August 31, 2012
news
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced that its Blue Button initiative, which allows VA patients to view and download their personal health information into a single, portable file, has reached one million patients.
August 24, 2012 Gabriel Perna
article
Patient engagement is no longer just a provider-led initiative in a patient-care environment. Payers, like Humana, are attempting to get their members more involved with various platforms and programs, as noted in a recent research report. In this exclusive interview, Humana’s vice president of Medicare services Kathryn Creech talks with HCI Associate Editor Gabriel Perna about the company’s recent foray into this environment, an initiative to serve Medicare Advantage diabetes patients.
August 23, 2012 John DeGaspari
blog
As technology becomes more pervasive in healthcare, examples of how it is being used effectively to improve care are cropping up everywhere. I came across one example yesterday, during a conference call regarding the announcement by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services regarding the selection of primary care practices to participate in the agency’s Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative.
August 22, 2012 John DeGaspari
article
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on Aug. 22 announced a roster of 500 primary care practices in seven regions that will participate in its Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative, a public-private partnership to strengthen primary care. The initiative includes participation by CMS, state Medicaid agencies, commercial health plans, self-insured businesses, and primary care providers.
August 21, 2012
news
Providers aren’t the only ones trying to get patients more engaged with various technology platforms, according to a new report from Chilmark Research, payers are also getting on board. According to the report, various health insurers have begun creating initiatives which use social media, mobile health (mHealth), and even games to support patient engagement.
August 10, 2012 Gabriel Perna
article
Healthcare Informatics Associate Editor Gabriel Perna interviews the CEO of the National eHealth Collaborative (NeHC), Kate Berry, in part 2 of two-part podcast series on patient engagement. In the first part of the interview, they talked about why patient engagement has come to the forefront, and what came out that summit. Part two brings out discussion on how mobile health plays into the patient engagement landscape – including an app that Berry says will be a game-changer, and what NeHC has planned next when it comes to patient engagement.
August 6, 2012 Gabriel Perna
article
When it comes to personal health records, Kaiser Permanente is one of the biggest success stories in healthcare. Its PHR has reached four million users and a recent study revealed it has made members 2.6 more likely to stay with Kaiser Permanente. In this Q&A, the study’s co-author reveals why the PHR has been so successful, and the role Kaiser’s physicians have played in aiding the PHR’s usage.
August 6, 2012
news
Integrated healthcare provider Kaiser Permanente has announced that its personal health record My Health Manager has reached a total of four million users, representing 63 percent of its eligible membership. Overall, users signed onto the PHR more than 100 million times in the last year alone, with 29.7 million lab results viewed online, 12.2 million emails sent to providers, 10 million prescriptions refilled, and 2.7 million appointments scheduled.
August 2, 2012
news
Humana, a nationwide provider of Medicare benefits, is rolling out a self-care program for Medicare Advantage diabetes patients, in partnership with patient engagement platform provider dLife Healthcare Solutions. The platform, called The My Diabetes Path (MDP), has already launched in pilot for more than 18,000 member participants, providing multi-channel, multimedia interventions using dLife’s content, tools, and online community for diabetes self-management.
July 26, 2012 Gabriel Perna
article
This two-part podcast interview with the CEO of the National eHealth Collaborative, Kate Berry, explores the rising prominence of patient engagement in healthcare. In part 1, Berry and HCI Associate Editor Gabriel Perna discuss why providers and other healthcare entities are suddenly paying attention to patient engagement, and why deploying it effectively remains a mystery to many. She also talks about NeHC’s recent patient engagement summit.
July 25, 2012
news
The Chicago-based American Medical Association (AMA) has launched a new online community aimed at helping physicians improve their contracting strategies in a rapidly evolving healthcare system. The community, the Cutting-edge Contracting Group, would allow physicians, practice staff, and contract experts to connect and share tips, know-how and resources about contracting with managed care organizations.
July 24, 2012
news
According to a recently released survey from the National eHealth Collaborative (NeHC), healthcare organizations are making consumer engagement a priority, even as they continue to figure out and define their strategies in the area. The survey found that 53 percent of respondents ranked consumer engagement as high or very high in their organization’s priorities.
