Microsoft’s highly anticipated Surface Pro tablet will enter the market with a resounding thud. That is the opinion of several market watchers who were surprised that the supposed mighty competitor to Apple’s iPad and the lineup of Android tablets will be priced more like a laptop PC than a tablet. Details about costs and […]
by Audrey Kinsella Developing new home care technologies is one thing. Getting people to actually use them is quite another. At last month’s Connected Health conference in Boston, we were introduced to a number of new technology products designed to thoroughly engage patients in their own health activities and management. Three spotlighted at the conference’s […]
The Hospice Education Network (HEN) has announced the development of a new series of eight online courses, Disease-Specific Hospice Eligibility Determination and Documentation. The instructor, Terri Maxwell, PhD, APRN, is Vice President of Strategic Initiatives for Weatherbee Resources. Details are provided about the needs for these courses in regard to reducing exposure to risks […]
CMS announced the first three participants in a program designed to help consumers get more information regarding their local doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers. The Medicare Data Sharing for Performance Measurement program, made possible by the Affordable Care Act, will make Medicare claims data available, under strict privacy requirements, to groups that […]
According to a new report by Manhattan Research, 75 million U.S. adults used mobile phones for health-related activities in 2012, up from 61 million in 2011. While desktop and laptop usage still dominates, mobile and tablet activity is growing and the rate of increase is on the rise. Details about seniors’ use of new technologies […]
The National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) is urgently requesting input from every provider agency regarding the potential impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirement that certain employers pay a penalty when they do not provide a qualified health plan to employees. NAHC’s efforts to alert the home […]
by Liz Seegert If there is anyone who knows what it takes to lower the cost of health care, it is former Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala. As someone steeped in policy for 30 years, one thing she says she knows for sure is that home health care needs to […]
by Audrey Kinsella The number of digital tools available to help people manage their own health is on the rise. Presentations at last month’s Connected Health Symposium stressed the need to engage patients with their own health maintenance. An equal number of product demonstrations proved that the tools to meet that need are already here, […]
A San Diego newspaper is reporting that The San Diego Hospice temporarily stopped accepting new patients for a 4-day stretch last weekend because of financial problems that may force the highly respected California institution to lay off 200 of its 870-employee workforce. Details about immediate resignations of key executives and about the negative audit […]
by Scott R. Herrmann More and more healthcare technology organizations are developing Patient Portals to improve patient satisfaction and build stronger patient relationships. This fourth and final article in a series explores both health- and cost-savings opportunities that portals present and points out where this technology makes sense for home care agencies and hospices. […]
