A Towers Watson survey gives yet another look at employer attitudes and intentions as we head into the second year of reform implementation.
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A Research Letter in JAMA Internal Medicine suggests that for doctors practicing in the hospital, fear of malpractice can have an impact on costs.
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A meta-review in Telemedicine & eHealth finds that tele-monitoring of very ill chronic disease patients can reduce mortality, decrease hospital and ER use and possibly save money.
http://www.healthdatamanagement.com/news/Meta-Analysis-Shows-Telehealth-Reduces-Chronic-Condition-Costs-Mortality-48842-1.html?zkPrintable=trueJiff has received an additional $18 million investment. Jiff describes itself as an aggegrator of access to mobile health apps and, this is a literal quote, "provides each employee an individualized health incentives program through an addictive mobile experience." OMG, sounds like substance abuse treatment will be needed after using Jiff.
http://www.pehub.com/2014/09/venrock-leads-18-mln-series-b-funding-in-jiff/The University of South Carolina School of Business surveys Human Resource department heads to ascertain the impact of the reform law on employment.
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A report from health data analytics firm Healthentic explores high-cost patients in the commercial health insurance world.
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Funding for digital health startups, apparently anything your fingers or toes are involved in, will reach $6.5 billion by 2017, according to Accenture.
http://newsroom.accenture.com/news/us-funding-for-digital-healthcare-start-ups-expected-to-reach-6-and-a-half-billion-by-2017-according-to-accenture.htmGlobal consumer powerhouse Philips is breaking up its business to focus more on health care, with the lighting division being spun off and health care and consumer goods units being retained in one new company called HealthTech.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2014-09-23/philips-plans-break-up-to-focus-on-healthcare-consumer-goodsAnd in news which is apparently related to the just previous post, HCA, another large hospital company is buying another software company, PatientKeeper, which automates physician note-taking and other workflow. Hmmm, hospital companies buying physician-oriented software, could they possibly be trying to lock those docs up even tighter?
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20140923/NEWS/309239896?AllowView=VDl3UXk1T3dDUGVCbkJiYkY0M3hlMHFyakVVY0ErQT0=&utm_source=link-20140923-NEWS-309239896&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=hits&utm_name=topConifer Health Solutions, a division of Tenet Healthcare, has acquired SPi Healthcare, which provides software and services for physician office management and billing, for $235 million.
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20140923/NEWS/309239897?AllowView=VDl3UXk1T3dDUGVCbkJiYkY0M3hlMHFyakVVY0ErRT0=&utm_source=link-20140923-NEWS-309239897&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=hits&utm_name=topCOTA, Inc. (must be an impressive company with all those caps, or maybe that damned key to the left of a just got stuck, oh, or I get it, the release is about raising CAPITAL) has received an investment of $3.7 million to assist in its offering of support services for oncologist in value-based reimbursement schemes.
http://www.pehub.com/2014/09/cota-raises-series-a-funds/About this Blog
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. Mr. Roche is available to assist health care companies through consulting arrangements through Roche Consulting, LLC and may be reached at khroche@healthy-skeptic.com.