News Briefs
75% of Hospitals Spending More on Tech to Boost Cybersecurity
Three-quarters of hospitals and health systems spent more on information technology last year and many will continue to do so, with greater focus on IT infrastructure and bolstering cybersecurity, notes a new report from Bain & Company and KLAS Research. The findings are based on a survey of 150 provider organizations and payers across the U.S.
(Source: AHA News, 2024-10-04)
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NPs, PAs Fill Care Gaps as Doctor Shortage Worsens
As the U.S. faces a growing shortage of physicians, more patients are being seen by non-physicians, or advanced practice providers like nurse practitioners and physician assistants, as they step in to fill in gaps in care. Advanced practice providers are trained and licensed to provide medical services, such as diagnosing and providing treatment, prescribing medication, and performing physical exams and they work in a variety of healthcare settings, including outpatient and inpatient settings, physicians' offices, hospitals, and/or clinics.
(Source: Dayton Daily News, 2024-10-03)
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U.S. Extends Medicare Drug Price Cuts Negotiation Timeline
The U.S. government will provide more time for negotiations and more chances for drugmakers to submit counter offers during the second round of talks over price cuts for its Medicare program. CMS said changes to the process, which came after feedback from patients and drugmakers, include meeting with companies earlier in the process and allowing more opportunities for counter offers.
(Source: Reuters, 2024-10-03)
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More Doctors Turning to GenAI Tools to Make Clinical Decisions
In the first in-depth look of its kind into physician use of public genAI tools, Fierce Healthcare spoke with nearly two dozen doctors, students, AI experts, and regulators, and helped conduct a survey of more than 100 physicians. The reporting confirms that some doctors are turning to tools intended for non-clinical uses to make clinical decisions.
(Source: FierceHealthcare, 2024-10-07)
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Hospice Coalition Urges Extension of Telehealth Flexibilities
A coalition of hospice, home health, and palliative care organizations has called on Congress to extend temporary telehealth flexibilities implemented during the pandemic. Doing so would help ensure continued access to quality care among vulnerable patient populations, according to the organizations.
(Source: Hospice News, 2024-10-03)
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Banks, Health Providers Work Together on Digital Transformation
In an industry notorious for its slow tech adoption, healthcare providers are being pushed to overhaul their payment systems as digital-first solutions become the norm. Against this backdrop, the critical role of collaboration between banks and healthcare providers has taken on a new significance.
(Source: PYMNTS.com, 2024-10-04)
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GAO Seeks to Check Accuracy of Hospital Price Transparency Data
CMS is still mired in hospital price transparency data compliance issues, with a new Government Accountability Office report showing that the agency isn't doing its due diligence to check the accuracy and completeness of hospital pricing data. Indeed, the agency has issued a number of hospital price transparency enforcement actions.
(Source: Tech Target, 2024-10-04)
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Patients, Doctors Like At-Home Hospital Care, But Data Sparse
Hospital programs providing at-home acute care are widely appreciated by patients and clinicians but still don't have a bulletproof argument in respect to quality and costs as compared to a brick-and-mortar inpatient stay, according to a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services analysis. The agency's 79-page report characterizes the "best-available quantitative and qualitative data" on its Acute Hospital Care at Home initiative, which, during the pandemic, began issuing waivers for certain hospitals to shift care into the home.
(Source: FierceHealthcare, 2024-10-01)
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Hospital M&A Activity Hit $13.3 Billion in Third Quarter
Hospital mergers and acquisitions grew significantly this past quarter, according to Kaufman Hall's "M&A Quarterly Activity Report: Q3 2024." High transaction volume drove up total Q3 transacted revenue to $13.3 billion, the highest Q3 total seen in the past eight years.
(Source: Tech Target, 2024-10-04)
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Lawmakers Introduce Health Care Workforce Investment Act
States could have a new federal pipeline for workforce development dollars under recently introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at addressing nursing shortages. US Reps. James Comer (R-KY) and Morgan McGarvey (D-NY) introduced the Health Care Workforce Investment Act (HR 9812), which would fund grants through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to create State Health Care Workforce Improvement Plans.
(Source: McKnight's Long-Term Care News, 2024-10-04)
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