How to Rein in Unpredictability During High-Traffic Respiratory Illness Season

How to Rein in Unpredictability During High-Traffic Respiratory Illness Season

‘Tripledemic’ concerns have been on the rise with the collision of flu, Covid-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) wreaking havoc in clinics and hospitals. Yet staff are expected to provide smooth, fast, and effective care journeys for all, no matter the volume of patients. We know, however, that everything doesn’t always go as planned when patient traffic explodes. Bottlenecks like long wait times and limited appointment options inevitably skyrocket, and staff bear the brunt of patients who (understandably) want to be seen immediately, in conjunction with staff members intermittently being out sick themselves.
Living in an environment of extreme health unpredictability affects…

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3 Conditions that Must be Met to Make Interoperability a Reality

3 Conditions that Must be Met to Make Interoperability a Reality

The term “interoperability” holds different meanings for different people. While we all would agree that the primary goal of interoperability is to make sharing data easier in order to improve outcomes and lower costs, there are varying perceptions about what that looks like. FHIR has been great at giving us a common set of protocols and standards to work from, but how we connect and how data actually gets shared are still open challenges.
In a truly interoperable healthcare ecosystem, I strongly believe data wouldn’t need to be requested, aggregated, and validated each time it’s needed. And it wouldn’t be limited to specific…

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Digital as the Differentiator for Biopharma and Medtech

Digital as the Differentiator for Biopharma and Medtech

With the Inflation Reduction Act now on the books, the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will begin negotiating drug prices with the pharmaceutical industry. That, combined with other headwinds such as increased competition from me-too drugs, and ever-present pricing pressure from payers, means that pharma players now more than ever need a new and powerful tool to differentiate their products. We believe the next decade of transformation is digital.
Learning from the auto industry Almost every industry has had to confront a fundamental existential question: What is our product? Consider the automotive industry, which once was largely about hardware…

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Healthcare and Gen X: 4 Things Marketers Need to Get Right

Healthcare and Gen X: 4 Things Marketers Need to Get Right

When it comes to healthcare marketing, Generation X once again gets the short end of the attention stick.
Overshadowed by boomers—a prime target for healthcare advertising dollars as they age and require more care—and Millennials—the holy grail audience for the emerging health-tech industry—Gen X’s unique healthcare needs and position often leave its members underserved and mostly ignored. This oversight is a massive missed opportunity for healthcare marketers. First off, Gen X is at the height of its spending potential. Its U.S. population of 65 million has saved a collective $13 trillion and owns 29% of the nation’s household wealth (versus just 6.4%…

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We’re Feeling the Effects of the Nursing Shortage. Technology Can Help.

We’re Feeling the Effects of the Nursing Shortage. Technology Can Help.

The healthcare industry is in desperate need of nurses — and fast. Chances are this isn’t news to you. You’ve seen the countless headlines covering the impact the pandemic has had on nurses, and how that nursing shortage has impacted employment numbers, healthcare facilities, and patient care.
Nurses are burnt out. They’re stressed, exhausted, and struggling to find adequate mental health support. But the pandemic isn’t the only issue to blame. Experts are predicting that over 1 million RNs will likely retire by 2030, which will only add to the heaviness of the nursing shortage. An overly-stressed out and aging workforce of…

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Where Are All the Patients?

Where Are All the Patients?

It’s no secret that patient enrollment is one of clinical research’s biggest hurdles. According to an analysis of trials listed, 55% of terminated trials were ended because of low patient enrollment. The analysis also reported that Phase III and Phase IV trials have an enrollment efficiency of less than 40%. Yet another analysis found more than 80% of studies do not enroll on time, often leading to a study extension or additional research sites.
The problem isn’t just enrollment, it’s also the enrollment of diverse patients. Racial and ethnic minorities, specifically Black or African American, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous and Native American, Asian, Native…

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