Study shows reduction in medication errors using health IT startup’s software
The study estimated 68.2 percent of errors generated by MedAware’s system would not have been detected by existing clinical decision support systems.
Harvard Medical School offers 10-week online courses for $800 a pop
Harvard Medical School is giving students of all stripes a way to learn about medicine and healthcare through its HMX Fundamentals program.
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When Investment Rhymes with Canada
Canada has a proud history of achievement in the areas of science and technology, and the field of biomanufacturing and life sciences is no exception.
How effective is genetic testing if doctors aren’t always sure how to interpret it?
“Our ability to sequence genes has gotten ahead of our ability to know what it means,” said Eric P. Winer, the director of the breast oncology program at Harvard’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
25% of kids and teens ages 6 to 19 say they don’t ever drink water
Many American kids drink too many sugary beverages. But the amount of water they drink, or lack there of, is startling.
Hospital board members can (and should) affect patient care as much as physicians do
When we think about life or death moments for patients in a hospital, doctors and other healthcare providers seem like the key players in how a situation turns out. But board members and CEOs are integral to how a hospital functions and the potential for improvements that trickle down to individual patients. Problem is, many […]
Do insurers still discriminate against sick people despite the ACA?
One of the most notable aspects of the Affordable Care Act was that insurance companies couldn’t discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions. But they have found ways to still do it, which could potentially throw off the whole system once patients start to congregate to different plans. Companies might not be turning them away entirely […]
A next-gen antibody drug conjugate: Blend rakes in $21M for new anticancer platform
Massachusetts biotech Blend Therapeutics just raked in $21 million to advance its a new, and rather interesting, class of cancer therapeutics. It’s using the dollars to grow its Pentarin platform, which creates novel, miniature biologic drug conjugates that are encapsulated in nanoparticles. The funding will also help advance a separate drug candidate, BTP-114, closer to the […]
Leftie or Rightie? Your dominant hand could determine your income
Left-handed people probably shouldn’t compare their pay checks to their right-handed colleagues – unless they want to be disappointed…according to a recent study. The study published in the Journal of Economic Perspectives shows that lefties make about 10 to 12 percent less annually than righties. The paper was written by Joshua Goodman, who is an economist […]
Mouse skin cell conversion could mean treatment for those in chronic pain
You wouldn’t necessarily think that converting mouse and human skill cells into pain sensing nerves would be a good idea. Why do we need more pain? But when used to tackle pain relief in patients, this new research could do wonders for those who are constantly suffering. These neurons, which are responsible for transmitting pain […]
Toxins could be lowering your child’s IQ
We are all exposed to a variety of toxins in our everyday lives, whether it be from the food we eat or even from the paint in our homes. Tiny amounts of lead, mercury, chemical flame retardants and organophosphate pesticides, among other toxins, are present in nearly every American’s blood. Though the amounts may seem […]
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.
Which healthcare startups did Harvard shortlist for finals in acceleration contest? (video)
A Harvard Healthcare Acceleration Challenge launched a competition in October to speed up availability of healthcare technologies earlier this year. About one month later, it has selected four healthcare startups spanning how hospital blood banks bid on blood from blood centers to predictive analytics for palliative care. Four finalists were selected from 500 applicants in […]
Lost in translation: Why big data didn’t catch the early signs of Ebola
Big data can offer early insight into the spread of an epidemic like Ebola, but the key here is to stay closely attuned to the warning signs. Otherwise, important information can easily slip through the cracks – as outlined by an article in Foreign Policy called “Why big data missed the early warning signs of Ebola.” Because while […]
Medical equipment, pharma top most uncertain industries
The only certainty in life is…uncertainty. That’s especially true these days in many corners of healthcare. Out of the top 10 industries facing uncertainty, medical equipment topped them all, with pharma not far behind at number four. Healthcare services also made the cut, though it didn’t crack the top 10. According to an analysis by […]
How to really measure the value in health care
Nearly two years ago, we embarked on journey into uncharted waters. We were at a moment in our history when our Exceptional Patient Experience results and UHC quality rankings affirmed that we had remarkable organizational capability, agility and capacity for change. Then, the Affordable Care Act had an uncertain future. We moved in the direction […]
Harvard Business Review: Patients may want fewer healthcare options, not more
Armed with 18 months of research confirming the suspicions of anyone who’s gone to the grocery to buy a jar of jam knew, two authors at the Harvard Business Review blog claim consumers don’t necessarily want more options when it comes to healthcare. A few quality options would be nice. In a survey of more […]