Outraged, engaged patient takes aim at paternalistic physician
Duncan Cross, a longtime engaged patient with Crohn's disease, unloaded on a "doctor who pissed me off."
FAQ: Are my medical records safe from cybercriminals?
A decade ago almost all doctors kept paper charts on every patient. That is changing quickly as laptops become as common as stethoscopes in exam rooms. Recent hacking attacks have raised questions about how safe that data may be. Here are some frequently asked questions about this evolution underway in American medicine and the […]
WebMD’s next steps toward a better patient experience: Build digital relationships, make data personal
Thanks in part to digital technology, patients are taking control of their healthcare in a way they never have before, said WebMD CEO David Schlanger. Yet, almost half of Americans have at least one chronic disease, and that number is expected to continue growing. At the Cleveland Clinic’s Patient Experience: Empathy + Innovation Summit today, […]
3 neat ways to participate in crowdsourced cancer and Alzheimer’s disease research
Thanks to technology and the changing culture of medicine, those of us who don’t have thousands of dollars to donate to medical research have easier ways to contribute. Instead of money, we can donate our knowledge and our data. Crowdsourcing has tremendous potential in speeding up and broadening the scope of medical research, and the […]
Believe it! Patients feel relieved (not worried) by direct access to lab test results online
The statement that patients like viewing their lab test results online might seem like a given. Duh — not getting test results quickly enough is one of patients’ biggest gripes about doctor’s visits. Of course they want results online! But when CMS, CDC and the HHS Office of Civil Rights jointly proposed a federal rule […]
2 charts on how badly patients want (or don’t want?) their medical data
When it comes to having control of their medical data, most consumers say they want it but not enough to take serious action for it. Two in five respondents in a 9,000-person survey by Accenture (NYSE:CAN) said they would be willing to switch providers to have full access to their data. If you’re in […]
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
Patients can only hope for crappy level of access to EHR data that docs have now
iHealthBeat highlighted an interesting chart from a recent study of how doctors are using electronic medical records. According to this survey of 1820 primary care physicians and specialists in office-based practices, docs use EHRs to check test results more frequently than any other task. The national survey conducted in late 2011/early 2012 found that 43.5 […]
Crowdsourcing research ideas from patients finds cost, prevention top of mind
The Regenstrief Institute, an informatics and healthcare research foundation affiliated with the Indiana University School of Medicine, recently did something PCORI would approve of. It asked patients across the country for their ideas on how to make healthcare more affordable and better quality. Dr. Mike Weiner, director of the Institute’s Center for Health Services Research, […]
There’s a startup for that! New technologies address patients’ biggest medical gripes
Consumer Reports asked 1,000 people what bugs them most about going to the doctor, and the top responses might surprise you. The obvious gripes, like long waits to see the doctors and lots of paperwork, didn’t top the list. Rather, the most bothersome thing to these consumers was unclear explanations from their doctors. Fortunately for […]
FDA wants more patients to learn about and offer feedback on drug/device approvals
As part of its effort to be more transparent and loop patients into its processes and policies, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration this week launched a new website called FDA Patient Network. It’s meant to be an educational resource for patients, patient advocates and consumers to learn about drug and device approval, off-label use […]
With the Rise of AI, What IP Disputes in Healthcare Are Likely to Emerge?
Munck Wilson Mandala Partner Greg Howison shared his perspective on some of the legal ramifications around AI, IP, connected devices and the data they generate, in response to emailed questions.
Where do consumer reviews fit into medical providers & product makers’ strategies?
In the absence of a Yelp or Tripadvisor kind of go-to site for ratings and reviews, the healthcare industry admittedly hasn’t seen the same kind of adoption of online consumer feedback. But the theory goes that as healthcare consumers are presented with more choices through insurance exchanges, and as care providers see patient satisfaction tethered […]
So many apps, so little adoption: Docs say most patients who track data do it the old-fashioned way
The good news for mobile health app developers is that physicians seem to be open to the idea of reviewing data that patients have tracked themselves. The bad news is that 30 percent of doctors say they don’t have patients who track, and those that do say most patients do it the old-fashioned way. Manhattan […]
When it comes to patient education, providers are slow to adopt new technologies
In the shift toward team-based healthcare, nurse practitioners and other non-MD healthcare professionals are taking on more responsibilities, and companies are responding with new resources and technologies to help them do their jobs. But how much of this new technology is being used with patients? HealthEd Academy asked 155 “health extenders” — that means nurses, […]
Health IT CEO: Adoption of patient-focused tech starts with patient-provider relationship
A lot has changed between now and 2004, when health IT company VisionTree developed its first patient portal to be used for research data collection. In terms of providers, some early adopters had implemented patient access to electronic medical records, but nowhere near the half of U.S. providers who use them today. VisionTree founder and […]
Remote patient monitoring firm partnered with AT&T raises $3.4 million
eHealth company Intuitive Health Inc. has rounded up $3.4 million but isn’t saying much just yet about its next move. The Plano, Texas, company has worked with AT&T and nonprofit health system Texas Health Resources to run a pilot of its cloud-based patient monitoring platform. It uses AT&T’s wireless connectivity to send data from patients’ […]