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Author Archives: securemedical

14
Apr
Date April 14, 2020
Categories Expert Interviews

John Lynn How Technology Will Improve the Quality of Healthcare

John Lynn is an entrepreneur and a blogger with extensive experience in the information technology sector of the healthcare industry. Among his many IT skills, John takes particular pride in his ability to bridge the gap between those who are technically savvy and those who are technically challenged.

Q: Based on your experience in healthcare-related IT, how do you see the healthcare experience evolving for providers between now and 2025?

A: The biggest change I foresee is an increasing use of AI (artificial intelligence). I expect AI to take over a lot of the mundane tasks that plague healthcare today. And I think that’s true for nurses, doctors, and even the doctor’s front-desk operation. Everyone involved in healthcare is going to be impacted by AI. 

Now, it’s not going to replace the doctor as some people have suggested, but I think that it will augment medical professionals in ways that are going to make them more efficient and more effective. And it’s going to improve the care that patients receive. 

Q: In what areas of healthcare will AI have its earliest impact? 

A: We already see it to some degree in radiology, where the FDA has approved a handful of AI-assisted diagnostic tools. It probably will show up next in back-office operations. Already, chatbots are interacting with patients about bills, scheduling, and even in a kind of triage function. These bots can make sure patients are directed to the right source of care, and they can even assist doctors by suggesting potential diagnoses that the doctor has not yet considered.

AI is also helping doctors to formulate clinical decisions by supplying input on drug interactions and potential allergic reactions. But I think we’re going to see that accelerated to a much higher degree where the decision support will go beyond flagging potential drug-allergy interactions to something more specific involving such factors as genomics and biomics. This could help to ensure that patients get treatment tailored much more closely to their specific needs.

Q: How will IT alter the patient experience in the years ahead?

A: If I were to walk into a doctor’s office right now, the nurse would know nothing about me, and the doctor would know only what the nurse had asked me before the doctor entered the exam room. Our visits to the doctor should include much more information that’s being collected by ourselves, by sensors, and by previous doctors’ visits. 

AI could assist by filtering through all the information that’s available from our personal devices, our past health history, and our genomics to give the doctor a running start when he walks into the exam room.

Q: What kind of other technological advances do you foresee in healthcare?

A: Ambient voice technology, already in use to some degree, could improve things immensely for both providers and patients. I imagine something like Alexa in the exam room listening to what’s happening between the doctor and the patient, recording it, and then applying voice recognition technology and natural language processing to understand what’s being said and by whom. 

For more from John Lynn on this topic, read the full interview

This interview has been edited and condensed.

Author securemedical
10
Apr
Date April 10, 2020
Categories Telemedicine

Telemedicine Is Lowering The Cost Of Visits During Covid19 Pandemic

The advent of the pandemic COVID-19 has disrupted the normal functioning of American lives, and the healthcare sector is no exception. Increasing emergency response costs for unnecessary cases are burdening the economy. Health care conversations have shifted from affordable care to measures of managing COVID-19, whose value will be borne by the government. The issue of the ballooning health care cost presents serious cost implications on the American economy amidst calls to increase funds to the COVID-19 funding package and the state-level emergency fund.
Health care researchers spread over the years have studied and implemented policies to reduce the price tag associated with non-urgent issues in the emergency departments. For several years people have failed to embrace self-care directives. Instead, they overcrowd the emergency centers delaying attention for deserving cases.
Statistics from previous pandemics show that the percentages of people that visited the emergency centers due to unnecessary reasons increased. For example, 87% and 90% of the H1N1 emergency visits in 2008 and 2009 respectively were avoidable. The government lost up to $2,032 in response to unnecessary cases that can be addressed less expensively.
The current pandemic has elicited more fear amongst Americans due to uncertainty on the criteria to determine emergency cases of COVID-19 symptoms. More people will probably visit the emergency department even when they can recover through self-care.

One plausible solution that can reduce the hefty emergency treatment cost as Americans grapple with novella coronavirus is virtual care. Medical experts recommend triage through telemedicine to determine the risk of diseases and consequently avoid overstraining on healthcare resources, especially during pandemics. Companies such as Ourdoctor have developed platforms for triage. Individuals exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 can fill the Ourdoctor online assessment to determine whether they need further medical care. The platform connects them to a pool of a U.S licensed healthcare provider and reports any suspected cases to necessary authorities. Telemedicine is an essential triage tool to filter patients who do not need emergency treatment during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Author securemedical
08
Apr
Date April 8, 2020
Categories Expert Interviews

Irma Rastegayeva How Digital Healthcare will Change Lives and Medicine

Secure Medical recently interviewed Irma Rastegayeva, cofounder of Boston-based eViRa Health, a business-to-business marketing consultancy. What follows is a condensed and edited version of that exchange. 

Q: As a co-founder at eViRa Health, can you briefly discuss the company’s mission?

A: At eViRa Health, we are digital storytellers with a purpose. We live at the intersection of emerging technologies, healthcare, and patient experience. Our mission is to inform, educate, and inspire the vast healthcare community. We use the power of storytelling and the reach of new media to engage with our audiences, who are healthcare stakeholders spanning health technology, providers, patients, patient advocates and caregivers, payers, pharma and medical device companies, researchers, policymakers, and healthcare executives.

Q: Looking ahead five years, which digital technologies do you expect will most profoundly shape the delivery of healthcare in America and elsewhere around the globe?

A: In my recent 2020 Digital Health Predictions article, I highlighted eight technology trends that have been gaining momentum and are poised to accelerate in 2020 and beyond. I believe that in five years, many of them will become increasingly prevalent and a routine part of healthcare delivery. I’ve organized my list of predictions by their position along the continuum of care, with innovations at the front end of the healthcare continuum having the biggest potential impact on health outcomes and healthcare costs. Those trends are

  1. Disease prevention
  2. Reducing employer healthcare costs
  3. Artificial intelligence for early diagnostics
  4. Digital therapeutics
  5. Care personalization with 3D printing
  6. Creating alternative to opioids
  7. Connected healthcare and the internet of medical things
  8. Digitizing clinical trials

Other technologies that I believe will profoundly shape the way healthcare is delivered in the United States and around the globe include connectivity and telemedicine, particularly as they will be facilitated and enhanced by advanced wireless technologies, and mixed reality. [According to MarketWatch.com, Kenneth Research projects that the global augmented and virtual reality market in healthcare will reach $8.5 billion by 2025.] 

Q: In a LinkedIn article about the role of AI in healthcare that you coauthored with Evan Kirstel, you quote Bill Gates about the tendency to overestimate the magnitude of short-term change while underestimating long-term change. What are your realistic short-term expectations for AI as a force for change in the healthcare industry?

A: While “AI” has become a buzzword that seems to be ubiquitous, it really is an important technology that is ushering in a new era of transformation and rapid growth across every industry. In healthcare, which is my particular area of expertise, artificial intelligence is increasingly being viewed as the “nervous system” and the engine for the growth of this sector of the economy. Artificial intelligence and machine learning can enhance every stage of patient care, from research and discovery to diagnosis to selection of therapy to the monitoring of treatment progress. 

Q: As a self-described “influencer” and “digital storyteller,” what sort of health-related online content is most likely to engage public interest and trigger positive consumer response?

A: I would recommend informative and educational content that is properly targeted to a given audience, can be easily understood, and can be realistically applied. I think it’s essential to go beyond “edutainment” to share accurate, relevant, timely, useful, and actionable information. To achieve that goal, I would encourage using a variety of formats and mediums to meet people where they are and tap into their preferred methods of consuming information, be it text, images, audio, or video. 

Q: What forces do you blame for the public’s relatively slow acceptance of telehealth/telemedicine as a viable alternative to the conventional face-to-face practice of medicine?

A: Uncertainty about the coverage of such services by traditional health insurers and the regulatory environment at both the state and federal levels have been key factors in slow acceptance of telemedicine by both healthcare providers and healthcare consumers as well. We see signs of growing acceptance as some of these questions and uncertainties are resolved. 

This interview has been edited and condensed. 

For more from Irma Rastagayeva, read the full interview on eDrugstore.com.

By Don Amerman

Author securemedical
03
Apr
Date April 3, 2020
Categories Telemedicine

What Is Telemedicine?

According to WHO, telemedicine is a term formed in the 1970s, which means “healing at a distance.” 

Following the recent Covid-19 pandemic, telemedicine has been at the forefront of the fight against the virus. This global virus has forced a needed change in how we look at healthcare systems. Governments have had to ramp up their telemedicine offerings in recent times to reduce the flow of traffic to emergency rooms.

In a bid to stop endangering healthcare giver’s lives, hospitals around the world are using telemedicine both within and without the hospital to reduce the incursion of patients needing care. Videos visits are helping to minimize exposure of hospital staff and the exposure of immune-compromised patients.

How to Use Telemedicine?

The best place to start is to contact your health care provider. Most hospitals have a telemedicine portal and app for all their patients. Register and follow all their prompts.

However, if you do not have a PCP, you can still get access to urgent care on the go. There are urgent care apps like Ourdoctor that can give you virtual access to a doctor when you need it.

Over the years, telemedicine has aided doctors to treat patients in three categories:

  • Patients with ongoing conditions like depression or diabetes
  • Patients with everyday care issues like birth control or hair loss
  • Patients with urgent care issues like cold and flu

Kyle Rao, CEO of Ourdoctor, says that there are people of all ages benefiting from using telemedicine it isn’t just young people.

How to Pay for Telemedicine?

When you sign up for telemedicine services like Ourdoctor. Insurance is not required. You can either sign up for a one time visit or a monthly subscription.

When Should You Go to the ER?

Issues of a more severe nature warrant for a visit to the ER. For example, regular shortness of breath, given existing circumstances, should be enough reason to visit your doctor.

Advance notice of your arrival at the urgent care center will benefit you in the end.

Author securemedical
27
Mar
Date March 27, 2020
Categories Telemedicine

Social Distancing? Need to See a Doctor? Telemedicine Could Be The Answer

In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, commonly known as the coronavirus outbreak, public health professionals and government authorities have advised people to exercise social distancing to slow down the spread of the virus and consequently save lives. But a lot of people are now wondering how they can access medical services when social distancing. The solution to this dilemma is telemedicine.


Telemedicine can be understood as the process of getting the services of a doctor remotely via the phone, text messages, or even video calls. According to Dr. Rahul Sharma, telemedicine offers an excellent opportunity for healthcare providers to do their part in helping the public minimize the risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19. For instance, with telemedicine, people with compromised immune systems, and those in quarantine can get the attention of a doctor without leaving their homes.


It is, therefore, not a surprise that several healthcare providers have reported a tremendous increase in the number of tele-visits in the last few weeks. For instance, compared to the previous six months, Multicare, the state of Washington’s leading community-based health system, has reported a 1300 percent increase in average daily tele-visits this month.


According to Dr. Finkelston, most visits have been about upper respiratory issues such as sinusitis, common cold, coughs, and fever. In other words, most patients who have been seeking medical attention through telemedicine in the recent past have symptoms similar to those that are associated with COVID-19.


But how reliable is telemedicine? Dr. Finkelston notes that teledoctors rely on a patient’s history to diagnose about 80 percent of the cases that they come across. Besides, teledoctors have the necessary experience and lots of medical tricks to understand their patient’s problems without necessarily having to see them in person. For instance, although it is not possible for them to remotely listen to a patient’s lungs, they can examine their respiratory patterns or even get them to take their heart rates. This can be quite helpful in ensuring that doctors get adequate patient information for them to offer the most appropriate medical advice.

Author securemedical
20
Mar
Date March 20, 2020
Categories Telemedicine

Focus Is On Telemedicine to Avoid Interaction With Infected Patients

Coronavirus, also COVID-19 (the respiratory diseases caused by the virus), has been threatening to be a global pandemic and already claimed an estimated 5,000 lives. With new reports of the illness surfacing in different places, many operations have come to a halt, including the suspension of public gatherings. As researchers search for a functional vaccine and treatment for affected patients, congress has been voting on funding Medicare waivers for telemedicine and telehealth services.

The HIMSS (Health Information and Management System Society) canceled their Florida conference last week as a precaution to avoid contracting the deadly virus. In this wake, telehealth lobbyists have spotted the opportunity to push its adoption, citing evidence from the epidemic as a sufficient sample of the value of telemedicine. Telemedicine has emerged as the most effective approach to avoid contact with coronavirus.

New Message for Patients

If you fear that you are infected with the coronavirus, doctors and nurses have a new message. Use the phone first. More doctors involved with coronavirus are steering patients, with mild to severe flu symptoms, towards non-contact telemedicine healthcare. This includes visits conducted via telephone, secure messaging or interactive videos, and web conferencing. The same healthcare system is deployed for providing care remotely to those infected or suspected to have COVID-19.

Telemedicine isn’t novel as it has long been used to expedite care during flu seasons. It allows caregivers to provide instructions and valuable information to affected patients remotely. This form of medical care also allows the doctor to monitor and track the progress of their patients. Besides ruling out contact with the virus, telemedicine reduces long queues at the facility and provides instant help through remote communication technologies.

But How Effective Is Telemedicine in Virus Management?

According to experts, COVID-19 is similar to influenza in its airborne transmission and symptoms manifestation. As such, the same methodologies are used when evaluating patients suspected to be infected. However, there are several challenges telemedicine faces, especially when it comes to organizing actual on-site treatment for patients in severe stages.

Author securemedical
13
Mar
Date March 13, 2020
Categories Telemedicine

People Choosing Telemedicine Over Traditional Doctors Office Due to Corona-virus

The Coronavirus and Telemedicine: A Viable Option

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread each day. As of today, the WHO (World Health Organization) estimates as many as 101,927 people are infected, and there have been numerous deaths. Telemedicine can be a valuable tool to utilize and help ease the possibility of catching the disease.

What is Telemedicine
You still see your regular doctor or an emergency physician. Instead of personal contact, the doctor sees patients via a computer using a program such as Skype, Zoom, or even FaceTime. According to Dr. Alexander Vo of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), University in Austin, Texas, describes it as direct-consumer technology in the medical field.

Telemedicine and CVID-19
The growing telemedicine services provide care to those who either can’t see a physician. It can also treat other illnesses by diagnosing them via a computer. It is ideal for patients only needing medication or those with mild symptoms of a cold or the flu. It can aid patients by avoiding contact with other people in clinical or hospital settings where contamination can occur.

Dr. Vo serves as the Vice President of Telemedicine and Health Innovations at UTMB. He stated that this method could help by slowing down the infection and could help stop the growth of this contagion. It will reduce the transmission of other diseases by lessening direct contact with others in a waiting room or hospital emergency room.

It is also useful for those exhibiting CVID-19 symptoms. Doctors and healthcare professionals can prescreen for Coronavirus using this growing technology. When a case is suspected, the clinician can arrange for those individuals to get tested in a safe and isolated situation.

Telemedicine helps reduce infections by limiting exposure to others. People need to take extra precautions when it comes to this virus. It can spread rapidly, infecting hundreds each day. One of the best ways to try to manage and cut down exposure is through this new technology.

Author securemedical
06
Mar
Date March 6, 2020
Categories Telemedicine

Here Are The Top Reasons Why Telemedicine is Improving Senior Living and Care

Studies conducted at the CDC (Center for Disease Control) show that 85 percent of seniors aged 65 years or more have one of the everyday lifestyle or old age conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and arthritis – and this can mean high healthcare costs.


The struggle to deliver affordable and accessible health care to seniors may worsen instead of improving. A report released by the Population Reference Bureaus predicts a 75 percent jump in the number of American seniors in need of home-based nursing care by 2030. The same report indicates that the number of individuals aged 65 years and above will increase to 98 million people by 2060 from today’s 46 million – this is expected to strain the delivery of care to the elders.


Health practitioners are considering introducing telemedicine to bring healthcare to seniors and cut the cost.
Telemedicine is expected to address these challenges:

Older people struggle to show up for an appointment: Such conditions as Parkinson’s disease, mobility problems, and arthritis prevent seniors from traveling to seek medical care. Those without children or spouses can be isolated.

Care providers lack visibility: primary care providers are often uninformed of the seniors’ recent health history or need for new medications. The lack of clarity makes it challenging to deliver effective care.
Communities often don’t have on-site expertise: medically fragile seniors often find themselves living in communities without sufficient physicians who can avail care as quickly as possible.

The benefits of telemedicine to the healthcare of seniors can be put into four categories:
Disease management: Seniors with chronic conditions often worry that their days are numbered. With telemedicine, however, the management of these diseases becomes easier and adds more years to the seniors’ lives.

Convenience: Telemedicine removes the need to travel to health care centers or wait for physicians.

Fewer hospitalizations: Since telemedicine provides on-site care where the seniors are, there is no need to be hospitalized at a health care center.

Better visibility and coordination: With telemedicine, doctors will stay abreast of the senior’s changing medical conditions and respond to them in real-time.
Staying healthy at old age

Staying healthy at old age, as more American seniors get old, there is a need to cut improve access to care and cut the cost of care by rolling out large scale telemedicine. Telemedicine lets seniors live vibrant lives for longer.

Author securemedical
21
Feb
Date February 21, 2020
Categories Telemedicine

Cardiac Care is Getting Into The Telemedicine World

As telemedicine develops and gains traction in healthcare, the specialty of cardiovascular care, in particular, is benefiting tremendously. Telecardiology aims to streamline the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease through real-time and remote technology. Innovations in cardiac rehab, cancer care, and pediatric cardiology not only benefit patients but help physicians to work more efficiently.


Cardiac rehab is a medically supervised program created to help patients recover and improve the quality of life following a heart attack, heart failure, or other heart problems. Compliance with cardiac rehab dramatically impacts the recovery and outcomes, but often patients struggle with attending appointments due to living in a rural area or requiring physical assistance. Telemedicine is gaining recognition in the ability to raise the compliance rates of patients undergoing cardiac rehab significantly. By removing the barriers patients face in transportation to and from appointments, telemedicine gives patients the ability to attend and complete their rehab from any location.


Cancer treatment can cause the development of various cardiac complications. For cancer patients who are fighting the disease, having to see a cardiologist can be very difficult. Patient evaluations often don’t require the full resources of a hospital and can be done in local clinics. Telemedicine gives cardiologists the ability to conduct thorough exams remotely, while nurses and medical assistants perform screening and diagnostic tasks. Patients only have to go to their local clinic or regional hospital.


In the scope of pediatric cardiology, videoconferencing technology helps reduce disturbances in the busy schedules of families, who don’t need to miss much work or school to attend virtual appointments. Students can conference with their physicians at school on break, while parents can participate in the meetings from work. An added benefit of videoconferencing over a simple phone call is the ability of the physician to pick up on facial expressions that can help them understand where the patient or the parent is confused, and direct discussion as such.

Author securemedical
14
Feb
Date February 14, 2020
Categories Telemedicine

Using Telemedicine Allows For Patients With The Flu To Ditch The Doctors Office

Due to the ongoing flu season, Ourdoctor recommends patients to stay at home.
Ourdoctor telemedicine system can be used by people with flu symptoms instead of one having to visit an emergency room or a doctor. Kyle Rao Ourdoctor CEO asserts that flu is a significant health problem since it spreads very fast. It is thus crucial to help prevent its spread, which is why they are advocating for minimal movement among patients.
According to Rao, the disease makes one quite uncomfortable, which is why it is vital to make patients feel comfortable besides helping curb its spread.


Ourdoctor conducts virtual visits for patients with life-threatening conditions. Ourdoctor services are available to any citizen above three years within the state. Further, one is not required to have been a regular patient to receive services.
According to Rao, flu is among the leading life-threatening conditions around this season.


During this season,
According to the Center for Disease Control, the flu season runs from October to May. Hospitals in Michigan have put in place measures to restrict visitors to help prevent the disease’s spread. There has been an increase in the use of virtual visits in the recent past as the technology becomes popular among the population.


Ourdoctor has gradually recorded an increase in usage, according to Rao. At present, the application receives patients every day with the last year.
Rao, asserts that during this flu season, close to 65 percent of virtual visits were related to flu. To learn more about Ourdoctor visit Ourdoctor.com

Author securemedical
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