Apple’s iPad Marks Healthcare Territory

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Among the various verticals that Apple’s iPad now occupies, recent discussions suggests that the healthcare space may be benefiting the most. The topic of iPad use in healthcare surfaced at VentureBeat’s HealthBeat 2014 conference Tuesday, where Drchrono’s Daniel Kivatinos, Direct Dermatology’s Dr. Angela Walker and Welltok’s Michelle Snyder discussed the use of mobile technology like the iPad and Google Glass in today’s medical realm.

According to Kivatinos, Walker and Snyder, the iPad has had a huge impact on medical practices because it can be used for physician-oriented tasks previously restricted to desktop computers. After the official iPad launch in 2010, many doctors soon gravitated towards the device and incorporated its use into everyday medical practices.

Dr. Walker of Direct Dermatology added that she didn’t fully adopt the iPad in her dermatology practice until the iPad mini came out—she liked how it fit nicely in her white coat’s pocket. Welltok’s Snyder then pointed out that Drchrono was the first to create an EHR app for Google Glass. Some questions still remain around the use of Google Glass in the healthcare vertical, as privacy issues are teased out. The benefits, however, seem to be plentiful at the moment.

Kivatinos described Google Glass’ efficacy, in that quickly pressing Glass’ “record” button to capture a portion of a patient visit could be wildly helpful for both doctor and patient. Walker added that Google Glass might also be useful in patient education: “[surgery is] a discipline where doctors’ hands might be busy a lot and Glass can be helpful…In any setting where your hands are tied, it can be useful.” As discussions surrounding iPads and Google Glass in the medical field continue to multiply, one overall conclusion is very clear: mobile devices are changing the way healthcare professionals run their practices.

Did you miss out on HealthBeat 2014? Catch up on some interesting chats and happenings here!

SOURCE: VentureBeat

About DoseSpot 
DoseSpot is a Surescripts certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot is certified to e-Prescribe controlled substances and has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit www.DoseSpot.com.

Telehealth and Ebola: Are they a match?

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As Ebola enters the United States and case numbers continue to rise, the ever-challenging and pressing question among health professionals remains the same: how is one to deliver care effectively without risking disease spread? With the help of Vidyo, a software company specializing in visual communications, a Nebraska medical center may have the answer.

About a month ago, Vidyo’s video conferencing platform was used in the Biocontainment Patient Care Unit at the Nebraska Medical Center—one of only four units in the U.S. equipped to handle these types of cases. It was here that medical professionals were treating Dr. Richard Sacra, a Massachusetts physician who contracted Ebola in Liberia while working in child delivery. The video conferencing unit was used to help doctors treating Sacra interact with the patient and connect him to family and friends. The Medical Center, located in Omaha, NE, has worked with New Jersey-based Vidyo since 2011.

With the Ebola virus becoming a dangerously salient international issue, the ability to remotely treat infectious diseases via Tele-ICU applications—equipped with medical devices like otoscopes, dermatoscopes and labs— is becoming more important than ever. To prevent the spread of infections in sterile settings, Tele-ICU enables hospitals to establish centralized monitoring facilities to address patient needs during overnight hours. Now afforded the option to evaluate a presumed ill patient remotely via video, many healthcare professionals are hopeful that such measures will protect caregivers from exposure, permit a quick response to treatment and protect the public from potential epidemics.

For more information on how digital health is addressing disease epidemics, check out MobiHealthNews’ article here.

About DoseSpot 
DoseSpot is a Surescripts certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot is certified to e-Prescribe controlled substances and has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit www.DoseSpot.com.

DoseSpot Completes Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances Certification with Drummond Group

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Needham Heights, MA (PRWEB) October 15, 2014 - DoseSpot, an industry leader in e-Prescribing integration platforms for medical, dental and telehealth software, today announced that its software application has completed the required third-party Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances (EPCS) audit with Drummond Group Inc., a global software test and certification body that was approved by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to audit EPCS software applications.

DoseSpot selectively pursued EPCS Certification with Drummond Group, one of the first DEA approved certification bodies. “After undergoing Drummond Group’s extensive audit process and phased approach to understanding the EPCS requirements, DoseSpot may now deliver audited and trusted EPCS software to their customers,” said Aaron Gomez, Drummond Group’s Director of EPCS Auditing.

The audited EPCS software also incorporates industry leading two-factor authentication and identity proofing technologies to meet the requirements of the DEA Interim Final Rule for EPCS. “We strive to provide an easy-to-use e-Prescribing interface and our team has successfully incorporated the EPCS functionality without disrupting our existing user experience,” said Greg Waldstreicher, President, DoseSpot.

DoseSpot prescribers will now have the ability to e-Prescribe controlled substances in 49 states. “In less than six months, New York will be the first state to mandate e-Prescribing, including EPCS,” added Greg Waldstreicher. “We are committed to offering the best e-Prescribing integration experience for our current and future software customers and have made the process for enabling EPCS incredibly easy.”

For more information on DoseSpot’s EPCS software, please visit http://www.DoseSpot.com or contact Lindsay Walsh, Lindsay(at)dosespot(dot)com.

About DoseSpot 
DoseSpot is a Surescripts™ certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. To request a demo of DoseSpot’s e-Prescribing integration platforms, please visit http://www.DoseSpot.com/.

About Drummond Group Inc. 
Drummond Group Inc. is a global software test and certification lab and third-party auditor that serves a wide range of vertical industries. In healthcare, Drummond Group tests and certifies Controlled Substance Ordering Systems (CSOS), Electronic Prescription of Controlled Substances (EPCS) software and processes, and Electronic Health Records (EHRs) – designating the trusted test lab as the only third-party certifier/auditor of all three initiatives designed to move the industry toward a digital future. Founded in 1999, and accredited for the Office of the National Coordinator HIT Certification Program as an Authorized Certification Body (ACB) and an Authorized Test Lab (ATL), Drummond Group continues to build upon its deep experience and expertise necessary to deliver reliable and cost-effective services. For more information, please visit http://www.drummondgroup.com or email DGI(at)drummondgroup(dot)com.

Read the full press release here: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/10/prweb12249755.htm

New to the Accelerator Scene: Athenahealth

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Calling all Beantown startup followers: the Massachusetts healthtech scene is expanding! Watertown-based Athenahealth has announced that its new accelerator for health IT startups is now open for business. The “More Disruption Please” (MDP) Accelerator went into beta in June when it began working with a single startup, Smart Scheduling, but is now inviting health IT startups to apply for participation.

Based on a mission to “drive connectivity and innovation across the continuum of care,” MDP is the third phase of a 2010 effort to connect with and promote startups that seek to address areas of concern in the health care delivery system beyond the electronic health record (EHR).  The perks of joining MDP, one might ask? Athenahealth will provide venture capital to companies through the accelerator. Aside from funding, portfolio companies get free office space at Athenahealth’s super chic Watertown headquarters and ongoing mentorship from Athenahealth experts.

Athenahealth says the accelerator will accept applicants on a rolling basis, with an anticipated residency period of roughly 8 to 12 months. More information about MDP can be found on Athenahealth’s “More Disruption Please” page.

SOURCES: VentureBeat and Athenahealth

About DoseSpot

DoseSpot is a Surescriptsâ„¢ certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit www.DoseSpot.com.

Keeping Up With the Healthcare Happenings

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With the 2014 calendar year coming to a close in just a few months (gasp!), HealthWorks Collective, an online health and editorial community, has released its list of health trends to keep an eye on through 2015. Think your predictions are spot on? Take a look below to see what’s on tap for the U.S. healthcare industry:

1. More providers will be hiring health coaches.
Chronic conditions in the U.S. continue to increase—so will employment. Health coaches fill a unique demand for managing chronic conditions, as they engage with patients one-on-one and keep clinical staff informed about financial or family concerns, marital problems, treatment plan adherence, etc.

2. Healthcare mobile apps on the rise.

With the release of Apple’s new Healthkit along with a slew of other mobile-friendly health apps, this trend is likely to continue for the foreseeable future. Patient-centered apps for monitoring aspects of health like calorie-counting and heart rate are gaining popularity at a quick pace and healthcare systems will continue developing and implementing apps to improve patient experience.

3. New care and payment models will expand.

Insurance companies, Medicare and Medicaid programs will continue to push for more relationships with accountable care organizations (ACOs). Different payment models will also be proposed—many healthcare professionals anticipate a trend towards “shared savings” incentives with physicians based on lowering cost and improving care quality.

4. Big Data will play a key role in patient care.

Electronic health records and other emerging technologies enable providers to automate processes and capture vital clinical data. These technologies, however, are limited in not being open to innovation. By the end of 2014, expect provider advocacy for making application interfaces open-source so they can be used to create new and exciting programs.

5. Healthcare comes to the home.

Technological advancements and increasing healthcare access will lead to more remote care services. This means that more patients can be monitored and coached to health at any time and place. “At-home healthcare” will increase patient quality of care, improve patient satisfaction, and reduce costs.

6. Increasing transparency.

Expect the level of transparency demanded from healthcare systems to increase, along with the production of tools to help inform patients. The price of treatments, procedures and clinicians along with performance metrics and hospital outcome reports will all be made available for patients to peruse at the click of a mouse.

7. Partnerships for care delivery will expand.

Healthcare partnerships will soon include community-based groups such as social service agencies, gyms and other non-healthcare service providers. As the industry strives to better address population health management, expect more unconventional approaches to healthcare such as church-based group care sessions, outdoor exercise at nature centers, reduced price health care transportation services, etc.

Source: HealthWorks Collective

For more information on the aforementioned trends, check out HealthWorks Collective’s full article here.

About DoseSpot

DoseSpot is a Surescriptsâ„¢ certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit www.DoseSpot.com.

The Verdict Is In: Doctors Value Video-Based Care

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According to HIMSS Analytics’ recently released 2014 U.S. Telemedicine study, two-way video is proving to be a key component of value-based care for the foreseeable future. This study, considered the first installation of HIMSS Analytics’ new “Essentials Briefs” series, tracks a technology strategy with increasing popularity among healthcare providers seeking ways to deliver better—and more cost-effective— care to larger patient populations. HIMSS reports a shift from volume-based to value-based care within many organizations, and telemedicine technologies are aiding in this transition.

Noteworthy findings from HIMSS Analytics’ Study include:

• 46% of respondents utilize up to four telemedicine technologies within their respective organizations.
• Two-way video/webcam services are the most widely used (58%) and most widely considered (67%) for those making a telemedicine investment.

Polling both hospitals and private practices, HIMSS’ first Brief installation offers insights into how and why U.S. providers are adopting telemedicine tools by addressing specific topics such as integration with electronic health records.

Source: Healthcare IT News and HIMSS Analytics

For more information on current telemedicine adoption trends, check out an overview of the HIMSS Analytics 2014 Telemedicine Study here

About DoseSpot

DoseSpot is a Surescripts™ certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit www.DoseSpot.com.

Pain, Pain Go Away: What Would Dr. House Say?

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With the ability to e-Prescribe controlled substances soon to be a widespread reality in the U.S., pain medication management is currently a discussion “hot topic” among many clinicians. Hospital staff members at University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro (UMCPP)—the former stomping ground of Dr. Gregory House—are no exception. In need of a major floor plan facelift a few years ago, the UMCPP team visited the design drawing board to revamp patient rooms. What they came away with was a mock hospital room to test with real patients. Complete with a guest sofa, outdoor view, novel drug dispensary, and easy-to-access restroom, this hospital room became an evaluation site for patients recovering from knee and hip replacements. Healthcare professionals at UMCPP hoped that this new layout would reduce slip-and-fall accidents, medication mix-ups, and other hospital-related mishaps.

Compared to the old hospital rooms, patients staying in the mock room rated food and nursing care higher, although meals and care were the same. The most compelling results? Patients asked for 30 percent LESS pain medication in the mock room. According to many medical professionals, reduced pain is thought to lead to shorter recovery time, reduced hospital stays, and lower hospital costs.

What were once premature and isolated statistics are now a success for UMCPP. The mock patient room became a reality in 2012, when UMCPP opened its new $523 million, 636,000 square-foot hospital in Plainsboro, New Jersey. Since the grand and much-needed opening, patient satisfaction ratings have been in the 99^th percentile—a major leap from the 61^st percentile prior to the move. With infection rates at an all-time low, UMCPP will keep improving hospital care—and dispensing less pain meds.

Sources: The New York Times and HC+O

For more details on UMCPP’s innovative patient rooms, check out a floor plan here, in the New York Times’ recent article.

To see a list of top U.S. hospitals that are tackling the issue of pain management, check out Becker’s Hospital Review here.

About DoseSpot

DoseSpot is a Surescripts™ certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit www.DoseSpot.com.

#IceBucketChallenge Meets the Digital Health Sphere

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There is simply no other way to say it— the #icebucketchallenge to combat ALS has gone viral. With over 2.4 million related videos shared and more than 28 million related posts, many are calling attention to the “pure brilliance” of this campaign on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. The Ice Bucket Challenge campaign has generated astounding financial gains for the ALS Association as well. Since July 29, the Association has received more than $22.9 million from roughly 500,000 new donors.

The Ice Bucket Challenge is communally increasing support and awareness of ALS across all industry sectors, including digital health. One particular healthtech company with close ties to the ALS cause, PatientsLikeMe, accepted the Ice Bucket Challenge on August 5^th. Five years prior to the company’s founding in 2004, Ben and Jamie Heywood, Co-founders, received news that their brother had been diagnosed with ALS. The search to build a health data-sharing platform that would allow patients to manage their own conditions was born. Today, PatientsLikeMe is a patient network and real-time research platform that provides support for a variety of diseases including Diabetes, Crohn’s Disease and ALS.  Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, PatientsLikeMe is continuing its disease awareness efforts on a daily basis with online patient support communities, patient profile blog posts—and of course, new Ice Bucket Challenge requests.

Sources: Forbes Magazine, New York Times, and PatientsLikeMe

To learn more about PatientsLikeMe’s investment in the ALS cause and to watch the epic PatientsLikeMe Ice Bucket Challenge, check out this recent blog post!

About DoseSpot

DoseSpot is a Surescripts™ certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit www.DoseSpot.com.

Healthcare Startup Spotlight: CareDox

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Startup: CareDox
Website: www.caredox.com
Funding: $2.5 Million as of August 7, 2014
Overview: CareDox is a care coordination platform for parents and schools. CareDox helps parents and school nurses, collaborate with each other, to maintain critical health information, for their children and students.

Source: AngelList

Sources: VentureBeat, AngelList and caredox.com

About DoseSpot

DoseSpot is a Surescripts™ certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit www.DoseSpot.com.

Guess How Many USB Plugs There Are!

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Can you guess how many USB plugs there are in this container?  While we can’t give you any hints (JUST YET!) we can point out the awesome DoseSpot logo imprinted on the side.  We think they’re pretty awesome and for the first 5 people that guess right, we will send you 3 in the mail!  Send us your guess by commenting here or tweeting us @DoseSpot so put your thinking cap on.

OK, we will give you one hint.  The container is 55 ounces and came filled with pretzels! 

About DoseSpot

DoseSpot is a Surescripts™ certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, electronic dental record, practice management and telehealth software. DoseSpot has provided simple, affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to healthcare IT companies since 2009. For more information, please visit www.DoseSpot.com.