Tag: Daily

Why Federally Mandated Electronic Prescribing for Controlled Substances will Benefit Public Health

Why Federally Mandated Electronic Prescribing for Controlled Substances will Benefit Public Health

MedCity News

Although 2022 has brought on a greater sense of normalcy, the past few years have distracted us from one of the most overlooked epidemics plaguing healthcare: prescription drug abuse.
Before Covid-19 diverted attention away from this problem, President Trump signed on to the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act of 2018, instating sweeping legislation for initiatives to address the opioid epidemic. The bill, among other initiatives, requires electronic prescriptions for controlled substances (EPCS) for any covered part D drug. Although the official start of the mandate was delayed two years to January 1, 2023, the importance of this federal intervention cannot be…

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Bonus Features – February 19, 2023 – 80% of orgs collect SDOH data but struggle to make use of it, 2 in 3 cybersecurity pros say their orgs underestimate threats, and more

Bonus Features – February 19, 2023 – 80% of orgs collect SDOH data but struggle to make use of it, 2 in 3 cybersecurity pros say their orgs underestimate threats, and more

Healthcare IT Today

Welcome to the weekly edition of Healthcare IT Today Bonus Features. This article will be a weekly roundup of interesting stories, product announcements, new hires, partnerships, research studies, awards, sales, and more. Because there’s so much happening out there in healthcare IT we aren’t able to cover in our full articles, we still want to make sure you’re informed of all the latest news, announcements, and stories happening to help you better do your job.
Surveys
A survey of 2,600 AHIMA members found that about 80% of healthcare organizations are collecting social determinants of health data. The bad news: Organizations face multiple challenges…

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Weekly Roundup – February 18, 2023

Weekly Roundup – February 18, 2023

Healthcare IT Today

Welcome to our Healthcare IT Today Weekly Roundup. Each week, we’ll be providing a look back at the articles we posted and why they’re important to the healthcare IT community. We hope this gives you a chance to catch up on anything you may have missed during the week.
6 Organizations Approved As Initial QHINs Under TEFCA. CommonWell, eHealth Exchange, Epic, Health Gorilla, Kno2, and KONZA were named the inaugural QHINs. The announcement wasn’t much of a surprise, but John said it will be interesting to see which technology vendors ultimately get behind which QHINs. Read more…
Exploring LG’s Partnership With Amwell. LG…

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Apellis Drug Becomes First Approved Therapy for Vision-Loss Disorder Geographic Atrophy

Apellis Drug Becomes First Approved Therapy for Vision-Loss Disorder Geographic Atrophy

MedCity News

Geographic atrophy, an eye disorder that starts as a loss of central vision and progressively worsens to total blindness, now has its first treatment. The FDA on Friday approved an Apellis Pharmaceuticals drug that slows the progression of this disease, which affects more than 1 million people in the U.S.
Approval of the Apellis drug, pegcetacoplan, covers all patients with geographic atrophy, a broad label that reflects the representative patient population tested in pivotal studies, Chief Medical Officer Caroline Baumal said during a Friday evening conference call. The Waltham, Massachusetts-based company plans to launch the drug in March, marketing the product under…

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PBMs Come Under Fire During Senate Hearing

PBMs Come Under Fire During Senate Hearing

MedCity News

Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) took a hit from lawmakers during a Thursday hearing held by the Senate Commerce Committee, with some questioning why the drug middlemen are even necessary.
“The way I see the situation on PBMs, I don’t know why the hell they even exist,” said Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana. “They were set up with all the right reasons … But what I see them doing in my state, I don’t think the consumer gets much benefit and they’re shutting down small businesses on main street right and left and those are called our local neighborhood pharmacies.” The hearing discussed how…

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Decline of Telehealth During the Pandemic and After

Decline of Telehealth During the Pandemic and After

MedCity News

The pandemic has forced healthcare organizations to rely heavily on telehealth services. In 2020, virtual visits accounted for more than a quarter of all outpatient visits in the U.S., and they’ve been steadily increasing since then. But there is a flip side to this trend. Recent data shows that telehealth is declining in healthcare, which could create a burden for both healthcare systems and patients. Let’s take a look at why this is happening and what can be done about it.
Reasons behind the decline  There are several factors driving the decline in telehealth utilization in healthcare settings. One reason is cost…

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Chiesi Wins FDA Approval for First Drug to Treat Ultra-Rare Enzyme Deficiency

Chiesi Wins FDA Approval for First Drug to Treat Ultra-Rare Enzyme Deficiency

MedCity News

A Chiesi Farmaceutici drug for a rare enzyme deficiency is now approved by the FDA, making it the first U.S. treatment for a disorder that leads to a range of cognitive and muscle problems.
The regulatory decision announced late Thursday covers the treatment of children and adults who have alpha-mannosidosis (AM), a disease caused by a genetic mutation that leads to defective or inactive forms of an enzyme called alpha-D-mannosidase. Chiesi’s drug, velmanase alfa, is an engineered version of that enzyme. The privately held Italian company will market its new FDA-approved drug as Lamzede, the same name for the product in Europe,…

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Retrieving Billions in Overpayments by CMS

Retrieving Billions in Overpayments by CMS

Healthcare IT Today

Amid swirling accusations that Medicare Advantage Organizations (MAOs) are overbilling the U.S. government and calls for better oversight, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced in early February that it would investigate overbilling by those plans. They expect to recoup 4.7 billion dollars through this program.
This article focuses on the relatively young technologies that enable CMS to uncover overbillings, whether they be errors or fraud. The article is based on an interview with Kel Pults, chief clinical officer and vice president of MediQuant. A future article will explain how Medicare Advantage plans are trying to improving data collection and reporting,…

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Larry Saves the Canadian Healthcare System – The Musical – Fun Friday

Larry Saves the Canadian Healthcare System – The Musical – Fun Friday

Healthcare IT Today

Satire + Music + Comedy + Healthcare. What’s not to love?
This full-length musical from Sara Kreindler perfectly captures the challenges and frustrations in the Canadian Healthcare System. It tells the story of a eager young healthcare analyst, Larry, who is newly hired by the Canadian government to help “fix” the healthcare system. Comedy and eye-rolling ensues as Larry visits an over-crowded ER and tries to navigate the multiple layers of government and administration involved in healthcare.
Even though the musical is about the Canadian Healthcare System, there are many parts that Americans will find familiar. Episode 4 is where Larry learns the…

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DrFirst Acquires Diagnotes Secure Messaging and Care Coordination Platform

DrFirst Acquires Diagnotes Secure Messaging and Care Coordination Platform

Healthcare IT Today

Expands Backline by DrFirst’s Capabilities for Clinical Communications in Health Systems and Beyond
Healthcare technology pioneer DrFirst today announced it has acquired select assets of Indianapolis-based Diagnotes. The acquisition will allow Backline by DrFirst to expand its capabilities to break through communication silos in healthcare at each stage of the patient care journey, promote positive patient outcomes, and enhance satisfaction for staff and patients.
Diagnotes provides a suite of team-based, patient-centered collaboration tools built specifically for the healthcare sector. The app increases clinicians’ productivity and the quality of patient care by allowing healthcare providers to communicate with colleagues in their system and affiliates in other systems. The…

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