Apple’s iPad Marks Healthcare Territory

Follow

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?

Follow

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.

Keeping Up With the Healthcare Happenings

Follow

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

Follow

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.

Doctor On Demand, Inc. Integrates with DoseSpot e-Prescribing Platform

Follow

NEEDHAM HEIGHTS, MA – DoseSpot, an industry leader in e-Prescribing integration platforms for medical and dental software, today announced that Doctor On Demand, a healthcare service that provides Video Visits with board-certified physicians on smartphones and tablets, has completed Surescripts certification through DoseSpot.

“We are thrilled to be working with Doctor On Demand to further enhance their healthcare service platform and offer a comprehensive yet simplified e-Prescribing solution,” said Greg Waldstreicher, President, DoseSpot. “Not only does this streamline operational efficiencies for Doctor on Demand, but e-Prescribing is convenient for patients in need of a prescription,” added Greg.

Doctor On Demand provides Video Visits with board-certified physicians immediately, via smartphones and tablets. Doctor On Demand physicians diagnose, treat, and write prescriptions where clinically appropriate. Visits are only $40. The most common conditions that Doctor On Demand physicians treat include colds, coughs, allergies, infections, fever, rashes, nausea, sports injuries and more.

Through this partnership with DoseSpot, Doctor On Demand physicians are equipped to:

• Safely and efficiently send prescriptions electronically to more than 65,000 pharmacies nationwide;
• Automatically check for dangerous drug-drug and drug-allergy interaction alerts;
• Aggregate prescription history data from community pharmacies in addition to patient medication claims history from payers and pharmacy benefit managers;
• Request information on patient insurance eligibility and formulary at the time of prescribing.

“Telehealth and e-Prescribing share the same objectives; expand access to care, save time, reduce costs and increase efficiency,” said Greg. “This integration proves to be a win for the patient, physician and pharmacist.”

“We’re focused on providing medical care to people whenever and wherever they need it,” said Adam Jackson, Co-founder and CEO of Doctor On Demand. “In partnership with DoseSpot, it’s even easier for our network of doctors to safely and efficiently prescribe the medications a patient needs to feel better.”

For more information on e-Prescribing integration platforms and DoseSpot, please visit www.DoseSpot.com.

About Doctor on Demand
Doctor On Demand is a healthcare service that provides Video Visits with board-certified physicians via smartphones or tablets. Patients simply download the Doctor On Demand app, tap a few screens, and are instantly connected to a doctor in their state for a Video Visit. Doctor On Demand delivers services through employers, health systems, health plans, and direct to consumers. Entrepreneurs Adam Jackson and Jay McGraw founded the company in 2013 to improve access to high quality, service-oriented and cost-effective medical care. Doctor On Demand is based in San Francisco. To learn more, please visit www.doctorondemand.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/.

Read full press release here: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/07/prweb12039240.htm

“The Digital Doc” today’s mhealth, and what doctors are saying about it

Follow

Mobile health (known as mhealth) is one of the fastest growing markets today, and has been referred to by techies and health professionals alike as the “invisible link” between patients and doctors. With mobile applications at their disposal, doctors can more easily provide care with services moved to the cloud, allowing data to be accessed anywhere, anytime. Exactly how prevalent are these apps in the doctor’s office? Take a look below to find out.

In a recent study conducted by MedData Group, a healthcare marketing firm in Massachusetts, 2/3 of American doctors surveyed use mhealth apps while on the job. Nearly 50% of these doctors say they use mobile apps to look at medication interactions.

These percentages are expected to change over the next 12 months, with an anticipated increase in the number of doctors using apps that allow for EHR access. Many of these EHR apps will reduce time-consuming administrative work that doctors are currently subjected to.

According to Juniper Research’s latest report on the mhealth market, mobile apps are enhancing overall consumer engagement in healthcare by increasing information flow. Costs are being lowered by better decision-making, fewer in-person visits, greater treatment adherence, and remote monitoring. As of now, the overarching conclusion in the mhealth sphere is this: doctors are open to adopting a wide variety of mhealth technologies, if they see a clear benefit.

THE FINANCIAL FACT$:

• According to the Global Mobile Health Market Report 2013-2017 by research2guidance, the mhealth market will reach $26 billion USD globally by 2017
• Juniper Research’s latest report on the mhealth market forecasts cumulative cost savings of up to $36 billion USD globally over the next 3 years
• Consumers are currently driving much of the demand for mhealth technologies and applications

SOURCES: Huffington Post and Xconomy

For more information on physician interactions with mobile and connected health platforms, check out MedData’s official report 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.

Digital Health Funding Soars

Follow

RockHealth recently published their Digital Health Funding – Midyear Review and I’ve highlighted some key findings below:

In 2013 digital health companies raised $2 billion in venture funding…first six months of 2014 digital health companies have already raised $2.3 billion.

So where’s all the money going?

Here is the full report:

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: Medicast

Follow

Startup: Medicast
Website: www.medicast.co
Funding: $1.4 Million as of May 20, 2014
Overview: Medicast is a technology healthcare service that connects patients with nearby on call doctors on-demand to deliver affordable, high quality and compassionate care in the comfort of the patient’s home, workplace, or hotel–all within 2 hours.
Services: Medicast’s highly trained, professional and skilled physicians have expertise in family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics and geriatrics, and provide services ranging from simple check-ups to urgent/immediate care. In addition to ordering new or refill prescriptions, our doctors are able to provide certain oral medications and intramuscular injections.
Platforms: Available on iOS, via the web, and directly through the phone (call center).
Current Cities: South Florida / Miami & Los Angeles / Orange County
Coming soon: San Francisco & New York City

Sources: angel.co/medicast & medicast.co

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.

DoseSpot Announces Groundbreaking Technology to Route e-Prescriptions Telepathically

Follow

DoseSpot Announces Groundbreaking Technology to Route e-Prescriptions Telepathically

DoseSpot, an industry leader in electronic prescribing (e-Prescribing) integration platforms for medical and dental software, today unveiled new groundbreaking technology to route e-Prescriptions telepathically directly to a pharmacist, sending prescriptions in a matter of milliseconds.

“If a prescriber can think it, they can send it” said Greg Waldstreicher, President, DoseSpot. “We are thrilled to be innovating within the e-Prescribing market and upholding our commitment to creating greater efficiencies for healthcare professionals. Cloud-based software will soon be a thing of the past with the emergence of telepathic communications.”

The ability for prescribers, including doctors and dentists as well as telehealth providers to send prescriptions telepathically is the first of its kind. DoseSpot continues to make enhancements to the telepathic communications network and is currently beta testing sending telepathic prescriptions directly to patients.

April fools! DoseSpot prescribers unfortunately do not have the capability to send e-Prescriptions telepathically but they are equipped to:

• Safely and efficiently send prescriptions electronically to more than 65,000 pharmacies
• Automatically check for dangerous drug-drug and drug-allergy interactions
• Aggregate prescription history data from community pharmacies in addition to patient medication claims history from payers and pharmacy benefit managers
• Request information on patient insurance eligibility and formulary at the time of prescribing

Learn more about DoseSpot today at www.DoseSpot.com. That is no joke!

About DoseSpot

DoseSpot is a Surescriptsâ„¢ certified e-Prescribing platform specifically designed to integrate with electronic health record, practice management, and telehealth software. DoseSpot has provided affordable and integratable e-Prescribing solutions to more than 45 medical & dental software companies since 2009. For more information, please visit http://www.DoseSpot.com.

Telehealth Overview, Utilization and Trends

Follow

Gone are the days of taking the morning off from work to squeeze in a last minute doctor’s appointment to diagnose the flu-like symptoms you developed over night. The new alternative is telehealth, a concept that is bringing innovation to the traditional methods of healthcare delivery and accessibility, providing patients and doctors with greater flexibility and efficiency. Telehealth has already taken 2014 by storm and has instantly become the new healthcare IT buzz word. So much so that DoseSpot created a new Telehealth White Paper to share information on current telehealth utilization and upcoming trends. Within the white paper you will also find information on how telehealth companies can leverage e-Prescribing software to enhance the telehealth visit for both doctors and patients.

To download DoseSpot’s Telehealth White Paper, please visit www.dosespot.com/telehealth-whitepaper.