The Rock Health’s ninth annual Consumer Adoption Survey reveals a significant shift in the landscape of virtual care and patient data sharing preferences in the U.S. health care system. As virtual care becomes a standard expectation among patients, the report highlights a growing concern over the willingness to share personal health information, with a notable decline across various demographics and entities compared to previous years. The survey indicates that while over three-quarters of U.S. residents have embraced virtual care for its convenience, there is an increasing demand for more features and a cautious approach towards data privacy. The study also outlines the varying preferences among consumers for virtual versus in-person care services, specifically noting a substantial preference for virtual mental health services. The decrease in willingness to share health data, especially among younger people and people of color, underscores the need for building trust through an omnichannel health care experience and exploring new partnerships to encourage data sharing for advancing health care and research.

While Virtual Care is "Table Stakes" in Health Care, Consumers Are Growing More Protective About Data-Sharing - HealthPopuli.com Health Populi

The American Medical Association (AMA), in collaboration with Manatt Health, has released a report titled "Future of Health: The Emerging Landscape of Augmented Intelligence in Health Care," which highlights eight nonclinical applications of AI (referred to as augmented intelligence) that have garnered significant interest from physicians. The applications include optimizing access to care and scheduling, streamlining the administration and revenue cycle, enhancing operational efficiency, ensuring regulatory compliance, improving patient satisfaction, promoting quality management, fostering education through feedback and training, and advancing medical research. The report emphasizes the AMA's preference for AI to augment rather than replace human decision-making in healthcare, highlighting the potential for AI tools to support physicians in various nonclinical tasks. Additionally, the need for strong data privacy measures, effective integration with current systems, and the involvement of physicians in the adoption of AI tools are key points underscored in the findings.

8 nonclinical AI applications on which physicians are especially keen, according to the AMA AI in Healthcare

Bipartisan U.S. lawmakers have introduced the Telehealth Modernization Act of 2024, aiming to make permanent various telehealth flexibilities extended to Medicare beneficiaries during the COVID-19 pandemic. This legislation proposes to permanently remove geographic restrictions on telehealth services, allow rural health clinics and federally qualified health centers to receive Medicare reimbursement for such services, and include audio-only telehealth coverage within the Medicare program. Additionally, it would permit telehealth use for hospice care and home dialysis assessments when clinically appropriate. The bill responds to the temporary regulatory flexibilities set to expire at the end of 2024, with significant support from healthcare stakeholders and organizations who recognize the benefits of continuing expanded access to telehealth services for improving patient care and the healthcare delivery system.

Bipartisan lawmakers present bill to solidify telehealth flexibilities mHealthIntelligence

A recent survey conducted by the Healthcare Financial Management Association and Eliciting Insights highlights that 84% of health systems identify lower reimbursement rates from payers as a primary cause of diminished operating margins. The survey further reveals the growing administrative challenges that health systems face, including a significant increase in payer denials since the pre-pandemic era and the consideration by 61% of health systems to drop Medicare Advantage plans due to these burdens. Additionally, rising labor costs are emphasized as a critical pressure point on margins, with nearly all CFOs pointing to nursing as a key area of labor shortage. The study suggests that while health systems are employing traditional cost-cutting measures, they are also exploring other strategies such as reducing capital investments and outsourcing revenue cycle roles to navigate financial constraints. Despite some slight improvements in operating margins post-pandemic, the increased difficulty in working with Medicare Advantage plans and the higher denial rates pose ongoing challenges for revenue cycle teams, underlining the need for enhanced revenue management and denial mitigation strategies to improve financial health.

Lower reimbursement linked to sagging margins, healthcare CFOs say Healthcare Finance News