In a statement, UnitedHealth said that files hacked by cybercriminals contain protected health information (PHI) or personally identifiable information (PII).
Hackers gained access to a vast amount of private information from its IT division Change Healthcare, which may include a “substantial proportion of the American population.” The business has been removed from its victim’s page by a second ransomware outfit that was requesting money. A malevolent threat actor reportedly shared 22 screenshots from allegedly exfiltrated files—some of which contained PHI and PII—on the dark web for over a week. There hasn’t been any further PHI or PII published as of yet, according to the press release.
The business keeps an eye out for leaks on the dark web, but so far it hasn’t discovered any indications that information like medical records or doctor charts have been compromised.
United Health has set up a call center offering free credit monitoring and identity theft protections for two years to anyone who believes they’re impacted.
Negative behaviors—such as manipulation, bullying, screaming, and so forth—that are so deeply ingrained in the organization’s culture that they cause low productivity, low trust, high levels of stress, internal conflict, and discrimination are the norm are considered toxic work environments. Despite the $166 billion that is reportedly spent annually on leadership development in the United States alone, bad bosses are nonetheless prevalent in American workplaces.
People that are aggressive, micromanage, and behave in a way that betrays trust are the ones who generate poisonous workplace climates. Indirect forms of these actions include making hurtful jokes, taunting, and/or disparaging the efforts and achievements of others. Direct actions can also be toxic habits. Toxic workplace cultures are characterized by bullying, scapegoating, harsh criticism, mockery, and shouting.
At the third annual Columbia Center for Artificial Intelligence Technology (CAIT) research conference, which took place on October 26 at Manhattanville’s Geffen Hall, it was the main question. Attendees explored a wide range of subjects during a day of keynote addresses, panel discussions, and breakout sessions, from patient empowerment and electronic medical records to emergency department staffing algorithms and patient trust in AI-enabled healthcare.
Mount Sinai Launches Center for Ophthalmic Artificial Intelligence and Human Health
First-of-its-kind initiative aims to transform patient care with more timely diagnosis of eye disease and innovative risk assessment of systemic health conditions
Ascension (St. Louis): In June, Sean Moroze, MD, an orthopedic surgeon affiliated with Ascension Medical Group Sacred Heart Bay Orthopedics in Panama City, Fla., told Becker’s that he is excited about the possibility of AI integrating into “every facet of patient care.”
CommonSpirit Health (Chicago): In July, CommonSpirit Health marketing officials told Becker’s that the health system is using generative AI to draft content, create images and personalize the communications experience for patients.
Trinity Health (Livonia, Mich.): In March, Trinity Health officials toldBecker’s that the health system was focusing its AI investments on tools that would improve health equity.
Community Health Systems (Franklin, Tenn.): In August, Community Health Systems expanded its partnership with AvaSure, an AI-powered telehealth company
Customers of Amazon Clinic can now choose “Cough, cold, and flu” from the list of treatments under “Find a treatment” when using either the Amazon mobile app or Amazon.com. From there, customers can choose the best fit for their schedule and budget by looking through a list of the many telehealth providers and comparing costs and response times. Customers communicate with a qualified clinician through a secure chat gateway or scheduled video visit after filling out an intake form that includes current symptoms and basic medical history. This process doesn’t require an appointment or insurance. The doctor will then create a customized treatment plan, which can include a prescription that Amazon Pharmacy, a full-service online pharmacy that provides fast, free delivery on prescription medications—or any other—can fill. Amazon Pharmacy is open 24/7 and offers access to pharmacists. In an effort to make it simpler for consumers to get and remain healthy.
Amazon Clinic opened in November 2022. Customers in all 50 states as well as Washington, D.C. can use the 24/7 virtual health care marketplace to find third-party, licensed practitioners who can rapidly and reliably treat over 35 common health issues, such as acid reflux, pinkeye, and asthma.
A lot of doctors are overburdened with paperwork, which makes them overworked and reduces their availability for patient care. Heidi Health, a Melbourne-based company with global expansion aspirations, uses artificial intelligence (AI) to convert consultation transcripts into case histories, financial forms, referral letters, and other documentation in an effort to reduce the workload associated with administrative duties. Additionally, it creates thorough clinical histories for professionals and patients, assisting them in getting more out of each visit.
In order to work, Heidi first records consultations. Once the transcript has been analyzed, clinical notes will be created and prompts such “have you thought of a vascular condition?” will be given to the doctors. Additionally, it will identify cases that might be urgent or match a patient’s new symptoms to ones that were discussed during past visits. These documents are preserved as patient histories, for every individual.
Heidi has to first document consultations in order to work. Following analysis of the transcript, clinical notes will be made and the doctors will receive prompts such as “have you thought of a vascular condition?” It will also point out cases that may require immediate attention or compare a patient’s new symptoms to those that were mentioned during earlier sessions. These records are kept as patient histories, creating what Dr. Kelly refers to as “memory banks” for each person.
A study from Nursing Solutions Inc. (NSI) revealed that actual reported hospital and staff RN turnover increased from 18 percent in fiscal year 2020 to 27 percent in fiscal year 2021; the same March 2022 study reported that the workforce lost about 2.5 percent of RNs in 2021. In the latest NSI report (March 2023), turnover reduced to 23 percent in fiscal year 2022 but still remains elevated compared with prepandemic levels. A Health Affairs study published in April 2022 found that the RN workforce fell by about 100,000 by the end of 2021, which is a “far greater drop than ever observed over the past four decades.” This decline was particularly pronounced among midtenure nurses (aged 35 to 49). In terms of where they are going, nurses are both leaving the profession entirely as well as simply changing employers or roles.
One Medical (NASDAQ:ONEM) announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement under which Amazon will acquire One Medical. One Medical is a human-centered, technology-powered national primary care organization on a mission to make quality care more affordable, accessible, and enjoyable through a seamless combination of in-person, digital, and virtual care services that are convenient to where people work, shop, and live.
UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid said Sunday that there were health disparities along with race and gender lines. He said that a third of intensive care admissions in Britain at the height of the pandemic were people from Black and ethnic minority backgrounds, more than double their share of the population.
Medical research and clinical trials are often conducted among predominantly White participants — less than 10% of those enrolled in clinical trials are people of color. As a result, treatments and diagnostic criteria don’t take into account differences for people of different races or ethnicities.
Rochaun Meadows-Fernandez pointed out this can result in misdiagnosis or even medications — like albuterol inhalers for asthma — to be less effective. The result is poor treatment or no treatment at all.
Black Participants Are Sorely Absent from Medical Research.
More Minorities Needed in Clinical Trials to Make Research Relevant to All The health care system, from surgeons and doctors to therapists and psychiatrists, lacks Black practitioners. More than half of active physicians in the United States are White, and only 5% of physicians
As of 2015, only 4% of psychologists in the workforce were Black
Which is clearly evident that most people of color see a White practitioner, which can lead to poor treatment due to a lack of understanding or racist treatment. And in the case of mental health, having a therapist who isn’t Black becomes a barrier, as Mighty contributor
Racism among mostly White practitioners toward colleagues and patients also runs rampant. It occurs during medical training, as Samuel Kebede, MD, described in a Twitter thread. And it occurs in the doctor’s office by dismissing patient concerns or not offering Black patients the same standard of care. One study found that doctors with an implicit pro-White bias were less likely to prescribe pain medications following surgery to Black patients.
Liz Dwyer reported that a 2016 study found mental health therapists were less likely to call back prospective clients if they sounded Black or like they had a lower-income background A systematic review of studies on implicit bias among health care providers indicated 31 of the 37 studies reviewed suggested evidence of bias toward black and brown people
Instead of getting the care they need, Black people with mental illness are criminalized — Black people with a serious mental illness are five times more likely to be sent to jail than people with skin color privilege.
Adiaha Spinks-Franklin wrote that toxic stress leads to worse health outcomes over time, such as a lowered immune response and higher rates of mother and infant mortality rates Toxic stress is also compounded, as Tressie McMillan Cottom shared on Twitter, by generations of racism, violence and oppression
Health includes income, housing, food security, community support, access to health insurance, and other socioeconomic factors. Black people are more likely to struggle in all of these areas due to systemic racism, , deductibles, and copays that disproportionately discourages African Americans from getting needed medical care. That problem is exacerbated when corporate health care decisions are premised solely on reducing costs for care.
The same racist biases exhibited by practitioners have also been programmed into the systems that decide who should get care. A 2019 study published in Science investigated the algorithm used by health systems and insurers to determine which patients with chronic conditions needed extra care. Researchers found: That The algorithm only identified 18% of Black patients as needing more care compared to about 82% of White people, even though their levels of sickness were similar As a result, the algorithm failed “to account for a collective nearly 50,000 chronic conditions experienced by black patients,” according to STAT, who then didn’t receive adequate care
Recently,Medical equipment technicians face quarantine or travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 crisis, they are turning to augmented reality to keep systems working from afar. A company called, TechSee is using AR to keep current systems functioning.
How remote technicians use AR
During regular times when you could dispatch a technician to hospitals, or you could actually show the doctors how to operate equipment, fix it. When doing it remotely, they combined them with video and AR.
Once TechSee receives an inquiry, it is given to a technician and the technician sends a web link via SMS to a hospital staff member. This allows the hospital support person to use their smartphone camera or tablet camera to show the technician the problem. The user shows the technician the issue, and then the technician diagnoses the issue and uses AR to visually guide the hospital employee to a resolution.
TechSee works with more than 100 enterprises in a variety of sectors, with Medtechnica being one of its biggest clients in healthcare. While TechSee’s solution can be applied to any system–including X-rays, routers, smart thermostats, and more–the demand for ventilators is amplifying that use case.
This solution is completely web-based, so the user isn’t forced to download an app. The AI-powered platform can recognize devices and technical issues, as well as automate the support process, Churchill said.
Possible challenges
The system is very easy to use,and challenges re few.
The challenge is in shifting the mindset. Instead of calling someone and asking them, ‘Tell me what you see.” Now you actually tell them, Show me what you see.
Once TechSee receives an inquiry, it is given to a technician and the technician sends a web link via SMS to a hospital staff member. This allows the hospital support person to use their smartphone camera ortablet camera to show the technician the problem. The user shows the technician the problem, and then the technician diagnoses the issue and uses AR to visually guide the hospital employee to a solution to the issue.
A couple of healthcare startups are now offering test kits for the CoronaVirus, but it comes with a price. Both Carbon Health and Nurx have begun shipping these kits. These tests follows the PCR-based method, which tests for the genetic presence of the COVID-19 virus in a patient. These have a high degree of accuracy, at least when performed in a controlled setting and administered by a medical professional, and are the same tests that are available via drive-through testing stations being set up by state agencies. These tests are not free — the Carbon Health test costs $167.50, and the Nurx test costs $181, including shipping and assessment. These are in line with other offerings, including the one from Kits from Everlywell costs $135. All parties say they are subject to coverage by FSA or HSA money, or potentially by insurers depending on a person’s plan.
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