Health IT
AI in health care: Meeting HIPAA standards with ChatGPT
New technologies are introduced to enhance the quality of care and make the work of health care professionals more efficient. ChatGPT is one such technology; it is a robust language model that can comprehend and respond to input in natural language. ChatGPT has the potential to significantly enhance the work of health care professionals and improve patient care, even though some may be concerned that the use of such technology …
Transcription troubles: the hilarious and alarming consequences of speech recognition in medicine
Speech recognition software is an important part of my clinic workflow. I use the industry-leading application, which has saved me at least 1,000 hours of documentation time over the last decade. My typing is much slower than my speaking, and since my goal is to leave the office at a reasonable hour every day, using it is the obvious choice for …
Revolutionizing medicine: How ChatGPT is changing the way we think about health care
GPT, or Generative Pre-trained Transformer, is a type of artificial intelligence that has the unremarkable ability to generate human-like text. The program is free to use during the “research preview” time. GPT gained 1 million users in under a week of being released. Keep in mind that this technology is currently in the beta testing phase.
It is important to note the limitations. The quality of the responses depends on the …
The CHIPHIT complex and the future of health care: Can we create a low-cost, high-quality system?
The high cost, low quality, and systemic inequities of the U.S. health care system have prompted its redesign. The current health care system is now controlled by consolidated health care institutions, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, and health information technology companies (CHIPHIT complex). The CHIPHIT complex, along with the federal government, will shape the future health care system. However, independent health care policy experts, independent health care providers, and members of …
Why the internet of things (IoT) must pivot to achieve health care potential [PODCAST]
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“In many ways, internet of things (IoT) is a double-edged sword: connected devices are capturing huge volumes and varieties of data that can be mined for everything from potentially life-saving health care information to guidance toward peak …
The transformation of doctors into “Dr. Widgets”
It has finally happened, I have transitioned to viewing myself as a widget, a depersonalized interface between the EMR and the patient. I am the unnamed device that collects the patient data and subsequently transcribes it into prose for billing purposes and maybe the occasional colleague review. There is a bit of curious comfort in identifying myself as a mere cog. I’m imagining I will now fly below the radar, …
The most valuable health care companies of tomorrow will be technology companies
I’ve always been curious about the top 0.1 percent.
Their mindsets, backgrounds, upbringing, perceptions, skills, and behavioral traits that got them there.
After living through the Dot-com bubble, 9/11, Enron-WorldCom, the 2008 financial crisis, the meteoric rise of technology (search, e-commerce, social media, sharing economy), and the rise of a new class of billionaires, I intuitively sensed that there was a disconnect between what was going on in the real world, and …
Medical innovation: a serendipitous step toward gender equity
There has never been a better time to be a woman entrepreneur. With ever-growing numbers of venture funds specifically for women and nonprofits dedicated to advancing women in tech, the next Apple is ripe for the picking. However, there remains a wide chasm to cross. Currently, startups led by women command less than 3 percent of venture capital investment dollars.
Upon diving deeper into this disparity, a 2020 paper published by …
Design thinking in health care: Physicians already have the training to be innovators
Compared to the Silicon Valley world of moving fast and breaking things, health care change often happens slowly. Some of the reasons for the inertia of our industry make sense. Change impacting patients requires a vetting process to ensure we are creating net benefit.
But this inertia also exists partly because many believe our field is so uniquely complicated that it cannot be improved using lessons from other industries. But the …
How templates can make you a better doctor
“If it ain’t written down, it didn’t happen.”
We’ve heard that before. And it’s so true. Good medical documentation is essential because it reflects your clinical thought process. Your notes are crucial for continuing care, ensuring you are compliant with billing, and protecting you in case of a lawsuit. Your notes are the expression of your digital identity as a physician.
When I started using templates many years ago, the most obvious …
How to write shorter clinical notes
Here are tips you can borrow to write concise notes. While keeping them clear and thorough. And spending less time on EMR documentation.
Don’t write paragraphs. You’re not writing a novel. Think bullet lists. They are easier to read.
Cut on pronouns. This is useful when using templates and dot phrases: You don’t need to replace all pronouns.
Use abbreviations. Medical …
The evolving role of physicians in health care
Health care has changed dramatically in the last decades, from the introduction of electronic medical records to the COVID-19 pandemic serving as a catalyst for telehealth and virtual care options to the increased familiarity with digital therapeutics, etc. Just as the industry has transformed over time, the physician’s role has similarly evolved.
Traditionally, those of us who attended medical school have had just a handful of career options to choose from …
The focus of the internet of things (IoT) must pivot to achieve health care potential
In many ways, internet of things (IoT) is a double-edged sword: connected devices are capturing huge volumes and varieties of data that can be mined for everything from potentially life-saving health care information to guidance toward peak athletic performance, but it is incredibly difficult to convert that raw data into truly meaningful and actionable insights.
IDC projects that, by 2025, IoT devices will generate more than 73 zettabytes of data globally …
What to do when doctors develop “portal hypertension”
This article is satire.
Physicians today are confronting yet another epidemic, one that affects doctors directly and is not caused by a virus. It is the result of the “patient portal” through which patients send typed messages directly to their physicians. Though the portal has benefits, anecdotal experience suggests that high message volume is having a deleterious effect on doctors’ blood pressure.
I have dubbed this phenomenon “portal hypertension,” despite the objections …
Is Elon Musk right about the future of medicine?
“Mark my words. AI (artificial intelligence) is more dangerous than the nukes.”
– Elon Musk
The other day, as soon as I walked in to work, already running my usual ten minutes late, I was hustling from my office to the clinic when I saw one of our physician assistants in the hallway. Otherwise known for her calm composure, it seemed odd that she was visibly distressed. She had forgotten her laptop …
Why expand telemedicine for arthritis patients?
One in four Americans carry a diagnosis of arthritis, a significant cause of limitation from basic life activities to disability. One in ten adults has to limit their activities due to pain caused by this disease. Yet, a massive shortage of specialist physicians and geographical and licensure barriers restrict access to specialized medical care, especially in rheumatology offices. Also, the cost of arthritis is 303 billion dollars yearly …
Amazon vs. Apple: Only one will rewrite the rules of health care
Big Tech has had a surprisingly small impact on U.S. health care, so far.
Artificial intelligence, for example, outperforms physicians in many complex tasks (like reading mammograms and analyzing chest X-rays), yet AI remains woefully underused. Meanwhile, many have tried to spur operational efficiency using big-data analytics, but care delivery remains as inconsistent and ineffective as ever. Perhaps the most telling example of Big Tech’s struggles in medicine: 9 in 10 …
The recent closing of Amazon Care shows the magnitude of the challenge in changing health care
Amazon recently announced plans to shut down Amazon Care, an in-home and virtual health care service.
The reasons cited were attributed to a significant overlap of services with the One Medical chain of clinics, which Amazon purchased in July of this year for 3.9 billion, as well as Amazon Care not being a complete enough offering for large enterprise customers for which it was targeting.
This is the third health …
Human touch and scientific veracity are missing in health care technology
Working remotely during the coronavirus pandemic has immersed physicians in technology, perhaps accelerating its integration with medical practice – but not necessarily its acceptance or authenticity.
I tend to doubt the veracity of much of what I read in electronic health care records. I also question reports based on data gleaned from large medical databases – for example, summaries about physician compensation and practice trends.
Many reports that profile physicians are generated …
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