Author Archive

A report from Larry Ponemon, PhD, chair and founder of the Ponemon Institute, outlines the first study he has done on patient privacy and data security.  An overview of the report reveals the following . . .

Read the full study HERE

The president and director of healthcare identity management at ID Experts released a new list of the top 10 trends in healthcare data privacy on GovHealthIT.com today. Many of the points they discuss are exactly the ones that we have been predicting for years….

Increased need for data security

Increased mobile access

PHI in the cloud

Check out the full report HERE

Experts at the FDA have released a great resource for telemedicine developers throughout the country. The goal is to help the industry at large to guide their users and vendors understand the regulatory framework within which telehealth may fall.  As the FDA progresses in developing their rules, this will become more and more important.

Download the guide HERE

According to a new analysis done by the American Telemedicine Association, Medicaid could save over $186 million dollars over the next 10 years if it implements telehealth services for high-risk pregnancies.

The study recommends a model similar to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, which offers the following…

1. Weekly telemedicine conferences between a patient’s physician/OB and maternal-fetal medicine specialists;
2. Ultrasound reading via at-home fetal monitors;
3. Video-conference training for local technicians on high-risk pregnancy management;
4. 24-hour call center service for physicians to consult maternal-fetal specialists;
5. Call center for women with questions about pregnancy, delivery and post-partum concerns.

For more information on the study click HERE

For more information on the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences click HERE

Healthline has published their list of 2011′s most searched health terms.  Their search technology is integrated into a number of consumer and provider websites, including Yahoo! Health, Aetna, AARP, Sharecare, and United Health.

Below is Healthline’s list of top health searches via mobile devices in 2011:

1. Chlamydia
2. Bipolar disorder
3. Depression
4. Smoking/quit smoking
5. Herpes
6. Gout
7. Scabies
8. Multiple Sclerosis
9. Pregnancy
10. Vitamin A

Read the full release HERE

Experian has release a new report that showcases some surprising and enlightening trends for this holiday season…

1.The percentage of campaigns offering 50% off was up 30% compared with the same time period in 2010.

2. The use of “50% off” keyword witnessed the biggest year-over-year growth.

3. There have been more than three times as many campaigns with “Facebook” in the subject line.

4. Flash sales continue to increase in popularity.

5. Mailings on weekends make up 17% of the volume and provide 22% of the transactions and 21% of total revenue.

Read the full report HERE

Nielsen has released a new report that provides a detailed view of the current and future mobile media adoption landscape.  Of course we all expected an increase in smartphone adoption and engagement, but the kind of hockey stick growth they are reporting on was a surprise to even us (although not a huge one).

Some highlights below…

1. The majority of 25-34 and 18-24 year olds now own smartphones (64% and 53% respectively);
2. The majority of smartphone owners (62%) have downloaded apps on their devices and games are the top application category used in the past 30 days;
3. The number of smartphone subscribers using the mobile Internet has grown 45 percent since 2010;
4. 87 percent of app downloaders (those who have downloaded an app in the past 30 days) have used deal-of-the-day websites like Groupon or Living Social;
5. Younger groups text the most. In Q3, teens 13-17 sent and received the most text messages (an average of 3,417 each month).

Read the full report HERE.

As healthcare records become more and more digitized, their use within legacy “local” storage solutions such as laptops and portable hard drives has resulted in an increase in data loss of 32%. This hammers in the lesson that the old school data storage solutions that were in use before cloud computing revolutionized the tech world should be ditched and replaced by secure and dependable modern solutions. It also highlights the need to store, manage and use this data in secure channels that are fully encrypted and built from the ground up to protect patients records.  Ehem, mobileStorm for Healthcare anyone?

Read the full study HERE.

As we begin to ramp up into 2012, those in management roles for healthcare payers and providers are looking to see what their colleagues are planning to roll out at the beginning of the year.  At the third annual mHealth Summit in D.C. last week, some clear trends are becoming very clear.

Read the full article by Michelle McNickle HERE.

1. Apps that track patient activity. Edwards said the ability to track patient data on a phone will have many benefits in the year to come. “How many phone calls they take, where they are, and … their activity level” can be “surefire” indicators of patients’ conditions, he said. “Especially with chronic conditions like diabetes; when there’s a flare-up, it’s integral to know when … it’s like a check-engine light for the body.” On his blog, Edwards explained how apps of this nature can be beneficial for other patient subsets, like autistic children. For example, body sensor technology has been developed to detect and record signs of stress in children, “by measuring slight electrical changes in the skin,” Edwards wrote. “Since autistic children have a difficult time expressing or even understanding their emotions, teachers and caregivers can have a difficult time anticipating and preventing meltdowns.”

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Absolute Software has released a list or recommended best practices for managing mobile devices in healthcare facilities. Learn more about Absolute Software here.

1. Define permissible mobile devices. Many hospitals allow employees and physicians to bring in their own mobile devices, such as personal smartphones, iPads and Androids. The first step in managing these devices is to outline which devices are appropriate for the hospital, as certain devices may not be supported by the organization’s operating system hardware. “The hospital has a responsibility to determine which devices it is going to allow before it thinks about how to manage them,” Mr. Williams says.

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