All Posts By

Kevin Roche

The Healthy Skeptic is a website about the health care system, and is written by Kevin Roche, who has many years of experience working in the health industry through Roche Consulting, LLC. Mr. Roche is available to assist health care companies through consulting arrangements and may be reached at khroche@healthy-skeptic.com.

Sep 02 2014

Will the disappointments never end!!!!  A study suggests that gamifying health apps doesn't necessarily lead to better or longer-lasting patient engagement.

http://ebn.benefitnews.com/news/ebn_hc_wellness_disease/researchers-voice-concerns-over-app-gamification-rewards-2743474-1.html
Aug 29 2014

Vendor Credentialing Services has merged with Medkinetics and Payer Enrollment Services, to create a company that provides a wider range of credentialing and compliance services, largely for providers.

http://www.pehub.com/2014/08/pe-backed-vcs-merges-with-medkinetics-and-payor-enrollment-services/
Aug 29 2014

A study in Medical Care finds that for small community medical practices, providing incentives for improvement on certain quality measures, coupled with technical assistance, did lead to significant increases in performance on those measures, but also led to lower performance on other, unincented, quality measures.  This demonstrates the oft-feared unintended consequence of pay-for-performance, it diverts attention from overall care quality.

http://journals.lww.com/lww-medicalcare/Abstract/2014/09000/The_Intended_and_Unintended_Consequences_of.10.aspx?utm_campaign=KHN%3A+Daily+Health+Policy+Report&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=13960954&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8R-IQTu4G4PLgBsFZRz2zY9bj-XZNJ8Wd95njtcu8H5S1Qco5YHgwwm6awrbB4305uqpBcYAlr2eM-i7WM3M-chkydLQ&_hsmi=13960954
Aug 29 2014

Here is an example of a stupid regulation solely designed to protect the interests of existing providers.  Georgia's proposed telemedicine rule requires a face-to-face consultation before use of telemedicine and you have to have a Georgia license.  Telemedicine could significantly reduce spending by decreasing unit costs, but not if it has to cope with this kind of lunacy.

http://ehrintelligence.com/2014/08/25/updated-ga-telemedicine-guidelines-require-in-person-visit/
Aug 28 2014

Medtronic is not only seeking to lower its taxes by acquisition activity, but is also continuing to move into services, most recently by acquiring NGC Medical, which operates cath labs in Italy and hopes to expand to other European countries.  The purchase price was $350 million.

http://www.fiercemedicaldevices.com/press-releases/medtronic-acquires-ngc-medical-strengthen-its-integrated-health-solutions-p?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal
Aug 28 2014

Roper Industries has purchased Strategic Healthcare Programs, a vendor of data analytics and reporting services to the post-acute segment.

http://www.pehub.com/2014/08/cc-and-level-equity-exit-strategic-healthcare-programs/
Aug 27 2014

Airstrip, which makes clinical data available on cell phones and other mobile devices, has raised another $25 million, ostensibly to support a move into home health.  The company must be burning cash at a pretty good rate and likely has modest revenue at best.

http://medcitynews.com/2014/08/two-airstrip-customers-support-25m-fundraise-to-move-into-home-health-market/?utm_source=MedCity+News+Subscribers&utm_campaign=21e6a9e5f5-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c05cce483a-21e6a9e5f5-67648197
Aug 27 2014

Another firm selling buzzwords, Lumiata, is seeking to raise $6.3 million for its predictive analytics platform aimed at hospitals.

http://medcitynews.com/2014/08/predictive-health-analytics-startup-lumiata-raising-6-3m/?utm_source=MedCity+News+Subscribers&utm_campaign=21e6a9e5f5-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c05cce483a-21e6a9e5f5-67648197
Aug 27 2014

Wearable Intelligence has raised $7.9 million to support apps that provide health data from wearable gadgets.

http://www.pehub.com/2014/08/wearable-intelligence-picks-up-7-9-mln/
Aug 27 2014

Its not just in the US that people are looking for more convenient and cheaper ways to access clinicians.  China's Chunyu has raised $50 million to support its service of connecting patients to doctors through phone or internet communications.

http://www.techinasia.com/doctor-consultation-app-chinas-biggest-investment-healthcare-startup/
Aug 27 2014

Comprehend Systems, a vendor of software allowing drug and device developers to track their clinical development programs, has raised an additional $21 million in funding.

http://www.comprehend.com/comprehend-raises-21-million-series-b-funding/