Healthcare IT News: A guide to telehealth vendors in the age of COVID-19

Here's their list of telehealth vendors.  It's useful considering the spur COVID-19 will give the industry.

I've just become a MyChart user and while not telehealth I've been interacting with my Primary Care Doc with email including sending pictures and attachments.

It's been a good experience and the only frustration has been closing care gaps with results from specialists.  I need to scan the visit summary with the specialist and forward it to my Primary Care provider to get rid of the annoying and old care gap alert.

Even when the PC and Specialist are Epic users and I have multiple linked accounts they don't interact.  I'll have duplicate alerts.

Frustrating... at least to a guy who thinks in terms of data that should all connect.

Unexpected Free Time

Some unanticipated free time's lead me to dust off this blog.  Seemed timely since we have medical models in the hands of Politicians and used for some economically draconian actions.

Here's Cathy O'Neal writing This Isn’t the Flattened Curve We Were Promised: The dying won’t be over anytime soon.  

Writing about those bell curves we've seen talked about so much on the news she notes:

The notion of area-under-the-curve one I haven't heard discussed much (at all really) in the news or pressers.

I'll be spending my time with Python and R the next few weeks.  I've always been a SAS guy but SAS's an expensive tool so it's time to learn the free stuff.

The Situation Report: Is the CIO Job at VA About to Lose Its Influence?

The Situation Report: Is the CIO Job at VA About to Lose Its Influence?

VistA Watch

I'll start collecting links to VA's EHR known as VistA. Politico had a history of it. They omitted some key names and I'll get back to that. Anyways, I'll be posting more on this procurement on a system the majority of Medical Residents work with at some point.

Halamka on MACRA Final Rule: “CMS is Listening and I Thank Them”

Halamka on MACRA Final Rule: “CMS is Listening and I Thank Them” | Healthcare Informatics Magazine | Health IT | Information Technology



Thank them?  They work for Americans and shouldn't be thanked for keeping the "burden" lighter than it could be.  What's the payoff for Americans to the government imposing any burdens on providers off our care?  I fear the policy wonks and theologians over healthcare have priorities and mission badly screwed up.

HHS finalizes streamlined Medicare payment system that rewards clinicians for quality patient care

It's MACRAolypse.



HHS finalizes streamlined Medicare payment system that rewards clinicians for quality patient care

CMS Answers Family Physicians' Questions About MACRA

CMS Answers Family Physicians' Questions About MACRA: CMS officials answered family physicians' questions about the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act during a standing-room-only meeting at the 2016 Annual Chapter Leader Forum.

AMA Releases Value-Based Care, MACRA Resources for Providers

AMA Releases Value-Based Care, MACRA Resources for Providers