversity and satisfaction. The publication reported 79% of companies surveyed increased the number of IT employees in the last three years, and around half plan to continue growing their IT teams next year. The health systems and provider organizations ranked include:

Protecting staff, patients and the business: Cybersecurity + compliance insights from Becker's/T-Mobile surveyBecker's Hospital Review; 12/9/24 ... Becker's Healthcare and T-Mobile recently surveyed more than 125 healthcare leaders to learn about the communication tools they use, as well as their cybersecurity and compliance challenges. Insights from this whitepaper include:

PIH Health hospitals targeted in ransomware attack CBS News KCAL, Los Angeles, CA; by Laurie Perez and Dean Fioresi; 12/4/24 PIH Health was targeted in a ransomware attack, forcing officials to completely shut their network offline and leaving millions in the dark when it comes to healthcare. ... Officials say that they were targeted on Sunday by a "criminal act" that "compromised their network." In turn, network services were turned off at their hospitals in Downey, Whittier and downtown LA. ... "Meeting the healthcare needs of our communities remains our highest priority," said a statement from PIH Health. "We continue to provide care during our downtime procedures at all of our facilities, including all three hospitals, medical offices, home health, hospice, outpatient imaging and laboratory."

Dallas’ Analog Informatics emerges from stealth to modernize patient engagement in over 150 languages Dallas Innovates, Dallas, TX; by Lance Murray; 12/4/24 AIC aims to "bridge the communication gap" between healthcare providers and patients worldwide by leveraging secure AI and modern communication tools. CEO Philip Lieberman created the platform based on his experiences in caring for his hospitalized mother-in-law during the COVID pandemic. ... Shocked that he knew “more about his Amazon packages” than the state of his loved one, Lieberman vowed to use the experience and resources he’d gained from the previous multinational companies he created “to bring compassionate yet automated continuous communication to every patient and their families.” ... AIC aims to "bridge the communication gap" between healthcare providers and patients worldwide by leveraging secure AI and modern communication tools.  ... AIC said its platform “bridges the communication gap” between healthcare providers and patients, offering continuous automated logistical support in more than 150 languages. 

A people-centric approach powers successful digital transformations in healthcare HFMA - Healthcare Financial Management Association; by Utlimate Kronos Group; 12/2/24 Digital transformation is a high priority for C-suite executives at healthcare organizations, and a dizzying array of new technologies in a growing market is beckoning. But to succeed, leaders must be able to meld the use of technology with a people-first mindset and embrace their people focus in a systematic, measurable manner. ... McKinsey research suggests that almost 90% of health system executives believe that digital and AI transformation is a high or top priority for their organization, though 75% indicated that budget constraints and issues with legacy systems were hampering achievement of technology goals. ... [The discussion includes the following.]

Hologram technology wows rural care patients Becker's ASC Review; by Francesca Mathewes; 11/25/24 Cancer patients in rural Tennessee are testing virtual visits from hologram health consultants, Fox 26 News reported Nov. 23. The technology allows healthcare providers, in this case a physician, to consult with patients via a lifelike hologram. Clay Jackson, MD, a palliative care specialist in Germantown, Tenn., said that the technology has expanded access to care in the rural area, where patients might otherwise have to travel more than 100 miles for in-person care. "Two words: blown away. My patients can't believe how great the technology is," said Dr. Jackson in the report. "They may be a one-car family, it may be patients for whom additional travel would cause additional pain or discomfort or stress, especially those who are undergoing active treatment for their cancer," he added. The device and AI-powered spatial computing platform cost $29,000. The technology has been used in the entertainment industry and in professional sports, but this marks the first time the technology has been used in health consultations.

The future of AI in hospice care Hospice News; by Elizabeth Ecker; 11/13/24 As a high-touch, highly human care delivery type, hospice care may seem in a sense removed from the fast-paced, high-tech world of artificial intelligence. Yet in many ways AI is giving rise to exactly what hospice professionals set out to do in the first place: provide patient care. It also supports hospice professionals and patients in several other important ways, from reducing hospitalizations to providing scheduling efficiencies for staff and providing significant time savings. It can even be a key to providing the right care at the right time, and improved accuracy of patient data. ... It also supports hospice professionals and patients in several other important ways, from reducing hospitalizations to providing scheduling efficiencies for staff and providing significant time savings. It can even be a key to providing the right care at the right time, and improved accuracy of patient data.

With the rise of AI, is a Chief Automation Officer necessary? HR Daily Advisor Newsletter - Technology; by Lou Bachenheimer; 11/11/24 In the age of digital transformation and advanced technology like AI, automation is a critical element for organizations to stay competitive. That’s why many C-suites are considering incorporating a Chief Automation Officer (CAO) into the fabric of their organization to provide senior executive oversight of automation initiatives. But is a whole new role in the c-suite needed and necessary to successfully implement AI and automation into your organization? ... Instead of pouring new resources and energy into new roles that are created off the back of hype, what is needed is executive sponsorship and leadership of advanced automation programs at the highest and most influential levels, underpinned by the appropriate business knowledge and network to be able to drive real change.

How Zoom is expanding its role in healthcare Modern Healthcare; by Hayley Desilva; 11/1/24 Zoom, a company that rose to prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic, is looking to expand its presence in healthcare through artificial intelligence.  The company recently announced plans to incorporate ambient AI documentation technology from digital health company Suki in its clinical platform. Zoom plans to use the ambient AI technology, which turns a recording of a doctor-patient conversation into usable clinical notes in the electronic health record, for virtual and in-person visits.  ... Here's a closer look at Zoom's history in healthcare and where it plans to go next.

A new low? Hacker group targets end-of-life pharmacy provider TechInformed (TI); by Ann-Marie Corvin; 10/28/24 OnePoint Patient Care, an Arizona-based hospice pharmacy serving over 40,000 patients per day, has informed customers about a data breach impacting personal information. OnePoint said it first detected suspicious activity on its network in early August. A later investigation revealed that by this point, the attackers had already obtained files containing personal information from the pharmacy’s systems, including names, residence information, medical records, and prescription and diagnosis information. OPPC told the US Department of Health and Human Services that the data breach impacted over 795,000 people.

CIOs must prepare their organizations today for quantum-safe cryptography IBM; by Mark Hughes, Joachim Schäfer and Arfan Sabar; 10/24/24Quantum computers are emerging from the pure research phase and becoming useful tools. They are used across industries and organizations to explore the frontiers of challenges in healthcare and life sciences, high energy physics, materials development, optimization and sustainability. However, as quantum computers scale, they will also be able to solve certain hard mathematical problems on which today’s public key cryptography relies. A future cryptographically relevant quantum computer (CRQC) might break globally used asymmetric cryptography algorithms that currently help ensure the confidentiality and integrity of data and the authenticity of systems access.The risks imposed by a CRQC are far-reaching: possible data breaches, digital infrastructure disruptions and even widescale global manipulation. These future quantum computers will be among the biggest risks to the digital economy and pose a significant cyber risk to businesses. ... [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]