Stay ahead of the headlines

Aug 27, 2024·HealthLeaders Media

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare is raising significant ethical and practical concerns among nurses, particularly regarding job displacement and the potential loss of human touch in patient care. Chief Nursing Officers (CNOs) are urged to include nurses in decision-making processes to ensure smooth implementation and to mitigate these concerns. Robbie Freeman of Mount Sinai Health System advocates for a collaborative approach, involving data scientists, engineers, and frontline team members in co-designing AI solutions. Alongside other healthcare leaders, Freeman has proposed the "5 Rights of AI in Healthcare," a framework to guide the ethical and effective implementation of AI. The framework emphasizes identifying the right objective, approach, competency, data, and safeguards. These guidelines aim to empower nurse leaders with essential questions for AI implementation, ensuring patient safety and high-quality care while leveraging nursing informatics experts to bridge technology and clinical practice.

Aug 27, 2024·Benzinga

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy reported that the company's AI assistant, Amazon Q, has saved $260 million and 4,500 developer-years of work by significantly cutting down the time needed for software upgrades. Specifically, upgrading an application to Java 17 now takes only a few hours instead of 50 developer days. This AI tool has also improved security and reduced infrastructure costs, despite initial challenges that included incorrect outputs due to a rushed deployment. Amazon plans to continue enhancing Amazon Q to further boost productivity.

Aug 27, 2024·Fierce Healthcare

Epic is advancing its AI capabilities within its electronic health record software to reduce clinician documentation burdens and enhance care delivery. At Epic's User Group Meeting, CEO Judy Faulkner detailed the deployment of AI tools like the MyChart in-basket augmented response technology, which drafts patient message replies, and ambient voice-powered charting tools in use across various healthcare settings. These AI integrations aim to mitigate clinician burnout, with future plans including automated order entries and diagnostic aids. Epic is also leveraging its Cosmos research database to support evidence-based treatment decisions and improve healthcare provider-payer communication.

Aug 27, 2024·Google Blog

In a recent publication, Dr. Megan Jones Bell and her team outline four guiding principles for the responsible development of AI in mental health. Firstly, AI models need thorough ethical and performance-focused design and testing to reliably assist with clinical tasks. Secondly, these models must be trained to reflect diverse populations, addressing equity and preventing biased outcomes. Thirdly, privacy and safety must be prioritized, ensuring informed consent and adherence to data protection laws. Finally, continuous human oversight and feedback are essential throughout AI development to maintain accuracy, inclusivity, and appropriateness. These principles aim to harness AI's potential in expanding access to mental health resources while navigating inherent risks and limitations.

Aug 26, 2024·John’s Substack

Epic's UGM 2024 conference featured several key innovations aimed at improving healthcare workflows. Epic has refined its integrated secure messaging system, allowing for direct ordering from test results and sending messages from radiology reports, with new features like image attachments and priority inbox filtering. The manual connection of related diagnoses is expected to ease physicians' documentation efforts. The Cosmos platform, particularly its "Lookalikes" feature, was highlighted for its potential in collaborative problem-solving among healthcare providers. AI developments, such as ambient documentation and In-Basket responses, were also discussed, though challenges remain in their consistent adoption. The conference showcased real-world success stories, including Saint Luke’s implementation of Epic's unified communications and the Compass Rose module linking medical teams with social services. Judy Faulkner’s executive address reaffirmed Epic’s commitment to its unique culture and ongoing support for smaller organizations and research via the Garden Plot program and Cosmos database. Overall, UGM 2024 emphasized innovation, integration, and community within the healthcare technology landscape.

Aug 26, 2024·Behavioral Health Business

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed new guidelines in its 2025 Physician Fee Schedule to include reimbursement for digital therapeutics used in behavioral health treatments. These guidelines propose three new HCPCS codes to cover the costs associated with digital mental health treatment devices that are FDA-cleared and used as part of a broader behavioral health treatment plan. Reflecting a careful approach, CMS aims to gather data on the use and effectiveness of these digital tools, which are seen as supplementary to ongoing treatment. Despite previous failures in the digital therapeutics market, CMS's move signals a growing adoption of technology in behavioral health, driven by both need and potential for improved clinical outcomes.

Aug 26, 2024·thehackernews

SolarWinds has released patches for a critical vulnerability in its Web Help Desk software (CVE-2024-28987) that allows unauthenticated remote users to gain unauthorized access and modify data. Rated 9.1 on the CVSS scale, the flaw was discovered by Horizon3.ai's Zach Hanley. Users are advised to update to version 12.8.3 Hotfix 2, which requires prior installation of versions 12.8.3.1813 or 12.8.3 HF1. This follows a recent patch for another severe vulnerability (CVE-2024-28986) with a CVSS score of 9.8 that has been actively exploited, though specific attack details remain unknown. Further information on CVE-2024-28987 is anticipated next month, underscoring the urgency for timely updates.

Aug 26, 2024·HealthLeaders Media

Peter Slavin will become the new president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Cedars-Sinai Health System on October 1, succeeding Thomas Priselac. Slavin aims to address the post-pandemic recovery of the healthcare workforce by improving their work environment through technology and a people-first approach. Emphasizing the reduction of administrative burdens and promoting work-life balance are key elements of his strategy. Having led Massachusetts General Hospital previously, Slavin has significant experience in enhancing clinical care and workforce development. He believes that advancing trust in healthcare providers and adopting customer service principles will improve patient experiences and help regain public trust.

Aug 26, 2024·krebsonsecurity.com

The escalation of top-level domains (TLDs) has intensified a security issue where many organizations inadvertently send Microsoft Windows usernames and passwords to domains they do not own, due to previously non-existent TLDs now being available for registration. This flaw, known as "namespace collision," exposes sensitive data because organizations set up their internal authentication systems using what they thought were private domains. Security researcher Philippe Caturegli has been mapping this vulnerability by examining self-signed security certificates, uncovering more than 9,000 suspect domains. A significant portion of these are now registered, potentially allowing third parties to intercept credentials. Caturegli's findings highlight the scale of the issue, revealing that even critical infrastructures and government entities are affected. His research underscores the persistent and pervasive risk posed by outdated network configurations and the need for organizations to adopt more secure internal domain naming practices.

Aug 26, 2024·Wall Street Journal

The article discusses the paradoxical nature of Generation Z, who are highly skilled with digital devices and adept at using various software and applications but often lack proficiency in traditional computer skills like typing. This generation’s reliance on mobile devices and touch-based interfaces contributes to their lower typing speeds and challenges with typing accuracy, despite their overall high level of digital literacy and competence.

Aug 26, 2024·Becker's Hospital Review

Hospital consolidation in Pennsylvania has surged, leading the nation in merger and acquisition activity this year. Notable deals include Risant Health’s acquisition of Geisinger Health, UPMC’s expansion with Washington Health, and WellSpan Health’s integration of Evangelical Community Hospital. Additionally, Jefferson Health merged with Lehigh Valley Health Network, Penn Medicine plans to acquire Doylestown Health, Community Health Systems is selling three hospitals to WoodBridge Healthcare, and CHA Partners intends to buy Crozer Health. These transactions illustrate a broader trend of strategic consolidations aimed at expanding healthcare networks and enhancing service offerings.

Aug 23, 2024·Becker's Hospital Review

RWJBarnabas Health in West Orange, N.J., is leveraging Epic's Deterioration Index to identify early signs of patient deterioration across its 12 hospitals. The index uses comprehensive patient data to assign risk scores, allowing clinical teams to intervene more rapidly. Implemented systemwide in March 2023, the tool has led to an estimated 100 lives saved and a 15% reduction in inpatient mortality. The rollout involved rigorous validation and adjustments, resulting in a three-tiered alert system to minimize administrative burden and expedite care. Strong communication and clinician engagement were key to the initiative's success, highlighting the potential of predictive models to enhance patient outcomes.

Aug 23, 2024·The Healthcare Blog

In this article, Michael L. Millenson humorously contrasts the responses of ChatGPT and a Magic 8 Ball on solving the longstanding healthcare crisis, focusing on cost, quality, and access issues. Magic 8 Ball gives concise, often ambiguous answers, while ChatGPT provides detailed, multi-faceted responses replete with strategies, challenges, and considerations. Millenson notes that ChatGPT's thoroughness resembles think-tank policy discussions, while the Magic 8 Ball’s brevity underscores the complexity of finding straightforward solutions to healthcare issues. Ultimately, both tools highlight the intricacies of healthcare reform, albeit in drastically different ways.

Aug 23, 2024·The Cap Times

Epic Systems' annual Users Group Meeting showcased new AI tools for healthcare, with presentations highlighting developments that can aid patients, providers, and payers. Among the announcements were AI-driven features to help nurses and doctors communicate with patients, a large database known as Cosmos containing anonymized records of 270 million patients for research, and the Look-Alikes function for treating rare diseases. Additionally, a demo highlighted futuristic MyChart functionalities, including AI-driven patient follow-ups and personalized recovery assessments. Epic's leaders underscored the accelerated pace of innovation, hinting at rapid advancements in integrating AI into healthcare.

Aug 23, 2024·POLITICO

Google and California have agreed on a groundbreaking deal, contributing a combined $125 million over five years to bolster local newsrooms through a public charity at UC Berkeley’s journalism school. The initiative, aimed at counteracting the decline of journalism, includes a controversial $70 million earmark for artificial intelligence development, sparking concerns among journalists about job displacement. Despite being viewed as a pragmatic compromise by some lawmakers, the deal has faced criticism for being perceived as insufficient and overly favorable to Google, highlighting ongoing tensions over the role of tech giants in the news industry.

Aug 23, 2024·Fierce Healthcare

Epic Systems is advancing rapidly in developing AI and generative AI features for its electronic health records (EHR) software to reduce clinician burnout and improve patient care. At Epic's User Group Meeting, CEO Judy Faulkner emphasized their MyChart ART system, which drafts patient message responses, and new charting tools using ambient voice technology, both currently used by hundreds of healthcare organizations. Additionally, Epic is working on over 100 AI projects, including tools to enhance chart reviews and automate various clinical and administrative tasks. The company is also collaborating with Microsoft to optimize these AI solutions for cost-efficiency and regulatory compliance, and has launched an open-source AI validation tool on GitHub for wider healthcare use.

Aug 23, 2024·Becker's Hospital Review

Epic Systems founder and CEO Judy Faulkner announced the company’s forward-looking strategy, detailing plans and developments aimed at the next 25 to 50 years. Speaking at Epic's Users Group Meeting in Verona, Wisconsin, Faulkner emphasized their continued global expansion and technological advancements, including a major go-live in London and the integration of AI in clinical operations. With a focus on creating a more engaging user experience, Faulkner highlighted initiatives in precision medicine, AI-driven patient care tools, and user software improvements. Epic also plans to enhance its infrastructure to prioritize employee productivity by expanding individual office spaces, amid ongoing efforts to involve patients directly in their healthcare through shared digital interfaces.

Aug 23, 2024·Publication

The author, J.D. Whitlock, recaps his takeaways from the 2024 Epic User Group Meeting (UGM), highlighting several key developments and experiences. The completion of Hyperdrive's re-architecture allows Epic to introduce 50% more new features in 2024, enhancing customer capabilities. There is a shift in focus within the Gold Stars maturity model towards features that are actively used rather than merely activated. International attendance at UGM is growing, underscoring the global expansion of Epic systems. The integration of Epic’s research, genomics, and clinical decision support tools remains underutilized but holds significant potential for the future. Whitlock also touches on emerging trends in generative AI, reactions to the Crowdstrike cybersecurity event, and the realizations about system efficiencies and competitive landscapes brought on by discussions at UGM. Overall, he emphasizes the importance of practical implementation, collaboration, and continuous learning to maximize Epic's benefits in healthcare settings.

Aug 23, 2024·CNBC

Epic Systems announced over 100 new AI features at its annual Users Group Meeting, emphasizing applications for both doctors and patients. The company, whose software is widely used in U.S. hospitals and clinics, introduced AI tools to streamline tasks such as drafting patient communications and automating order entries for prescriptions and labs. Epic also plans to develop features for automating insurance claim submissions and introduced a new scheduling application for medical staff. The event included a live demo showcasing a prototype AI agent capable of evaluating patient recovery, although this specific technology is still in the early stages of development.

Aug 23, 2024·Healthcare IT Today

Epic UGM 2024 showcased a multitude of advancements, notably in AI and interoperable healthcare solutions. Distinguished announcements included an AI chatbot demo that leveraged MyChart and Cosmos data to enhance patient interaction and recovery assessment, and the introduction of the Epic Payer Platform, providing free services to health systems for better integration with payers. Expansion efforts for Garden Plot aimed at small to medium practices, incorporation of genomics data in Epic Cosmos, and over 100 ongoing AI projects further underscored Epic's commitment to advancing healthcare technology. Additional developments touched on precision medicine, new modules, and enhanced communication tools, reflecting Epic's broad approach to healthcare innovation.