Information technology
Denver Health will start texting more patients about their healthcare | The Denver PostDenver Health sent 250,000 appointment reminders and 2,000 well child check reminders to patients via text message over the past three years. Now, a federal grant will allow Denver Health to expand its texting capabilities and tie those messages directly into patients' electronic health records.
With electronic health records on the way, defense agency expands what it means to be 'interoperable' | Federal News Radio
As the Defense Health Agency prepares for the initial launch of a new electronic health record in the next few months, the Pentagon said it was broadening its definition of interoperability. Raquel Bono, director of the Defense Health Agency, said she's “widened her aperture” on what interoperability means, and DHA's approach to the new EHR reflects that definition.
Pharmaceuticals
Insurers pay more for multiple sclerosis drug because rebates don't help, report says | STATDrugmakers may offer rebates to payers, but health plans continue to see notable increases in costs for prescription medicines, according to a report by the office of Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey. And this has been especially true for one particularly costly group of medicines used to treat multiple sclerosis.
Safety, quality and clinical practice
Hospitals struggle to address terrifying and long-lasting 'ICU delirium' | STATAnywhere from a third to more than 80% of ICU patients suffer from delirium during their hospital stay. Recognizing the prevalence of the problem, doctors and nurses across the country are now pushing an ambitious campaign to change practices in intensive care units to reduce cases of “ICU delirium” — a sudden and intense confusion that can include hallucinations, delusions, and paranoia.
Exercise, even in small doses, offers tremendous benefits for senior citizens | Kaiser Health News
When mobility is compromised, older adults are more likely to lose their independence, become isolated, feel depressed, live in nursing homes and die earlier than people who don't have difficulty moving around. Problems with mobility are distressingly common: About 17% of seniors age 65 or older can't walk even one-quarter of a mile, and another 28% have difficulty doing so.
