July 20, 2020
(Please help us with this brief 3-question survey for a planned launch of a revised newsletter in the coming weeks.)
“Never waste a crisis” is one of Winston Churchill’s immortal quotes. We are in no less of a war than the one in whose context he uttered those words, but this time the enemy is an unseen (except under a microscope) virus. This week’s newsletter carries inspiring stories of how health systems have responded to the crisis with technology and informatics, such as this piece that I co-authored with senior leaders of Geisinger Health on combating COVID-19 while staying focused on enterprise digital transformation.
As states like Texas are crippled by the resurgence of the virus and the federal government administration fails to come up with a coherent strategy to contain the crisis, it falls on state and local administrations collaborating with private sector and citizenry, to step into the breach. As the CDC is stripped of access to pandemic data, efforts like the data-sharing collaboration among NYC hospitals may step into the breach to save lives. Even as public is misled by political rhetoric on the effectiveness of masks in containing the spread of the virus, national chains such as Starbucks, Walmart and other have mandated wearing masks in their stores. I sincerely hope others follow.
EHR systems remain central to the role of technology in responding to the pandemic. COVID-19 apps have emerged to mine clinical notes for syndromic surveillance (listen to my podcast last week on this topic), and the growing partnerships between EHR vendors and cloud service providers could accelerate innovation. At the other end of the spectrum, the need for contactless experiences has spurred innovation in robotics. Robots, hitherto used for activities such as food and medicines between floors in a typical hospital, are now taking on many hazardous tasks that could threaten human healthcare workers. Time for R2D2 and C3PO to reinvent themselves.
My latest podcast guest is Jeff Short, Vice President and Chief of Staff at Montefiore Health System in New York. Take a listen.
Digital transformation in healthcare: our picks for the week
Geisinger’s digital strategy to combat COVID-19 and accelerate enterprise transformation
Pennsylvania-based health system Geisinger launched a multi-year digital strategy to make health easier for patients and members in its health plan.
Using Information Technology To Improve COVID-19 Care At New York City Health + Hospitals
An insightful story of how COVID-19 is driving not just creative use of tech and informatics, but extraordinary collaboration among health systems.
EHR companies partnering with big tech for cloud services
Big electronic health record developers are signing agreements with tech giants as their clients look to shift to cloud.
AFTER THE PANDEMIC, DOCTORS WANT THEIR NEW ROBOT HELPERS TO STAY
R2D2 and C3PO now have new jobs on their hands, in an alien landscape filled with an unseen deadly virus.
An invisible hand: Patients aren’t being told about the AI systems advising their care
The issue of transparency in the use of AI tools for medical decisions will only get more acute. This article explores all the questions today.
Telemedicine is more convenient during Covid-19. It’s also a magnet for fraud and data theft
Increased accessibility of telemedicine visits during the pandemic is spurring calls among patients and doctors to permanently expand access across the U.S. However, data privacy is an issue.
Why We’re Losing the Battle With Covid-19
The crisis in Texas indicates how the chronic underfunding of public health is responsible for poor response to the pandemic in the United States.
Note: Some of the articles linked in this newsletter may be behind paywalls that need a subscription
The latest from Damo Consulting
Podcast 53: Jeff Short, Vice President and Chief of Staff, Montefiore Health System
“Emerging healthcare technologies will enable higher level of care delivery with fewer resources.”
This paper provides best practices for a successful healthcare digital transformation in a post-COVID-19 era.
White paper: The CMS Final Rule on Interoperability and Patient Access
Our latest white paper contains a detailed summary of the Interoperability and Patient Access Final Rule and the 21st Century Cures Act, along with technical and implementation standards.
‘A Model for Digital Transformation.’
The WITCH Report: Annual Review
A review of the financial and market performance of global technology consulting firms in healthcare.
eBook: COVID-19 Telehealth Program – Highlights of the CARES Act
A complimentary e-book on highlights of the COVID-19 CARES Telehealth Program by FCC.
The WITCH Monthly Monitor (June) – Our monthly update on major global IT consulting and services firms in healthcare provides latest financial and market performance updates on WITCH companies along with other global IT consulting firms.