Fifteen years after the transition to Electronic Health Records (EHRs) was accelerated by meaningful use incentives, health system leaders reflect on its impact, noting both significant advancements and areas for improvement. While EHRs have enhanced patient access to records, facilitated care coordination, and improved medication safety, they also present challenges such as clinician burnout due to increased documentation and a potential disconnect in the patient-provider relationship. Recent developments, including the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the digital transformation in healthcare, aim to address these issues and further optimize EHRs. Leaders underscore the essential role of EHRs in modernizing healthcare, despite recognizing the need for continuous evolution to achieve a more connected and patient-centered experience.

Have EHRs been good for healthcare? Becker's Hospital Review

The FDA has approved the atrial fibrillation (AFib) history feature of the Apple Watch for inclusion in its Medical Device Development Tools program. This marks a significant development as it's the first time a digital health technology is approved for use in clinical studies to measure the duration of AFib episodes. This feature will assist in evaluating the effectiveness of cardiac ablation devices in treating heart rhythm irregularities, facilitating non-invasive data collection before and after treatments. This endorsement by the FDA aligns with Apple's ongoing commitment to health-related technologies, acknowledging the device's potential in preventative healthcare while also recognizing the necessity of traditional medical consultation.

FDA qualifies Apple Watch’s AFib history for use in clinical studies The Verge

Yale New Haven Health (YNHH) has initiated legal action to exit its $435 million contract to acquire Manchester Memorial, Rockville General, and Waterbury hospitals from Prospect Medical Holdings, citing breaches of contract. YNHH alleges Prospect defaulted on financial obligations, let facilities deteriorate, and engaged in mismanagement, affecting the agreement negatively. Despite attempts to renegotiate the purchase price after a cyberattack and financial revelations about Prospect, discussions have stalled. Prospect counters these allegations, claiming it offered YNHH a fair price reduction and that its Connecticut facilities are financially recovering. The dispute has reached Connecticut's Superior Court, with both parties presenting conflicting accounts of their attempts to salvage the deal, and the state having previously approved the acquisition. Governor Ned Lamont urges both sides towards resolution, emphasizing the lawsuit's intention to facilitate, not obstruct, the sale's completion.

Yale New Haven Health moves to sue Prospect to get out of sale CT Mirror

The February cyberattack on Change Healthcare, a critical player in the U.S. medical billing sector, has highlighted significant cybersecurity vulnerabilities within the healthcare industry, leading to a near-collapse of medical billing systems, risking financial instability for health systems and medical practices, and potentially exposing up to 85 million patient records. The attack, which has caused extensive financial damage and compromised a significant portion of the U.S. economy, underscores the urgent need for enhanced cybersecurity measures across the health care sector to prevent such devastating incidents in the future.

Preventing the Next Big Cyberattack on U.S. Health Care Harvard Business Review

Fifteen years after the transition to Electronic Health Records (EHRs) was accelerated by meaningful use incentives, health system leaders reflect on its impact, noting both significant advancements and areas for improvement. While EHRs have enhanced patient access to records, facilitated care coordination, and improved medication safety, they also present challenges such as clinician burnout due to increased documentation and a potential disconnect in the patient-provider relationship. Recent developments, including the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the digital transformation in healthcare, aim to address these issues and further optimize EHRs. Leaders underscore the essential role of EHRs in modernizing healthcare, despite recognizing the need for continuous evolution to achieve a more connected and patient-centered experience.

Have EHRs been good for healthcare? Becker's Hospital Review

The FDA has approved the atrial fibrillation (AFib) history feature of the Apple Watch for inclusion in its Medical Device Development Tools program. This marks a significant development as it's the first time a digital health technology is approved for use in clinical studies to measure the duration of AFib episodes. This feature will assist in evaluating the effectiveness of cardiac ablation devices in treating heart rhythm irregularities, facilitating non-invasive data collection before and after treatments. This endorsement by the FDA aligns with Apple's ongoing commitment to health-related technologies, acknowledging the device's potential in preventative healthcare while also recognizing the necessity of traditional medical consultation.

FDA qualifies Apple Watch’s AFib history for use in clinical studies The Verge

Yale New Haven Health (YNHH) has initiated legal action to exit its $435 million contract to acquire Manchester Memorial, Rockville General, and Waterbury hospitals from Prospect Medical Holdings, citing breaches of contract. YNHH alleges Prospect defaulted on financial obligations, let facilities deteriorate, and engaged in mismanagement, affecting the agreement negatively. Despite attempts to renegotiate the purchase price after a cyberattack and financial revelations about Prospect, discussions have stalled. Prospect counters these allegations, claiming it offered YNHH a fair price reduction and that its Connecticut facilities are financially recovering. The dispute has reached Connecticut's Superior Court, with both parties presenting conflicting accounts of their attempts to salvage the deal, and the state having previously approved the acquisition. Governor Ned Lamont urges both sides towards resolution, emphasizing the lawsuit's intention to facilitate, not obstruct, the sale's completion.

Yale New Haven Health moves to sue Prospect to get out of sale CT Mirror

The February cyberattack on Change Healthcare, a critical player in the U.S. medical billing sector, has highlighted significant cybersecurity vulnerabilities within the healthcare industry, leading to a near-collapse of medical billing systems, risking financial instability for health systems and medical practices, and potentially exposing up to 85 million patient records. The attack, which has caused extensive financial damage and compromised a significant portion of the U.S. economy, underscores the urgent need for enhanced cybersecurity measures across the health care sector to prevent such devastating incidents in the future.

Preventing the Next Big Cyberattack on U.S. Health Care Harvard Business Review