Literature Review

'Fast and furious' AI sparks health system refocus Becker's Health IT; by Laura Dyrda; 2/19/25Health systems are beginning to hire chiefs of artificial intelligence and other AI leaders to bring new expertise into the system with the goal of becoming a more sophisticated, data-driven organization. Lisa Stump, executive vice president, chief digital information officer and vice dean of information technology at Mount Sinai Health System and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, participated in the search and hiring process for Girish Nadkarni, MD, Mount Sinai's first chair of artificial intelligence and human health to create a formal department at the Icahn School of Medicine dedicated to AI. She now partners with him and the system's chief clinical officer – calling themselves the "digital and technology partners" group – to structure a center of excellence around AI and digital health, focusing on the patient and consumer experience.

Part payer, part provider: VNS Health embraces the futureHome Health Care News; by Joyce Famakinwa; 2/18/25As one of the biggest home-based care organizations in New York, VNS Health is leaning into its size and capabilities. ... “Our real challenge is, how do we leverage the large number of programs and services we already offer to ensure a seamless journey through the most difficult times in a person’s life,” VNS Health CEO and President Dan Savitt told Home Health Care News. ... "Being both a payer and provider allows us an opportunity to work with people in our community throughout their health care journey." ... "We use analytics to identify home care patients with late stage conditions who can benefit from enrollment in our advanced illness management program. Then we use analytics to determine when it may be appropriate to consider moving this patient population into hospice care." 

The intersection of medicine and humanity in palliative care Michigan Technology News; Guest Column; 2/19/25 Palliative care stands as a testament to the intricate balance between medical science and human compassion. ...  The human side of palliative care is as vital as its clinical aspect. Patients in palliative care are not just medical cases; they are individuals with personal histories, emotions, and relationships that require acknowledgment and respect. ... This approach necessitates a deep level of empathy and an understanding that every patient’s journey is unique. ...

How medtech is meeting the demand for hospital-at-home care Modern Healthcare; by Lauren Dubinsky; 2/13/25 Medtech companies have their eye on the growing hospital-at-home market, which is driven largely by the rising elderly population, the prevalence of chronic diseases and favorable reimbursement policies. There have been hiccups but some of the largest health systems have leaned into providing hospital-level care at home. ... The desire to safely provide care for patients at home is creating a ripe opportunity for companies like Masimo, Cardinal Health, Medline Industries and McKesson, despite some uncertainty. The global home healthcare market was valued at $257 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach nearly $531 billion by 2032, according to a Vantage Market Research report published in September.

'It's not about technology or dashboards': What health systems need from IT execs next Becker's Health IT; by Laura Dyrda; 2/4/25 Health system IT leaders are entering a new era of leadership amid transformational technology platform purchases, artificial intelligence integration and cybersecurity advancements. But being the most technically proficient no longer guarantees leaders the top role. ... Healthcare IT leaders can become distracted by the bells and whistles of new technology and move forward without considering the patient experience. ... Staying close to the health system's mission is critical for IT leaders, and [Christopher Hutchins, senior vice president and chief data and analytics officer at Lifepoint Health] ties the technology back to patient care. He prioritizes his teammates and colleagues, listening carefully to what they need. Notable mentions: James Forrester, Chief Technology Officer at University of Rochester (NY) Medical Center; Donna Roach, CIO of University of Utah Health; and Christopher Hutchins, senior vice president and chief data and analytics officer at Lifepoint Health 

Healthcare under siege: Defending hospitals from ransomware threats Cylera; by Maureen Sahualla; 1/22/25 Hospitals today are very concerned about ransomware attacks - and rightly so. A recent research report from Comparitech, Ransomware Roundup: 2024 End-of-Year Report (published on January 9th, 2025) found:

New telehealth rules: 5 takeaways on temporary flexibilities for 2025 Becker's ASC Review; in collaboration with Coronis Health; 1/21/25 With the passage of the American Relief Act, 2025, certain telehealth flexibilities initially introduced during the public health emergency (PHE) era have been extended. These provisions, however, are only authorized through March 31, 2025. A Jan. 9 blog post by Coronis Health breaks down what the extensions mean for telehealth providers and patients, what services and features were left out and why certain changes could become permanent in 2025. Five takeaways:

Covenant Homecare and Hospice launches partnership with Care Coordinations to enhance communications and patient engagement East Coastsentinel, Knoxville, TN; Press Release, Shawn Zbranek; 1/20/25 Covenant HomeCare and Hospice, ... home health and hospice services in East Tennessee, announced a cutting-edge partnership with Care Coordinations, a company which provides technology solutions to enhance post-acute care. Care Coordinations and Covenant HomeCare are creating new communications functionality within HomeCare HomeBase SM (HCHB), the electronic medical record (EMR) used by Covenant HomeCare. The Care Coordinations platform will consolidate multiple communication channels, enhance patient engagement, and significantly streamline clinical operations.

DEA proposes special registrations for telehealth prescribing TechTarget - xtelligent Virtual Healthcare; by Anuja Vaidya; 1/15/25  The DEA is set to publish a proposal for a special registrations framework that would allow certain healthcare practitioners to prescribe controlled substances via telehealth without performing an in-person exam first. The unpublished proposal made available on the Federal Register details the special registrations framework, which includes three types of registrations:

ASTP Rule codifies requirements for TEFCA-Qualified health information networks McDermott Will & Emery, Washington, DC; by James A. Cannatti III, Jennifer S. Geetter, and Nathan Gray; 1/15/25 On December 16, 2024, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy/Office of the NationaTl Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ASTP) published the Health Data, Technology, and Interoperability: Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) final rule in the Federal Register as part of its continued focus on improving information sharing among healthcare stakeholders. Rather than codifying comprehensive substantive and procedural requirements for entities participating in TEFCA, the final rule provides a flexible framework establishing how such decisions will be made in current and future subregulatory documents. 

The anonymous advantage: How anonymous patient surveys can improve healthcare outcomes Forbes; by Lauren Parr; 1/9/24 When it comes to improving patient care, feedback is the compass that guides healthcare providers in the right direction. But here’s the catch, traditional feedback often fails to capture honest patient opinions due to fear of judgment, privacy concerns and other potential repercussions. This is where anonymous surveys prove to be valuable. Studies have demonstrated that anonymous surveys yield more candid responses, leading to a deeper understanding of patient experiences. This increased transparency fosters trust between patients and healthcare providers, enabling a more collaborative approach to care. Free from fear of judgment or consequences, patients can provide honest feedback, highlighting strengths and identifying areas for improvement. This ultimately leads to better healthcare outcomes.

An AI chatbot outperformed physicians and physicians plus AI in a trial - What does that mean?JAMA; by Yulin Hswen, Rita Rubin; 12/27/24Jonathan Chen, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of medicine, and Ethan Goh, MBBS, MS, a postdoctoral scholar, both at Stanford University, have collaborated for 2 years on studying the integration of human and artificial intelligence to enhance clinical decision-making. They published a randomized clinical trial in JAMA Network Open on October 28 that found that the use of a large language model (LLM) did not significantly enhance physicians’ diagnostic reasoning beyond that of conventional resources. Surprisingly, though, the LLM alone performed better than the physicians did with either the LLM or the conventional resources... In our pilot study, we thought the doctors who had access to the chatbot were going to do way better than the doctors who only had access to the usual internet - UpToDate, PubMed, Google, whatever. Then when we actually did the randomized study, that didn’t turn out to be the case, which is really weird. The chatbot by itself did surprisingly better than all of the doctors, including the doctors that accessed the chatbot. That flew in the face of the fundamental theorem of informatics: human plus computer will deliver better results than either would alone. That sounds so good, right? I’ve been saying it as the last line in my talks for years. I don’t say it anymore because results like these challenge it.Publisher's note: An interesting interview with the authors of JAMA's Large Language Model Influence on Diagnostic Reasoning article, which we ran 11/16/24.