Recent Health Technology News of Note
Major Changes on the Horizon for HHS Data
In late March, U.S. Health and Human Services Chief Technology Officer and Entrepreneur in Residence Bryan Sivak addressed an audience of Nashville healthcare leaders to brief them about changes coming to the way data is used as part of a discussion on the HHS innovation agenda.
At the briefing, Sivak shared his thoughts on disrupting government culture to enable pathways of transparency and innovation to facilitate the usage of data for better health. “Insights from big data offer innovative healthcare solutions by identifying inefficiencies within the system and by providing an easier way for patients to understand and make decisions about their own healthcare,” said Sivak.
“Big data will lead to a fundamental shift in the nation’s healthcare industry — the biggest shift since the creation of Medicare and Medicaid,” noted Dwayne Spradlin, CEO of Health Data Consortium, who provided opening remarks at the Nashville Health Care Council event.
Sivak discussed the Health Data Initiative at HHS, which aims to liberate data for more practical uses. The agency is increasing this effort through an Open Data Execution Plan. Increasing access to data could translate into major shifts in healthcare. Sivak mentioned CMS’s Virtual Research Data Center, a terminal that offers secure and large volume data access to approved users at greatly reduced costs. Sivak pointed out that this data could be used to revolutionize the way healthcare operates.
“As a center of healthcare data, Nashville has a tremendous opportunity to lead the nation and set trends in the use of data to enhance care,” said Caroline Young, Council president.
RevPoint Unveils New Revenue Cycle Solution
Earlier this year, RevPoint Healthcare Technologies, a leading revenue cycle management company, launched its next generation SmartCycle™ technology, an advanced revenue cycle management solution that enables healthcare providers to increase overall cash collections, enhance employee performance and improve patient satisfaction.
The comprehensive, integrated SaaS-based revenue cycle management solution for the point of service allows healthcare providers to “go-live” in a matter of days RevPoint’s technology automates the registration workflow process and guides registrars through each step of the patient encounter with dynamic scripting. The solution integrates insurance verification, determination of medical necessity, real-time quality assurance edits and the individual facility’s specific business rules into an intuitive user interface.
Healthspek Invited to Pitch App at AARP’s National Expo
On the heels of a 2013 filled with honors, developers of the Nashville-based personal health management app Healthspek have earned another significant recognition: an invitation to pitch the product to thousands of consumers and prospective investors at AARP’s national expo in May.
“This year we attracted 193 excellent companies that applied to be one of our 10 finalists,” said Jody Holtzman, AARP’s senior vice president of thought leadership. “After careful consideration, we came away with 10 strong companies who we think are poised to make an impact in healthcare for those 50 and over – and for everyone.”
Healthspek is a complete iPad tool that can be used to track, collect and safely disseminate personal healthcare information. Last year, Healthspek was featured in the App Store’s Best New Medical Apps, was listed as a Top-Five Best Medical and Health Care app by Tab Times, and won MediaPost’s 2013 Appy Award in the medical category. The company plans to release Healthspek versions for iPhone, Android and Windows-based platforms this summer.
The AARP Health Innovation @50+ LivePitch event in Boston on May 9 is a showcase of the hottest startups in the “50 and over” health technology market, offering access not only to venture capitalists and angel investors but to 15,000 members and guests from across the globe. Healthspek CEO Randy Farr says it’s not only an important opportunity for the company, but also a signal of market demand for a comprehensive personal health management tool.
Healthspek manages all personal and family health information in one secure place, accessible from multiple devices anywhere in the world. The unique myDashboard helps consumers track medications, vitals and access care – from the app, users can record physician, insurance and emergency contacts, a personal photograph and even a signature, as well as allergies, medical charts and images, and more. The myInbox receives medical records and facilitates electronic communications with providers; with the patient’s permission, doctors can access records through Healthspek’s chartnow.com.
Tennessee Oncology Launches Goodsnitch
Last month, Tennessee Oncology, one of the largest physician-owned practices in the United States, successfully introduced Goodsnitch, an innovative, mobile technology that allows patients to provide anonymous real-time feedback about the care they receive at clinics.
“Promoting our patients’ health in a compassionate environment is our top priority,” said Jeffrey Patton, MD, CEO of Tennessee Oncology. “Goodsnitch enables us to empower our patients by allowing them to provide valuable feedback about their care and recognize caregivers including nurses, doctors and other team members.”
Tennessee Oncology patients provide feedback in as fast as 30 seconds using Goodsnitch’s on-site Express Feedback tablets or mobile app. Patients express their opinions on various aspects of care such as check-in, check-out and cleanliness. Goodsnitch focuses on highlighting the good work of others and privately communicating constructive criticism. Also, patients recognize “everyday heroes” who provide great service. Their evaluations allow Tennessee Oncology to improve its practice and celebrate its employees.
In the first week, more than 60 patients used the tablets at one pilot location. Carolyn Craig, who is overseeing the Goodsnitch rollout, noted that could imply as many as 100,000 points of feedback annually at scale. So far, the feedback has been very positive.
Qualifacts Releases Comprehensive Outcomes Management Tool
In March, Nashville-based Qualifacts Systems, Inc., announced the release of a comprehensive needs and outcomes management tool CareLogic IMPACT. The educational, self-service tool integrates standardized instruments directly into the clinical workflow and automated reporting gives all stakeholders, including clinicians and clients, real-time feedback. The ability to measure and track clinical improvements is a requirement of healthcare reform and value-based payment models.
According to Qualifacts Chief Technology Officer Gregg Boyle, the real power of CareLogic Impact is realized through its access to the industry’s largest repository of behavioral health data. CareLogic Impact currently has embedded over a dozen standardized, evidence-based instruments, and Qualifacts is the first vendor to integrate the DLA-20™ assessment, a tool that reliably defines successful functioning in 20 independent activities of daily living and is required in several states.
UnitedHealthcare Embraces Online Bill Pay
Last July, UnitedHealthcare launched myClaims Manager, which is available to more than 21 million plan participants nationwide, including 435,000 in Tennessee. The secure, online bill-payment service allows plan participants to pay their medical bills and manage healthcare claims and related expenses from one location. Payments can be made with credit cards, debit cards, health savings account or bank account via the InstaMed payments network. The technology also allows individuals to track medical expenses for tax reporting, check claims for accuracy, make notes or flag claims for follow-up, and mark entries that have been paid.
To date, UnitedHealthcare is the only national insurance carrier to enable plan participants online bill-payment capabilities that are fully integrated with their online claim information. By the end of February, more than $20 million in payments had been made to more than 50,000 healthcare providers across the country using the online service.
Electronic bill payment has been rapidly adopted by consumers to complete transactions with businesses from all industries. According to the financial industry research and consulting firm Aite Group, 64 percent of consumer bill payments were completed electronically in 2012, up from 49 percent in 2008.
America's Best Hospitals Fall Short in Meeting Digital Demands of Patients
Many of America's top-ranked "best hospitals" lag in extending their healthcare expertise beyond the walls of the hospital and into the online world where patients are increasingly seeking information, according to an analysis released in mid-April.
The first-of-its-kind report, "The Digital Health of Today's Best Hospitals," evaluated the online presence and patient use of digital assets offered by the nation's top hospitals, as identified by U.S. News & World Report's “Best Hospitals 2013-14” publication.
When it comes to helping a patient manage his health, the analysis, released by Evolve Digital Labs, revealed top hospitals lag behind most other digital sources – such as third parties and industry. Overall, many website features to serve patients were found to be "inadequate" for some of the leading institutions including:
Almost half of hospitals studied lack a mobile-patient website (49 percent),
67 percent fail to offer online rehabilitation and aftercare information,
Only 1 in 5 has online pre-registration to reduce patient wait time,
Nearly 1 in 3 fails to facilitate online bill pay,
At least 18 percent have on-site errors that hinder the patient experience, and
Nearly 1 in 2 doesn’t support post-prescription refill requests online.
Barriers that prevent hospitals from maximizing use of digital for patient care include: concerns regarding regulation of digital content; lack of clinical oversight of published content leading to inadequate sources of information for patients; a hospital's lack of investment in digital and a lack of understanding of the value or return on investment that digital can play in enhancing patient outcomes; inefficient internal systems and processes; and an emphasis on legacy business methods that are not adapting fast enough to deliver to patients the digital innovation available today.