Technology

This week, the top managed care stories included the FDA's approval of rival combination therapies for type 2 diabetes, the American Medical Association issued mHealth guidelines, and a study found the dementia rate declining.

Health information technology not only gives providers easier access to a patient’s medical history and prior test results in a timely manner, but it allows patients to become more actively engaged in their care, explained Wen Dombrowski, MD, MBA.

Is there anything like an ideal patient portal that can cater to a broad range of patients? According to Rebekkah Schear, MIA, what patient portals lack is a holistic approach toward the patient.

How can we create more standardized health information platforms that can easily exchange patient information?

Cancer is a complex disease to treat an patients can be overwhelmed by the number of care providers that they have to consult with. In this scenario, care navigators can provide significant support to patients and their family members.

A CMS investigation found that almost 46% of the doctor listings in Medicare Advantage (MA) directories contained incorrect information. Officials worry that these inaccuracies could make it more difficult for seniors to access the healthcare they need.

About half of Americans have low health literacy and struggle to find and use health information, which is associated with negative outcomes, including overall poorer health.

Though symptom checking apps and websites have been touted by some as the future of clinical diagnostics, a recent study has found that they are far less accurate than actual physicians at identifying the correct diagnosis when given a clinical vignette.

Highlights of our peer-reviewed research in the healthcare and mainstream press.

The first winner of the Seema S. Sonnad Emerging Leader in Managed Care Research award in 2015 writes about winning the award and 3 dimensions of the experience that were particularly meaningful.

A new trend in healthcare allows individuals to continuously measure various data points-from steps to sleep patterns-and have access to that information at their fingertips.

Digital health programs like telehealth have already made progress in fields like mental health by expanding access and lowering costs, but there are opportunities to achieve much more in the future, according to Susan Dentzer, president and CEO of The Network for Excellence in Health Innovation.

What we're reading, September 29, 2016: as part of the bill to prevent a government shutdown, the Senate has finally approved Zika virus funding; electronic health record breaches skyrocketed from 2014 to 2015; and California passes "right to try" law for terminally ill patients.

Research has shown that care provided through teledermatology is comparable to that delivered in face-to-face appointments, and future dermatologists are being taught to deliver care this way to improve patient access to expert dermatological care, said Nellie Konnikov, MD, professor and chief of dermatology at the Boston Department of Veterans Affairs.

Mix-ups in patient identification are a fairly frequent occurrence that can cause real harm to patients. These events are highly preventable with strategies.

The FDA has announced a public competition to develop a mobile application that allows users to find the nearest location of the overdose-reversing drug naloxone. Here are 5 things to know about the 2016 Naloxone App Competition.

While adoption of personal health records and electronic patient portals increased from 2012 to 2015, researchers at Weill Cornell Medical found that the adoption rates for Hispanics and low-income individuals have lagged behind non-Hispanics and higher-income individuals.

This week, the top stories in managed care were poll results that show Hillary Clinton is more trusted than Donald Trump when it comes to healthcare, multiple studies highlighting remaining disparities in healthcare, and results of a digital diabetes self-management program.

This study examines the leading edge of health information technology used to coordinate the care of complex patients.

Each year since 2011, beginning on the Friday of Independence Day weekend, the health information technology social media community is atwitter with nominations for thought leaders to include on the annual #HIT100 list.

Digital technology has great potential to improve the communication between providers and members, said Albert Tzeel, MD, MHSA, FAAPL, regional medical director of senior products at Humana. However, there are also drawbacks that come alongside digital technology that Dr Tzeel said is worth considering.

Medication adherence is a complex issue, and Lonny Reisman, MD, CEO of HealthReveal, emphasized the importance of better understanding what methods or strategies will help motivate patients to do what is in their best interest.

Maximizing the utility of technology platforms and making them meaningful to ensure quality cancer care was the underlying theme of Emerging Issues and Opportunities in Health Information Technology, a National Comprehensive Cancer Network Policy Summit, held June 27, 2016, in Washington, DC.

Gregory C. Simon, executive director, White House Cancer Task Force, spoke at the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Policy Summit in Washington, DC. “Just like the original moonshot, the Cancer Moonshot is about using technology and the resulting information,” he said.

At the Emerging Issues and Opportunities in Health Information Technology Policy Summit hosted by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, on June 27, 2016, an afternoon panel discussed the role of technology and its importance in promoting dissemination of data.

Karen B. DeSalvo, MD, MPH, the national coordinator for health information technology, will be relinquishing the position on August 12. HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell sent an e-mail to HHS staff to announce the change.

Advances in information technology is enabling peope to collect and store more health information than every before. How can we harness these valuable insights to help people with chronic disease live longer, healthier, happier lives?