6 Healthcare Technology Trends Accelerated By COVID-19 You Should Know

6 Healthcare Technology Trends Accelerated By COVID-19 You Should Know

6 Healthcare Technology Trends Accelerated By COVID-19 You Should Know

Technology is the need of time. This era is moving, or you can say running on technology. Think for a while, is there any field that is performing its tasks without this gift of science? The answer is a big NO! And if every field is dependent on technology, why health lags?

6 Healthcare Technology Trends Accelerated By COVID-19 You Should Know

During this pandemic of COVID-19, we have seen drastic changes in our lives. Similarly, healthcare technology trends accelerated by COVID-19 are also one of those changes.

Healthcare needs advancement because the survival of the human race is dependent on this sector. COVID-1 has proved that many developed countries do not have advanced healthcare systems. And their healthcare sectors collapse within two months of pandemic during 2020. 

So, the world has realized the importance of technology. Because it improves the efficacy of healthcare professionals and improves the outcomes of the performing tasks.

Here are the healthcare technology trends accelerated by COVID-19;

E-Hospitals

E-hospitals are established to connect the patients, doctors, and hospitals on a single digital platform that helps in providing services to the citizens with great efficiency. 

This concept is broadly accepted all over the world during the COVID-19 pandemic peaks, as we need social distancing in this pandemic. And E-hospital is the only solution for this.

Through these hospitals, anyone can reach any doctor across the world. The data can be shared through digital media. And consultation can be provided from far distances.

E-Pharmacy

E pharmacy services are the unique way of facilitating the citizens and are provided during this pandemic. As we are using online portals for shopping and home deliveries, medicines can also be purchased through online platforms. 

Websites and Apps are available on which you can find and order the medicines and disposable medical essentials, and order them online.

Telemedicine

Telemedicine is a service through which healthcare professionals provide online consultations through digital platforms. Many websites and Apps are working day and night to connect the patients with the doctors. 

These platforms have a complete database of doctors according to their specialties. You can also search for a health professional according to the disease you are suffering from. 

You don’t need to wait in long queues or waiting areas of the clinics, rather you can book your appointment online and get your consultation while sitting in your homes.

However, there are growing concerns regarding healthcare fraud and medical identity theft cases during virtual sessions. Fortunately, innovative solutions like RightPatient can prevent medical identity theft even during telehealth visits since it can be used at any touchpoint across the care continuum to verify patients’ identities.  

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence is enhancing the efficacy and outcomes of different health processes. It improves the diagnosis process, analysis, interpretation, and comprehension of complicated medical and healthcare data. 

It analyzes the data throughout the system. It helps in identifying the risks and infections. The data helps in predicting the future risks and healthcare outcomes.

Cloud Storage System

The storage system is like a cloud of data through which anyone can get information according to their need. A Cloud storage system in healthcare has all the necessary data stored in one place. 

And it can be accessible by anyone in the world. It is helpful in many ways like it is a cost-effective way of using the data and technology.

Wearables and Health-related apps

Covid19 led to wide usage of smart bands and health-related applications. The apps help in tracking your footsteps, workout, menstruation cycle, pregnancy, oxygen levels, heartbeat, and blood pressure, etc.

Similarly, people like to wear different smartwatches and bands to stay fit during this pandemic.

Living with the new normal is not that hard as it seems. If you just go with the flow and adopt the latest technology trends, you can easily survive this pandemic. 

Digital platforms like Marham are helping millions of peoples in connecting them with the best healthcare professionals while sitting in their homes. 

The website provides you a separate section of a health blog, in which you can read about the latest news related to COVID-19, health issues, remedies, best health professionals, and many more.

Now everything is just a click away in this online world. And you need to understand the benefits of these healthcare technology trends to get a better life ahead.

Healthcare and technology

4 Ways Digitization is Transforming the Healthcare Industry

Healthcare and technology

Technology has benefited almost every industry it has come into contact with. The impact that it has had on businesses is undeniable. Truly, shifting to digital systems has fundamentally changed the way that work is done, vastly improved upon existing processes, and enhanced how businesses engage and interact with their customers.

Healthcare and technologyEven healthcare, an industry known for being traditionally slow to adopt radical changes, is now embracing digital transformation as a response to ever-increasing regional and federal demands. This is done to improve the delivery of its services, operations, and outcomes. Indeed, digitization addresses some of the biggest problems facing healthcare systems all over the world. These include, but are not limited to, the rising cost of care, the poor quality and inaccessibility of healthcare services, inefficient back-office systems and processes, and the lack of personalized patient-specific treatment. 

Though these digital breakthroughs in healthcare may still be in their infancy stages, technology has still significantly transformed the relationship between health systems, healthcare providers, and patients. This can be seen from the digitization of health records to innovations in health insurance technology. Here’s a closer look at how digitalization is directly helping to save lives, greatly improve operational efficiency, and better the experience of both providing and receiving healthcare services:

Health Record Digitalization

Before digitization, patient medical records had to be manually encoded on paper before being transferred from department to department. It would be an understatement to say that it was a burdensome, time-consuming chore for everyone involved.

To make matters worse, the records themselves were inherently insecure and vulnerable to human error, loss, and damage. Simply locating an existing patient’s information could take a while, depending on the size of the institution. A person’s medical records could also be scattered across a variety of healthcare practitioners that offered different services. For example, a person’s dental records would traditionally be kept separate from their psychiatric records, their physical therapy records, and so on, hindering collaboration between a patient’s medical providers.

The introduction of the Electronic Health Record or EHR has been a blessing to both healthcare practitioners and patients everywhere. They allow providers and other authorized users to access accurate, complete, and up-to-date information about patients instantly and securely. EHRs help facilitate faster diagnoses, reduce medical errors, and improve the completeness and legibility of documentation. Additionally, they can bring down the cost of healthcare by avoiding duplicate testing and decreasing the time it takes to do administrative tasks.

Moreover, many healthcare providers are enhancing EHRs by ensuring accurate patient identification with RightPatient. It is a robust touchless biometric patient identification platform that prevents patient misidentification, duplicate medical records, and improves healthcare outcomes. 

Telemedicine

Access to quality healthcare continues to be an issue worldwide, especially in lower-income countries. They may suffer from weak healthcare infrastructure as well as a shortage of providers. Challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic have also called for a definitive solution that will allow elderly patients and those with co-morbidities to safely see their healthcare providers without putting them at risk.

Telemedicine is the digital solution that can address all of these problems. Video conferencing allows medical professionals to see patients that may not be physically able to come to them. It also enables them to reach those who reside in rural or remote locations. They can even conduct one-on-one appointments with patients who live in other countries. Additionally, telecommunication is a valuable educational tool that helps facilitate training and collaboration opportunities between healthcare institutions and providers separated by long distances. 

Big Data Analytics

Many of us have freely embraced technology as a way to proactively keep tabs on our own health. Our smartphones can automatically track how many steps we’ve taken in a day, while wearable electronic devices can provide insights into our resting heart rate and blood oxygen levels. There is also an abundance of health apps out there for a variety of use cases, from meal tracking and calorie counting to meditation and mental health improvement. 

This means that there is an ever-expanding pool of data that can be collected from these sources, the importance of which simply cannot be overstated. Big data, when harnessed effectively, can be used to create a more personalized approach to patient care. Analytics can also empower healthcare professionals in providing faster, more accurate diagnoses and making better treatment decisions. Most promising, though, is the possibility that, in the near future, big data can be used in conjunction with artificial intelligence and machine learning to predict a patient’s medical trajectory. 

Modernized Insurance Claims Processing

Health insurers are also benefiting from digital technologies, especially with regards to claims processing and adjudication. Claims management has long been considered a major pain point in the healthcare lifecycle. Nowadays, consumers are paying more than ever for premiums and out-of-pocket costs, but do not feel that they are getting their money’s worth from their insurance providers. Most of their dissatisfaction comes from delayed claims payments caused by inefficient claims processing. 

Digitizing claims processing and adjudication addresses the root of the problem. Going digital enables health insurers to streamline claims management and offer claims processing in real-time, thus vastly improving the experience for their customers.

Even now, the future is looking particularly bright for technology in healthcare. There are always exciting new developments to look forward to, and we can expect this digital revolution to continue in the years to come.

Exploring-the-Top-Healthcare-Tech-Trends

Exploring the Top Healthcare Technology Trends 

Exploring-the-Top-Healthcare-Tech-Trends

Technology advancement has revolutionized the healthcare industry. Latest technologies are innovated to diagnose and treat lethal diseases. People have also become health conscious and they try to use the latest technologies to know about their health conditions. As the pandemic has hit the world badly, it has changed the landscape of the healthcare market. People used to visit doctors before, but now they prefer to take a doctor’s assistance online while maintaining social distancing. 

Exploring-the-Top-Healthcare-Tech-Trends

Along with telehealth, many other tech trends are revolutionizing the healthcare industry. Let’s take a look at the top healthcare technology trends in 2021.

TeleMedicine

COVID-19 has given a great boost to telehealth resources. According to the statistics of April 2020, 43.5% of people followed telehealth methods rather than in-person visits. In the pandemic, people are asked to avoid social contact so telehealth methods help to take medical assistance while staying at home. It is expected that telehealth methods will continue to proceed even after the pandemic is over. Statistics show that 50% of people had already used virtual appointments and 71% of patients in the US used telemedicine at the start of the pandemic. 

The best part of Telemedicine is that people are comfortable with this service and they are adopting it without any hesitation. Thus, the future of Telemedicine is very strong. 

One of the important devices used in healthcare is fitness trackers. Through fitness trackers, they also check the overall wellness of the people. The pandemic has given a great boost to telehealth service and it is expected to reach $185.6 billion by 2026. 

The advanced telehealth service is telemedicine apps.  One of the famous apps is WebRTC, it uses the API system to connect web-browsers with mobile applications. This app is famous among patients because of its versatility. It provides features like video chat, screen sharing, text, and file transfer. Electronic health records EHR are integrated into your telemedicine app. It helps healthcare providers and patients to watch their medical records in this app. 

Interactive Voice Response is used to interact with the patients through digital speech. Apple Health Kit and google fit can be integrated with the app so that people can check the health information on their smartphone. While developing this app, it is essential to consider what features they should have. The features that should be looked upon are appointment management, location services, security, secure messaging, audio-video communication, visitors’ history, healthcare provider reviews, and virtual testing through wearable integration.  The accessibility and security of this app make it a great need for healthcare technology.

However, experts are worried that hackers will turn their attention to telehealth sessions and steal patient information. Healthcare providers need to ensure that patient information is protected even during remote sessions.

Fortunately, RightPatient can help with that. It is a touchless biometric patient identification platform that attaches patients’ photos and their biometric data to the EHRs during registration. RightPatient is also versatile enough to be used at any touchpoint – even during telehealth sessions, protecting patient data and preventing medical identity theft.

Internet of Medical Things (IoMT)

Many mobile apps and various devices are used to track and prevent chronic illness in patients. The development of IoT with telehealth and telemedicine technologies has resulted in the emergence of the new internet of medical things (IoMT). This includes the use of wearables like EKG and ECG monitors. They help in detecting blood pressure readings, glucose levels, and skin temperature.

It is expected by 2025, the IoT industry will be worth $6.2 trillion. In this time of the pandemic, IoT technology is widely used and 30% of the market share for IoT devices is derived from healthcare. The first delivery method in IoT took place in 2017 by the FDA when they approved the smart pill. IoMT is also giving effective options to their patients. Providing different options with different devices is full of challenges.

Manufacturers are using proprietary protocols while communicating with devices. This can create a problem when you have to collect large data from the servers. Connectivity issues can also prevail in smartphones and microcontrollers because of many environmental factors. The Buffering problem needs to be addressed to maintain a better connection. Security concerns also need to be taken care of. The report from the Ponemon Institute’s sixth annual benchmark study on the security and privacy of healthcare data says that 89% of healthcare operations are the result of the data breach.

Use of Artificial Intelligence in COVID-19

Artificial Intelligence is playing a pivotal role in this period of the pandemic. It helps in pandemic detection, analyzing CT scans, facial recognition with masks, vaccine development treatment, and vaccine development. 

a) Pandemic Detection

BlueDot, an application developed in Canada, is the first to detect COVID-19. Bluedot’s system is scanning over 100,000 media sources from around the globe in more than 65 different languages. It helps to identify real dangerous breakthroughs of a pandemic. To know the intensity of the pandemic, the following factors are analyzed:

  • Examining the regional and global climate conditions.
  • Analyzing the data of itineraries and flights.
  • Looking into vaccine development.
  • Examining the animal and insect populations.
  • The capacity of health systems.

As per the Brookings Institution, in the development of the new vaccine, the response of immunogenic viral components is taken from the immune system. Machine learning has assisted immunology. Artificial intelligence helps to identify the properties that are needed to combat the pandemic. Machine learning provides data with great speed, efficiency, and precision that cannot be developed by human work alone. With the help of machine assistance, immunologists have identified over one million fragments of proteins on the cell’s surface.

“SYGFQPTNGVGYQPY” is a portion of COVID-19 that needs to be fragmented to know more about the pandemic. Machine learning is helping in this regard and COVID-19 vaccine development is in process.

b) Thermal Screening

Many thermal screening devices like non-contact infrared thermometers and a variety of thermal screening systems are used to detect the temperature of human beings. AI can detect the temperature of many human beings at once. Thus, it is widely used in the diagnosis of COVID-19

c) Analysis of CT Scan

Humans can make an error in the analysis of CT scans. Artificial intelligence can detect pneumonia caused by COVID-19 in the chest scan. Chest scans are taken by utilizing the data taken from machine learning.

d) Facial Recognition while wearing Masks

Machines used in facial recognition can identify people wearing the mask with 95% accuracy.

Robotics

In surgical departments, many collaborative robots like the da Vinci surgical robot are working to assist doctors in doing surgeries. The use of robots is not limited to the surgical department. They are also used in other healthcare departments. The robotic industry is making progress by leaps and bounds and it is expected to reach $ 20 billion by 2023. The robots are helping the doctors to treat the patients from remote areas with telepresence, for example, helping patients with rehabilitation and prosthetics, disinfecting the hospital rooms, packaging medical devices, and automating labs. Other medical robots include micro-bot. They are used in the therapy of the specific part of the body like clearing bacterial infections or giving radiation to a tumor.

Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality  

Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality are very important technologies that are being used to assist telehealth in the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic. From treating the patients and helping the medical students in procedure simulations, this innovative technology is altering science fiction to reality.

AR and VR technology are helping to treat stroke victims by overcoming motor deficiencies. These stroke patients are taken to such a virtual and simulated environment that can help in regaining their motor skills. They provide the flexibility that cannot be attained by physical therapy. Controlled simulations also help to gather data that can be used to make care plans for patients.

Maplewood Senior Living in Connecticut is successfully using VR headsets to work with those patients that are suffering from Dementia and cognitive impairments. The environment created by augmented and virtual reality produces such medical results that cannot be gathered by the normal environment. This helps patients in reviving their memory and improving their health. Augmented reality also helps healthcare people to provide personalized services. They take information in 3D space according to doctors and surgeon’s vision. This real-time access can help them devise medical procedures. This also made students learn from procedures and doctors compare and use data for an accurate diagnosis. 

5G

To provide healthcare services to the patients that are residing in any remote and under-served area, speed and quality are very important to get desired outcomes. 5G is helping healthcare organizations by providing them with the transmission of large imaging files so that doctors can review and advise on patient care treatment. 

Wrapping Up

The medical and healthcare field is very important for human survival. The diagnosis and treatment should be given to patients on time so that they can combat the disease and start living a healthy life. Telemedicine, the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), Robotics, Augmented and Virtual reality, and 5G are technological trends that are used to provide incredible health facilities to billions of people around the globe. These medical technologies are also helping healthcare systems to cope with increasing demands.

What-Makes-PPO-Insurance-So-Interesting

What Makes PPO Insurance So Interesting?

What-Makes-PPO-Insurance-So-Interesting

If you want a flexible health insurance plan that puts you in control of your coverage, you should consider PPO insurance. PPO insurance comes with more freedom of choice when choosing healthcare providers. These insurance plans are also relatively affordable, making them a good choice for those on a budget or looking for cheap health insurance.

What-Makes-PPO-Insurance-So-Interesting

Let’s take a closer look at PPO insurance and answer the question of what makes PPO insurance so interesting.

How Does PPO Insurance Work?

Let’s begin with the basics and look at how PPO Insurance, or Preferred Provider Organization insurance, works. These insurance plans are insurance products where you get the freedom of choice over primary and specialty care providers. Most policies cover you for all across the United States. Some PPO insurance policies even cover international travel.

As a PPO plan member, you’ll save money when you choose a service provider from within an insurance network. However, you can still get some coverage when choosing a provider outside of the network. Please note that choosing an out-of-network provider means you’ll have to pay more out-of-pocket.

Your insurance provider will give you a list of all of the practitioners and facilities within their network. You can choose from the service providers in your area to get all of the healthcare you need at a preferential price. As the healthcare you get from network providers is cheaper, we recommend choosing a doctor or facility within the network whenever possible to save the most money.

What Makes PPO Insurance Interesting?

PPO Plans are Adaptable

The most-touted benefit of signing up for PPO insurance is the adaptability of those programs. We are confident that you will be able to find a plan that suits your needs and preferences. These plans stand out against other healthcare plans that aren’t as flexible. PPO insurance allows you to search for treatment from any medical provider or physician, no matter your health and needs. You won’t have to obtain permission from a primary care provider to get coverage at a different medical facility. These plans work around you, rather than needing you to work around them.

In fact, one thing that makes these plans exciting is that you don’t even need to have a primary care doctor. PPO insurance puts the power in your hands and lets you take the right course of action for your needs. The adaptability of PPO plans means that you can schedule appointments and get treatments without having to ask for a referral from your primary care provider. The power is in your hands.

PPO Plans Offer Network Flexibility

To go back to the subject of network flexibility within PPO plans once again, you also have the option of staying within your network of providers or seeking outside help. The good news is that you won’t feel limited by the network of preferred providers. Insurance providers are continually arranging new deals and adding to their networks. Even if you stick to the network every step of the way, you’ll find you still have an excellent selection of care providers compared to other insurance plans. PPO insurance networks tend to cover a lot more ground than the average insurance plan.

It would help if you discussed how a company chooses contracted providers for their network. Ensure that the company performs background checks on providers, including checking for a history of malpractice claims. There are plenty of excellent PPO insurance providers out there that offer great care with greater flexibility, but you should always ask questions and be informed before making a choice.

PPO Plans Put You In Control

The most significant advantage of choosing a PPO insurance provider is that you are in charge of personal health care decisions. You have the power to choose which treatment options you want and who you want to receive it from. Being able to contact doctors and book appointments within your network without having to gain approval combined with the option to seek out-of-network care with partial coverage is what makes these plans so unique and interesting.

You aren’t bound to a primary care physician’s whims and decisions when you choose PPO insurance. You don’t have to spend the time, effort, and money involved with finding a doctor that would be better for you. Instead, you can see specialists when you need one, whenever you want.

Preferred Provider health insurance is interesting because it does away with all of the red tape and referrals involved with standard health insurance. It puts the power back in the patients’ hands and lets you choose the healthcare you want.

Whenever the topic of health insurance arises, medical identity theft is not far behind, unfortunately. When it occurs, a fraudster can gain access to the victim’s healthcare services, obtain medical devices, and drugs, all of which are billed against the victim. Patients not only lose money, but their EHRs are also affected, as the fraudsters’ information gets recorded within their EHRs.

Fortunately, many hospitals are preventing medical identity theft in real-time using innovative solutions – one of which is RightPatient – a touchless biometric patient identification platform. By locking the patient records with their photos and biometric data during registration, it red-flags fraudsters during the verification process where they need to look at the camera. Upon looking at the camera, RightPatient compares the saved photo with the live one, verifying authentic patients and red-flagging fraudsters, preventing medical identity theft in real-time.

Final Words

You have a lot of choices when it comes to healthcare and health insurance. PPO insurance is an option that lets you seek the healthcare you need when you need it. You can save money by choosing an in-network healthcare provider, but you can also get partial coverage for out-of-network care. You’ll never have to foot the whole bill, and you’ll never be caught out without some partial coverage at the least.

Necessities for Your Healthcare Practice in 2021

Necessities for Your Healthcare Practice in 2021

Necessities for Your Healthcare Practice in 2021

As healthcare moves further into the 21st century, healthcare providers have access to better technologies and opportunities for care than at any point in history. However, with these new frontiers come new challenges and concerns. Properly managing these new obstacles is an essential aspect of modern healthcare, but the possibilities for improved health and patient service are worth the effort. Keep reading to learn about the necessities you should have for your healthcare practice next year.

Necessities-for-your-healthcare-practice-in-2021

Managing Costs

One of the most startling aspects of healthcare is the speed with which costs are increasing. For decades the cost of healthcare and healthcare spending as a percentage of the United States’ GDP have been trending steadily upwards, without any signs of slowing down. The reasons for this increase include an aging population, the cost of machinery and equipment, and inaccurate medical care. As such, it is imperative for your healthcare practice to examine ways to reduce costs for yourself and your patients.

There are several ways to do this. Eliminating paper health records can be an effective way to reduce storage space, reduce the time associated with record-keeping, and reduce the need for resources like paper and printing. All of these benefits can make electronic health records (EHR) as a cost-effective option. Additionally, you can direct your marketing resources in ways that better reflect the current market. This can include incorporating more digital advertising into your marketing strategy as these avenues tend to be cheaper. Make sure to do your research in order to find the best option for your practice.

Integrating New Technologies

A key aspect of your practice must always include staying up-to-date on the latest technologies. This can really help elevate your healthcare practice. In some cases, this is because new procedures or techniques require specialized equipment. In other cases, new technologies can make it easier for you to provide efficient, affordable service to your patients.

EHR is a great example of a technology that has the potential to help you run a more streamlined practice. However, many healthcare professionals have experience with paper-based records. This means that using EHR requires more than simply purchasing a software system. It is essential to invest the time and training to make sure that professionals at your practice understand the software thoroughly to ensure that records are consistent, clear, and easily accessible.

Speaking of EHRs, there are times when patients are misidentified due to a number of reasons – they are assigned inaccurate medical records during registration. Duplicate medical records, medical record mix-ups, and overlays are just some examples, and patient misidentification can severely impact patient safety – jeopardizing healthcare outcomes. Fortunately, responsible healthcare providers are solving patient identification errors with RightPatient, a touchless biometric patient identification platform. It uses patients’ faces to identify their EHRs accurately and can be used at any touchpoint, starting from appointment scheduling.

Likewise, endoscopies and other procedures that rely on cameras can be a valuable tool to improve the health and quality of life of your patients. But, the equipment needed for them can quickly become obsolete, and incorporating such devices into your practice can require a great deal of time and financial cost. As you consider which technologies to use in your practice, pay careful attention to the demands of your patients, how long you plan to use a device, and the capacity of your space. 

Excellent Management and Necessary Care

One of the most important parts of your healthcare practice should be excellent management. It is important to invest in ways to make the experience for patients even better than anticipated every time they visit. For example, excellent healthcare management can be choosing the type of best type of lighting for an operating room or comforting lighting in a lobby for visitors. This can help people to feel more comfortable overall in your office.

Because of the high costs associated with nearly every aspect of the healthcare system, it is essential that your practice recommend and provide the best care possible. According to Forbes, one of the leading factors in the increase in healthcare costs is providers recommending care that is not necessary. In addition to charging patients for care that they do not need, providing unnecessary treatment requires you to purchase supplies and equipment. This can lead to a cycle in which you purchase equipment that might not be a good fit for your practice. In turn, you could continue recommending unnecessary care to pay for that equipment. Moreover, unnecessary treatments cause healthcare costs across the country to increase which will further impact your bottom line.

Another related concern is providing ineffective or harmful care. Beyond the fact that providing care to fix a medical mistake, or paying a settlement, can cost your practice money, it also erodes public trust. The best way to ensure that patients continue to return to your practice is to treat them as well as possible the first time.

Conclusion

As your practice strives to serve your patients as well as possible, the value of effective planning and conscientious treatment is hard to overstate. By paying attention to cost factors and using your resources well, you can take good care of your patients as well as your practice. In addition to earning the trust of your customers, taking care of these details can help your practice thrive for years to come.

7 Q&As That Shed Light on the Opioid Use Epidemic in the United States

7 Q&As That Shed Light on the Opioid Use Epidemic in the United States

7 Q&As That Shed Light on the Opioid Use Epidemic in the United States

The past two decades have seen an alarming crisis involving substance abuse in the United States. The number of addiction-related deaths has been consistently rising that in 2018, 67,400 deaths were recorded, a figure that is almost four times higher than the documented 17,500 deaths in 2000. The leading culprit among these deaths includes heroin, prescription painkillers, and opioids.

In 2011, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared an epidemic of overdoses from prescription painkillers, the most common of which are opioids. This opioid epidemic rapidly evolved from a problem concerning the abuse of prescription opioids to a nationwide crisis of illegal drug trafficking. Unfortunately, evidence shows that the ever-growing problem has started creeping beyond opioids to include other drugs like methamphetamine and cocaine.

Read below to know more about the opioid use epidemic in the United States and how you can get help for alcohol and drug abuse today.

When Did the Opioid Epidemic Begin?

The onset of the opiate use epidemic in the US is believed to have been brought about by the upsurge in the use of prescription opioid painkillers. In the 1980s, several medical journals published studies about the effectiveness of opioids as painkillers without the risk of addiction, and this triggered the beginning of the rampant prescribing of opioid painkillers by health professionals. Moreover, what is believed to be the “focal point of opioid abuse issues” was the development and approval of the opioid painkiller OxyContin in 1995.

What Are the Three Waves of Opioid-related Deaths?

In a span of less than 20 years, from 1999-2018, a whopping 450,000 people have already died from substance abuse related to an opioid overdose involving both prescription and illicit opioids. This opioid epidemic can be summarized in three waves.

The 1990s marked the first wave, where an increase in the prescribing of opioids was observed, followed by a rapid increase in opioid-related deaths involving natural and semi-synthetic prescription opioids and methadone.
The second wave took place in 2010 and is marked by exponential increases in heroin overdose-related deaths.
The third wave transpired in 2013, where rapid increases in deaths from overdoses on synthetic opioids, particularly fentanyl, was observed.

What Do National Trends Look Like?

National trends on opioid overdose deaths show the ever-evolving phases of the opioid epidemic described above. Also, death rates due to cocaine and psychostimulant abuse also increased around the same time when an increase in heroin and synthetic opioid-related deaths was seen. Studies show that this relationship is somehow propelled by an increase in death rates involving multiple drug abuse.

What Do State Trends Look Like?

Most US states have experienced considerable increases in opioid-related deaths beginning in 2000, with both the type of opioids involved and the number of deaths varying widely throughout the country. To illustrate, particularly the eastern part of the country has been shown to have high rates of deaths from overdoses on synthetic opioids and heroin. Addiction and deaths related to prescription opioids, on the other hand, tend to be scattered across the country.

Regional variations were also observed in non-opioid drugs such as cocaine, with the highest death rates recorded in the eastern US. In contrast, psychostimulants were responsible for many overdose-related deaths in the western part of the US.

What Are Some of the Most Important Statistics on the Opioid Epidemic?

  • Around 21 to 29% of patients who were prescribed opioid painkillers abused them.
  • Of those patients, about 8 to 12% eventually develop substance abuse disorder.
  • More than 14,000 treatment centers for substance abuse have been established across the United States.
  • Roughly 1.27 million Americans are now undergoing pharmacological treatment for substance abuse.
  • A 142% increase in the number of patients undergoing pharmacological treatment at HRSA-funded health centers was observed from 2016 to 2018.
  • A 4.1% decline in deaths involving drug overdose was seen from 2017 to 2018.
  • From 2016 to 2019, more than USD 9 billion has been granted to various communities to help combat the opioid epidemic.

What Is the Government’s Strategy in Combating the Opioid Epidemic?

The National Institutes of Health laid out five priorities in the fight against the opioid use epidemic in the US:

  • To promote treatment of opioid abuse through the use of overdose-reversing drugs
  • To improve the public’s access to treatment facilities and services
  • To provide support for scientific research on substance abuse
  • To advance better healthcare practices for pain management
  • To strengthen the public’s knowledge and understanding of the opioid epidemic by expanding public health surveillance

The opioid use epidemic in the US began in the 1990s, which marked the first of the three waves of opioid-related deaths. Since then, surveillance of appropriate opioid use has been strengthened to mitigate the crisis, and a decline in death rates is now being observed for the past few years. Hopefully, this is a sign of a reversal in the grim trends that have long been observed in this ongoing epidemic, which has resulted in massive economic, health, and social costs across the United States.

How can healthcare providers address the opioid crisis?

Healthcare providers across the US are facing the consequences of the opioid crisis. For instance, many of those who are addicted to opioids come in and assume the identities of other patients, or can even steal the credentials of others. In either case, they are committing medical identity theft to gain illegal access to opioids. Since there is no effective patient identifier present, many of these bad actors get away with it, hampering patient safety and corrupting the affected patient’s data. While different caregivers are using different strategies to reduce opioid cases, many are doing it effectively by preventing medical identity theft with RightPatient.

RightPatient is a touchless biometric patient identification platform that is used by several caregivers to accurately identify their patients. However, it can prevent medical identity theft in real-time. During registration, the platform locks the medical records with patients’ photos and biometric data. After registration, the patient only needs to look at the camera for verification – the platform runs a biometric search and provides the correct medical record within seconds. Thus, if a bad actor tries to pass off as the patient, RightPatient red-flags the individual, preventing medical identity theft in real-time.

7 Tips on Writing Compelling Content for Your Healthcare Website

7 Tips on Writing Compelling Content for Your Healthcare Website

7 Tips on Writing Compelling Content for Your Healthcare Website

The changing landscape of the healthcare industry has brought several changes. More and more companies have realized the necessity of digital marketing, which highlights the need for consistent online engagement and the importance of healthcare website design.

To survive the changing market and attract more potential patients, it’s crucial to create compelling content to interact with consumers. If you’re having trouble writing copy for your website, here are some tips to stand by during the writing process. 

Write from Your Readers’ Point of View

When it comes to writing, you always need to consider your readers. What subjects, information, and topics interest them? What do they find useful? Learn what your target audience is looking for and write content that can meet these interests and needs.

One effective way to do this is to put yourself in your target readers’ shoes while you write. If you’re targeting local readers, you can conduct a survey and research on unmet needs (e.g. need for animal treatment centers, proper healthcare for an aging population) in the community to help you narrow down the kind of content you need to create.

Keep your content in line with your services and the services you plan to add in the future. Through the kinds of content you produce, consumers can easily connect your company with a particular service.

Consider The Audience’s Reading and Medical Comprehension Level

As several healthcare practitioners know, terminologies in the science community can be quite confusing. However, since you’re writing for a more general audience, be reminded that not everyone knows the names and terms for diseases, symptoms, and other conditions.

Write in a way that a person without a medical background can understand. Use plain words with a simple yet ample description. Most importantly, explain simply how the subject affects them personally. 

For a more extensive explanation in writing health-related content, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a set of guidelines, resources, and materials that you can check to assist your writing.

Incorporate Relevant Keywords 

To write the most applicable kind of content for your website, select keywords that are connected to your practice. For example, if your services focus on mental health, words such as “psychology” and “mental illness” are among the words you can use in your copy.

After selecting the keywords, incorporate them into your articles, blog posts, and other kinds of content. Search engines such as Google take account of these keywords in displaying their search results. Keep in mind, however, that your copy shouldn’t all be about keywords. Do your research and add these specific terms in the article without breaking the narrative’s flow to make it sound more natural to your readers.

Ensure that Information is Accurate

The healthcare field is always updating. There are new discoveries, medicinal breakthroughs, and previous studies continuously being debunked or supported. Thus, it’s crucial to only choose sources that are reliable, timely, and relevant to your topic.

Additionally, don’t forget to properly cite your sources. Website visitors need to know that the information they’re reading is backed by well-founded studies and research. For instance, take a look at RightPatient’s blog posts – we always cite credible sources that help us to explain better why our touchless biometric patient identification solution is crucial for US healthcare providers. 

Google also rewards well-researched content, which can raise your search rankings and lead more visitors to your website.

Keep It Simple

People click on a link because they think they can get something they want or need. If your copy is filled with information irrelevant to your topic, readers will simply scroll through it, realize that it won’t help them, and simply go to another site.

Thus, when you’re writing copy, get to the point, and stick to your topic. Avoid segueing to different ideas or subject matters that are not important to it. If you think that readers will find the extra information useful, providing a link to another page or reference site will give them the option to know more about the other subject.

Proofread Your Work before Posting

Before submitting a copy, make sure to proofread it first. Misspellings and grammatical errors can disrupt the article’s flow and break the reader’s train of thought. It also looks unprofessional, which may affect your healthcare brand image.

Thus, make sure to go through your copy multiple times before submission. There are several websites and apps that you can use to check your work for simple spelling mistakes or errors. With that said, if you’d like it done more professionally, consider hiring a copyeditor to help check the quality of your work.

Create Original Content

One of the things to avoid in creating content is to duplicate another work. Not only does this infringe on the intellectual property of the other website, but it may also affect your search engine rankings.

The best way to go is to write your own content. While there are several similar articles on the internet, writing an original copy will have your unique voice in relaying information and offer something different from the rest.

Writing isn’t easy, and writing for healthcare is even more so. Aside from the amount of research, there are also rules and guidelines in the healthcare industry that you need to uphold. Do the work, however, and it will greatly reward you. Producing great content will not only attract a wider audience, but also further cement your company as a reliable healthcare provider in the community.

Blockchain in healthcare - from doubts to must-have

Blockchain in healthcare: from doubts to must-have

Blockchain in healthcare - from doubts to must-have

In 2019, blockchain in the healthcare market comprised 2.12 billion USD. Market experts forecast it to reach 3.49 billion USD by 2025 explaining the prominent growth by the increasing demand for secure technological boost. Being in the epicenter of hi-tech trends, blockchain is believed to be one of the key directions in healthcare innovations in the near future.

Blockchain in healthcare - from doubts to must-have

Drug origin tracking and patient data security have become major problems in the industry. HIPAA entities confirmed a massive patient data leakage in March 2019 when medical information of 912,992 people was exposed with uncertain outcomes. This number indicates a 14% increase in data breaches compared to the period of 2013-2018 when medical data of 15 million patients was stolen through the whole 5-year period. 

According to the World Health Organization, about 30% of all drugs sold in Africa, Asia, and LATAM can be counterfeit. The tendency is gaining momentum yet along with the growing demand for diverse medicine.

Market trends

In Europe, starting from February 2019 the Falsified Medicines Directive obliges pharmacies, healthcare providers, and hospitals to follow strict authenticity control measures, otherwise, they may be removed from the legal healthcare market. 

The US Food and Drug Administration has signed requirements for healthcare supply chain advancement to enable the government and market players to take control over drug production quality at no risk for consumers. By 2023, all medical entities falling outside the regulations will be forced from the market until full legal compliance.

To accelerate advancements in the industry, the US Synaptic Health Alliance has been created involving top market players such as Humana, UnitedHealth Group’s Optum, Quest Diagnostics, Multiplan, Ascension, and others, who aim to let the healthcare industry evolve with the help of blockchain. The companies believe that the technology’s peculiarities will eliminate the risk of data leakage and reduce operational costs for the entities.

Why blockchain?

Due to the distributed nature, blockchain is able to solve challenges in security, authorization, storage, compliance and other issues in healthcare.

To begin with, healthcare is about personal interaction which sometimes lacks systematizing, especially in unprecedented situations like the coronavirus pandemic. Having a trusted, one-for-all system could help mitigate most of the messy processes. Leaking patient data through platform sources would become transparent to all platform participants. What is more, the data won’t be leaked since each interaction with sensitive data would require confirmation by the system, or the majority of votes, i.e. users.

Automated compliance 

Pharma supply chains involve dozens to hundreds of intermediary contractors, and each of them is obliged to abide by the laws and rules of certain legislations. Moreover, sometimes laws change and pharmaceutical companies must immediately obey them. A blockchain-based platform is built in a way that data and platform software is distributed among the platform participants. Once you set up regulations for automated compliance verification, they immediately apply to the whole platform if the majority of authorized users, i.e. consensus, approves it. Starting from that moment platform users will always be on the same page in all platform-tracked processes. Automated compliance would save a lot of time and man-hours without the risk of overlooking or missing something.

Removed counterfeit

Another huge challenge in healthcare is counterfeiting and fraud. The WHO expects that more than ten percent of all medicine worldwide is counterfeit, with 16.5 billion Euros lost due to this in 2019 according to the EUIPO. Every medicine needs to pass numerous tests and trials over a long period. At this point, drug-producing companies face the risk of failure due to component specifics or lifetime, drug inconsistency, market release date delay, troubled entry to national markets, or other reasons. And here some of them may opt to take an unknown, cheaper, trustless ingredient to accelerate the process. Blockchain removes this risk as all data on a blockchain-based platform is tagged and trackable up to its origin visibly to all authorized users. More than that, a company can tag drug ingredients and medicines with IoT sensors. In this way, the batches will be visible throughout their whole way up to sales to an end-user. Shady or careless contractors will be unable to add an unknown competent to a batch since all batch data will be transparent for the whole supply chain.

Improved trials

Blockchain allows for faster recalls and fair testing. 

With blockchain’s opportunity to provide the same information to all platform users, collaboration improves by itself. 

As a result, blockchain automates what can be automated, tracks what should be tracked, and drastically decreases failures due to human error. What is more, thanks to the use of blockchain data cannot be lost, compromised or hacked. In this way, a pharma supply chain gets full control over medical processes.

Use cases

At the moment all world’s biggest software developers utilize blockchain in their healthcare initiatives. IBM and Microsoft continue fitting blockchain in various domains. Other biggest blockchain in healthcare developers are Gem, Patientory, and Guardtime.

In January 2019, Aetna, Anthem, HCSC, PNC Bank, and IBM launched their initiative to develop a blockchain-based network for healthcare supply chains. At about the same time, Estonia announced it will use blockchain throughout the country to improve the overall performance of the healthcare system.

In 2019, a blockchain startup Solve. Care partnered with Arizona Care network and Uber Health for the development of a digital wallet for physicians, and Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals for the development of a patient management platform.

In 2020, HealthVerity announced its blockchain-based project to solve cybersecurity challenges following HIPAA regulations. The future platform is expected to bring high security to patient data. Lumeric, another blockchain development company, was acquired by St. Joseph Health to tame smart contracts for improving their administrative supply chain.

In the midst of 2020’s pandemic, Aetsoft announced their digital health passport platform. The platform can be used by medical institutions for ongoing tracking of citizens’ healthcare. The company expects the project to be successful as it can help track patient and citizen’s COVID-19, tuberculosis, HIV, and other test results on an institutional and even national level. Personal data is secured and private unless a person decides to share the data view with others. Information cannot be faked as each piece of sensitive data is marked and individually identifiable.

Conclusion

Blockchain’s perspectives in healthcare continue evolving with more projects entering the industry on the wave of the ongoing pandemic. The technology can massively improve and simplify processes in the industry through hi-end security and data control. All sensitive information about patients, doctors, staff, medical tests and trials, stock, and any supply chain documentation can be safely stored on blockchain visibly only to authorized staff, and unreachable to people from outside the system due to the distributed nature of the technology.

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How to Get Prescription Drug Coverage

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Did you know that your health insurance might cover your prescriptions too? Many people are unaware of this added benefit when they visit the pharmacy for a course of antibiotics or other prescription drugs. 

Behind the scenes of your health insurance plan is usually a list of approved medications that your insurer will cover in part or in full. This is known as a formulary. Some insurers may offer prescription coverage only as an add-on to your current plan. It’s always best practice to fully understand every inch of your insurance. 

Why spend money when you don’t need to? Health insurance premiums don’t come cheap. Take advantage of your entire plan or what your insurer has to offer and cut down your medication costs.  

Below we will cover everything you need to know about getting prescription drug coverage. Read on to learn more. 

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Prescription Drug Coverage Options

There are a myriad of ways in which you can gain prescription coverage. You may already be entitled to it through your employment or union without even knowing. TRICARE, Medigap, and Veterans Affairs also offer prescription coverage policies. It’s worth taking the time to delve deeper into any existing insurances you already hold. 

Alternatively, Medicare offers two different routes to obtaining drug coverage. The Medicare Prescription Drug Plan is often referred to as Part D is a drug-specific add-on to your existing Medicare plan. 

You can also opt for a Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C), which is similar to an HMO or PPO plan. With this option, you’ll receive the benefits of parts A, B, and D. These include hospital insurance, medical insurance, and drug coverage. Specific in-network pharmacies may need to be used to ensure your insurer will cover the cost if you opt for this route. 

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How to Join a Drugs Plan

Joining a drug plan is simple. If you’re searching for a new insurance policy, all you need to do is select it as an option (if available) during the selection process. Many independent and federal insurance companies will provide this choice.  

Alternatively, if you’re eligible for Medicare and want to enroll in Medicare prescription drug coverage, you’ll need to enroll in the Medicare Plan Finder. You can also call the Medicare agents to set up your drugs plan. If you want to add the cover later, you will need your Medicare number and the correct date your part A and B insurance began.

How to Find Out What Prescription Drugs Are Covered in Your Plan

If you want to find out what prescription drugs are covered in your current plan, you can head to your insurer’s website. Here you’ll be able to find the list of included medications in the provider’s policies. If the information isn’t transparent, then you should call your insurer directly for more details.

Drugs covered in your prescription policy should also be detailed in any materials mailed to you after setting up the insurance. If you have lost these, you can often request a new set to be sent to you.  

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Other Important Factors to Be Aware of With Prescription Cover

What type of insurance you take out (HMO, PPO, or private) and what plan you purchase will determine how your drug policy works. 

Some may only allow you to use certain pharmacies. Others may not cover your current prescription. In the latter instance, you may be offered a one-time refill until your doctor prescribes a new drug that is eligible under your cover. Alternatively, you can apply for an exception. 

An exception will make the specific drug you use eligible for cover. However, you will often be charged copayment. The fee is usually the same rate as the most expensive drug already on the policies approved list. The amount may count towards your deductibles and out-of-pocket limits. 

If your request for an exception is denied, you can appeal this decision and seek a third-party review. 

You may also find that some policies cover shipping costs for delivering your prescription by mail. On the other hand, others may not offer this service within the plan and charge you an additional fee for it.

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To Conclude

Don’t be afraid to pick up the phone and ask your medical insurer if prescription drug cover is part of your policy. You may be surprised by the number of medicines that are already covered in your plan. 

If a drug policy needs to be added on, it’s more than worth investigating further. You may incur a slight increase in premiums, so you would need to factor this into your budget. 

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How to identify patients with opioid abuse or addiction treatment?

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Addiction to opioids is a serious problem that is plaguing society. As a result, treatment of this needs to be taken as soon as possible because it becomes very difficult to overcome this,  at later stages. Attending opioid drug treatment centers in Columbus Ohio is the best way to stay away from the addiction of opioids and recover completely. There you will get the best assistance and guidance from the experts that force you to defeat your craving for taking opioids. It is very difficult to control your urge at your home. But in these places, you can easily quit your bad habits. The reason being, in rehab centers, you get chances to meet like-minded people who also want to quit their opioid habits.

How to identify patients with opioid abuse or addiction treatment?

Common signs to identify patients with opioid abuse

  • The inability to control opioid use
  • Uncontrollable cravings
  • Drowsiness
  • Changes in sleep habits
  • Weight loss
  • Frequent flu-like symptoms
  • Decreased libido
  • Lack of hygiene
  • Changes in exercise habits
  • Isolation from family or friends
  • Stealing from family, friends or businesses
  • New financial difficulties

How can biometric patient identification help detect and prevent a patient’s opioid addiction?

In today’s world, a biometric patient identification platform is one of the best and secure way to identify patient’s data integrity. Global healthcare has moved away from its dependence on paper-based therapeutic studies toward the use of electronic health records (EHR). 

So if you or your loved one is abusing opioids, by using a biometric patient identification platform like RightPatient, hospitals can easily identify the patient’s addiction towards opioids. It can red-flag once they go through the identification process, detecting whether they are assuming someone else’s identity or not to attain the drugs. Several hospitals are using RightPatient to improve revenue cycle, enhance patient safety, and reduce the creation of duplicate records as well. 

Here, we have mentioned some benefits of utilizing this to instantly identify patients’ data integrity that includes:

  • Detailed and up-to-date data at the time of service
  • Highly coordinated and effective care
  • Safe sharing of patient information among doctors
  • More infrequent medical mistakes
  • More reliable prescribing practices

These advantages depend on clinicians, hospitals, and other healthcare departments to carefully test patient identifications during all therapeutic encounters. 

If you or your loved one is addicted, kindly visit an opioid treatment center that helps you know how to abstain yourself from the use of opioid and lead a simple life. Although there are many approaches to treat your addiction to opioids, enrolling yourself in a good rehab center is, of course, the most effective way. These centers offer you many programs according to your needs and help you to recover completely. When you make a decision in your mind to attend an opioid treatment program, make sure that you select the best one available in your locality. For this, you need to conduct thorough research and find out the one that suits your requirements as well as budget.

How to identify patients with opioid abuse or addiction treatment?

There is a number of opioid rehabilitation centers in Philadelphia that offer excellent rehabilitation facilities and numerous programs including medical and behavioral treatments. These programs motivate you to quit taking opioids. These centers are located in almost all states of the USA. You can easily find rehab centers in your state that offer excellent facilities. If location is not a problem and geographical limits are not a major concern, you can also look for rehabs outside the USA. This provides you with a wide range of options to choose from. The main benefit of this is that you’ll be able to take advantage of the best rehab facilities for your loved ones in the event you are not satisfied with the existing opioid rehab centers in your state. There are several international options available in other countries too. You can avail the best of the bests. Before enrolling yourself in an opioid center, ensure that you make proper inquiries about their facilities, programs, and fee structure.

Facilities offered in opioid centers

  1. Opioid centers are committed to offering you expert advice and assistance which will help you to defeat your craving for taking opioids. They will also help you to understand the harmful effects of the opioid on your health as well as your family and social life.
  2. Opioid rehab centers offer gender-specific programs and treatments customized according to your specific needs. These programs encourage you to stay away from opioid use and you can live a sober life with your family.
  3. Most of the centers offer you medication treatment that reduces the craving of opioid consumption in you. They employ doctors, physicians, and specialists so that they can offer you proper medication to treat your addiction.
  4. Apart from this, they have several other programs including dual diagnosis, intensive outpatient, sober living, professionals programs, and family outreach programs to inspire you to defeat your urge and live a healthy and happy life.
  5. The rehab centers also have in-house psychologists, trainers, and psychiatrists to help and motivate you to stay away from opioids. They show you the right path following which you can lead a happy and fulfilling life.
  6. They also organize alumni programs where you can meet those individuals who came there as patients and now leading a fulfilling and healthy life.

Opioid rehab centers are the best places to treat addiction. They not only teach you how to stay away from them, but also help you understand their bad effects on your personal, social, and family life. The experts in rehab centers motivate you to defeat your urge of taking opioids and show you the brighter side of life. You can completely rely on their services as they always encourage you to live a healthy, sober, and fulfilling life.