Author Archives: Karen Blum

Karen Blum

About Karen Blum

Karen Blum is AHCJ’s core topic leader on health IT. An independent journalist in the Baltimore area, she has written health IT stories for publications such as Pharmacy Practice News, Clinical Oncology News, Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News, General Surgery News and Infectious Disease Special Edition.

Why you should write about telesitting in hospitals

laptop and stethoscope

Photo by National Cancer Institute via Pexels

It’s no surprise that hospitalized patients are at an increased risk of falls. They’re in unfamiliar surroundings and may be taking new medications with side effects. And many experience decreased activity while recovering from various illnesses or surgeries. What may be surprising are the numbers: Each year, an estimated 700,000 to one million people fall in hospitals, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

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What to know about ‘smishing,’ a growing cyberattack trend targeting hospitals

man entering credit card info on phone

Photo by Mikhail Nilov via Pexels

By now, most of us are familiar with phishing, the practice of sending emails that appear as if they are from legitimate companies that try to get recipients to divulge personal information like passwords or credit card numbers.

In August, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a report warning hospitals about a growing cyberattack trend that hackers are using to gain access to hospital and health system IT networks: smishing, or phishing via SMS (short message service) text message. 

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Tip sheet: Harnessing ChatGPT for good journalistic use

monitor with chatgpt

Photo by Andrew Neel via Pexels

In mid-July, AHCJ hosted a webinar with Alex Mahadevan, the director of MediaWise at the Poynter Institute, on how journalists can put ChatGPT to good use. We had a great turnout, with more than 80 participants watching live. Here, I’ll cover the highlights from Alex’s presentation and from another webinar on ChatGPT hosted by the Online News Association. Links to both recordings are in the resources section below. 

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Teleneurology improves access
to specialty care for rural residents

telehealth call

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko via Pexels

You might not think of neurology as a specialty that lends itself well to telehealth appointments, but the Veterans Health Administration and some academic medical centers have been operating teleneurology programs for the past few years. A study from the VA published in June about its program — thought to be the first of its kind for outpatients — found that the availability of teleneurology led to more timely care for rural residents. Veterans who received the service reported being highly satisfied to boot.

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Virtual nursing: A possible solution to a national shortage

virtual nursing

Photo courtesy of Mary Washington Healthcare

Facing high workloads and unprecedented levels of stress, nearly 100,000 nurses quit during the pandemic, according to a recent study. And it’s going to get worse — the same study projects that nearly 800,000 more nurses will quit or retire by 2027.

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