Optum: Testing Time for an Invisible Empire
By Jeff Goldsmith
Years ago, the largest living thing in the world was thought to be the blue whale. Then someone discovered that the largest living thing in the world was actually the 106 acre, 47 thousand tree Pando aspen grove in central Utah, which genetic testing revealed to be a single organism. With its enormous network of underground roots and symbiotic relationship with a vast ecosystem of fungi, that aspen grove is a great metaphor for UnitedHealth Group. United, whose revenues amount to more than 8% of the US health system, is the largest healthcare enterprise in the world. The root system of UHG is...
Source: The Health Care Blog - April 2, 2024 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: matthew holt Tags: Health Policy Health Tech Jeff Goldsmith Optum PBMs United HealthGroup Source Type: blogs
7 Things To Expect From AI In Healthcare This Year
The past year was all about artificial intelligence, with a particular focus on its integration into healthcare in our universe. At The Medical Futurist, we have extensively explored how AI is reshaping the healthcare landscape, outlining what to expect and how to prepare for these transformative changes.
As we move into 2024, it’s time to continue our forward-looking journey. This year promises to be a blend of consolidation and revolution. Some trends we’ve previously identified are beginning to solidify and integrate into the fabric of healthcare systems, while others are just starting to unfold.
In th...
Source: The Medical Futurist - January 25, 2024 Category: Information Technology Authors: Andrea Koncz Tags: TMF AI AI in medicine artificial intelligence artificial intelligence in healthcare Source Type: blogs
What Will Blood Testing Look Like In The Near Future?
The traditional process of blood draw is familiar to everyone. It typically involves visiting a healthcare facility where a professional, such as a nurse or phlebotomist, draws the blood. Patients then wait for results that are often challenging for non-professionals to interpret.
This analysis aims to explore how this universally recognized procedure has evolved recently and how it is expected to change in the next 5-10 years, especially in the context of digital health.
Initially, blood draw was a purely manual process, requiring skilled professionals for both the drawing and the analysis. The procedure and e...
Source: The Medical Futurist - January 23, 2024 Category: Information Technology Authors: Andrea Koncz Tags: TMF lab test blood draw Source Type: blogs
Telehealth and VR – 2024 Health IT Predictions
As we kick off 2024, we wanted to start the new year with a series of 2024 Health IT predictions. We asked the Healthcare IT Today community to submit their predictions and we received a wide ranging set of responses that we grouped into a number of themes. In fact, we got so many that we had to narrow them down to just the best and most interesting. Check out our community’s predictions below and be sure to add your own thoughts and/or places you disagree with these predictions in the comments and on social media.
All of this year’s 2024 health IT predictions (updated as they’re shared):
John and ...
Source: EMR and HIPAA - January 4, 2024 Category: Information Technology Authors: John Lynn Tags: Ambulatory C-Suite Leadership Clinical Health IT Company Healthcare IT Hospital - Health System LTPAC Telemedicine and Remote Monitoring 2024 Health IT Predictions 98point6 Technologies Agora Andrew Norden Anish Sebastian Artisig Source Type: blogs
Please Include “ mitral regurgitation ” in the “ Complication basket ” of hypertensive heart disease
Hypertension is a prevalent condition in the general population, as is mitral regurgitation (MR). For most of us, HT traditionally conveys a “singular meaning” that is, high pressure within blood vessels. We often forget that the origin of blood pressure begins right inside the heart, i.e, the left ventricle, which is guarded by two valves – the aortic and mitral. (Though we are aware, LVH is the classical response to HT),
Obviously, there will be signiifcant consequences to the structural integrity of these valves when LV pressure is raised beyond the tolerable limit of endocardial layers that line th...
Source: Dr.S.Venkatesan MD - November 5, 2023 Category: Cardiology Authors: dr s venkatesan Tags: Uncategorized effect of sht on mr functional MR hyppertension and mitral regurgitation secondary mr tips on mr amanagement valvular heart disease vasodilators in mr Source Type: blogs
Let us add “ mitral regurgitation ” in the “ Complication basket ” of hypertensive heart disease
Hypertension is a prevalent condition in the general population, as is mitral regurgitation (MR). For most of us, HT traditionally conveys a “singular meaning” that is, high pressure within blood vessels. We often forget that the origin of blood pressure begins right inside the heart, i.e, the left ventricle, which is guarded by two valves – the aortic and mitral. (Though we are aware, LVH is the classical response to HT),
Obviously, there will be signiifcant consequences to the structural integrity of these valves when LV pressure is raised beyond the tolerable limit of endocardial layers that line th...
Source: Dr.S.Venkatesan MD - November 5, 2023 Category: Cardiology Authors: dr s venkatesan Tags: Uncategorized effect of sht on mr functional MR hyppertension and mitral regurgitation secondary mr tips on mr amanagement valvular heart disease vasodilators in mr Source Type: blogs
THCB 20th Birthday Classic: As I’ve always suspected, Health Care = Communism + Frappuccinos
By MATTHEW HOLT
Our 20th birthday continues with a few classics coming out. Back in 2005 I was really cutting a lyrical rug, and would never miss a chance to get that Cambridge training in Marxism into use. This essay about whether health care should be a public or private good has always been one of my favorites, even if I’m not sure Starbucks is still making Frappuccinos. And 18 years later the basic point of this essay remains true, even if many of you will not have a clue who Vioxx or Haliburton were or why they mattered back then!
Those of you who think I’m an unreconstructed commie will correctly suspec...
Source: The Health Care Blog - August 15, 2023 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: matthew holt Tags: Health Policy Matthew Holt Communism Frappuccinos Source Type: blogs
Community Network Survey on waiting times in children and young people's services
NHS Confederation - Leaders from 65 community provider organisations shared their views on waiting times in children and young people ’s services. The findings show that despite the best efforts of community providers there are still concerning waits for children and young people’s services with significant impacts for children and families, and for staff morale.ReportMore detail (Source: Health Management Specialist Library)
Source: Health Management Specialist Library - May 30, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: The King ' s Fund Library Tags: NHS performance and productivity Source Type: blogs
How to Stay Positive at Work: 22 Helpful Tips
It’s not always easy to stay positive at work.
Sometimes because it’s Monday and you’re tired and would like another weekend right now.
At other times because it’s Wednesday and you are doing some boring routine work or you are being dragged down by negative attitudes around you.
So in today’s post I’d like to share my top 22 tips that help me to have and maintain a positive attitude while I work (and that often helps me in my private life too when things get tough).
I hope these tips will help you to be a positive person in your workplace and also spread the positive vibes to the people around you to make it a...
Source: Practical Happiness and Awesomeness Advice That Works | The Positivity Blog - May 26, 2023 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Henrik Edberg Tags: Career & Work Happiness Personal Development Success Source Type: blogs
GP referrals: part 2 – the hidden waiting list
Healthwatch England - HealthWatch commissioned Panelbase to carry out an online survey covering two distinct groups who had an appointment with their GP practice in the past 12 months. Firstly, those who either expected or requested a referral for tests, diagnosis, or treatment, but didn't get one, and secondly, those who were referred for tests, diagnosis or treatment. Panelbase heard from 2,144 people overall. The figures quoted in this briefing are based on the 1,518 patients who fall into the second group - those who were referred for tests, diagnosis, or treatment. The survey was also shared via the Healthwa...
Source: Health Management Specialist Library - April 17, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: The King ' s Fund Library Tags: NHS performance and productivity Patient involvement, experience and feedback Primary and community care Source Type: blogs
Imagene Profiles Cancer Biomarkers in Real Time
Cancer therapies have proliferated over the past few decades, improving outcomes for many patients. But this variety requires accurate diagnostics and appropriate decision making to choose the optimal course of therapy. The current gold standard of identifying which cancer mutation is present is new generation sequencing (NGS), which provides a comprehensive genetic report, but can take up to six weeks to complete, requires a significant tumor sample size, and can only be done in an advanced laboratory at a high cost.
Imagene, a company headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel, has developed AI-based image analysis software...
Source: Medgadget - March 22, 2023 Category: Medical Devices Authors: Medgadget Editors Tags: Diagnostics Exclusive Oncology Pathology biomarkers cancer biomarkers molecular profiling Source Type: blogs
The 2023 Skin-Checking Apps Landscape: Infographic
The most useful skin-checking applications allow users to take pictures of their suspicious skin lesions, upload these pictures to a server, the images are first evaluated by an AI algorithm and the results will be later validated by a dermatologist. We introduced several already, check here or here.
Earlier we called these apps an emerging trend, and still stand by this statement. If you are looking for a signature digital health solution, these are great examples, as they:
address an existing demand
rely on already existing infrastructure from the patients’ side (e.g.: their mobile phones)
provide ea...
Source: The Medical Futurist - March 20, 2023 Category: Information Technology Authors: Andrea Koncz Tags: Artificial Intelligence in Medicine Telemedicine & Smartphones future Healthcare technology skin checking digital health Source Type: blogs
What do people want from pain management?
The short answer is often “take my pain away” – and we’d be foolish to ignore the impact of pain intensity on distress and disability. At the same time there’s more than enough research showing that if treatment only emphasises pain intensity (1) it may not be achievable for many, especially if we take into account the small effect sizes on pain intensity from exercise, medications and psychological therapies; and (2) even if pain is reduced, it may not translate into improvements in daily life.
The slightly more complex answer lies behind the desire to “take my pain away.” We n...
Source: HealthSkills Weblog - March 19, 2023 Category: Anesthesiology Authors: BronnieLennoxThompson Tags: Chronic pain Coping strategies Research Science in practice Occupational therapy pain management Therapeutic approaches Source Type: blogs
Why are delayed discharges from hospital increasing?: seeing the bigger picture
This report finds that in December 2022, more than 13,000 of a total of around 100,000 hospital beds in England were occupied by patients who were medically fit for discharge. This number has increased by 57 per cent over the last two years, representing an additional 6,000 people waiting in hospital who do not need to be there. This reduces the availability of hospital beds for newly admitted patients, contributing to longer A&E and ambulance waiting times. Delays can also have a significant impact on patients: longer hospital stays increase the risk of hospital-acquired infections and patients may lose mobility and c...
Source: Health Management Specialist Library - March 8, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: The King ' s Fund Library Tags: Patient involvement, experience and feedback Source Type: blogs
Managing NHS backlogs and waiting times in England
This report finds that cancer waiting times are at their worst recorded level and NHS England will not meet its first cancer recovery target and that the wider NHS recovery plan may not be achieved on time. It argues that the NHS is still not planning properly for the staffing and other resources it needs to deliver additional diagnostic and treatment capacity, though much of it was already needed before the Covid-19 pandemic.ReportPress release (Source: Health Management Specialist Library)
Source: Health Management Specialist Library - March 1, 2023 Category: UK Health Authors: The King ' s Fund Library Tags: Covid-19 NHS performance and productivity Source Type: blogs
