Literature Review

AI governance and cybersecurity certifications: Are they worth it? CSO; by Maria Korolov; 5/6/24The International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), SANS Institute, and other organizations are releasing new AI certifications in the areas of governance and cybersecurity or adding new AI modules to existing programs. These may help professionals find employment, but with the area being relatively new, experts warn certifications could be out of date almost immediately. ... On the other hand, the new AI governance and cybersecurity certifications cover the basics needed to get up to speed, create a foundation layer on which people can build later, create a common language for practitioners to use, and will typically include ongoing training requirements to help people stay current. Here, in alphabetical order by organization are all the AI governance training and certificates known at the time of publishing. ...

Elder abuse is easy to missNextAvenue; by Leida Snow; 5/6/24 Here is what to look for if you suspect a caregiver--whether a relative or a professional--is mistreating a loved one. ... People are living longer in their own homes outside of nursing homes or other institutional settings, which means that at some point each of us is likely to be a caregiver or looking for continuing health care for a loved one or ourselves. ... "My husband was in home hospice for the last months of his life." ... [A bereaved caregiver describes incidents with her husband's care.]  Then I ... went to the other room and called the agency's 24-hour number. 'I want her out of here,' I said. 'Please send someone else as soon as you can.' Lou briefly rallied the next morning, but he died later that day. Did the aide hasten his death? I believe she did."

Doing the right thing for hospice patients Journal of Emergency Mediscal Services; by Abe Tolkoff, EMT, Daniel Tauber, NRP, and Amelia E. Breyre, MD, NRP; 5/2/24 Here is a novel solution in practice at the Yale New Haven Hospital Center for EMS; a paramedic hospice rotation. After being dispatched to a lift assist call, two novice EMTs proceeded to the address without lights or sirens. They grabbed their gear bag and walked up the stairs to the home. Knocking on the door, they announced “EMS!” and heard a frantic “Come in!” followed by, “he has a DNR.” ...

CIOs' top 15 priorities over next 3 years Becker's Health IT; by Giles Bruce; 5/1/24 CIOs' top priority over the next one to three years will be driving business innovation, according to a recent CIO survey. That differs from their current No. 1 focus, which is cybersecurity, per an April CIO story. Here are the activities CIOs plan to spend more time on in the next one to three years, according to the 2024 survey of 1,126 IT leaders: ... [click on the title's link for the list]. 

What Hospice VBID’s ending means for palliative care Hospice News; by Markisan Naso; 5/1/24 The impending demise of the hospice component of U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ value-based insurance design (VBID) model has largely been met with a sense of relief by providers as they plan new initiatives for palliative care in 2025. ... The program, which initially contained promising components designed to give patients better access to palliative care, instead became an increasing source of frustration for organizations. ... With the end date for the hospice component of the VBID model approaching, many palliative care providers are left with concern for their patients and questions about the coming transition, as they shift focus to what happens next.  Editor's Note: This article includes perspectives from Rory Farrand, Vice President of Palliative and Advanced Medicine at NHPCO, and Mollie Gurian, Vice President of Home-Based and HCBS Policy at LeadingAge.

Why health systems should embrace advanced in-home care models McKnights Home Care; by Marcy Carty, MD, MPH; 4/25/24Over the next two decades, the adult demographic over 50 years of age will increase by 25 million, and with over 75% expressing a strong desire to age in place, it’s imperative to champion care models that support safe, high-quality care within the home. Despite proactive care models to support aging in the home, acute needs still arise. Health systems stand to gain manifold by embracing the paradigm shift to care in the home. By moving more advanced care delivery into peoples’ homes, systems can effectively curb acute healthcare utilization, decreasing hospital-acquired conditions and drastically improving patient and family experience.

Millions of American kids are caregivers Now: ‘The hardest part is that I’m only 17’The Wall Street Journal; by Clare Ansberry; 4/27/24An estimated 5.4 million children help care for relatives, as families can't afford or find other in-home care. ... Leo Remis gos to high school, plays videogames, and helps take care of his disabled mom. ... More than 70% of young caregivers are caring for a parent or grandparent, according to a caregiving report. Many miss school, feel more isolated and worry about the future. Juggling homework with cooking and giving injections can be overwhelming and lead to anxiety.Editor's Note: Access to this article might require a subscription. Click here for alternate access.

HHS issues new rule to strengthen nondiscrimination protections and advance Civil Rights in health careHHS Press Office; 4/26/24Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a final rule under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) advancing protections against discrimination in health care. By taking bold action to strengthen protections against discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, and disability, this rule reduces language access barriers, expands physical and digital accessibility, tackles bias in health technology, and much more.

FTC finalizes changes to data privacy rule to step up scrutiny of digital health apps Fierce Healthcare; by Heather Landi; 4/26/24 The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) finalized a rule Friday that aims to tighten the reins on digital health apps sharing consumers' sensitive medical data with tech companies. The agency issued a final version of its revised Health Breach Notification Rule to underscore the rule’s applicability to health apps in a bid to protect consumers' data privacy and provide more transparency about how companies collect their health information.

How Avow Hospice used triage to boost quality, reduce turnoverHospice News; by Jim Parker; 4/26/24Avow Hospice has implemented a triage system that has resulted in improved quality scores and reduced turnover. The Florida-based provider uses an acuity system that draws data from its electronic medical record (EMR) system to help stratify patients based on their most likely immediate needs. To complement these efforts, Avow also revamped its approach to night time and weekend visits, Rebecca Gatian, COO of Avow Hospice, said at the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization’s Virtual Interdisciplinary Conference. 

How to overcome the disruptive forces that can impede high-value innovation Healthcare Financial Management Association (hfma.org); by Liz DeForest; 4/28/24 ... Healthcare is full of what we call “missing innovations” — good ideas that never go beyond promising pilot tests or, like EHRs, are adopted so slowly that their progress is measured in decades, even though other industries were adopting digital solutions very rapidly. Switchover disruptions are among the reasons for these missing innovations. ... [The author interviewed authors of Why not better and cheaper? (Oxford University Press, June 2023), written by industry analysts and twin brothers James B. and Robert S. Rebitzer about their observations of health system action and inaction. James Rebitzer is the Peter and Deborah Wexler Professor at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business. Robert Rebitzer is a national adviser at the consulting firm Manatt Health.]

Relief provisions not enough to mitigate damage of 80/20 policy, providers say McKnights Home Care; by Adam Healy; 4/24/24 Though newly finalized changes to the Medicaid Access Rule attempted to soften the blow of its controversial 80/20 provision, home care providers remained vehemently opposed to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ strict new spending mandate. “Overall, while there are many positive provisions within the final rule as well as mitigations to make the payment adequacy provision less onerous, NAHC remains extremely concerned about the negative consequences of the pass-through policy,”  the National Association for Home Care & Hospice said in an analysis for NAHC members released after the rule was published. 

NAHC expresses disappointment regarding Medicaid Access Rule HomeCare; 4/23/24 The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) released a statement noting that it was, 'extremely disappointed that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) elected to finalize the “payment adequacy” provision in the Medicaid Access Final Rule (CMS 2442-F).' "This is a misguided policy that will result in agency closures, force providers to exit the Medicaid program, and will ultimately make access issues worse around the country," a statement from the organization read. "As NAHC and our partners across the homecare industry have demonstrated, such a provision is not only unworkable due to the varied nature of Medicaid programs across the country, CMS also lacks statutory authority to impose this mandate."