» Healthcare data breaches are on the rise. Harvard University researchers analyzed all data breaches reported to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from January 2010 through December 2017. Published in JAMA, the analysis tallied more than 2,100 breaches, involving a total of 176.4 million patient records. The total number of breaches increased every year except for 2015 — from 199 in 2010 to 344 in 2017.
» Apps using self-monitoring can promote behavioral reflection, intrapersonal competition and help people assume responsibility for their behaviors, according to a study in Digital Health. However, using the apps can become monotonous. To combat this, researchers suggest that designers take a holistic approach to promoting health, automate behavior monitoring, and to incorporate supporting strategies such as reward, cooperation and competition that engage users and motivate behavior change.
» Washington State University researchers have developed an implantable, biofuel-powered sensor that runs on sugar and can monitor a body’s biological signals to detect, prevent and diagnose diseases. Published in the IEEE Transactions of Circuits and Systems journal, researchers say the sensor also could remove the need to prick a finger for testing of diseases such as diabetes.
» Smart pills, prescription medications that can alert physicians and family when they’ve been ingested, dumb down a complex and expensive medical challenge, according to University of Illinois-Chicago researchers. In a paper in the American Journal of Bioethics, they caution healthcare providers and policymakers to slow down when it comes to allowing this emerging digital health tool in patient care settings.
» The Long-Term and Post-Acute Care Health IT Summit is now the Collaborative Care & Health IT Innovation Summit. Convened by LeadingAge CAST, the 2019 summit, which will be in Baltimore, will continue to focus on bringing LTPAC providers together with other stakeholders to discuss how technology is connecting the healthcare ecosystem.
From the November 2018 Issue of McKnight's Long-Term Care News
