Pop quizzes about hygiene and reminder notes in patient rooms were the most effective in getting doctor and nurses to wash their hands more frequently at a Virginia hospital group. The Sentara Healthcare system tested 21 interventions in 48 nursing units over six weeks to see what worked the best. The hand-hygiene compliance rate rose to 92.5% as a result of the program. To determine the effectiveness of the pop quiz, department leaders stopped healthcare workers at random to take a written test about hygiene.
The “Facebook of healthcare” announced it raised $10 million in new funds this week. Hello Health allows patients to connect with doctors in real-time via online video chats, text messages, instant messages and even e-mail. The company hopes to help independent physicians move from paper records to electronic ones with this subscription-based plan. Patients pay a small fee to the doctor to access the system which also allows appointment scheduling, requesting lab results, renewing prescriptions, and sharing medical information.
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.
New Hepatitis C treatments are attracting a lot of attention and money lately with three significant acquisitions in the last five months. Investors are wondering if the industry can expect more high-price deals for other companies working in the space, including Idenix and Achillion Pharmaceuticals. Karl Thiel of BioSpace says that it will take a big company with a clever marketing department to tap this difficult market and raise awareness of an often stealthy illness.
OnePoint Patient Care opened its fourth hospice pharmacy so far this year in Nashville, TN. This specialized center allows the company’s OnePoint partners to fill prescriptions, create custom compounds, and receive medications all in the same day. There are also new centers in Las Vegas, Boston, and Chattanooga, Tenn.
PricewaterhouseCoopers says that healthcare professionals specializing in informatics should find it easy to get a new job this year. Released at HIMSS last week, the new study reports that 70% of health insurers plan to increase hiring for technical informatics positions over the next two years. Hospitals and life sciences companies also plan to hire more informatics specialists, although not as rapidly as insurers. The report also showed that half of provider and hospital respondents said that misaligned clinical and technology teams prevent them from incorporating sophisticated analytics into doctors’ daily activities.
A biotech company specializing in wound healing has donated money to establish a patient registry for people with Epidermolysis Bullosa. This genetic disorder causes fragile skin and frequent blisters. EBCare.org will allow patients to share their personal and clinical history online database with qualified researchers studying the disorder. Lotus Tissue Repair is funding the registry.
A Personalized Approach to Medication Nonadherence
At the Abarca Forward conference earlier this year, George Van Antwerp, managing director at Deloitte, discussed how social determinants of health and a personalized member experience can improve medication adherence and health outcomes.
[Photo from flickr user Steve Snodgrass]
