HIMSSCast

HIMSSCast welcomes healthcare privacy expert Deven McGraw, currently Chief Regulatory Officer for Ciitizen who previously served as Deputy Director, Health Information Privacy at OCR, as well as Acting Chief Privacy Officer at ONC, to discuss the forthcoming information blocking rules, upcoming HIPAA overhaul, and more with host Jonah Comstock and Healthcare IT News Executive Editor Mike Miliard. Talking points:Challenges of complying with the new info blocking rulesHow the new rules flip the script on data sharingInfo blocking rules vs CMS rules on APIsPatient right of access and form and format requirementsMarket opportunities created by the new rulesWhat could happen next with national privacy legislation?Defining health data for legislative purposesLooking at the upcoming updated HIPAA rulesPrivacy implications of vaccine credentialingMisconceptions about when HIPAA appliesWhat Ciitizen is working on these daysDeven’s parting advice on the info blocking rulesMore about this episode: Privacy protections to encourage use of health-relevant digital data in a learning health system (Deven's paper with Ken Mandel)Ciitizen's websiteHHS publishes final regs on info blocking, interoperabilityHIMSSCast: How providers and payers should be preparing for new info blocking and patient access rulesONC officials offer update on information blocking rules complianceInfo blocking compliance date nears: Legal experts offer toolkit to helpCOVID-19 highlights the importance of ONC info blocking rules, says RuckerHealthcare industry groups react to extended info blocking compliance timelineHHS floats major changes to HIPAA Privacy RuleHIMSSCast: HIPAA Privacy Rule proposed changes - What they mean and what to expectOffice of Civil Rights extends comment period on changes to HIPAA privacy ruleThree ways providers get HIPAA right of access wrongHow to solve the 'Goldilocks' dilemma of health data sharing?Apple requires COVID-19 vaccine passport developers to work with public health authorities

Amazon Care set to expand app-based services nationwide in the coming months; Doctor on Demand signals merger with Grand Rounds. Also: HHS releases new funding aimed at helping schools reopen and to expand access to COVID-19 testing and treatments.Links to the stories:Amazon confirms nationwide expansion of telehealth servicesDoctor on Demand merges with Grand Rounds to form new virtual healthcare companyBiden administration invests in expanding COVID-19 testing and treatments

We're getting on toward the end of the quarter, so we've welcomed back the HIMSS Government Relations team — SVP of Government Relations Tom Leary, Senior Director Jeff Coughlin, and Director for Government Relations and Health Policy David Gray — to share impressions, hopes, and predictions for the new Biden Administration. From the HIMSS Media side, host Jonah Comstock, Healthcare IT News Executive Editor Mike Miliard, and HITN Senior Editor Kat Jercich lead the conversation.This episode was recorded on Thursday March 10th, just before President Biden's prime time address and about a week before Xavier Becerra's confirmation vote.Talking points:Prioritizing equity and access in vaccine distributionHIMSS’s letter to the Biden administrationWhat can we learn from the American Rescue Act?Spending billions to save trillions — modernizing public healthWhat to expect when the info-blocking rules kick inThe role of the government, if any, in vaccine credentialingBroadband and health equityPredictions and expectations about Biden’s healthcare appointees, from HHS to FDAImpacts of the Democratic party’s slim majorityMore about this story:HIMSS's letter to the Biden AdministrationNew HHS Secretary Becerra urged to expand digital health accessONC chief Micky Tripathi talks public health data systems and 'health equity by design'COVID-19 relief package includes health IT expansionCompliance with ONC and CMS rules could offer growth opportunityFDA streamlines pathway to at-home asymptomatic COVID-19 test approvalMedicare for All push resurrected by U.S. House of RepresentativesHospitals and insurers applaud Senate confirmation of a Xavier Becarra as HHS SecretaryBiden Administration invests in expanding COVID-19 testing and treatments in schools and underserved communitiesBiden announces national vaccine finder website, May 1 eligibility for all adultsHouse approves $1.9 trillion rescue plan which now goes before Biden for his signature

House gives final approval to the $1.9T American Rescue Plan; Bad bots are complicating vaccine sign-ups. Also: PatientPoint merges with Outcome Health to facilitate patient-clinician communications.Links to the stories:House approves $1.9 trillion rescue plan, which now goes before Biden for his signatureBig uptick in bot traffic jeopardizes vaccine appointmentsPatientPoint merges with Outcome Health to form combined patient engagement entity

NurX CEO Varsha Rao joins host Jonah Comstock and MobiHealthNews Managing Editor Laura Lovett to discuss her telehealth company's journey from a laser focus on contraception to a broader play for women's (and men's) health that includes dermatology and migraines. Along the way, we also discuss broader trends in telehealth, challenges of femtech, and NurX's foray into COVID-19 testing.Talking points:NurX’s storyWhat does it mean to be a female-focused telehealth company?Following a patient through her lifelong patient journeyHow NurX got into home COVID testingDigital health companies as service companiesChallenges and advantages of a woman-led startupThings men don’t understand about contraceptionNurX’s roadmap for new products, and COVID’s effect on itShould telehealth be a one-stop shop?The advantages of asynchronous telemedicineDealing with stigma in healthcareThe future of digital health and telehealthNurX’s role in COVID-19 testingWhat’s next for NurX?Varsha’s advice for healthcare startupsMore about this episode:Nurx CEO on what's next for women's health in 2021Nurx sets sights on the migraine and headache spaceNurx collects another $22.5M for birth control & STI treatment deliveriesAt-home COVID-19 testing services pump the brakes after FDA warns of 'fraudulent' kitsEverlyWell, Nurx to release at-home COVID-19 test kits within a weekNurx gets another $52 million to deliver mail-order birth control, PrEP, STI test kitsNurx adds STI testing to its mail-order product suiteNurx gets $36M for telemedicine for birth control, adds Chelsea Clinton to boardNurx raises $5.3M for app-based birth control and PrEP service

Medical groups urge racial data collection efforts for COVID-19 vaccinations; Apple and the University of Michigan share first results from hearing study. Also: Merck and Johnson & Johnson partner with the federal government to ramp up vaccine manufacturing.Links to the stories:Medical groups urge racial data collection efforts for COVID-19 vaccinationsApple, University of Michigan share first results from Apple Hearing StudyMerck to open facilities to Johnson & Johnson for speedier COVID-19 vaccine production

We know that telehealth can be a tremendous opportunity to expand healthcare access for people who might face barriers to medical services. But it also may be replicating the digital divide.In a recent study, researchers examined data from nearly 150,000 unique patients who scheduled telemedicine visits from March 16 to May 11, 2020. They investigated who completed those visits, and how. Two of those researchers, Dr. Lauren Eberly, a fellow in cardiovascular medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and Dr. Srinath Adusumalli, assistant chief medical information officer for connected health and assistant professor of clinical medicine, cardiovascular at Penn Medicine, joined MobiHealthNews Managing Editor Laura Lovett and Healthcare IT News Senior Editor Kat Jercich to discuss their findings and the importance of centering equity in virtual care.Talking points:Structural inequities are pervasive, and the digital divide is realPatients of color have lower rates of access to broadband and digital connectivityIn this study, older patients, Asian patients, Medicaid users and non-English speakers were less likely to complete telehealth visitsIt’s important to meet patients where they’re at and to meet their clinical needsThere are many opportunities for telehealth outside of rural careIt's a matter of population health as well – and we have to get it right sooner rather than laterThis is the chance to rethink strategies to deliver careVendors should incorporate equity into their designLaying a stronger foundation for reimbursement of care —especially payment parity—would be helpful to safeguard careBroadband access will also be keyMore about this episode:Women are less likely to use video for telehealth careStudy: Black patients more likely than white patients to use telehealth because of pandemicTelehealth may worsen digital divide for people with disabilitiesTelehealth's digital divide is real, and members of Congress want to address itHims & Hers, ATA, and 10 others launch Telehealth Equity Coalition

In today's Top Stories with Jeff Lagasse: Operating margins and other hospital metrics are struggling to recover from a winter COVID-19 surge; HHS pick Becerra praises telehealth. Plus: Google launches CareStudio to tackle EHR navigation issues.Links to the stories:U.S. hospitals and health systems face a long road to recoveryHHS Secretary nominee Xavier Becerra signals support for virtual careGoogle rolls out EHR navigation tool Care Studio

HIMSSCast host Jonah Comstock welcomes Sheldon Fields, RN, PhD, a researcher, health policy analyst, educator and advocate. He serves as Associate Dean for Equity and Inclusion at Penn State, First Vice President at the National Black Nurses Association, and founder and CEO of his own consulting firm, the SDF Group. On today's episode, they talk about some of the current health equity challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and how to combat them. Talking points:Dr. Fields' history as a nurse and academicThe mission of the National Black Nurses’ AssociationHow caregiver representation aligns with care equityComparing the COVID-19 pandemic with the HIV/AIDS epidemicHow pandemics can illuminate health disparitiesThe history of medical atrocities in the US, and its aftereffectsIs vaccine hesitancy as big an issue as vaccine access?How minority nursing associations can help expand vaccine accessHealth equity beyond the pandemic — including medical researchHow the NIH’s All of Us initiative has continued throughout the pandemicMore about this article:Nurses You Should KnowThe National Black Nurses AssociationDr. Fields' PSU Faculty PageAll of UsIn-depth: Health organizations harness the power of technology to address health disparities during pandemicAMA past president Dr. Patrice Harris advocates for equity in the COVID-19 eraAI bias may worsen COVID-19 health disparities for people of colorNIH All of Us program gearing up for 'precision engagement,' Eric Dishman saysHuman rights law can provide a fair, transparent framework for vaccine allocationsDisadvantaged census areas are linked to COVID-19 incidenceCVS Health, Lyft and YMCA team for equitable access to a COVID-19 vaccination siteBig tech, digital health coalition forms to undercut COVID-19 healthcare disparitiesCalifornia taps Blue Shield to oversee an equitable vaccine distribution plan

In today's Top Stories with Jeff Lagasse: Online platform ClassPass unveils a new COVID-19 vaccine locator, while New Jersey struggles with its Microsoft-powered vaccine registration portal. Plus: Insurers are feeling the financial effects of the pandemic.Links to the stories:ClassPass adds COVID-19 vaccine search feature to its platformNew Jersey blames Microsoft for weeks of vaccine rollout glitchesFourth quarter COVID-19 costs catch up to insurers