In a recent PwC report on the top healthcare issues for 2017, unsurprisingly, the impact of MACRA on value-based payment models made the list. Many provider networks have taken the last several years to focus on up-side risk sharing while expanding their network reach in both size and scope. However, as providers enter the first performance year of MACRA, the push towards more widespread adoption of two-sided risk models poses new challenges to healthcare decision makers, including: How …

Health IT is one of the fastest growing industries in the market. The North American healthcare IT market is projected to grow at a compounded annual rate of 13.5% through 2020. Driving this growth are new technologies, devices and platforms that are currently growing in two separate bubbles: consumer-based technologies (e.g. FitBit) and clinical technologies (e.g. EHR systems). Beyond this, the benefit of closing gaps in care and integrating patient generated health data (PGHD) into clinical technologies is …

Curious about the MACRA law and how it affects you? MACRA established the Quality Payment Program, designed to change how physicians are paid for care provided to Medicare beneficiaries. The goal is to shift the focus to quality care through revised performance reporting and a new payment adjustment structure.

In just a few days time, the annual HIMSS conference will kick off in Orlando. This conference has grown in popularity, impact and diversity over the last few years as the healthcare industry has begun adopting digital tools to improve patient outcomes, reduce costs and increase patient engagement. This event is a great way to gauge where the health IT industry at large is focusing and understand the most pressing issues healthcare business leaders face in digital healthcare. …

In a Healthcare IT News article last week, Athenahealth CEO Jonathan Bush presented a case for increased innovation in the health IT space over the next four to six years. The foundation would be built on “network-backed health services.” Succinctly, what he discusses is the need for health IT vendors to go beyond providing solutions aimed at fulfilling regulatory needs and start delivering real business value. Disruption in Health IT is Different from Other Industries While it is …

In a 2016 study commissioned by Quest Diagnostics, 450 healthcare professionals and senior executives were surveyed about aspects of the industry’s shift from a fee-for-service to a value-based model. The results of the study bring several interesting pieces of data to light. 87% of the study’s respondents — physicians and senior executives — noted the value and importance of having complete patient medical information at the point of care. However, 65% of physician respondents indicated that the information …

Among all the mobile apps out there, mHealth stands out. We often talk about patient-friendly UI/UX, on-the-go features that integrate with patient portals and EMRs, and capabilities for sending messages to medical staff and refilling prescriptions. But another aspect that makes mHealth app development such an interesting challenge is the level of regulation in the healthcare sector. When you’re working with HIPAA regulations around electronic protected health information (ePHI), developing an app that collects and transmits this data …

CMS has reported that 2,579 hospitals will be affected by downward payment adjustments in 2017 due to penalties associated with the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP). That translates to an average penalty of over $190,000, or a 0.73% reduction in reimbursement value. One of the biggest factors for these downward payment adjustments is avoidable ED readmissions. Over the last five years, healthcare organizations have been reporting on this measure without the weight of downward adjustments. The hope was …

As healthcare organizations map out development and marketing projects for the year, there’s an important trend to consider: video marketing. Software company HighQ presents a noteworthy infographic on why video will be one of the top marketing trends in the year 2017. With 55% of people watching online videos on a daily basis and 78% engaging with videos weekly, the popularity of this channel is unmistakeable. But how exactly does this play into healthcare marketing in particular? Video …

In today’s healthcare world, a website isn’t just a check on a marketing to-do list. It’s an essential tool for maintaining a solid patient base while providing those patients with in-demand online services. Hospitals, outpatient groups, pharmacies, health IT vendors, and laboratories are all facing new challenges and opportunities in the digital media space. Hospital website design is a specialized field that focuses on creating highly usable, patient-centered, HIPAA-compliant sites. Both prospective and current patients are always evaluating …