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February 16, 2015 By Casey Quinlan Leave a Comment

Daily Digest: Data passports, narrow networks, and more

Data passports: In the absence of health IT interoperability, some systems have started using “patient passports” for complex cases. It’s a start. Maybe next, patient passports for all? Here’s a Wall Street Journal piece that tells the story: “Patient ‘Passports’ Make Sure People With Complex Cases Are Heard”

Narrow networks, narrower choices: Affordable insurance plans are no guarantee that you’ll find a provider that takes your plan, and is near your home. As the health insurance industry adds millions of new customers via ACA Marketplace plans, it’s turning out to be a contentious relationship for some folks. The NY Times’ Elisabeth Rosenthal breaks down the issue: “Insured, but Not Covered”

Wisdom of children’s books: The always-worth-reading Susannah Fox thinks that healthcare can learn a lot from one of her favorite children’s books. After reading her post, we’re in agreement with her perspective. “What healthcare can learn from Mike Mulligan and his steam shovel”

Deep dive into Twitter on measles outbreak: Our SPM friend Mark Harmel has a terrific post up on the Symplur blog looking at the Twitter data surrounding the #measlestruth conversation kicked off by Dr. Bryan Vartabedian and Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson to support the idea of vaccinating kids against measles. “Did #MeaslesTruth Create a New Form of Twitter Communication?”

Why Anthem hack is potential horror: A very cautionary piece on NPR about the black market for personal data shows that health IDs, particularly Medicare information, is worth a bundle to the bad guys. The real horror here is the lack of cyber-security sophistication on othe part of healthcare industry IT overlords. “The Black Market for Stolen Health Care Data”

John Oliver on “Last Week Tonight” takes on pharma [WARNING: use headphones if you’re at work!]: The weekly HBO news-comedy host takes on pharma marketing in a very funny, but very NSFW (Not Safe For Work), examination of the marketing juggernaut that is the pharmaceutical industry.  “Marketing to Doctors”

 

Filed Under: Digests Tagged With: bryan vartabedian, elisabeth rosenthal, health insurance, john oliver, mike mulligan, npr, NY Times, patient passport, patient safety, pharma marketing, susannah fox, Symplur, twitter, wall street journal, wendy sue swanson Leave a Comment

February 13, 2015 By Casey Quinlan Leave a Comment

Daily Digest: Geography=health, right-care, and more

Geography is health: Geo-mapping expert Bill Davenhall said that in a TEDMED talk. An interesting neighborhood development in Austin has built in open spaces in a new-urbanism model to foster community health and social interaction. NPR has the story: “Urban Utopia”

Worm in that Austin geo-health apple? The new-urbanism that Austin was aiming at in the above story had a flip-side that revealed underlying racial tensions. Recognizing that, and talking about it, has been eye-opening. Social determinants are a big part of public health. Part 2 of the NPR series on the Mueller neighborhood in Austin: “Utopia Tackles Racial Tensions Under the Surface”

UnitedHealth’s $43 billion bet: “Fee for service” is often blamed for the high cost of US healthcare. Health insurer UnitedHealth has taken a big step away from fee for service, and toward value-based payment to medical providers. From the Wall Street Journal: “UnitedHealth’s $43 Billion Exit from Fee for Service Medicine”

We need to talk: A study in JAMA Oncology concludes that doctors’ views that patients ask for more testing and other care than they need is true in only 1% of cases in cancer care. This piece by Sarah Kliff in Vox breaks down the study’s findings. Seems like doctors and patients have yet more reasons to talk clearly and plainly with each other. “Doctors think lots of patients ask for medicine they don’t need. This study says that’s not true.”

Anthem data hack: A piece in FierceHealthIT says that the FBI is on the case in tracking down the folks behind the Anthem hack, which compromised the personal data of 80 million Anthem customers. There are some hints that it might have been a Chinese hacker group, but no solid leads yet. “Details emerge in Anthem hack”

Friday’s laugh track: From Gomerblog, a visual discourse. “Medical Specialties as Game of Thrones Characters“

Filed Under: Digests Tagged With: anthem hack, bill davenhall, community health, fee for service, fierce health it, Gomerblog, mueller neighborhood, npr, Sarah Kliff, shared decision, unitedhealth, value-based payment, vox, wall street journal Leave a Comment

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