Literature Review

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.

How healthcare AI is meeting the hype at UW HealthBecker's Health IT; by Giles Bruce; 12/6/24Ambient clinical documentation will be commonplace in healthcare three years from now, according to Chero Goswami, chief information and digital officer at Madison, Wis.-based UW Health... What is the IT project you're most excited about at your health system? I would say the stuff we're doing with ambient listening, which most others in the industry are doing as well, which is allowing providers and other members of the care team to spend more time in direct patient care, and not typing up notes, with AI capturing everything in the background and then creating a summary note, or a clinical note. It returns the clinicians to clinical practice, rather than making them glorified typists. And it also leads to a better patient experience, because the patient is very much aware that the clinician is looking at them eye to eye and having a conversation, versus looking at a keyboard. And it reduces cognitive burden. The physicians aren't completing the note at 8 o'clock at night, but doing it in real time at the clinic.

Things CIOs and CTOs need to do differently in 2025 Information Week; by Lisa Morgan; 12/18/24 As CIOs and CTOs head into a new year, they always have priorities. Greater agility is a key theme in 2025. ... “Keep ahead or at least on top of the cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and data analytics skills that are needed. Acquire talent and develop that talent so your company remains competitive,” says [Loren Margolis, faculty, Stony Brook University]. “Find ways to use [AI and analytics] to become even more agile so you remain competitive. Also embrace them as opportunities to train and develop your workforce. Make sure your organization is a place where great tech talent can come to develop and use their skills.” The following are some other priorities for 2025:

Kno2 and Pennant announce strategic partnership to revolutionize patient care through QHIN services GlobeNewswire - Kno2, Boise, ID; by Kno2; 12/17/24 Kno2, [a company of] healthcare communication, announced today a partnership with The Pennant Group, Inc (NASDAQ: PNTG) to drive automation and innovation to deliver patient care in the home. Under the partnership, Pennant Group, a holding company of affiliated home health, hospice and senior living companies, will join Kno2’s Qualified Health Information Network (QHIN).