Quality and Safety

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has issued a work plan for all IT and communications stakeholders to promote the development of digital technology for the elderly.

Techsomed's ultrasound-based liver ablation software can eliminate the guesswork typically associated with thermal ablation therapy.

The projects mark a "significant step in VUMC’s exploration of AI’s potential in streamlining clinician workflows and enhancing medical record-keeping while reducing time spent on documentation," said the health system's CMIO.

The year ahead will see policies evolving along with the tech, says Brigid Bondoc, partner and life sciences attorney at Morrison Foerster, who discusses regulatory approaches that foster innovation while protecting safety.  

A randomized clinical vignette survey across more than a dozen states, with hospitalists, NPs and PAs taking part, evaluated systematically biased algorithms and how clinicians make decisions with image-based AI guides.

Done right, more widespread adoption of remote patient monitoring will offer breakthrough innovations where healthcare delivery can be improved, clinician workloads can be right-sized and better patient outcomes can be achieved, an expert says.

TimeDoc Health CEO Brian Esterly talks the rise in comorbidities complicating the delivery of care, key social determinants of health issues, healthcare deserts and how health IT can help caregivers aid all of these patients.  

With telemedicine, the time for patients coming out of the ER or a convenience clinic to see a primary care provider has gone from weeks to 24-72 hours. And virtual care has helped the health system achieve a 72% completion rate of Medicare annual wellness visits.

The health system and health plan has seen a 4-times ROI from its durable medical equipment technology work with its healthcare at home program. What's more, Geisinger has reduced overall turnaround time by 83%.

Leaders at ONC's annual meeting were asked whether they're confident that federal agencies and the private sector can work together to foster innovation while protecting against bias and safety risks. Here's what they had to say.