Literature Review

6 guidelines from ASCO on AI, cancer care Becker's Hospital Review; by Ashleigh Hollowell; 6/25/24 Leaders at the American Society of Clinical Oncology published a formal document June 25 that outlines what the group deems as the most appropriate use of artificial intelligence when it comes to clinical oncology care. ... When considering AI technology for oncological care, the American Society of Clinical Oncology says clinicians should keep the following principles in mind to guide their use: 

How 'Human-Kind' AI can reshape your business Forbes; by Mark Cameron; 7/1/24 As AI models mature, their impact on the economy is becoming increasingly profound. They offer unprecedented opportunities for innovation and efficiency. Here's how. ... AI enables traditional businesses to accomplish more with fewer resources. ... As AI begins to take over mundane tasks, the role of the human workforce is evolving. Employees are no longer cogs in the machine—they're becoming value creators. The focus is evolving toward roles that require critical thinking, creativity and emotional intelligence—areas where humans excel, but AI still has limitations. This shift necessitates upskilling and reskilling initiatives to prepare the workforce for new, high-value roles in an AI-driven economy.

A paradigm shift for healthtech CEOs: Increasing patient satisfaction and retention Forbes; by Eric Giesecke; 6/24/24In our hyperconnected world, seamless communication is the norm. From the latest news to customer service chats, consumers expect streamlined interactions. However, the healthcare and healthtech industries have lagged in adopting consumer-friendly practices. ... A patient’s experience is extremely important for healthcare organizations to thrive. It’s important to remember that in the digital age, competitors are not just other healthcare companies. ... So how can we customize experiences better than ever before? One important step is taking the time to understand your organization's current technology. ...

The ‘Inter-AI’ Period: 7 key actions leaders should take now CEOWorld Magazine; by Nada R. Sanders, PhD; 6/20/24 Generative AI is not transient, part of a hype cycle, or a fleeting trend. It’s a game-changing innovation that’s opened the door to novel human-machine partnerships, AI-driven superintelligence, and a new way to win in business. In the AI timeline, we’ve entered “The Inter-AI Period,” a small window of opportunity where leaders can shape how they use AI now and in the future. This window of opportunity is short—perhaps a few years at most—after which decision processes embedded in AI will harden. ... By studying transformative AI leaders ... and conducting interviews with dozens of corporate CEOs, we’ve identified seven key actions every leader should take now:

Rendever and Lenovo collaborate to bring virtual reality experiences to Carolina Caring seniors Fox 8, Boston, MA; by Rendever; 6/19/24 Rendever, the Boston-based company pioneering the future of aging through virtual reality (VR), announces the deployment of its virtual reality platform with Lenovo to Carolina Caring patients. The rollout allows clinicians and caregivers to bring expansive, once-in-a-lifetime VR experiences to older patients whose worlds have become limited. Over the last year, Rendever and Lenovo combined their products into a joint solution that senior living providers can easily adopt to improve the quality of life for older adults through positive shared experiences. Rendever’s award-winning virtual reality solution delivered on Lenovo’s ThinkReality VRX headset provides an all-in-one standalone solution that meets the evolving needs of enterprises with modern virtual reality with six degrees of freedom, full color, and high-resolution experiences. Rendever is deployed in over 700 communities nationwide and looks to further expand with the addition of Carolina Caring in collaboration with Lenovo. 

Global digital health outlook and growth report 2024: Care at home and alternative sites will see a growing preference, focus will be on adoption across clinical and operational use cases Classic 96.7 FM; by Business Wire; 6/17/24The digital health industry has maintained a consistent growth trajectory. Investing in technologies that help organizations achieve the quintuple aim of healthcare is a constant priority. However, high inflation and tight monetary policy will impact the investment landscape as it shifts from top-line growth to profitability. ... Change management initiatives will require stakeholder education to understand the pros and cons of newer technology initiatives and work alongside these to improve clinical and operational processes. Top 2024 Digital Health Predictions:

End of pandemic internet subsidies threatens a health care lifeline for rural AmericaKFF Health News; by Sarah Jane Tribble; 6/5/24Myrna Broncho is standing outdoors beside a wooden fence that lines a large, open field on a sunny day.Since signing up for the Affordable Connectivity Program last year, Myrna Broncho’s internet bill has been fully paid by the discount. The program provided $75 discounts for internet access in tribal or high-cost areas like Broncho’s, but it is out of money.

Prisma uses VR tech to bring outdoors to hospice patients UpstateToday.com, Seneca, SC; by Andrea Kelley; 6/8/24 Years ago, Lisa Dwiggins headed out West to visit her father, Bobby Finch. They hopped on his motorcycle — a Harley Davidson — and wound through the canyons, taking in the view. Thanks to a new virtual reality program at Prisma Health Hospice of the Foothills, Dwiggins and Finch were able to visit those places again — together. ... “Those were areas Dad talked about over the years,” Dwiggins told The Journal. “He lived in Las Vegas for over 30 years, rode his Harley all through the canyons and up along the coast, and talked about the sunsets at Huntington Beach. It’s been 6 years since Dad has been back there, and he has been trying to get back to visit but his health prevented him to getting back. This program at least allowed him to reminisce the good times he had.” The experience was made even more special because with Tandem VR, Dwiggins could join Finch.

AI in healthcare – Enhancing treatment plans, engaging patients, and impacting patient outcomes Healthcare IT Today; by Grayson Miller; 6/10/24 A lot of the buzz around AI is about the potential that it holds. We talk a lot about how different AI applications and tools could save us time or how they could improve the patient experience. But what is it actively doing to the world of healthcare? In order to find out, we reached out to our incredible Healthcare IT Today Community to ask them – how is artificial intelligence being utilized to enhance treatment planning, engage patients at scale, and what impact is it having on patient outcomes? The following are their answers. ... [Click on the title's link to read more.]

Leading healthcare transformation: Strategic growth through generative AI Forbes; by Ashu Goel; 6/5/24 When ChatGPT was launched in November 2022, most of us experienced a “wow” moment. Its capabilities seemed magical. Generative AI (GenAI), led by ChatGPT, has taken the industry by storm, emerging as one of the most disruptive technologies of our era. Given the widespread discussion around GenAI, it's clear that its impact is profound and far-reaching. Yet, adopting generative AI has been a significant challenge for many organizations. Gartner's insight highlights this struggle, predicting that at least 30% of generative AI projects will be abandoned throughout the next year due to issues like poor data quality and unclear business value. This prediction alone paints a picture of the adoption hurdles. ... Editor's Note: This is not not a black and white right-wrong, good-bad conflict. Notice in numerous articles we post the valid concerns expressed by hospice and palliative clinical professionals. Practical, effective implementation must reconcile these differences.

Screening tool predicts older adults’ need for end-of-life care interventionMcKnight's Long-Term Care News; by Donna Shryer; 6/2/24A computerized tool can accurately identify older adults visiting the emergency department who have a high risk of dying within six months, a new study found. The tool, called the Geriatric End-of-Life Screening Tool, or GEST, performed more reliably than reviewing diagnosed serious illnesses and estimating mortality rate. GEST uses routine medical data such as age, vital signs, blood tests and past hospitalizations to calculate each person’s individualized mortality risk over the next six months. In the study of more than 80,000 emergency department visits by older adults, GEST maintained high accuracy regardless of the person’s gender, race/ethnicity or year of visit.

5 things to know about the sorry state of healthcare cybersecurityMedCity News; by Katie Adams; 5/22/24Nitin Natarajan, deputy director at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), shared some key ideas that people need to understand about the current state of cybersecurity in the healthcare industry.

IntellaTriage and CommonSpirit Health at Home deepen partnership with Homecare Homebase integration KMLK; Press Release; 5/30/24 IntellaTriage, the nation's leading provider of nurse-first hospice and home health triage solutions, and CommonSpirit Health at Home (CSHaH), one of the nation's largest nonprofit healthcare systems, went live with a secure integration between Homecare Homebase and IntellaTriage's triage platform, IntellaHub. Partners since 2022, the companies recognized that a deeper integration of their systems could greatly enhance their shared mission of improving patient and caregiver experiences. Home health and hospice electronic medical records (EMR) often lack interoperability, hindering efficient information exchange and patient care in the field. By breaking down these silos, both companies anticipate improved workflows, eliminated redundancies, and enhanced experiences for patients and field nurses. Editor's Note: This description emphasizes "field nurses." What about field psychosocial team members? Many hospice EMR systems are replicated from medical-centric documentation systems, without relevant fields and practice standards that are user-friendly for your social workers, spiritual care/chaplains, grief counselors, expressive therapists, and more. This editor's statement is not a assessment of this article's deepened partnership and its technology; rather, it is simply an observation and question for hospice leaders, whatever your EMR system.