This week on MedHeads, Chris Seper, Neil Versel and Stephanie Baum discussed how the maturing digital health market is making telemedicine a more mainstream topic in the presidential race and big box drugstores, as well as giving their opinions on the biggest news of the week.
Watch the broadcast above, but also review five important topics we looked at this week.
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.
1. Practice Fusion’s future seems uncertain despite Theranos deal
If anyone knows what’s really going on with Practice Fusion, please raise your hand.
Earlier this month, the San Francisco vendor of a free, cloud-based electronic health records system for office-based physicians named a new, interim CEO, Tom Langan, to replace founding CEO Ryan Howard. Howard stays on as chairman ahead of a rumored initial public offering and Langan is continuing his role as chief commercial officer.
2. What are some of the health IT issues that will shape strategic planning for 2016?
1. Clinicians are overwhelmed by the current demands of Meaningful Use, hundreds of quality measures, population health, care management, and patient/family engagement. All of these are good ideas individually but the sum of their requirements overwhelms providers. In an era when we’re trying to control costs, adding more clinical FTEs to spread the work over a large team is not possible.
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.
3. Cardinal Health’s move to acquire naviHealth highlights demand for post acute care coordination
Cardinal Health‘s move to acquire three year-old business naviHealth underscores the interest by healthcare organizations in businesses that eliminate waste in Medicare and make post acute care coordination more efficient as companies seeks to fulfill the demands of healthcare reform. Cardinal Health purchased a 71 percent stake in naviHealth for $290 million in the first step of its acquisition, which will be integrated into its Medical business.
4. Brainsway using MRI-like technology to treat depression
The current approach to treating depression doesn’t always work for many patients. SSRIs like Prozac and Zoloft take several weeks to kick in; electroconvulsive therapy can have hideous side effects.
Israeli startup Brainsway is developing a “transcranial magnetic stimulation” device that treats depression with MRI-like technology.
5. CVS teams with American Well, Teladoc, Doctor on Demand to widen physician access
Even as telemedicine rivals American Well and Teladoc battle it out in court over intellectual property, CVS Health is bringing those two together with competitor Doctor On Demand to test how retail pharmacies, convenience clinics and direct-to-consumer telehealth companies can widen patient access to physicians.
