Literature Review

New tech, new problems: Why application development needs a big-picture view Software Development Times (SD Times); by Sharul Sangl; 2/19/25... [Many] organizations have approached [technology] innovation without a comprehensive strategy or holistic view of their applications, simply focusing on adding the latest features or trendy tools. As a result, they are facing challenges related to application performance, scalability, efficiency, and security. To ensure the success of application innovation, enterprises must maintain a big-picture view of their applications.  ... When approached strategically, organizations are in a prime position to capitalize on current technologies to truly innovate. ...

ViVE 2025: Improving clinical workflows amid workforce shortages HealthTech; by Teta Alim; 2/18/25 As the U.S. braces for a dearth of physicians and nurses, healthcare organizations are transforming processes to attract and retain talent. By 2034, experts have projected, there will be a shortage of between 17,800 to 48,000 primary care physicians. For full-time registered nurses, 2030 projections are even steeper. Healthcare organizations are well aware of these forecasts and have been testing and deploying solutions to improve employee satisfaction and retention and attract new talent. At ViVE 2025 in Nashville, Tenn., industry leaders discussed how improvements supported by artificial intelligence (AI) are offering promising results for streamlining workflows. [Click on the title's link to read this discussion.]

Tech resilience for healthcare providers: Inaction has a heavy toll McKinsey & Company; by Brian Shimabukuro and Sriram Sekar with Angela Botner and Rut Patel; 2/18/25 Cyberattacks and tech outages at provider organizations have reached an all-time high. To stem the tide, providers need strong plans to prevent, detect, and recover from attacks and disruptions. The outages that result from these attacks can have severe, long-lasting effects on health systems and patients. Globally, healthcare provider organizations incur the highest cost for data breaches of any industry, averaging $9.8 million per incident ... Tech resilience encompasses capabilities to monitor, prevent, detect, and recover from disruptions. ... [Click on the title's link for detailed challenges and strategies.]

BrightStar, Compassus, Empath harness clinical, data and product power Home Health Care News; by Joyce Famakinwa; 2/10/25 Clinical power, data power and product power offer three ways of examining some of the top priorities for home-based care companies in 2025. Compassus, BrightStar Care and Empath Health all have a range of initiatives and achievements that are relevant to these areas, which leaders with the three organizations delved into during a panel discussion at the recent Home Care 100 conference. ...

'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 

Ransomware attack prompts Maryland hospital to take systems offlineBecker's Health IT; by Naomi Diaz; 1/27/25A ransomware attack prompted Frederick (Md.) Health to take its systems offline as a precaution. The incident, according to a Jan. 27 news release, is under investigation and has caused some service delays, though most appointments are continuing as scheduled.Publisher's note: While this impacts a hospital system, they have a hospice, too. How might you prepare for a ransomware attack before it happens?

How to prioritize AI initiatives: A strategic framework for maximizing ROI CIO; Opinion, by Santhosh Gottigere; 1/28/25 ... AI is highly disruptive and rapidly evolving at breakneck speed. Advanced versions of large language models (LLMs) are coming out at regular intervals with improved compute power capabilities. Those LLMs are also achieving the kind of increased accuracy scores on the MMLU benchmark leaderboard that have become synonymous with the version upgrade cycles we are all accustomed to with SaaS product releases like clockwork. ... Developing a clear and comprehensive strategic vision is the starting point of prioritizing AI initiatives with business goals. Answering the question “Why” sets the tone. Will AI — and specifically generative AI (genAI) — assist in your customer experience and retention efforts?  Are you hoping it will open up or drive new lines of revenue? Or is it a “we’re not sure, but we don’t want to be left behind” situation? ... [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]

Cyber Threats 2025 Teleios Collaborative Network (TCN); by Joel Garr; 1/28/25One of the biggest worries hospices face today is the threat of a cyberattack. ... Experts say there are four steps to developing the plan.

D.C. is America’s loneliest city. Can 1,000 robotic pets help? The Washington Post; by Olivia George; 1/27/25 Rose Watkins, 67, says she doesn’t really have anyone to talk to, not since her mother passed away. Brenda Jacobs, 70, doesn’t drive anymore ... Yvonne Gathers, 74, wishes she had something ... to keep her mind from drifting back to the day she learned her son — who lived with her — was shot and killed. All three seniors live in D.C. and are now part of a new program distributing robotic pets to residents 60 and older who live in Wards 1, 7 and 8. The initiative, spearheaded by three local nonprofits, is part of a broader push nationwide to use battery-powered pets to ease the loneliness and isolation that often accompanies older age and help lessen associated health risks. The pets nuzzle, stretch and roll on their tummies for scratches. You can feel their heartbeat through their soft fur. The dogs bark and wag. The cats purr and meow. “I’ve been lonely, I’ve been depressed,” Watkins said recently, stroking a beige dog with a red bandanna that turns its head when she talks. “I think this will help.” The robotic pets — Joy for All Companion Pets from parent company Ageless Innovation — “really do provide companionship and need nothing in return,” said Steve Cone, chief communications officer at nonprofit provider Capital Caring Health, one of the organizations involved in the D.C. program. “There is no upkeep, no cleanup.” [Click on the title's link to continue reading.]

Enclara Pharmacia announces patient record integration with FireNote Hospice EMR NCN - Nebraska News Channel; Business Wire Press Release; 1/21/25 Enclara Pharmacia, ... [a national] pharmacy solutions provider for the hospice and palliative care sectors, announces the launch of a new interface with FireNoteTM, an innovative hospice electronic medical record (EMR) platform. This integration enables patient demographics and medications to flow seamlessly from FireNote to Enclara’s E3 ProTM medication management system. The new software interface enables timely admissions and medication access for patients while reducing the administrative burden on nurses, a key priority for both Enclara and FireNote.“ 

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. 

Cybersecurity in 2025: Agentic AI to change enterprise security and business operations in year ahead SC Media; by Stephen Weigand; 1/9/25 In 2025, significant advancements in agentic artificial intelligence (AI) systems will drive new AI-based cyber defensives, driving new solutions to help organizations carry out specific goals, making decisions, and taking mitigation action with minimal human intervention. However, as these agentic AI systems become integral to business operations, they will also expose organizations to new risks. Nicole Carignan, VP of strategic cyber AI at Darktrace, highlights that multi-agent AI systems, while offering unparalleled efficiency for complex tasks, will introduce vulnerabilities such as data breaches, prompt injections and data privacy risks.