Clinical decision support software is increasingly helping healthcare providers make better diagnostic and treatment decisions—especially in … #AIinMedicine #Clinicaldecisionsupport #DigitalHealth #Healthtechnology #Healthcaresystems

Trillium staff detailed a four-step Tula pathway — referral, planning assessment, personalization, installation and learning — emphasizing person-centered planning, the roles of remote support professionals (RSPs) and the deployment tech team.

Background: Homebound older adults (≥60 y) and their informal family caregivers face multiple challenges in meeting their instrumental, emotional, and informational needs, which result in lower functional status, multiple comorbidities, and poorer mental health. Caregivers are tasked with providing uncompensated care for medically complex older adults, often without formal health care training. This circumstance may translate to high levels of burden and greater vulnerability to social isolation and loneliness, which may precipitate chronic stress and compromise caregiver health. In recent years, numerous health-focused technologies assisting with health-promoting behaviors such as physical activity, stress management, and nutritional tracking have emerged. However, little is known about how these tools are adopted by family caregivers of homebound older adults. Objective: This descriptive qualitative study aimed to explore how caregivers of homebound older adults perceive technology in the context of supporting caregiving and aging in place through focus groups and one-on-one interviews. Methods: We conducted a descriptive qualitative study using in-person and online video conference focus group methodology with 40 individuals (32 caregivers, 6 clinicians, and 2 additional key informants) to explore perspectives on caregivers’ use of technology to support their caregiving activities. Participants completed a brief sociodemographic questionnaire prior to all interviews. Procedures for thematic analysis were used to analyze the data and identify emerging themes. Results: Three main themes (and related subthemes) emerged from the data: (1) these technologies are not designed for people like us, (2) balancing the scales, and (3) preserving a sense of self. Caregivers’ experiences with technology are marked by a paradox: the same technologies that can ease caregiving activities may also impose new burdens through additional costs, uncertainty, learning demands, and emotional strain. Conclusions: Caregivers should not navigate these technological tensions alone. Realizing the promise of technology requires more than innovative tools—it demands caregiver-centered design, accessible and equitable implementation strategies, and sustained clinical and health system support to ensure that technology alleviates, rather than amplifies, caregiver burden.

Ed Brady told the Selectboard that NEKCV Fiber is opening five secure medical-consultation locations that Holland can apply to host, and that grant funding is available for town cybersecurity needs.

YouTube video by Auckland Medical Research Foundation

Background: Telemonitoring offers solutions for remote health management among older adults; yet, acceptance varies based on individual perceptions and presentation strategies. Objective: This 2-phased sequential mixed methods study examines the role of message framing on telemonitoring adoption among low-income older adults. Methods: Phase 1 involved in-depth interviews with 17 older adults, identifying key facilitators (accessibility, affordability, and health benefits) and barriers (preference for in-person consultations, technological limitations, and information processing difficulties) of telemonitoring. Building on these insights, phase 2 used an experimental study with 120 participants assessing message framing effects (episodic vs thematic) and modalities (video vs photo-text) on telemonitoring adoption. Results: Episodic framing did not produce a significant main effect on attitudes toward telemonitoring; however, its effect was moderated by external locus of control (LOC), with episodic framing associated with more positive attitudes among participants lower in external LOC, and thematic framing more favorable among those higher in external LOC. Conclusions: Convenience, cost, and health benefits emerged as key adoption drivers, while traditional consultation preferences and cognitive processing challenges posed barriers. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.

AI scribes save doctors time, but extra tasks, system gaps and accuracy concerns mean they cannot end physician burnout without broader health-care reform now!

Background: Physicians rely on electronic health record (EHR) systems to make informed decisions and deliver high-quality care. Although the introduction of EHR systems has created significant opportunities for improving patient care, it has also introduced challenges related to information overload and increased cognitive demands. Objective: This study aimed to assess physicians’ perceptions of a newly implemented cross-institutional EHR system regarding (1) the quality, access, and presentation of patient data and (2) the EHR’s effectiveness at supporting cooperation and communication with patients. Methods: This study used a cross-sectional mixed methods descriptive research design. Data were gathered through a closed-ended questionnaire, participant observations, and interviews with physicians at a university hospital in central Norway, which transitioned to a new EHR system in November 2022. Qualitative data were gathered from September 2023 to January 2024 and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis, while quantitative data were collected from January 2024 to July 2024 and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results: The quantitative data showed that most surgical and nonsurgical physicians on the following: (1) that the patient’s current medication list is presented in a clear format, (2) that the system provides a comprehensive summary view of patients’ health status, and (3) that the system supports cooperation and communications with patients. These results were supported by the qualitative data, indicating that the physicians stressed the necessity of improving the presentation and organization of data and voiced concerns about the overwhelming volume of information. However, physicians also emphasized the benefits of enhanced access to patient data, the usefulness of the timeline function for monitoring hospitalized patients, and the efficiency of communication among health care professionals through the chat function. Additionally, some informants reported favorable experiences with the patient health portal, which facilitated more efficient communication with patients. Conclusions: This study revealed a complex landscape regarding physicians’ experiences with the newly implemented cross-institutional EHR system. Physicians stressed the need for improved organization and presentation of patient health data while also highlighting the positive impact of a cross-institutional EHR system on enhanced access to data. Although quantitative data showed that most physicians disagreed on whether the new EHR enhances cooperation and communication with patients, some informants in the qualitative part of the study highlighted positive experiences related to the patient health portal in improving communication. Based on qualitative findings, adding a feature that allows users to confirm if the patient has received or read messages could further improve the usefulness of the patient portal. Our qualitative findings also emphasized that enhancing system #usability must be accompanied by comprehensive training on EHR use to achieve meaningful use. Future evaluations of the EHR system should focus on examining its long-term effects on access to patient data.

Abu Dhabi's health regulator concluded a China mission spanning 32 meetings focused on AI, robotics, oncology, advanced therapies and genomics.

Discover AngelEye technology: the innovation that gives parents remote access to their newborns in the NICU with ease.

Background: Mobile health technologies offer scalable opportunities to support home-based exercise programs. However, most commercially available apps are not tailored to individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) and have rarely been evaluated for #usability and implementation outcomes in this population. Objective: This study aims to assess the acceptability, appropriateness, #feasibility, and quality of a mobile app–based intervention designed to support exercise adherence in individuals with SCI. Methods: We conducted a convergent parallel mixed methods study using quantitative data from standardized measures and qualitative feedback from focus groups. Twelve individuals with SCI (mean age 50.5, SD 17 years; n=6, 50% male; n=8, 67% White; n=6, 50% with thoracic injuries; n=6, 50% ambulators) engaged in a customized exercise regimen using the app for 2 weeks. Acceptability, appropriateness, and #feasibility of this mobile intervention were assessed using the Acceptability of Intervention Measure, Intervention Appropriateness Measure, and #feasibility of Intervention Measure. The objective and subjective qualities, and the perceived impact, of the app-based intervention were evaluated using the User Version of the Mobile Application Rating Scale. Results: Using a cutoff score of >4 out of 5, 67% (8/12) of participants rated the app-based intervention as highly acceptable and feasible, and 50% (6/12) rated it as highly appropriate. The objective quality of the app was rated 3.57 out of 5 on the User Version of the Mobile Application Rating Scale. At the scale level, information received the highest score (mean 4.10, SD 0.52), with functionality (mean 3.51, SD 0.66) and aesthetics (mean 3.50, SD 0.70) closely following. Engagement scored lowest (mean 3.18, SD 0.72). The app’s subjective quality averaged 3.27 (SD 0.88), and its perceived impact on exercise adherence was rated 3.79 (SD 0.92). Qualitative feedback indicated that customization, access to professional support, and SCI-specific exercises were positive features. Areas for improvement included bug fixes and enhanced features to boost engagement. Conclusions: The smartphone-based intervention demonstrates adequate acceptability and #feasibility, along with high information quality and favorable #usability, for supporting exercise adherence in individuals with SCI. Improvements in engagement features are recommended to enhance sustainable implementation.

Background: Falls and fractures are a major clinical concern for older adults. International clinical guidelines recommend annual fall risk screening for all adults aged 60 years and older. However, existing falls risk–screening algorithms have shown limited sensitivity and specificity in detecting future falls. Emerging health technologies, including wearable sensors, in-silico finite element models (FEMs), and virtual reality (VR) technology, show promise in enhancing fall and fracture risk assessments by providing more personalized objective data to support targeted primary prevention. However, large-scale longitudinal studies are required to evaluate their predictive accuracy and cost-effectiveness for systematic community–based screening. Objective: The TARGET (Targeted Assessment and Recruitment of Geriatrics for Effective Fall Prevention Treatments) study is an ongoing national prospective cohort study in Singapore designed to develop cost-effective and scalable frameworks for the early detection and prevention of falls and fractures using novel health technologies. This paper describes the rationale, design, and baseline characteristics of TARGET, and provides preliminary insights into how these novel technologies perform in discriminating between older adults with and with no history of falls at study baseline. Methods: A total of 2291 community-dwelling Singapore residents aged ≥60 years were enrolled between 2022 and 2024. Participants underwent a comprehensive baseline fall risk assessment comprising (1) home-based interview to assess sociodemographic, anthropometric, cognitive, physical, functional, and psychosocial status; (2) gait assessment using wearable inertial measurement units (IMUs) motion sensors; (3) dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and whole-body 3D scans to construct subject-specific FEMs; and (4) VR-based cognitive assessment to probe spatial navigation deficits. Prospective follow-up for 2 years is ongoing, with linkage to national electronic medical records (EMRs) to obtain detailed clinical, medication, and pathological data. Results: Of the total cohort, 58% (1327/2291) were female, with a mean age of 74.6 years at baseline. TARGET represents a relatively healthy older adult population, with 83% (1898/2291) remaining fully independent, 44% (1016/2290) with mild cognitive impairment, 50% (440/879) with osteopenia, and 15% (358/2291) reporting falls in the past year. Significant baseline functional, psychosocial, cognitive, and biomechanical differences were identified between fallers and nonfallers. Fallers had poorer physical and psychosocial health, greater gait variability, and a higher risk of osteoporotic fractures. Novel risk prediction models integrating epidemiological, IMUs, FEM, VR, and EMR data are in development and being validated against gold standard clinical assessments, with cost-effectiveness evaluations of the economic feasibility of adopting these screening measures at scale. Conclusions: Leveraging comprehensive epidemiological, EMR, and health technology data, TARGET is well positioned to identify novel biomarkers and systemic interactions that may predict falls and fracture risk, with potential application to other age-related diseases with shared pathophysiology. In particular, TARGET’s focus on community-based screening using technologies that can be administered by nonclinical personnel has the potential to reduce substantial burden and costs within the health care sector.

Background: Standards for the secondary use of health data remain under development and do not comprehensively address specific categories of health data. Existing health data and interoperability standards are primarily designed for the primary use of health care, leaving gaps in their applicability for research, regulatory and decision-making. This research is part of the Integration of Heterogeneous Data and Evidence Towards Regulatory and Health Technology Assessment Acceptance (IDERHA) project, which creates a federated processing environment for secondary health care use cases. Objective: This study aims to recommend a set of standards and tools to support harmonization objectives in the secondary use of health data. The proposed standards establish a shared representation model for data providers and stakeholders, improving data adherence to findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR) principles and interoperability. Methods: In this exploratory assessment and #feasibility study, we performed a consensus-based evaluation of health data standards and harmonization tools across major health-data categories. State-of-the-art standards from different standard-producing organizations were evaluated based on community adoption, technical suitability, and alignment with European Health Data Space requirements. Data-harmonization tools were tested in a pilot experiment using synthetic Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership (OMOP) Common Data Model (CDM)–based data to assess the quality and #feasibility of applying harmonization workflows within IDERHA. We also assessed the inherent adherence to FAIR principles of the OMOP-CDM, identifying its strengths in semantic interoperability and data reuse. Finally, we addressed the datasets handling challenges (metadata discoverability, global identifiers, access control, and licensing), which are not inherently solvable by bare data description standards, through complementary mechanisms implemented in IDERHA. Results: We recommend a set of standards to support the secondary use of heterogeneous health data across clinical, imaging, genomic, socioeconomic, environmental, and patient-reported outcome measure (PROM)/patient-reported experience measure (PREM) domains. This standards collection, centered on OMOP-CDM and complemented by established extensions, was paired with selected harmonization and quality-assessment tools. #feasibility testing on synthetic OMOP data confirmed the suitability of the tools for evaluating data quality, mapping accuracy, and extract, transform, and load. A lung-#Cancer use case demonstrated how diverse datasets can be harmonized and prepared for federated analysis. A FAIR-dataset maturity evaluation showed that integrating OMOP data into the IDERHA environment substantially improved adherence to FAIR principles—particularly in metadata completeness, interoperability, and hosting capabilities—supporting enhanced discoverability, accessibility, and reuse of standardized health data. Conclusions: By strengthening adherence to FAIR principles, this research facilitates the broader integration of standardized health data for regulatory processes and health technology assessment applications. The proposed standards and tools provide a comprehensive overview of existing approaches, while offering solutions that can be applied to other scenarios involving the secondary use of health data.

A vendor demonstration of a kiosk that flags over‑the‑counter and prescription interactions prompted commissioners and community participants to press the company on whether kiosk receipts, central storage and "VIP" profiles could breach patient privacy or fall outside HIPAA protections.

During a vendor presentation of an OTC kiosk, commissioners asked who would bear legal responsibility if kiosk guidance led to patient harm; the vendor said it provides terms and agreements and limits clinical assertions, directing users to pharmacists.

Background: Modifiable health risks in pregnancy are common and contribute to adverse maternal and infant outcomes, yet preventive care addressing these risks can be difficult to deliver within time-limited antenatal appointments. Hybrid models combining in-person care with digital platforms offer a promising solution; however, there is limited evidence regarding consumer and health care professional perspectives on the preferred content and functionality of such platforms to inform their design. Objective: This study aimed to explore consumer and health care professional perspectives on the ideal content and functionality of a digital platform to support preventive antenatal care. Methods: A descriptive qualitative study was conducted across 2 regional maternity services in New South Wales, Australia. Four workshops were held with recently pregnant consumers and antenatal health care professionals, using purposive sampling to include Aboriginal and culturally and linguistically diverse participants. Data were analyzed using applied thematic analysis, guided by a predefined framework, which examined what content should be included, how the platform should function, and why it was needed. Results: A total of 23 consumers and 12 health care professionals participated. Participants identified key content requirements, including digital risk assessments, evidence-based and personalized information, practical resources, clear support options, and content extending into the postbirth period. Preferred functionalities included early access to the platform, appointment-aligned reminders, integration with routine workflows, tracking tools, multiple content delivery formats, filtering options, and information-sharing options. Participants described gaps in early pregnancy information and noted that digitally provided care could reduce stigma, support more honest disclosure, and enhance communication. Conclusions: Consumers and health care professionals identified key content and functionality requirements for a digital platform to support preventive antenatal care. Prioritizing credible information, early access, and integration with routine workflows may improve the acceptability and utility of digital solutions. Future research is needed to examine real-world implementation.