Patient Care

This page includes news coverage of various aspects of patient healthcare, including new technology innovations, what is working, what is not, personalized medicine and remote and telemedicine delivery. Find specific news in the areas of Care DeliveryDigital TransformationPrecision MedicineRemote Monitoring and Telehealth.

digital health

91% of patients under 50 favor digitally advanced practices, providers

According to a survey conducted by Black Book, 91 percent of patients under the age of 50 favored practices that offered exceptional connectivity and patient portals.

April 17, 2018
durbin-ama-opioid. The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) have published new guidelines focused on the diagnosis, treatment and management of patients with chronic coronary disease (CCD).

Treating opioid dependence the focus of new APM

The American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Society of Addition Medicine (ASAM) have a jointly proposed a new alternative payment model (APM) centered around patients with a physical dependence on opioids, with a one-time payment for initiating medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and monthly payments for continuing treatment.

April 16, 2018
Robert Rook, MD, mugshot

#MeToo hasn’t stripped doctors’ licenses despite sex abuse

While allegations of rape, sexual assault and misconduct have ended the careers of Hollywood power brokers and politicians, the healthcare industry appears to be “often more forgiving,” according to an Associated Press (AP) investigation of physicians accused of abuse.

April 16, 2018

Compulsive smartphone use mimics substance abuse addiction

According to a study published in NeuroRegulation, the dependence university students place on their smartphone devices correlates to experiences of depression and isolation.

April 13, 2018

Teledermatology cuts course of melanoma care from 80 to 10 days

Using a smartphone with an application to send photographs to a dermatologist could improve the early detection of melanoma, according to a study published April 11 in Journal of Medical Internet Research.

April 13, 2018

New Medicare cards a target of scam artists

CMS has begun sending out new cards for Medicare beneficiaries that don’t include information about the patient’s Social Security number. Most beneficiaries, however, don’t know about the new cards, leaving them vulnerable to scams.

April 13, 2018
Banner Health logo

Banner Health pays $18M to settle false Medicare claims allegation

Phoenix’s Banner Health has agreed to pay more than $18 million to settle a whistleblower lawsuit alleging it overcharged Medicare by admitting patients at hospitals for brief, inpatient services when they could’ve been treated in less expensive outpatient settings.

April 13, 2018

Physician burnout factors may differ by career stage

The epidemic of physician burnout has been well-documented, although many health systems are still struggling to foster a happier workforce. While gender-specific mechanisms for burnout have recently garnered attention, age-related differences have been less examined.

April 13, 2018