At a developer conference hosted at the White House last week, six of the biggest tech companies issued a joint statement in support of health IT interoperability. It’s another sign that tech behemoths are serious about taming the vast and often unmanageable health data ecosystem – and getting their piece of it.
Photo: NayverM via Flickr
Tech giants Amazon and Apple both made waves in recent weeks for announcements that some interpreted as a first stab at disrupting the health care sector.
Plenty of observers have offered opinions on whether tech companies can truly shift the (often frightfully unmovable) machinations of the health care system.
Let’s take a look at the reality and how journalists might find fresh angles in the months ahead. Continue reading
In this era of “alternative facts,” everyone should read Sue Halpern’s piece, “They Have, Right Now, Another You,” published in the New York Review of Books in late December.
The piece, along with several recent studies on the accuracy of electronic health records, adds to the growing question over what types of data we can trust. And more important, how can we know the difference between bad and good data. Continue reading
Wellness apps. Wearables. Middleware. Big data.
These buzzwords circulating around the health tech world are out, so declared a panel of health investors last week.
Products that reduce costs and/or improve efficiencies are in, they said.
The shift was striking after years of direct-to-consumer and wellness applications taking center stage at tech confabs and in the media.
Health reporters get pitches on digital health products all the time. Keeping up with what investors are looking for in new products and technologies can help us gauge the value of the pitch. Continue reading
Photo: Army Medicine via Flickr
Can technology save us? It’s among several questions on a lot of people’s minds these days. Can technology save us from rising health costs? Can technology save Medicare by reducing costs to the program? Can technology help our veterans gain better access to care? Can technology help people take control of their health decisions?
At the same time, criticism of technology has grown in the aftermath of a presidential election that shocked many. Continue reading
Photo: Tina Reed, Washington Business Journal
More than 20 people came to the July 14, AHCJ chapter event in Washington, D.C., to learn about how technology affects health and what regulatory issues to watch out for.
The conversation was moderated by Politico Pro’s David Pittman (@David_Pittman), who covers health information technology. Pittman, who proposed the event, invited the panelists for their participation, and pitched the idea to the chapter co-chairs. The panelists were: Continue reading