HIMSSCast

The COVID-19 pandemic has had spillover effects on screening and preventive care. But even before the novel coronavirus, adequate screening for disease, especially among vulnerable people, was still a public health concern.A recent study from the Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University found that even though screening rates have improved, about one in five women still do not receive a test for syphilis during pregnancy –- which is recommended by the CDC given the serious threat syphilis can pose to the health of the fetus. Brian Dixon, study senior author and director of public health informatics at the Regenstrief Institute, joined Healthcare IT News to speak about the research and the role IT can play in informatics.Talking points:-Rates of congenital syphilis have been rising-Previous studies have largely only used claims data-The benefits of syphilis screening during pregnancy-Disparities in syphilis screening rates, and what might be behind them-The potential effects of COVID-19 on screening rates-How public health leaders could use information like this-More ways health IT can be used to support public health objectives-The next projects on deck at RegenstriefMore about this episode:Regenstrief, IU launch public and population health programRegenstrief launches initiative to disseminate SDOH dataHow HIEs can enable public health reporting when EHRs fall shortHospitals facing big hurdles to public health data reportingCIOs plan big investments in EHR optimization and pop health IT

Patients in rural parts of the United States often face specific and numerous barriers to care, including financial hurdles, logistical concerns and trust in the healthcare system.As the founder of Caravan Health and Chief Innovation Officer at Signify Health, Lynn Barr is deeply involved in rural health policy. She joins Healthcare IT News Senior Editor Kat Jercich to discuss her journey of working with health systems, what role population health programs and value-based payment can play in inequities, and what policy changes are necessary for safety-net providers.Talking points:-60 million people live in rural America-What data measurement can reveal about quality -The divide in life expectancy between rural and urban Americans-Population health programs and value-based payment addressing inequities-The HITECH Act's effect on independent physicians-Small numbers don't work for judging cost-Leading indicators of success for population health-Why regional benchmarks may not be useful for safety-net providersMore about this episode:Rural hospitals face growing sustainability threats on multiple fronts, AHA saysRural hospitals need more than telehealth to survive the pandemicCMS announces a new value-based payment model for rural healthcare providersHHS puts $48M toward rural public health IT, workforce expansion

The fee-for-service model of healthcare has been reexamined over the past few years, with alternative models increasingly gaining traction. Zak Holdsworth, CEO and co-founder of Hint Health, tells Healthcare Finance News Executive Editor Susan Morse he believes the status quo payment models are on their way out – and the question isn't "if," but "when."Talking points:-How Hint Health got started-How the direct primary care model works-The benefit for health systems-What about specialty care?-Employers are starting to explore new options -Should insurers be scared?-The difference between this model and the ACO REACH model-The future for Hint HealthMore about this episode:Employees want direct primary care from their employer plansFlat-fee primary care model helping fill a niche in Texas, but it isn't insuranceFueled by health law, 'Concierge Medicine' reaches new marketsHint Health rolls out value-based primary care direct contracting networkHow a direct primary care model provider benefits from an easy-to-use EHR

Physician Partners of America has agreed to pay $24.5 million for allegedly billing for unnecessary services, while the American Hospital Association says CMS’ proposed rule doesn’t increase payments enough.

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This week: The end of the public health emergency is nearing; Federal agencies hit with EHR outage. Plus: Akili's video game-like intervention improved users' cognitive functioning.Links to the stories:HHS is giving clear signals of wind down of public health emergencyEHR outage takes down federal Cerner systemsAkili Interactive's DTx improves cognitive function in adults with MDD

Artificial intelligence tools in healthcare, as with any other software, are not immune to bias – especially if they have been trained on data sets that do not accurately reflect the global population.Last year, VisualDx, which provides diagnostic support software, launched Project IMPACT, a global effort to reduce disparities in medicine and highlight ways to bridge gaps of knowledge and improve healthcare outcomes for patients of color.VisualDx Director of Clinical Impact Dr. Nada Elbuluk joined Healthcare IT News Senior Editor Kat Jercich to discuss the project and the roles individuals and clinicians can play in working toward health equity. Talking points:Why it's so important to have a broad range of images across different skin typesAchieving health equity is a complicated problemHow individuals can contribute to reducing health inequityThe effect of providers' knowledge gaps on patient careHow technology can address some of those gapsThe role AI and ML tools can play in reducing bias – or worsening itWhat's missing from the wider conversation about health outcomesReal action is needed to promote health equityMore about this episode:VisualDx to unveil vastly expanded clinical decision support system at HIMSS16Even innocuous-seeming data can reproduce bias in AIFDA highlights the need to address bias in AIHow an AI-powered tool could help diagnose skin cancer in veteransHow augmented intelligence can promote health equity

(Sponsored) Jennifer Jones, CNIO at Integris Health, explains how standardizing and optimizing their care communications technology may help lead to better and safer workflows for their caregivers and ultimately stronger outcomes for patients.

The world has gone digital. How are you adapting? In this episode, we are sitting down with Julie Campbell, VP of Healthbox to talk about digital strategy. Healthbox, a HIMSS solution, supports and advises orgs that are developing, adopting, and investing in the digital solutions that will transform healthcare. How do our preconceptions about seniors, Medicaid, cybersecurity, EMR/EHRs, and digital strategy influence our progress towards the ideal digital health ecosystem? Join us as we walk through the myths holding back digital transformation and how we can use the Digital Health Indicator (DHI) to build a plan to overcome them in the post-COVID world.

From registration to imaging, smart hospitals deploy AI, IoT, 5G networks, and other technologies from edge to cloud for improved connectivity and secure data sharing to deliver better patient experiences, streamline workflows, and reduce costs. On this podcast, we’ll be focused on how virtual care is being reimagined; transforming patient rooms and critical care environments to streamline operations and improve patient care. Chris Gough, General Manager of the Health and Life Sciences at Intel, works with partners and hospital systems of all sizes to solve complex challenges related to the future of care. In-patient virtual care solutions that utilize predictive analytics, machine learning, and computer vision technologies are becoming more prevalent and have expanded. We’re seeing applications expand into remote patient observation, virtual ICUs, and many more. The benefits of these virtual care solutions include improved patient outcomes, increased operational efficiency, and reduced COVID-19 exposure for both patients and healthcare staff