Healthcare IT Blog

Bryan Vartabedian, M.D., FAAP has been blogging about physicians and healthcare since 2006. We recently caught up with him to talk about the management of patient information, care collaboration, the role of social media in healthcare, and the reasons for his optimism about the future of healthcare.You have said there has never been a better time to be a physician. What are the main changes happening in healthcare today, and why are you optimistic?This is one of the most exciting periods in the history of medicine. The physician is being completely redefined. Whenever an industry is disrupted, people are hesitant at first, so some of the pessimism you hear reflects that. Some of the forces redefining the physician include technology, third-party control, and health 2.0.We are moving from...Continue Reading

We were happy to catch up with Kent Bottles M.D., healthcare thought leader and consultant. Kent regularly shares his passion for improving patient engagement and strengthening stakeholder relationships on his blog. Kent is a popular keynote speaker, respected by healthcare professionals and innovators alike. He shared his insights on how technology will continue to transform healthcare delivery in 2012.What do you predict as the biggest developments in health IT for 2012?The growth of patient social networking sites will be the biggest development in health IT in 2012. These sites are reshaping the doctor-patient relationship. When patients visit sites like PatientsLikeMe or DiabetesMine, they become what I call “aggregated patients.” They get information from other patients...Continue Reading

We are excited to continue our NaviNet 2012 Expert Interview series this week with Shahid Shah, enterprise software and healthcare IT analyst, consultant, and entrepreneur. Shahid is the founder and CEO of Netspective Communications LLC, which helps clients build health IT software for next-generation patient-centered approaches such as patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs), accountable care organizations (ACOs), remote care, and other disruptively innovative business models. In addition to producing his own healthcare IT healthcare IT blog, Shahid is frequently published on federalarchitect.com.What are the biggest security challenges that hospitals and healthcare facilities will face in 2012?The rules are getting tighter and tighter, but the relationships among care providers are expanding...Continue Reading

Patient engagement is one of the most pressing issues in healthcare today–and arguably one of the biggest potential game-changers in the battle for patient wellness. The physician–a patient’s most trusted advisor–has the ability to reach members at the moment of care. As a strategy for population health improvement, fostering the member-physician relationship can be highly effective. Reaching, engaging and equipping providers to engage with patients are essential tactics to bending the cost trend and delivering better quality of care through greater provider accountability.Gamification is a psychological tool through which the basic “sticky” principles of board games and video games can be applied to several different programs, businesses, and courses in...Continue Reading

We are excited to continue the NaviNet Expert Series, in which we’ve discussed trends and topics facing our industry in 2012 with healthcare IT experts. We had the opportunity to chat with Nate Osit, implementation specialist at Forerun, Inc. and an active member of healthcare IT communities across social media. Nate was recognized for his presence on Twitter and ranked number five on the #HIT100 influencer list in July. His work also has been featured on the HL7Standards, a blog for the healthcare IT social media community, and WegoHealth, an organization that empowers health advocates to share their expertise and help others. We are thrilled to learn more about Nate’s predictions for mobile health, electronic health records (EHRs), and social media in the coming year.What do...Continue Reading

This week we spoke with David Williams, principal of MedPharma Partners LLC and editor of Health Business Blog. David is one of the leading experts on trends and developments in healthcare and technology. Until now, he has been the one asking the questions. His blog regularly features podcast interviews with industry executives, including NaviNet’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. S. Michael Ross M.D., MHA and VP of Business Development Scott Rybak. We’re thrilled he switched roles this time so we could learn more about David’s insights on mobile health and accountable care organizations (ACOs).What do you predict as the biggest developments in Health IT for 2012?Doctors and nurses will begin to rely heavily on mobile devices and apps in the clinical workflow. I also think hospitals...Continue Reading

Working at NaviNet, a patient-centric healthcare IT company, I couldn’t resist heading up Route 128 to attend the Mass Technology Leadership Council’s breakfast seminar, “How Technology is Enabling Dynamic Community Care Teams.” Fragmented care is a leading reason that U.S. healthcare costs are so high. As well, it increases risks to patient safety. More than 50 percent of Medicare beneficiaries, for instance, have five or more chronic conditions such as diabetes, arthritis, hypertension, or kidney disease. Often, these patients are cared for by multiple physicians at various facilities. The resulting uncoordinated treatment can lead to redundant care, superfluous testing, increased exposure to medical error, and unnecessary costs.So I found myself in Waltham on November...Continue Reading

We recently caught up with John Moore of Chilmark Research, one of the most sought-after HIT industry analysts and a frequent speaker at major industry gatherings such as Health Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and Health 2.0. Chilmark Research is the only industry analyst firm focusing solely on the Healthcare IT market. Given its laser focus on our industry, it was great to hear what John believes 2012 will hold.What do you predict as the biggest developments in Health IT for 2012?The biggest HIT development in 2012 will be the mobile enablement of patient data - specifically, mobile solutions aiding physicians and clinicians. Mobile will play a big role in electronic health record (EHR) solutions. In my role as an industry analyst at Chilmark Research, I have been on the...Continue Reading

This week we are thrilled to introduce the Expert Interview Series. This series of blog posts will feature top thought leaders in healthcare discussing industry trends and developments as 2012 approaches. We look forward to sharing perspectives on relevant topics, including electronic health records (EHRs), meaningful use standards, Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), and care collaboration. John Lynn, our first featured expert, is the editor and founder of nationally renowned blogs EMRandHIPAA.com and Healthcare Scene. John tackles EHR selection and implementation as a physician's advocate. Since 2005, John has published close to 2,000 articles on EHRs, which have been viewed more than 6.4 million times. What HIT success stories are your favorite examples of improving care and reducing...Continue Reading

Today's changing healthcare environment presents a lot of questions and options to physicians, who are increasingly turning to online communities for answers, support, and camaraderie. Newly introduced regulations and evolving healthcare models like accountable care organizations (ACOs) make these bidirectional information hubs valuable resource centers. In the past five years, several secure physician-only communities have launched. Studies indicate that more than 60% of physicians actively use or are interested in using these resources. In this post, we highlight three online communities that address tough clinical questions.Sermo has provided a closed online space for physicians to share complicated patient cases, solicit treatment ideas and discuss challenges since 2006. More than 120,000...Continue Reading