About Social Media Today
July 30, 2014
Digital Health Illustrated: Big Health Data's Dark Side [VIDEO]
Big Data's dark side
In a previous episode of Digital Health Illustrated I discussed the benefits of health data, from its ability to speed medical research to even predict whether people will become ill. In this installment, I focus on questions related to the dark side of big health data.[read more]
July 30, 2014
HIPAA Violations are on the Rise [INFOGRAPHIC]
Top 5 HIPAA violations
We've compiled a collection of data around HIPAA complaints over the past decade to give you a better picture of the regulatory landscape and enforcement actions across the country, along with the types of complaints, breaches and fines that most often occur when it comes to HIPAA compliance issues.[read more]
July 30, 2014
CLL and Lymphoma Drug Approvals: Kudos to the FDA
Dr. Richard Pazdur
I gotta be fair to Dr. Richard Pazdur, the king of cancer drug approvals (or rejections) at the FDA. I have been sharply critical of him in the years past, but now it seems a combination of better science, great support from patients and advocates, and yes, a kindler/gentler Dr. Pazdur and the FDA, has all led to quicker drug approvals.[read more]
Recent Infographics
2014 Medicare Payment Cuts for Radiology Services
Radiology payment changes
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its 2014 hospital outpatient prospective payment system updates late last year. Unfortunately for radiology professionals, there was a decrease in many different kinds of imaging procedures that will have an economic impact on the field.[read more]
FDA Social Media Guidance: Hangout on Air
FDA
Last month, the FDA released draft guidance on social media and internet platforms with character space limitations and a separate draft guidance for correcting misinformation posted online. I discussed these guidance documents with Kathi Browne in a Google+ Hangout on Air.[read more]
Big Data Could Bring Your Credit Card History to Your Doctor
Is Big Data going too far?
Carolinas, which covers as many as 900 medical centers in North and South Carolina, has been using an algorithm that takes into account the consumer data of over 2 million people and identifies patients who could be high risk – based on their consumer behaviors. Is Big Data going too far?[read more]
Top 10 ICD-10 Codes You Won't Believe Are Real
ICD-10's top 10 head-scratchers
The hassle of adopting ICD-10 has only just begun for some - others might imply that they’ve been waiting for it for years, having started preparations many moons ago. While I’m sure any medical coder would tell you that they have a list of crucial and obvious missing codes, some of them seem a little odd to me.[read more]
ACA Rollout Hits Some Massachusetts Businesses Harder Than Expected
Massachusetts / shutterstock
Like many, I’ve been surprised that the rollout of the Affordable Care Act has had such an impact on Massachusetts. But somehow Massachusetts screwed up the rollout of the Obamacare exchange, which is costing $100 million to fix, and at least some Massachusetts small businesses are getting hit with big rate hikes as they renew.[read more]
Meeting the Deductible: Cancer Drugs, Insurance and a Happy Ending
Denied claims, long arguments, an eternity spent on hold arguing over a bill? Yes. But! Sometimes there are happy endings in the conversation with the billing office and the insurer. As deductibles and co-insurance rise, it’s more important than ever to know how to explore whether that bill is right or that statement is right.[read more]
Navigating the Hospital Maze: Is Poor Design Destroying Your Branding?
Navigating the hospital
Marketers work hard to present an image of hospitals that patients can rely upon when they actually walk through the door. A hospital that is difficult to navigate, however, can instantly tarnish years of hospital branding. That is why some hospitals are making an effort to re-think the way their building is navigated in order to improve the patient experience.[read more]
Why 1 + 1 = 10 for Physicians and Information Technologists
Demand for doctors is on the rise
An article in Becker’s Hospital Review caught my attention, because of what it portends for the careers of physicians and health IT workers. The article, 10 Concerns and Trends Facing Hospitals Right Now, is a terrific synopsis of everything a hospital CEO should be focused on these days if he or she wants his or her hospital to survive.[read more]
Effective Technologies for Wound Hemostasis, Sealing and Closure
Fibrin sealants represented a revolution in local hemostatic measures for both bleeding and nonbleeding disorders. Fibrin sealant has the potential to provide life-saving control of excessive bleeding in many critical surgical operations and during a number of elective procedures.[read more]
How Big Data Hadoop Can Save Patients from a Crippling Healthcare System
Hadoop to the rescue?
One of the biggest challenges that our information-driven healthcare industry faces is the fact that data is growing faster than healthcare organizations can consume it. 80% of medical data is unstructured, yet clinically relevant. The Big Data solution could be Hadoop and the Enterprise Data Hub.[read more]
Medicaid Should Not Impoverish Doctors and Hospitals
Since Medicaid pays doctors and hospitals 27 to 65 percent less than commercial health plans, it makes it awfully difficult for providers to be payer agnostic. Sure enough, we see even supposedly mission-driven non-profit healthcare systems looking to maximize their share of the commercial population by catering to that group.[read more]
How Physicians Can Leverage Online Tools to Improve Marketing Strategies
digital marketing
Running a private practice is a business, just like any other, and marketing is a key part of creating a connection not only with potential patients, but also with networking partners and collaborates. Consider some ways a physician can leverage online tools to expand his or her reach.[read more]
Multiple Lifestyle Interventions May Help Those at Risk for Alzheimer's
image: Robert Wallce / Flickr CC
Physical activity, nutritional guidance, cognitive training, social activities and management of heart health risk factors improved cognitive performance, according to Finnish researchers. The two-year randomized controlled trial included 1,260 participants aged 60 to 77 with modifiable risk factors for cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s.[read more]
Blogging vs. Other Social Channels
social media toolbox
Lately I've been thinking about the fact that I'm not blogging as much. In the old days (2005 to 2011ish), my blog was my primary social media outlet, and my other social media channels were supplementary and supportive. However, the times and technologies have changed and my toolbox has evolved.[read more]
When Should Doctors Turn Patients Away?
A few days before this writing, a 32-year-old woman came to see me for an opinion on stomach pain. Why would I refuse to see her again? Abdominal pain is an everyday occurrence for a gastroenterologist. She was accompanied by her mother. I had never met this woman previously.[read more]
HealthWorks Collective Series
David Davidovic David built and led commercial functions in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries for 33 years and has been di More »
Barbara Ficarra Barbara Ficarra, RN, BSN, MPA is an award-winning journalist, media broadcaster, health educator, speaker and consultant More »
David Harlow David Harlow is Prinicipal of the Harlow Group LLC, a healthcare law and consulting firm based in Boston, MA. More »
Stephen Schimpff Stephen C. Schimpff, MD is the retired CEO of the Univ. of MD Med. Center and the COO of the Univ of MD Medical System. More »
Andrew Schorr Andrew, a leukemia survivor and respected medical journalist is the founder of PatientPower, an excellent web resource. More »
John Sharp John Sharp has interests in social media in healthcare and clinical research informatics including secondary use of EMR More »
Christina Thielst Christina Thielst is a hospital administrator, consultant, educator and author with 30 years of healthcare experience. More »
“Thanks Janet. As you know, Alexandra's institution is a member of the Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media. I'm a member of the Center's external advisory board. I'd invite folks interested in bringing best practices to their own institutions to think about coming to the annual meeting this fall in Rochester, MN. See MCCSM site for details.I am also perpetually looking for bloggers to host ...”
“It is a good story, thanks for sharing it, and the business world is littered with similar transformations. The common thread in them tends to be the fact that, like Encyclopedia Britannica, these organisations were facing extinction, they had stopped being relevant to customers and were loosing money.Not so for pharma - well perhaps they have lost the plot with customers and are becoming less ...”