Healthcare Analytics: Reshaping the Future of Healthcare

March 10, 2017/7002 views / 0 Comments/in Analytics, BLOG, Guest Blog Posts, Health Care, healthcare, Patient Safety /by John Trader

The following guest post on healthcare analytics was submitted by Yeshwanth HV.

As healthcare enters the digital age, the practice of medicine will change for the better. It will move away from the clasp of largely reactive decision-making, which was inaccurate and expensive to say the least, and into the realm of evidence-based medicine; thereby becoming more proactive, connected and personalized. In simple words this means that the days of long trips to hospitals that culminated into a series of referrals followed by questions and answer sessions, and tests that were repeated over and over again will be a thing of the past. Patients will start receiving treatments and be prescribed medications that are customized as per their unique needs. With comprehensive medical information about the patient along with a repository of knowledge base that includes every aspect of treating patients with similar medical conditions, care teams will be able to devise accurate healthcare plans that can mitigate any harm to life or safety of patients.

The collection and interpretation of healthcare analytics is fundamentally changing modern healthcare delivery.

If you think that this form of care is too “futuristic” and can only exist in animations shows such as ‘The Jetsons,’ let me get you acquainted with the reality. The truth is this form of care is already happening and will eventually be integrated into every routine healthcare protocol.

The ‘magic’ that made this possible

Yes, hospitals and other healthcare practices have scrutinized operational and financial data since ages, but the magic started happening when they started to track and analyze healthcare data. When healthcare related data is gleaned from a variety of sources – starting from EHRs and disease registries to direct patient surveys and even digital health devices used by individuals – providers can obtain a well-rounded view, which enables them to analyze every patient, understand their needs and proactively reach out to provide personalized care. When diligently used, the intelligence gained from analytics can move beyond improving healthcare outcomes and give a new lease of life to a hospital’s bottom line.

Factors driving this move towards analytics

The first reason is the cost. It is no secret that ‘reactive’ healthcare is a lot heavier on the pocket when compared to ‘proactive or preventive’ healthcare, which is essentially conceived with an objective to keep individuals out of costly healthcare settings such as emergency rooms.
The other crucial factor that is encouraging this trend is the shift from fee-for-service model to accountable, value-based care models that essentially link quality of care and reimbursement. For healthcare providers, this move means that their survival depends upon the usage of analytics to streamline financial and operational performance of the organization.

How does it work?

Not long ago, providing evidence-based treatment meant that hospitals had to follow a series of well-tested care protocols. However, with greater access to healthcare data and advancements in analytics, we have entered a new era of evidence driven care. By accumulating and analyzing data from diverse feeds over an extended period of time, care providers can understand the exact reasons for bad outcomes and therefore realign their strategies to provide most effective care to individual patients as well as to a particular section of patient populations.

Healthcare providers can also leverage analytics to recognize patterns in a population’s health and precisely estimate individual risk scores. Based on these scores, they can priorities the work of individual healthcare team, allowing them focus more time on the most vulnerable individual.
What’s more healthcare analytics, whether based on risk assessment, EMRs or claims data, can categories patients prior to service and tackle a potential concerns before they pose any real threat to the patients. It can also quantify everything – from emergency room visits, treatment outcomes and readmissions to wait times and utilization of expensive services – and offers a level of transparency that is good for both healthcare outcomes and for business. For instance it can help providers to set up internal benchmarks to gauge quality and cost performance, and provide a detailed understanding of how well they stack up against their counterparts. It also can help hospitals to swiftly make crucial decisions pertaining to reducing costs, optimizing resources, improving care quality and enhancing their competitive positions.

The benefits of healthcare analytics on the patient side are also equally compelling. By arming patients with timely and relevant information, and enabling them to have an extensive understanding, healthcare analytics has opened up a new era of customized healthcare.

Conclusion: Changes are coming; be ready to embrace it

In developed nations the usage of healthcare analytics is growing at a rapid pace. As a result of this, very soon the roles of patients, physicians, hospitals and other healthcare organizations will see some drastic changes in the coming years as mentioned below-

• Patients will become better informed and assume more responsibility for their own care

• Physicians will assume more of a consultant role than a decision maker and will advise, warn and help individual patients. They will start witnessing more success as care becomes more accurate and proactive. And they will have more time to interact with patients and build long lasting relationships

• Hospitals will start witnessing fewer unnecessary hospitalizations, resulting in revenue losses initially. However, overtime, admissions will become more meaningful, the market will adjust, and accomplishment will rise

All in all, changes are coming. Be proactive and ready to embrace the new world order that will take healthcare to the next level.

Author Bio:

Yeshwanth HV is a healthcare writer employed by MedBillingExperts, a leading provider of healthcare business process outsourcing services such as medical billing, medical coding, medical records indexing and healthcare analytics services to medical practitioners and healthcare organizations worldwide. Dedicated towards the healthcare industry, he has authored several blogs and articles that have received rave reviews in the industry. Prior to MedBillingExperts, Yeshwanth worked with CIO Review and has authored several bylined pieces for the quarterly editions of the magazine.

Planning a Hospital Renovation? Tips To Monitor Infection Control

March 8, 2017/4942 views / 0 Comments/in BLOG, Guest Blog Posts, Infection Control /by John Trader

The following guest post on infection control in healthcare was submitted by Ashton Blagden.

Hospital renovation or the construction process is not a small thing. You need to keep an eye on the entire process from time and again so that it completes on time without causing other issues. One of the most important things that you need to keep in mind and look for while carrying out the hospital renovation is infection control.

Having an infection control process implemented and then forgetting about the whole thing is not done. You have to keep on monitoring the measures and make sure that everything works as per the plan.

Maintaining strong infection control is an important aspect of sustaining patient safety during hospital renovations.

So, here I am with a few effective tips that you can practice to control infection while carrying out the construction process in the hospital.

Get an infection control owner

It is not at all possible to control infection without having a person in charge of things. So you need to have an infection control owner in place. But, this does not mean that the person has to make sure infection control is properly in place by completing the tasks on his own. The duty of such a person is to check out the things that need to be done and then assign the tasks to different people. After that, he needs to do a follow-up for the same from time to time. By having an infection control owner, you increase the chance of keeping the place infection-free as per the guidelines.

Invest in the right resources

Having the right kind of infection control resources is very important, like for any other facility processes. Infection control should be given priority as if you follow the right procedures you will be able to save the lives of a good number of patients. So make sure you invest in the right resources along with your money and time.

Check out the negative air pressure areas

To keep the hospital premises pathogen free from the construction area, it is very important to maintain negative air pressure. But then, maintaining the negative air pressure is not easy too. So you have to keep on monitoring the area with negative air pressure and ensure that all the equipment placed there are working properly. The best two ways to check the negative air pressure is by going for a visual test using a flutter strip or smoke and by going for the manometer.

If the negative air pressure is not working then you can go for the option of HEPA filters. You need to keep on changing the filters regularly to monitor the area.

Keep learning

You need to be alert to make sure that all the infection control protocols are working and everything is in place to get the job done. To make the infection control process easier now a number of products are available in the market. You can implement them in the hospitals for better results. The infection control contractors, as well as the hospital employees, should be educated about monitoring and practicing infection control.

For many, it may not be the best of concerns, but having proper infection control in place will lead to happy and healthy patients.

Guest Post from Ashton Blagden, Dealslands

5 Ways Technology Is Improving Doctor Patient Collaboration

March 5, 2017/6229 views / 0 Comments/in BLOG, Guest Blog Posts, Health Care, Patient Engagement /by John Trader

The following post on improving patient engagement in healthcare was submitted by Audrey Thorne.

Innovative technologies and groundbreaking discoveries have changed the face of the healthcare industry. Due to them, ailments that were previously life threatening are now easily cured, surgical procedures have become less invasive and self-help devices have given birth to an empowered and more health conscious society.

Moreover, in addition to enhancing the quality of patient-care, these technological advancements have also revolutionized physician-patient relationship – making it much more collaborative in nature.

Is technology in healthcare playing an important role to improve patient engagement?

Nowadays, we see doctors being able to keep a constant eye on their patients via tracking devices, patients being able to connect instantly to their physicians via video calling apps and both equally partaking in the healthcare process.

This serves to not only expand the reach of healthcare services but also makes patient-care much more pertinent and personalized. The tremendous utility of such technologies can be gauged from the fact that 52% of healthcare service providers utilize at least 3 connected health technologies to maintain contact with their patients. Here we take a look into how technology is improving doctor patient collaboration:

1. Engaging patients in the healthcare process:

The government is struggling to make optimum use of a limited amount of resources in order to provide healthcare services to a growing population. This disproportionate ratio of medical service providers to patients causes patients to endure long waiting times in healthcare settings and also inhibits physicians from spending sufficient time with patients to provide in depth consultation and monitoring.

Even in the coming decade, the Association of American Medical Colleges has projected a shortfall of physicians ranging from 61,700 to 94,700 causing healthcare providers to search for innovative ways to increase the reach as well as the scope of healthcare services.

It is due to these escalated efforts that we now have a number of devices and applications that facilitate round the clock correspondence between doctors and patients and also enable patients to become actively involved in the healthcare process.

These technologies include informative sources that give patients a greater understanding of the intricacies of their condition and possible courses of treatment and allow them to decide on a care plan in collaboration with their physician.

This in turn increases their ownership of their care plan as well as their determination to see it through.

Moreover, we also now have an array of reliable self assessment tools such as Brain Test to help detect the presence of ailments, in this case cognitive disorders, that not only serve to satisfy patient curiosity but also encourage them to seek timely medical assistance.

In addition to these, self-help apps like Fitbit allow patients to constantly monitor and improve their health. This is crucial since healthcare by nature is a two-way process where it is absolutely essential for both parties to play their part for a treatment to be effective.

Therefore, these technologies, albeit simple, have proven to be game-changers as they have allowed patients to play their part in ensuring their health and well-being.

2. Personalized services:

A decade ago, hospitals used to run on paper-based records with the staff having to go through stacks of files in order to learn about a patient’s medical history. Likewise, patients had to personally maintain their medical records and repeat their history to every doctor that they visited.

Both these factors caused healthcare services to be disease-specific whereby physicians would attempt to diagnose an ailment based on the information available and recommend treatments to resolve the underlying issue.

However, technology has shifted healthcare from being disease-specific to individual-specific as physicians are now able to use electronic medical records to provide tailored treatments to patients.

This has catapulted the quality of medi-care by allowing accurate diagnosis and treatment and has also deepened the relationship between doctors and patients. Doctors are now able to remain in touch with their patients throughout and even after the course of the treatment via online forums and applications such as Epocrates that facilitate doctor-patient dialogue.

Moreover, such apps also provide doctors with a more intricate understanding of patient condition and enhance the confidence that patients have in their healthcare provider.

They also help patients feel much more secure as they know that their physician is only a few clicks away. In addition to this, these technologies enable physicians to provide ongoing support to patients who are adjusting to new medications or have been requested to make significant lifestyle changes as part of their treatment.

3. Reduced waiting times:

People often delayed or avoided seeking medical consultation in the past because they were unable to take time out for a lengthy trip to the hospital.

However, this hesitation to endure a tedious hospital visit had serious long-term repercussions as it allowed ailments to worsen and increased the risk of hospital admissions. Thankfully, we now have bountiful apps that allow patients to gain instantaneous consultation from physicians via video calls.

Moreover, these apps have also improved correspondence between doctors and patients when it comes to arranging appointments. Patients can now receive timely reminders about upcoming appointments from their healthcare provider which consequently leads to fewer patient no-shows.

4. Improved marketing:

Hospitals use marketing channels such as emails, social media, instant messaging, etc to apprise patients about new cures and treatments in an attempt to increase the quality of patient-care and increase public awareness.

Previously, they had to send out mass emails and messages which at times would be thought of as irrelevant and spam by patients. This correspondence, however, has improved drastically over the past few years, as hospitals are now able to send out communications to specific patients with specific needs.

5. Focus on prevention rather than cure:

With social media platforms, blogs and websites, physicians are able to disseminate a huge amount of information about disease prevention and cure and are able to respond to general queries by patients.

This ready availability of information and informal access to medical consultation has shifted the focus of patients from curing ailments to avoiding them in the first place.

By doing so, doctors are not only able to help save countless lives but are also able to relieve burden off of healthcare providers who strive to provide services to an ever increasing base of clients.

Technology has revolutionized doctor-patient dynamics, however, when we look at the rampant pace of technological developments it is safe to assume that this relationship will continue to evolve drastically in the years to come.

Audrey Throne is a mother and a professional blogger by choice. She has completed her masters in English literature from university of Birmingham. As a blogger she wrote quite a few posts on health, technology as well as management. Currently, she is associated with heartfeltadopt Team.

Find her on Twitter: @audrey_throne.

Dear Medical Professionals: 4 Steps to Help You Put Patient Safety First

March 3, 2017/4816 views / 0 Comments/in BLOG, Guest Blog Posts, Patient Safety /by John Trader

The following guest post on patient safety in healthcare was submitted by Hannah Whittenly.

When a patient goes to the doctor’s office or a hospital, you expect that everything that has to do with your treatments will be as safe as possible. From surgical procedures to simple lab tests, doctors and other staff members should keep patients as safe as they can be so that there is no risk of getting an infection and so that there is no risk of falling in the facility. There are quite a few ways that medical professionals can help to increase patient safety to make going to the doctor or hospital a pleasant experience.

Learn some simple steps to improve patient safety at your healthcare organization.

Doses and Drugs

One of the ways that medical professionals can keep patients safer is to examine the medications that are given very closely and to make sure that the proper doses are written on paperwork and the actual prescription. Many of the prescriptions that are given use abbreviations that can sometimes be confused with multiple things in the medical facility. There are also abbreviations that are used that make no sense as they relate to how often the medication needs to be given, such as once a day or the amount that is given. One of the things that offices and hospitals can do to make sure that patients are safe when it comes to these abbreviations is to not use them. If words are spelled out, then it makes it easier for everyone to see the information and to give the proper medications and doses.

Contamination Control

If you’ve ever seen any kind of surgery, then you know that there can be a bit of smoke that comes from the instrument that is used. A smoke evacuator, which is often connected to an electrosurgical generator, is a device that is used to trap or eliminate some of the smoke that is seen with surgeries. The device will help to prevent the smoke and other particles from the body before they have time to circulate in the air. Other ways to get contamination under control include washing hands more often, setting up hand washing stations and making sure everyone wears proper attire when working with patients, such as gloves and masks.

Holding On

With elderly individuals and those who have mobility issues, it’s important to have some kind of hand rail system in place. Rails should be placed on the walls in the hallways and near doors to make it easier to enter and exit. There should also be rails along stairs to make it easier to get up and down. Large rugs that don’t slide around can be placed near entry doors to prevent slipping after coming from outside, especially if it has been raining. If the medical staff isn’t busy, then someone could assist those who have trouble walking to an exam room, to the waiting area or outside to a vehicle.

Diagnostic Testing

Doctors will often perform blood work or other services to determine what is going on with the health of the patient. If tests are done and the doctor finds that more testing is needed and doesn’t follow through, then it can impede on the safety of the patient. The doctor needs to examine the tests and the health of the patient in depth to see if there are any medications that need to be given in the future or if there are any treatment options that are available to help with the condition. The doctor should also follow up with the patient after the treatment to ensure that there are no side effects.
Medical professionals should be held to the highest standards. They are working with patients’ lives in their hands. The smallest mistake could mean that someone is injured, becomes ill or even dies. If doctors and other staff pay attention and work together, then the safety of the patient will likely improve in their condition.

Hannah Whittenly is a freelance writer and mother of two from Sacramento, CA. She enjoys kayaking and reading books by the lake.

5 Most Significant Tech Trends In Health Information Management (HIM)

February 28, 2017/6858 views / 0 Comments/in BLOG, Guest Blog Posts, HIM /by John Trader

The following guest post on trends in Health Information Management (HIM) was submitted by Broadwater.

The sheer power of technology has paved the way for the development of the latest tech systems in Healthcare Information Management (HIM). We have witnessed how the Electronic health systems have gone through many changes over the past few years. These advanced breakthroughs are deployed with a goal to enhance the efficiency of healthcare information management systems, and to promote something that will allow health care facilities to deliver the best possible treatment and care to every patient. Let’s walk through the 5 biggest technological trends that embark a great contribution on modern Healthcare Information Management.

Learn about new technologies positively impacting Health Information Management (HIM) departments in healthcare.

Mobile Access

Imagine this: a physician had to be physically present in the office in order to examine a patients’ case. Gone are those days. Thanks to the rise of mobile devices like smartphones and tablets; more doctors are now able to work remotely, conveniently storing healthcare records over a cloud. Traditional IT infrastructure is now being replaced by cloud based azure windows virtual desktop with the help of daas providers which makes it easy for doctors to keep an eye on their office by sitting at home. This way, they can easily access pertinent information regardless of where they are, through the use of mobile devices. This is especially useful during medical emergencies, where a patient can receive quick and efficient diagnosis and treatment, wherever their doctors are.

Electronic Health Records

While Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) contain patient information about diagnosis and treatment, Electronic Health Records (EHRs) provide a more detailed view of the medical story of the patient, including allergies, previous medications, immunization records, and other relevant data. Through electronic storage of the patient information, health care centers do not only save on paper files, but it also provides a much easier and more convenient access by the health care provider. Thanks to its reliable searchable database that makes finding Healthcare Information Management simpler and more efficient, thus improving the way healthcare services are provided.

Virtual Conferencing

To provide a top-line healthcare service, doctors have to consult with peers. And obtaining a second opinion on patients’ medical records from a peer specialist is a smart way to ensure that patients receive proper diagnosis and treatment. At present, video conferencing makes way for a much easier and more effective consultation. Doctors are now able to speak with other experts around the world in the comfort of their own homes or offices.

Unified Communication Platform

While video conferencing is a great choice to seek outside help, unified communication systems benefit Healthcare Information Management within a medical facility. When multiple nurses and doctors are working on the same patient, it is necessary that every bit of information should be up to date and readily available for everyone’s access. This means that an open line of communication is the key to efficient healthcare service. With a unified communication system, information can be easily updated though text, email, micro-blogging and IM. Most importantly, every member of the team can readily view the thread.

Privacy and Security

One of the most pressing concerns regarding Healthcare Information Management in an online setting is the risks of security issues. In today’s world where every bit of information can be accessed using any device and from any location, it is paramount that healthcare information management teams should take all the essential measures to prevent any issues. Privacy and security can be reinforced thorough password protection, and a strict verification process. The management should have a keen eye for malware, viruses and other attacks that can pose threats to the integrity of the patient information.

Medical science gets more and more cutting-edge in terms of technological development as the years pass by. A high-performing medical tool or a new procedure can make the difference between life and death. Be assured without a doubt there are tremendous changes that await us in the field of Health Information Management.

Patient Safety: Symptoms of a Stroke

February 18, 2017/4867 views / 0 Comments/in BLOG, Guest Blog Posts, Patient Safety /by John Trader

The following post on strokes and patient safety was submitted by Slidell Memorial Hospital.

Are you aware that strokes are a type of disease?

Strokes disturb arteries leading to and within the brain, as well as those leading to it. They are one of the top causes of disability and death in the south.
Here’s another terrifying fact: Stokes can happen to absolutely anyone.

Are you ready for some good news? You can learn the warning signs of stroke by reading below. This information just might save your life—or the life of a loved one.

Recognizing the early signs of a stroke can save a life.

What Exactly is a Stroke?

A stroke occurs once a blood vessel carrying nutrients and oxygen to the brain either has its passage blocked by a clot (an ischemic stroke) or ruptures (a hemorrhagic stroke). When deprived of the oxygen and blood needed, brain cells die. If blood flow is stopped for too long, bodily functions related to the obstructed areas can stop functioning properly.

Stroke Symptoms

Knowing what a stroke looks like can help you save someone’s life. The quicker you respond, the greater the chance of survival for the stroke victim. Thankfully, a simple acronym can help you remember and recall the symptoms of stroke: F.A.S.T.

• Face Drooping– Ask the victim if a side of their face is numb, and look to see if it appears uneven. If it is difficult to decipher, ask the victim to smile.
• Arm Weakness– Ask the victim to lift up both of their arms. If one arm is too numb, weak, or falls down, this is a sign of stroke.
• Speech Difficulty– Incoherent or slurred speech is an obvious symptom. Ask the victim to repeat an easy sentence back to you such as, “The dog barks.” If the sentence they repeat is slurred, the victim can’t speak at all, or has difficulty comprehending, this too is a sign.
• Time to call 9-1-1– If you notice someone showing any of these signs, call 911. You should still call 911 even if the symptoms go away. Immediately take the person to the hospital, and do not wait. Be proactive. Make note of the time that these symptoms presented, and relay this to the hospital.

Although these aren’t the only signs of stroke, they’re the most typical. Some infrequent signs of stroke are vision problems, difficulty walking, and sudden confusion.

The Next Step

Like the symptoms shown above, if you notice anyone showing even one of the other symptoms, do not hesitate to call 911.

It is critical to note that the greatest issue with treating stroke is reaction time. Act swiftly and learn the signs. Visit Slidell Memorial Hospital to get evaluated.

The Importance of Pre-Procedure Preparations for Patients

February 11, 2017/14369 views / 1 Comment/in BLOG, Guest Blog Posts, Patient Safety /by John Trader

The following post on patient safety in healthcare was submitted by Ian Pearson.

Too often, in this age of modernization, the human element is given short shrift. Machines build our automobiles, sew our clothes and harvest our crops. Society has decided that economy and efficiency are vital for our needs and, in most cases jobs can be done better and faster by taking humans out of the equation.

The damage to mental and emotional states can have a huge effect on procedural success and post-operation recovery.

That simply doesn’t work with health-care.

Automation works well in some fields, but it is severely lacking when it intersects with common human frailties and fears. Nowhere is this more discernable than the interaction of patients and care givers. As the pressure rises within the medical community to see more patients in less time, the patients are the ones who suffer. Not just physically, but the damage to mental and emotional states can have a huge effect on procedural success and post-operation recovery.

Simply put, people aren’t machines and they need additional care.

For most people, especially those who are not familiar with medical procedures, any kind of operation is a frightening and mysterious ritual where they have to put their physical well-being in the hands of a near-total stranger. When that person doesn’t have the time to explain – in detail – what the operation will do, the benefits that will come from the operation and the risks inherent in all surgical procedures the patient is already starting from a position of emotional weakness.

Unfamiliarity with surgical procedures when combined with obvious apprehension can make communication from the patient to the caregiver difficult. It is the doctor’s job to recognize this apprehension, to take it into account when explaining the procedure and to ensure that the patient understands all of the ramifications of what is happening

Sometimes it means holding the patient’s hand.

Clear communication and obvious empathy will go a long way towards making surgical procedures successful and make the patient feel that they aren’t just another product on an assembly line. Dehumanization is a real risk when it comes to medicine. Preventing it should be one of the top priorities for any caregiver. Especially since it can be corrected easily and quickly by keeping in mind just how frightening and mysterious these procedures are for the average patient.

Quality healthcare begins with the first visit, before any medicine is practiced, by humanizing the patient and treating them with all of the dignity and respect they should expect. Talking with them, making their concerns important and not shutting them out of all aspects of the decision making process should be the mantra of all caregivers.

It’s easy to forget that the patient is the most important part of any procedure.

From the patient’s point of view, much of the knowledge displayed by doctors is foreign. Most people do not have a medical background to fall back on when procedures are being explained to them and don’t understand the importance of different steps in the procedure, let alone talking about pre-procedural and post-procedural preparation. For most of us, once the operation is successfully over, the patient is fixed, cured or relieved of whatever ailment brought them in to the doctor’s office in the first place.

We understand, on a logical level, that there is more that needs to be done, but, emotionally, we have come through the worst of it and we will be fine going forward. One of the caregiver’s jobs is explaining that this attitude can be detrimental to the long-term healing that comes after any surgical procedure. No matter how minor an operation is, it is traumatic to the human body and there will be long-term effects from it.

Caring for this emotional side is as important as keeping the surgical instruments clean and should be taken into account when looking for a doctor to perform any procedure that you need or want done. Emotional and physical preparation – with facts, procedures and empathy – is much more important to the patient than to the doctor. A surgeon may have performed hundreds of open heart surgeries, for example, but few patients go through it more than once. The patient is much more frightened than the doctor is, believe me.

As the rate of non-critical surgical procedures rise, it becomes even more important for healthcare personnel and patients to be on the same page. As plastic surgeons in Sydney put it, dispelling misconceptions and fully explaining the risks and benefits of your procedure should be the top priority for all healthcare professionals.

Preparing yourself for the medical preparation.

As a patient, your emotional security is as important as your physical health. When looking for a doctor or hospital to conduct a medical procedure you should feel comfortable, informed and understood. You are not a cog in a great big machine; you are an individual with fears and worries that are unique to you. Finding medical support that empathizes with your concerns will go a long way toward making your procedure successful.
Without your understanding of what is happening, your procedure is much less likely to be successful.

Aside from primary area of interest and expertise in business consulting, Ian could be tagged also as a passionate sports fan, nature and photography enthusiast, always trying to keep up to date with tech innovations and development, with a particular interest in trying to master the fine art of Social intelligence.

Nuclear Imaging is Likely to Increase Patient Data Integrity and Eventually Safety in Healthcare

February 9, 2017/4891 views / 0 Comments/in BLOG, Data Integrity, Guest Blog Posts, Patient Safety /by John Trader

The following post on how nuclear imaging improves patient data integrity and patient safety in healthcare was submitted by Karandeep Virdi.

The field of science and medicine has shown tremendous progress in the last two decades. Nuclear imaging is a branch of the medical field and has gained popularity in the recent past. Preclinical Medical Imaging is assisting in revolutionizing health-related research and expand understanding related to several medical applications. The nuclear imaging systems industry is set to grow in the future as R&D is on the rise and the overall infrastructure fosters the growth in patient healthcare systems.

Can nuclear energy be the key to improving patient data integrity and patient safety in healthcare?

Emphasis on quality and value: The need of the hour for radiologists worldwide

In the current era, it is essential to keep a check on the quality of healthcare systems. Medical diagnosis and imaging have gained significant popularity in the last two decades and the trend is set to continue. Expert in patient safety, Robert Wachter, M.D from University of California, San Francisco, said that it is important and vital to add value to the healthcare system. Vivian Lee, CEO, University of Utah threw light on the subject and explained how radiologists can add value by taking more responsibility to make an accurate and precise diagnosis.

According to Lee, accurate and on-time diagnosis by radiologists will eventually mean shorter length of stay, early detection of disease and reduce pharmacy costs. One of the major factors that drive healthcare inflation is high pharmacy cost. Radiologists can aid cancer patients to identify cost-effective and efficient treatment procedures. Lee said, “Imaging is front and center in the way we think of health care.”

Radiologists trained in the last three decades are focusing on enhancing value and reducing treatment costs. Certain surveys portrayed the advances in modern medicine held imaging breakthroughs in CT scans, MRI’s and mammograms at the top of the list. However, the interest in radiology is fading off among the medical school graduates. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, radiology residency seats are unfilled and the application rate for the same has dropped owing to a steady decline in the income.

Breakthrough technology developed by iCAD will assist radiologists significantly

According to Ken Ferry, CEO, iCAD said that the launch of the innovative solution to spearhead in cancer detection and workflow efficiency. He further added that such useful solutions have proved to be an effective solution for 2D mammography. It further assists radiologists to detect cancer at an initial stage.

A conventional 2D mammogram examines two images per breast whereas tomosynthesis can develop 100 images. This optimizes the interpretation time for radiologists significantly. The improved 2D image is in sync with the 3D tomosynthesis dataset that creates an efficient and effective navigation tool for radiologists.

Progress in PET/MR imaging

With the help of imaging coupled with transgenic small-animal models, the progression of a disease can be monitored and regulated to examine an individual’s therapeutics, interventions, and molecular traces. There has been significant innovation in the preclinical positron emission tomography (PET) technology. By using innovative detectors, the systems are advancing to the theoretical limits of resolution with Full Field Accuracy. The initial PET systems provided PET detection functions. However, PET/CT integration offered structural context that is limited to skeletal anatomy and soft tissue.

With recent progress in the PET detector technology, the uncompromised PET/MR integrations can be seen that provide high field and sequential data collection simultaneously. The onset of MRI scanners has boosted the prospects of non-invasive imaging for next generation advanced applications. It is a major challenge to develop a fully integrated PET/MR system as it demands modifications to the PET detector to make it compact and less vulnerable to magnetic fields. Along with significant modifications, to make it entirely compatible with the RF-sensitive MRI hardware is another major hurdle.

Progress in medical imaging for personalized healthcare

In the present scenario, the medical imaging market is advancing towards personalized healthcare. The personalized approach in this field would offer patients treatment that is efficient and most suitable for them. Post the successful MediSens conference in 2016, The aforementioned organizations were keen to showcase their recent developments in imaging technology. For instance, ON Semiconductor showcased the image sensors manufactured by the firm for medical applications. The need for a multimodality imaging in healthcare was revealed by Dr. Dimitra Darambara, Institute of Cancer Research. Dr. Dimitra threw light on the topic by explaining that there are different ways to look at a disease. However, each of the modality offers a different perspective. The attendees of the conference shared a common objective—how the quality of medical imaging technology can be enhanced.

Summary

The Nuclear Imaging Systems and Equipment Market will witness a steady growth in the future as R&D is on the rise. The medical experts, medical schools, and major market players have shown interest to collaborate and develop efficient and reliable medical imaging systems. The market is set to grow significantly in the developed markets such as North America and Europe owing to technological advancements and quality of the infrastructure compared to the markets in the other regions of the world. However, the Asia-Pacific region offers numerous growth opportunities for the medical imaging systems market. This is due to government support and stable economic conditions in the region.

Author Bio:

Karandeep Virdi is a content writer for research team of Progressive Markets, who harbors an active interest in medical devices, advancements in the medical field and the upcoming trends in the industry. Karandeep has written extensively on topics covering medical devices, software technology used in the medical industry.

Voice Assistants: New Technology in Healthcare

February 1, 2017/6209 views / 1 Comment/in BLOG, Guest Blog Posts, Voice Biometrics /by John Trader

The following guest post on voice recognition technology in healthcare was submitted by Kate Voss.

The capacity for speech is one of the greatest tools that humans possess, yet most of the healthcare field still operates on the written word and on conventional keyboard-and-mouse computer interfaces. With voice recognition technology appearing poised to break through in the healthcare industry, however, that may finally be changing. Once viewed as a novelty and an unnecessary burden, voice control has already begun to prove its ability to offer greater efficiency, reduce common errors and improve patient engagement.

Voice biometrics is helping to improve patient engagement in healthcare.

The Rise of Voice Recognition

Voice recognition has been around in some form or another since the 1950s, but it’s only in the past half-decade or so that the technology has reached the mainstream. Artificial intelligence systems such as Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa have taken the tech world by storm, taking on the role of digital assistants and integrating voice control into everything from Internet-enabled thermostats to alarm sensors for children and the elderly. This rise has been fueled in part by rapid improvements in voice recognition technology, driven by advanced machine learning and increasingly sophisticated algorithms that have made voice recognition quicker, more responsive and – most importantly – more accurate than ever before.

Voice Recognition in Healthcare

The medical field as a whole has been hesitant to embrace the technology of voice recognition, but early adopters have already begun to reap the rewards. Accurate speech-to-text programs have shown the ability to transcribe physician’s’ notes more accurately than the average human medical transcriptionist, and voice recognition models offer a method for reducing all-too-common issues with illegible handwriting and insufficient documentation of procedures. If adopted on a more widespread level, these factors may facilitate the creation of more accurate, comprehensive and cost-effective electronic health records. Additionally, voice recognition can be used to build more secure data access systems as part of a biometric single sign-on platform.

Boosting Patient Engagement

Though much of the focus on voice recognition in the healthcare industry is on developing technologies to aid providers directly, it only represents one side of the coin. Patient engagement also benefits from such technology, particularly in the form of a conversational user interface. Surveys have indicated that some people feel more comfortable when speaking to a computer than when speaking to a human, leading them to share more readily and provide more detailed information. The ability to simply speak rather than navigating complex websites and apps means that more people can engage with and take a more direct role in their health and treatment. Many older patients, in particular, are able to use voice commands to do things they may otherwise be unable to do because of a lack of computer skills, arthritis, poor eyesight or other conditions.

The Future of Voice Recognition

As vocal recognition technology continues to mature and becomes more widely adopted, the level of integration both in daily life and in the medical field will likely increase. Experimental pilot programs have already leveraged devices like the Amazon Echo to provide post-discharge information for patients, answer common health questions and manage basic needs like transportation and medication scheduling. Features like this may become common practice in the future, providing patients with a more informative and engaging healthcare experience. Voice recognition is also likely to take on a more expanded role in the daily routine of healthcare providers as well, potentially making the laborious human transcription process and paper-based records a thing of the past as speech recognition becomes even more accurate and reliable.

Though security, reliability and logistical challenges remain, vocal recognition appears to be the wave of the future in healthcare. In a field that is so highly dependent on timely, accurate documentation – and a field in which, according to a 2006 report by the National Academies of Science’s Institute of Medicine, illegible handwriting causes more than 7,000 unnecessary deaths per year – the ability to quickly and precisely transcribe information is invaluable. Widespread adoption could slash operating costs and eliminate a significant burden on healthcare workers, allowing them to see more patients and focus on delivering high-quality care.

Kate Voss is a freelance tech and science writer with a strong interest in the development of voice control interfaces and their use in healthcare. A graduate of Michigan State University, she is now based in the Windy City of Chicago, IL.

What You Need to Know About Your Patient & What They Need to Know About You

January 25, 2017/5525 views / 0 Comments/in BLOG, Guest Blog Posts, Patient Identification, Patient Outcomes /by John Trader

The following guest post on patient relations in healthcare was submitted by Hannah Whittenly.

Understanding your patients and making sure they know you helps establish a relationship of trust. This should decrease or eliminate misunderstandings and errors. The following are just a few things you need to know about your patients and what they need to know about you.

Establishing an environment of trust helps decrease or eliminate misunderstandings and medical errors in healthcare.

What Doctors Need to Know

Patient Identification

Patient identification is of the utmost importance for a doctor. It helps ensure that the patient’s identity matches the treatment or service. Keep in mind that the proper procedure for patient identification is for your staff to ask patients to state their name and date of birth. Identification issues might occur when patients have hearing issues, so it is wise to be on top of this problem.

Patient Data

Recording patient data can help your practice and the medical industry as a whole. Understanding a patient’s medical history and tracking a patient’s health, medications, and lifestyle helps doctors come up with a customized plan to reduce the chance of errors. This type of data helps establish patterns for clients and may even help you reevaluate a plan to provide what your patients need the most.

What Clients Need to Know About You

Track Record

Patients should be aware of a doctor’s track record so that they can make an informed decision. This can be done by searching for the doctor’s name on the state’s medical licensing board website. There may be some information on the doctor and his or her track record. It might be a good idea to type in the doctor’s full name and location in a search engine to find out more information about the doctor. A patient can rest easy knowing that a doctor’s track record is clean, and it should make it easy for the client to trust you.

Education

Most state medical licensing boards have information regarding a doctor’s education, but this is not always the case. There are some instances when the state’s licensing board may not be updated. It might be a good idea to check out sites like UCompareHealthcare to learn about a doctor’s education. You can even check out the rest of the staff’s education. If you wanted to look up a nurse who may have participated in an online msn program, for example, you could look him or her up to see what their record and education history looks like and be more assured that they are the right nurse for you. Patients should be able to find out about the medical professionals that that they see pretty easily. This helps them feel more comfortable, and it makes it easier to make a decision about making you the doctor or nurse that they request on a regular basis.

All this information matters, and it is vital in building the right relationship. It also makes a difference in the type of care you provide to your patients.