News Briefs
Survey Finds Decline in Telehealth Use Across Most Groups in 2022
The percentage of adults who used telehealth in the past year dropped from 37 percent in 2021 to 30.1 percent in 2022, with declines observed across sociodemographic and geographic groups, according to new federal data. The last National Health Statistics Report on telehealth trends, released in 2022, showed that telehealth remained popular across various populations in 2021, with 43.3 percent of United States adults 65 and older and 42 percent of women saying they used telehealth in the past year.
(Source: mHealthIntelligence, 2024-06-20)
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CMS Updates Guidance for Nursing Home Minimum Staffing Rule
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has issued updated guidance that surveyors will use to weigh nursing homes' compliance with expanded facility assessment requirements included in the minimum staffing rule. The guidance details an array of new provider responsibilities.
(Source: McKnight's Long-Term Care News, 2024-06-19)
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Hospices Seeing Uptick in Interest Among P.E., V.C. Firms
Private equity, venture capital firms, and strategic investors have had a strong appetite for hospice assets in recent years. These investment trends fostered both concerns and opportunities within the industry.
(Source: Hospice News, 2024-06-21)
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Most Health Systems Unprepared for Ransomware Attack
A May 8 ransomware attack against Ascension, a Catholic health system with 140 hospitals in at least 10 states, locked providers out of systems that track and coordinate nearly every aspect of patient care. Despite a precipitous rise in cyberattacks against the health sector in recent years, a weeks-long disruption of this magnitude is beyond what most health systems are prepared for, said John Clark, an associate chief pharmacy officer at the University of Michigan health system.
(Source: KFF Health News, 2024-06-20)
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Bureaucratic Process Slows Down Hospitals' Ransomware Recovery
Crippling ransomware attacks against hospitals and healthcare providers are on the rise. Healthcare professionals, lawyers, and cybersecurity experts tell WIRED that amid the chaos caused by criminal hackers, a little-known bureaucratic process can slow down hospitals and medical providers getting their systems working again.
(Source: Wired News, 2024-06-24)
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Report Finds Health Entities Pay Average $11 Million Per Breach
The global healthcare sector experienced a staggering 1,613 cyberattacks per week in the first three quarters of 2023, nearly four times the global average, and a significant increase from the same period the previous year, according to a KnowBe4 report. This surge has contributed to a steep rise in cyberattack costs for healthcare organizations, with the average breach cost nearing $11 million -- more than three times the global average -- making healthcare the costliest sector for cyberattacks.
(Source: Healthcare Finance News, 2024-06-24)
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Judge Rejects HHS Ban on Third-Party Web Page Trackers
A federal judge in Texas ruled that guidance issued by President Joe Biden's administration that bars hospitals and other medical providers from using online tracking technologies that monitor users of their websites was unlawful. U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman, in Fort Worth, sided with two hospital trade groups including the American Hospital Association and two local healthcare systems in finding that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services overstepped its authority when it adopted the privacy-promoting guidance policy.
(Source: Reuters, 2024-06-20)
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Most Surgeons Won't Use Telehealth for Pre-Op, But Post-Op OK
New research shows that most surgeons are not open to using telehealth for preoperative visits, largely due to malpractice concerns; however, more than half said they would use telehealth for postoperative consultations. Prior research has shown that surgical specialists are less likely to use telehealth than their peers.
(Source: mHealthIntelligence, 2024-06-24)
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Freestanding Emergency Rooms Growing, But Practices Questioned
The number of freestanding emergency rooms in the United States grew tenfold from 2001 to 2016, drawing attention for sending patients eye-popping bills. Most states allow them to operate, either by regulation or lack thereof. Some states, including Texas, have taken steps to regulate the centers, such as requiring posted notices identifying the facility as a freestanding emergency department.
(Source: KFF Health News, 2024-06-24)
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Legislators Working on Palliative Care and Hospice Workforce Bill
Federal legislators plan to continue to work on passing a bill designed to bolster the hospice and palliative care workforce. The Palliative Care and Hospice Education Training Act (PCHETA) has come before Congress several times but has not yet been passed.
(Source: Hospice News, 2024-06-24)
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Consumers Seek Communication, Trust From Healthcare Providers
What patients need from providers and hospitals, even more than convenience and affordability, is clear and direct communication from their healthcare organization, according to the 2024 National Consumer Healthcare Survey from consulting firm Jarrard. While consumers are often enticed by convenience, trust is what retains them, the survey found.
(Source: Healthcare Finance News, 2024-06-21)
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